Spectacular Spider-Man #135
Sin-Thesis
After witnessing the injuries he sustained to Stan Carter, Spider-Man lacked the confidence to battle Electro, leaving him defeated in the streets. As the wall-crawler struggles to get back up, he recounts the series of events that led up to this humiliating defeat. By this time, a crowd of people has begun surrounding him, intent on unmasking the wall-crawler. Before they can do so, Stan Carter comes and tries to disperse the crowd. However, when he learns that they are out for blood, he pulls out a shotgun and threatens to kill them all. Fearful of the man who used to be the Sin Eater, they all flee. Realizing that he was rescued by the man responsible for murdering Jean DeWolff, among others, Spider-Man is horrified that Stan would pull a gun on people. However, Carter shows the wall-crawler that it is actually a toy gun. When the police arrive on the scene, Spider-Man flees and Stan surrenders himself to the authorities.
His body ablaze with agony, Peter returns to his apartment, chastising himself for being so easily defeated by Electro. Stripping off his costume, Peter's skin has been singed to a bright red. He then hops into the shower and tries to get his mind off things. That's when his wife Mary Jane comes home. She tries to surprise him by joining her husband in the shower and is shocked by how red his skin is. When she asks Peter what happened, he is annoyed and asks for some privacy. However, Mary Jane still presses on her husband to talk. Peter relents and tells her how guilty he feels for injuring Stan Carter. Mary Jane tries to console her husband by quipping that she loves him because he is more screwed than she is.
Meanwhile, Stan Carter is being interrogated by Sargent Turk down at the police station. Turk isn't convinced that Stan is cured, especially after his stint with the toy gun. Stan tells Turk that he had the toy gun for protection because people may want to hurt him for what he had done. The whole time, the illusion of the Sin Eater taunts Stan to reclaim his violent past. However, before the interrogation can go any further, Scott Rosenberg, the man trying to be Stan's agent comes bursting through the room and demands that his client be released if he isn't being charged with committing a crime. Outside, Rosenberg tells Stan that he will handle the media. When Stan gets a cab, he tells Scott that he doesn't want to profit on his past crimes and does not need an agent representing him. Rosenberg asks Carter to reconsider as he needs someone to run his life from now on. Behind Scott stands the illusion of the Sin Eater, who sarcastically boasts that Stan already has someone watching him. Without another word, Stan leaves the scene in the taxi.
Later, Spider-Man is in an all-out brawl with Electro, intending to avenge his previous defeat. Consumed with anger, the wall-crawler picks up Electro and slams him into the ground. Suddenly, Electro changes into the Sin Eater, who accuses Spider-Man of seriously harming him. Spider-Man tries to explain that he lost control as he backs off. Suddenly he bumps into Electro, and in a panic swings a punch at his foe. The blow does little to harm Electro, who them blasts Spider-Man at full power. Peter Parker wakes up from this nightmare screaming as his body feels like it is burning. Mary Jane tells Peter to calm down as she was just putting antiseptic on his burns. Peter tells her about his enduring guilt about harming the Sin Eater. He is concerned about money and decides to retrieve his camera which he left behind after he was defeated by Electro. Although the photos show Spider-Man's humiliating defeat, he knows that selling them to the Daily Bugle for much-needed money. Mary Jane tells Peter not to worry about money, explaining that she got a modeling gig on a popular morning talk show.
Meanwhile, Stan Carter seeks to continue his career in law enforcement. However, the desk sergeant at the precinct scoffs at the idea and tells him to try and his luck at division headquarters. There, Stan is rejected as it would look bad for the police force and suggests that Stan try the private sector. However, he is turned down everywhere, much to his annoyance. Desperate for work, Stan even briefly considers getting a job at a fast food joint but decides against it once he arrives. Returning to his apartment, Carter is visited by Scott Rosenberg who has come to see if Stan has reconsidered his offer of representation. The hallucination of Sin Eater also returns and goads Stan into giving in. Even though it will cost him his self-respect, with no other job prospects Stan relents. This is great news for Scott Rosenberg who is booking him to make television appearances. When Scott asks Stan if he wants to hire a ghostwriter to help with his book, Stan tells Scott that he already has a ghost.
Several days later, Electro is sitting down to breakfast and planning his next move. As he plans his next score, Max Dillon watches a daytime talk show. The hosts are interviewing a prominent New York fashion designer. Mary Jane is among the models showcasing the designers latest designs. Watching from the crowd is Peter Parker, who is proud of his wife. When it's announced that the next guess is Stan Carter, Electro begins watching with interest.
Hearing the host reveal that Stan Carter is planning on writing an upcoming book of his time as the Sin Eater, Peter is both disgusted and angered. As Stan begins to tell about his upcoming book "The Death of Jean DeWolff", Peter slips away and changes into Spider-Man. He interrupts the interview, calling Carter a liar as he is now cashing in on his crimes. Seeing this on television, Electro decides to head to the studio to destroy Spider-Man once and for all. As he uses his electrical powers to speed down a subway track, Electro thinks about all the times Spider-Man has humiliated him and vows to get eliminate his foe. Back at the television studio, Spider-Man continues to berate Stan Carter on live television. Watching from backstage is Mary Jane who wonders what has gotten into her husband. Stan wonders if Spider-Man is just upset that he saved the wall-crawler's life a few days earlier and asks if that doesn't erase his past crimes. When Spider-Man tells him it can't wash away the blood on Stan's hand, his evocation of Jean DeWolff's name causes Stan to lose his temper.
Stan tells Spider-Man that there isn't a day that doesn't go by that he doesn't think about how he brutally murdered Jean DeWolff. He reminds Spider-Man that Jean was special to him as they were lovers. Exhausted he collapses in his chair. The illusion of the Sin Eater tells Stan to kill the masked hero. Having enough of this apparition as well, Stan yells at the Sin Eater to go away, calling him an animal.
Thinking Stan is talking about him, Spider-Man realizes that confronting him was a huge mistake. This is seconded by Electro who comes up from behind. He challenges Spider-Man to take his best shot. However, the wall-crawler still has his doubts about fighting without someone getting seriously injured and stands down. Electro is amused by this and mocks the wall-crawler, telling him he's lost his edge before walking out of the television studio.
Recurring Characters
Spider-Man, Electro, Mary Jane Watson, Stan Carter, Michael Tork
Continuity Notes
Spider-Man seriously injured Stan Carter when he was operating as the Sin Eater in Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #110.
Peter and Mary Jane refer to themselves as husband and wife here. However, years later, their marriage is erased from existence by the demon Mephisto in Amazing Spider-Man #545. As a result, the couple should be considered a common-law couple as opposed to husband and wife.
Mary Jane says the show that hired her is "The Morning Show", which aired on television from 1983 to 1988. It later changed to "Live With Regis and Kathy Lee". The "Live With..." franchise continues, although undergoes a name change when the primary hosts are replaced. This should be considered a topical reference per the Sliding Timescale of Earth-616.
Electro remarks that he is glad he ditched his henchmen. He briefly hired a bunch of thugs to help him with robberies, as seen in Amazing Spider-Man Annual #21.
The hosts of the show are identified as Regis Philbin and Kathy Lee Johnson (later Gifford). They were the hosts of the Morning Show at the time this story was published. Kathy Lee left the show in 2000, while Regist retired from the position in 2011. Their appearances here should be considered a topical reference per the Sliding Timescale of Earth-616.
As the Sin Eater, Stan Carter murdered Jean DeWolff and a score of others in Spectacular Spider-Man #107-110.
Electro thinks of his two previous defeats at the hands of Spider-Man. Such as the time Spider-Man shorted him out with water from a fire hydrant in Amazing Spider-Man Annual #21. The other flashback, showing Spider-Man having Electro suspended in the air by webbing tied to his feet is not from any specific Spider-Man story that had been published to date. Likely, this is a reference to their last previous clash in Spectacular Spider-Man #66.
