Spectacular Spider-Man #96
The Final Answer!
A winter storm is raging in New York City, and Cloak is keeling over in pain. He is suddenly forced to eject Silvermane and the two drug dealers that he pulled into the dark dimension in his cloak. The pain of such a forced expulsion causes him to pass out in the snow, leaving Silvermane free to resume his obsessed hunt for Dagger.
While at the apartment of Peter Parker, having just turned over his alien costume to Reed Richards for examination, he is busy testing out his old web-shooters and mulling over the fact that Mary Jane just revealed the fact that she knew he has always been Spider-Man.. Donning his old costume, he meets up with the Black Cat and asks her to help him resume his search for Dagger. This leads to a jealous snit between her and Peter over his concern for Dagger, and Mary Jane being at his apartment earlier. Spider-Man assures her that she is the only woman for him and the two depart, but not without Black Cat mulling over how much she really knows and about Silvermane's resurrection due to the fact that the Kingpin gave her new bad luck powers.
While back at the Kingpin's headquarters, Kingpin is furious that Dagger is too weak to provide the light energy that might make his ailing wife better again. The Answer explains that Silvermane must be draining it from her remotely due to their link. Just then Silvermane bursts into the Kingpin's lair, fighting off his guards with relative ease.
While at the home of Mary Jane Watson, Mary Jane mulls over the fact that she knows that Peter is really Spider-Man and how she doesn't like how he risks his life. Feeling lonely, she is happy for Peter in finding the Black Cat, someone who can share his adventures with. She decides to hang out with a kindred spirit and tries to give Flash Thompson a call, but there is no answer on the phone. Thompson, as it turns out, is braving the storm, fuming over what he believes to be an affair going on between Sha Shan and Peter Parker. Deciding to take cover he runs into Betty Leeds as is trying to hide from the Asgardian warriors that are running loose on the streets of New York. He swears to keep Betty safe, which is something that raises a stir in Betty.
Later, Spider-Man and the Black Cat try fruitlessly to find Dagger when Black Cat lets slip that the Answer probably took her to the Kingpin's hideout. Spider-Man calls her out on how she could know this and she tells him she learned it while he was gone on the Secret War through her underground connections and just thought to mention it now. Spider-Man is suspicious and tells her that she's been acting strange ever since he got back from the other side of the universe. He also tells her that while on the Secret War, Captain America and Mr. Fantastic both told him how she went around the super-hero community to get super-powers before he vanished and when he got back she suddenly has powers. She tells him that she knows the Answer is working for the Kingpin and that's it, and Spider-Man decides to let it go for now.
As they head to Kingpin's base, Cloak revives and goes there as well. This soon leads to a full out battle between Silvermane, Kingpin, the Answer, Spider-Man, Black Cat and Cloak as the heroes try to fight their way to Dagger. The Kingpin is attempting to keep everyone away so that his machines might filter Dagger's powers to revive Vanessa. Their attempts to keep Silvermane from getting to Dagger fail and upon touching her he revitalizes her, seemingly incinerating the Answer in the process. Also regaining his mind, Silvermane flees the scene. With the villains defeated, Kingpin begs Dagger to heal his wife. Dagger refuses, instead she uses her powers to revitalize Cloak and they flee. The Kingpin vows revenge against Spider-Man and the Black Cat who flee the scene leaving the Kingpin to tend to his wife.
While at the Baxter Building, the sentient alien costume that Spider-Man has worn until recently attempts to escape from the container that Reed Richards has put it in.
Recurring Characters
Spider-Man, Black Cat, Cloak, Dagger, Kingpin, Answer, Silvermane, Mary Jane Watson, Flash Thompson, Betty Brant, Vanessa Fisk
Continuity Notes
This blizzard is due to the fact that the Cask of Ancient Winter has been opened, as seen in Thor #349.
Mary Jane revealed that she knew that Peter was Spider-Man in Amazing Spider-Man #256. Spider-Man was separated from his alien costume in Amazing Spider-Man #258.
The Black Cat met Mary Jane in Amazing Spider-Man #258.
The Black Cat was given her bad luck powers by the Kingpin. Something that she has been keeping from Peter since Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #89.
Flash came to this conclusion after spying on the pair meeting. What Flash doesn't know is that they were actually talking about the Sha Shan and Flash's strained relationship. This happened in Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #94.
The warriors will end up clashing with Thor and the Avengers in Avengers #249 and Thor #350.
Spider-Man was involved in the Secret Wars, as seen in Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #1-12.
Vanessa Fisk has been in a catatonic state since Daredevil #180.
Although the Answer seemingly dies here, he lives on, as seen in Lethal Foes of Spider-Man #1.
The final sequence in this story showing the symbiote attempting to break out of its containment cell is taken directly from Amazing Spider-Man #259.
