Nick Peron

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Spectacular Spider-Man #95

Nick Peron

The Dagger At the End of the Tunnel!

Credits

After his brutal beating by the reanimated Silvermane, Spider-Man has the Black Cat return him to his apartment to recuperate before they go searching for Cloak and Dagger. Getting into bed, Spider-Man orders his costume off, and the Black Cat can't help but not look at him without his costume on. He has her promise him not to go after Silvermane alone, the Black Cat agrees but is not impressed with the orders. However, she decides to go along with it lest her involvement may reveal her connection to the Kingpin.

Meanwhile, at the Kingpin's headquarters, he, the Answer, and the Kingpin's team of scientists attempt to regain control of Silvermane who is still rampaging through the streets of New York. Learning that the control collar is fully functional, the Answer deduces that since Silvermane was supposedly killed by one of Dagger's light daggers, then perhaps a link between the two has been forged and that Silvermane now has a compulsion to follow that link. The proves to be an accurate assumption, as at the Holy Ghost Church, Dagger is suddenly struck down by the same pain she felt earlier when they were trying to take down drug dealers. Although this makes Dagger incapable of giving her light to Cloak to control his hunger, the duo go out to perform their nightly duties of hunting down drug dealers.

While back at the home of Peter Parker, his new alien costume suddenly comes to life and covers his sleeping body. Although Peter is still sleeping the costume makes him gout out web-slinging through the city. As the costume makes him swing by the Black Cat, Felicia thinks that Spider-Man is going out into action on his own and ignoring her, and decides to go hunting for Silvermane herself. After the Kingpin checks on his ailing wife he has the Answer contact the Rose and has him organize a drug deal as a means of flushing out Cloak and Dagger. As Spider-Man's sleeping body continues to swing through the city, the Black Cat checks with her underworld connections to learn of the drug shipment on her own.

When Cloak and Dagger find some drug addicts, Dagger uses her light daggers to cure them of their addictions, attracting Silvermane. After Cloak and Dagger teleport away, Silvermane smashes out from the sewers beneath the former junkies scaring them away. Meanwhile, Spider-Man's costume brings him back to his home and leaves him in his bed. Peter wakes up thinking he has had a nightmare. Calling his costume on him he attempts to call Felicia and gets no answer, prompting him to guess that she went after Silvermane alone. As he swings through the city, his mind draws on all the troubles that have been going on with his personal life and circle of friends.

Elsewhere in the city, Sha Shan watches in secret as Flash Thompson gets into a car driven by two shady individuals. Liz Osborn is excited about her coming child while Harry secretly worries about being able to afford the child. Nathan Lubinsky and Aunt May have money troubles of their own, finding it difficult to keep their seniors boarding house in business. Betty Brant deals with the loneliness of having her husband Ned Leeds on assignment in Europe, while Joe Robertson deals with the pressures of being Editor at the Daily Bugle. The only person who seems to be happy this day is J. Jonah Jameson, who thinks giving the Editors position is the best decision he's made next to proposing to Marla Madison.

Not finding any leads, Spider-Man calls Ben Urich and Urich tips him off about a drug deal going on at the west side docks. Sure enough, this is the deal that the Kingpin has had the Rose orchestrate. As the deal is going down, the scene is being watched separately by Spider-Man, the Black Cat, and the Answer. When Cloak and Dagger arrive, Cloak is about to suck all the drug dealers into his dark dimension. Knowing that this will kill the dealers, Dagger gives him the last of her light, even though it weakens her. Spider-Man calls out Dagger's name, pointing her out to the Answer, the Rose, and the Black Cat. Just then, Silvermane bursts through the floor and it soon becomes a mad grab for Dagger. Everyone, from Spider-Man and the Black Cat, Cloak, and the Rose's men try to capture Dagger. However, it is the Answer who ultimately grabs her and carries her away.

Cloak then consumes Silvermane and the remaining drug dealers, and before Spider-Man can tag him with a spider-tracer, he teleports away.

Recurring Characters

Spider-Man, Black Cat, Cloak, Dagger, Kingpin, Answer, Silvermane, Rose, Mr. Varley, Mr. Johnston, Vanessa Fisk, Sha Shan Nguyen, Flash Thompson, Harry Osborn, Liz Osborn, Nathan Lubensky, Aunt May, J. Jonah Jameson, Joe Robertson, Betty Brant, Ben Urich

Continuity Notes