The Carrion Cure

Since Spider-Man was dragged into the sewers by Hobgoblin and Carrion, the news is abuzz about the face of the wall-crawler. Watching the story unfold on the news is Peter Parker's wife, Mary Jane.[1] She begins fearing the worse, but decides not to be a sobbing housewife and decides to go out to the McBride residence where the battle first started. On her way out, she is stopped by Nick Katzenberg who reveals that he has a photo of her and Peter where Peter is wearing his Spider-Man costume.[2] When he threatens to expose Spider-Man's secret identity unless they cut a deal with him. In response, Mary Jane knocks Katzenberg with a single punch causing the sleazy photographer and his photos to spill into the gutter.

Meanwhile, in the sewers below the city, the Hobgoblin and Carrion have Spider-Man pinned to a wall. When the wall-crawler awakens from the previous attack, the Hobgoblin gloats over his victory over the hero and his eventual death. However, the Hobgoblin will only kill the hero when he has secured a price of his death and leaves him in Carrion's care. Spider-Man gets Carrion talking, and watches as the ghoul pulls out a photograph of his mother out of his satchel. Much to Spider-Man's surprise, Carrion has figured out that he is really Malcolm McBride, transformed by the Carrion virus. He explains that he went to visit his mother in the hopes that could make him complete again, but it did not.[3] This gets Spider-Man thinking how he can use this to his advantage. Meanwhile, Mary Jane storms into a fancy restaurant where Thomas Fireheart is dining. She threatens to blow his double identity in the middle of the restaurant if he doesn't talk with her. Going outside to talk, Mary Jane demands that Fireheart go looking for her husband as the Puma in order to repay the debt of honor he feels he owes Spider-Man. Thomas explains that his debt is ethical after he went after Spider-Man based on a slanted story in the Daily Bugle.[4] In order to balance this, Thomas Fireheart bought the Daily Bugle to change Spider-Man's image.[5] He explains that this will repay his debt to Spider-Man, and his survival is not his concern. Mary Jane is appalled that Fireheart would just stand back and allow Peter to die in order to renege out of his debt of honor and storms away calling him a hypocrite.

While at the Long Island mansion owned by Hammerhead, the Hobgoblin comes to visit the mob boss and get a price for Spider-Man's death. However, Hammerhead isn't quite interested in doing business with him after he botched an assassination attempt on Joe Robertson.[6] Hobgoblin explains that he had interference from Spider-Man and the Puma during that operation. Hammerhead tells the mercenary that if he brings Spider-Man's head, they will talk about price. After the Hobgoblin leaves, Tombstone comes in after overhearing Joe Robertson's name. Tombstone once more insists that he is to be the only one to harm Robertson. However, Hammerhead insists that Robertson should be eliminated for making Tombstone a federal fugitive and orders him to accept it and storms off.[7]

While back in the sewers, Spider-Man begins to play on Carrion's memories of his former life and family before he became Carrion. He succeeds in angering the ghoul enough that it tosses his red dust of death at the hero. Spider-Man shifts himself enough so the dust hits the ectoplasmic shackles that has him stuck to the wall. Free, the wall-crawler then uses his webbing to make the ceiling of the tunnel collapse on Carrion. Unfortunately, his escape attempt happens just as Hobgoblin returns and attacks the hero. While on the surface, the authorities have arrived on the scene to close off the section of the street that has suddenly collapsed. Mary Jane arrives on the scene looking for Martha McBride. While the authorities are busy with the street collapse, she was able to sneak into the McBride home and appeal to Martha to talk to her because they both have loved ones in trouble. While back down below, Hobgoblin manages to cause an explosion thanks to a gas leak in the tunnel. The blast sends Spider-Man flying out of the tunnel and out onto the street. As the hero braces himself on a lamppost, trying to recover from the blast, the Hobgoblin follows after him.

Hearing the blast, Mary Jane and Martha rush outside to see what the commotion is about. Seeing Spider-Man in danger, Mary Jane calls out to him to snap out of it. The disorientated wall-crawler then sees Carrion coming up behind MJ and Martha. Spider-Man leaps and pushes the two women to safety. The Hobgoblin mocks Spider-Man for risking his life for the two women when it leaves him open to the Hobgoblin's resumed the attack. Hearing that the demonic mercenary doesn't have any concern for the innocent women who will get killed as well, Carrion turns his attention to his partner. The Hobgoblin orders Carrion to stay away, and when the villain tosses his pumpkin bomb, the blast engulfs both of them and their bodies land into the sewers below, reigniting the gas. The resulting explosion caves in the subway tunnel, and leaves everyone to believe that both the Hobgoblin and Carrion are dead.[8]

Recurring Characters

Spider-Man, Mary Jane Watson, Thomas Fireheart, Hobgoblin, Carrion, Hammerhead, Tombstone, Nick Katzenberg, Martha McBride

Continuity Notes

1. Peter and Mary Jane are referred to as husband and wife here. However, years later, their marriage is erased from existence by the demon Mephisto in Amazing Spider-Man #545. As such they should be considered a common-law couple as opposed to husband and wife.

2. Katzenberg shot this photo in Web of Spider-Man #63.

3. Malcolm McBride was infected with the Carrion virus in The Spectacular Spider-Man #147. He began remembering his past in last issue.

4. Puma last attacked Spider-Man in Web of Spider-Man #50.

5. Fireheart purchased the Daily Bugle in The Spectacular Spider-Man #156.

6. The Hobgoblin was hired to kill Joe Robertson in The Spectacular Spider-Man #161.

7. Tombstone was incarcerated after being defeated by Spider-Man in The Spectacular Spider-Man #142. He ended up in prison thanks to testimony given by Joe Robertson regarding a murder Tombstone committed 20 years later in The Spectacular Spider-Man #150. However, he broke out of prison and became a fugitive in The Spectacular Spider-Man #155.

8. Although they seemingly die here, the Hobgoblin and Carrion both survive and resurface in Amazing Spider-Man #335 and The Spectacular Spider-Man #201 respectively.