A Mighty Hunter Before the Lord

Kaine has been making a name for himself as a superhero in Houstin. The media has dubbed him the Scarlet Spider. While his gruff attitude and foul mouth bothers some, most people in the city — including the local police and the mayor’s office — have all come to consider the Scarlet Spider a much needed hero.

That evening, in downtown Houston, Kaine has decided to get an arm tattoo. He is annoyed that everyone is referring to his costumed identity as the Scarlet Spider and curses Madame Web for altering the stealth suit he took from Spider-Man, making it stuck in it’s current form, preferring its original black look.[1] As he leaves the tattoo parlor, he is surprised to see that Aracely, an illegal Mexican immigrant in his care waiting outside with him. She tells him that she followed him because she can hear him in her mind and insists they go for barbeque together after she saw an advertisement on television. While this strange exchange is going on, either are aware that a woman is watching them from the alley across the street.

Kaine decides to indulge Aracely and uses the opportunity to try and learn more about her. Unfortunately, the young girl still has no memory of who her parents are. The conversation is an strange one with Aracely changing the subject between what she does know and what she wants to order on the menu. She remarks how the blue hoodie she wears bothers Kaine because it reminds him of being a better person even though he doesn’t think he is one.[2] Kaine gets upset by this observation and asks how she is able to suddenly speak English. Aracely doesn’t know for sure, but figures she can because Kaine and her friends do. She tells him that sometimes she can see some glimpse of her past whenever she closes her eyes, but all she sees is something she calls the darkness coming for her. Confused by all of this, Kaine asks where Annabelle is. Aracely tells him that their mutual friend had gone to church.

However, Annabelle Adams hasn’t gone to pray, she is actually the lead singer in a band that are performing a show at a church. Kaine goes to check it out and seeing the dancing crowd wonders if this is what having a life is like. He thinks about how beautiful and kind Annabell is and figures she would run away if she knew what he was really like. Just as he is deciding to get out he suddenly becomes aware of a young girl standing in front of him brandishing a knife. He instantly recognizes her as Ana Kravinoff, the youngest daughter of Kraven the Hunter.[3] She slices his arm with her knife and then runs out the nearest door.

Kaine follows Ana upstairs onto a catwalk where he finds her preparing a Molotov cocktail. Instead of throwing it at Kaine, she tosses it into the crowd below. The flames trap Annabelle and her band on the stage. As the crowd flees the burning church, Kaine leaps down to try and save his friend. He is blocked by Ana who is looking to fight him to the death, just like she killed her brother. During their fight the fire compromises the floor beneath them and it soon gives way, sending them crashing into the basement. Surprisingly, when one of the support beams comes down, Kaine shoves Ana out of the way of the falling debris. This save makes her think that Kaine is just as weak as Spider-Man. She flees the scene, warning him that her father will be coming for him soon.[4]

By this time, Annabelle and her bandmates have gotten out of the fire alive. She is in the process of calling Aracely when she spots Kaine, bloodied from his battle, crawling out of the burning church. When she checks to see if he is okay, he tells her that she needs to run away from him because she doesn’t want to see her get hurt. She doesn’t understand what Kaine means and when she says she is not going anywhere, he passes out from blood loss.

The next morning, Kaine returns to the church where the priest who rented it out is busy cleaning up, regretting renting the place out. Kaine approaches the priest and asks for some advice. He explains that he was given a second chance at life and doesn’t understand why, saying that he is a bad person who has done horrible things in the past. He recalls how his “brother” was a good man who died and Kaine wonders why he was saved instead.[5] The priest is interested in helping and tells Kaine that for starters he’s going to have to give confession. Later, while on patrol, Kaine decides to keep the name Scarlet Spider even though it was once the name of a better man, because he is trying to be a better person.

Meanwhile, at a federal detention facility, the man known as the Salamander is visited by his employer. He calls the Salamander Xiuhcoatl’s Champion and that he has work to do. When the Salamander explains that he failed on his mission to eliminate Aracely because the Scarlet Spider interfered with him. His assures him that the wolves will deal with the spider and when the girl dies the darkness will finally come.[6]

While in New York City, Julia Carpenter — aka Madame Web — asks her daughter what they should do today. Rachel thinks her mother already knows but she assures her daughter that her clairvoyant abilities don’t work that way. Suddenly, Julia begins to scream in agony. When the screams subsides all she can say is that someone is coming back and this time she’s coming for Kaine.[7]

Lastly, at an undisclosed location, Ana Kravinoff returns to her father and reports that she failed to kill Kaine. She tells him everything she learned, how Kaine has made new friends and, that he wouldn’t kill her because — in her opinion — he is now pretending to be a hero. When she begs her father to finally end her life, Kraven tells her to be patient as they have hunting to do.

Recurring Characters

Scarlet Spider, Kraven the Hunter, Ana Kravinoff, Aracely Penalba, Annabelle Adams, Madame Web, Rachel Carpenter, Wally Layton, the Salamander, Mr. Moctezuma (unidentified)

Continuity Notes

1. Kaine stole Spider-Man’s stealth suit to use during the final battle during Spider-Island. He later decided to keep it. See Amazing Spider-Man #666-673.

2. The blue hoodie upsets Kaine so much because it was part of the ensamble worn by the original Scarlet Spider from Web of Spider-Man #118 until Sensational Spider-Man #0. The original Scarlet Spider was Ben Reilly, another Peter Parker clone that Kaine spent years tormenting see Spider-Man: The Lost Years #1-3.

3. Kaine recalls how Ana and her family killed him as a sacrifice to resurrect her father, Kraven the Hunter. See Amazing Spider-Man #634-637. Although Kaine was killed, he came back to life shortly there after. Kaine’s miraculious resurrection was due to the fact that he was chosen by the Other to become its new Spider-Totem as will be explained in Scarlet Spider (vol. 2) #14-15.

4. Ana’s threats are not hollow either. Kraven will come after Kaine in Scarlet Spider (vol. 2) #21-23.

5. This “brother” is, of course, Ben Reilly. Reilly died on the business end of the Goblin Glider circa Spider-Man #75.

6. The Salamander went after Aracely and battled the Scarlet Spider in Scarlet Spider (vol. 2) #1-2. His master is identified as Mr. Moctezuma in Scarlet Spider (vol. 2) #15.

7. Madame Web is referring to Shanthra, a mystical being that previously battled Spider-Man when he was the Earth’s chosen spider-totem in Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 2) #46-48. She will come after Kaine in Scarlet Spider (vol. 2) #24-25.