Guilt

Then

Not long ago, during Vermin's incarceration at a mental institution, he began to panic one night. There he calls out for Doctor Ashley Kafka to protect him. When one of the staff tells him that she went home for the evening. This causes Vermin to go into a frenzy.

Now

At the mansion that was once home to Edward Whelan, the man who would become the Vermin, Edward's mother goes over old family photos. At the same time, Doctor Ashley Kafka is working late in her office reviewing the Vermin's files. While at one of the Green Goblin's secret hideouts, Harry Osborn has brought Peter Parker in order to avenge the death of his father, Norman.[1] When Peter wakes up from the knock out gas that Harry exposed him to, he is disorientated at first. Harry grabs his longtime friend and demands to know why Peter constantly reminds him of the crimes that his father committed as the Green Goblin. Becoming more, and more unhinged, Harry claims that his father was not a bad man. Although he admits that his father was responsible for the death of Gwen Stacy, he insists that it must have been some kind of accident.[2] As Harry sees the image of his father impaled on his goblin glider, Peter tries to remind Harry that they are best friends. However, Harry is too far gone saying that Spider-Man has taken too much away from him so Harry must go away so the Green Goblin can take over. Putting on his Goblin ask, Harry opens up a specially made pumpkin bomb containing hallucinogenic gas.[3]

Breathing deeply, Spider-Man begins to succumb to the gas and begins hallucinating. He finds himself in a graveyard where massive tombstones loom over him. The first one he sees is one for himself, the very tombstone placed when Kraven the Hunter buried him alive not long ago.[4] As Spider-Man tries to flee, he is stopped by someone who appears to be Kraven the Hunter, complete with a gunshot wound to the head.[5] However, "Kraven" pulls his face off, revealing himself to be the Green Goblin. The Goblin grabs Spider-Man and pulls him to another part of the cemetery to see who else is dead thanks to Spider-Man. There, the wall-crawler is haunted by the spirits of Aunt May's late fiancee Nathan Lubenski as well as Daily Bugle reporter Ned Leeds.[6] Lastly, Harry makes Spider-Man gaze upon the spirit of his father, Norman Osborn.

Then

Learning that Ashley Kafka is not there to assist him, Vermin begins to go on a rampage. The creature manages to break out of his cell. As he makes his escape, he murders the guards and nursing staff that get in his way.

Now

Spider-Man's finds himself being pulled further along this hallucinatory graveyard by the Green Goblin. The Goblin deposits Spider-Man in front of the looming graves of George Stacy and his daughter Gwen.[7] Trying to flee, Peter finds himself face-to-face with the grave of his Uncle Ben. This fills him with guilt and begs his Uncle for help, frantically apologizing for not stopping the burglar who killed him.[8] Suddenly, his mind floods back to the day that his Uncle Ben told him that his parents had died. Spider-Man is suddenly approached by the ghoulish apparations of his parents.[9] The constant emotional onslaught finally causes Peter to snap, and in the real world he begins to scream at the top of his lungs. Filled with fear and panic, Peter begins flailing around, smashing objects. This causes Harry's personality to snap back. Removing his mask, Harry tries to go to Peter's aid, but his friend knocks him aside. Smashing through the wall, Peter swings out across the city in a state of utter horror.

Meanwhile, at the Whelan home, Edward's father is also looking over old family photographs in his bedroom. Suddenly, a rat drops down on a picture of Edward and his father. As he tosses the rodent away, Vermin enters the room, dragging his mother in by the hair. The creature greets his father and explains that he has come to kill him. While at her office, Ashley Kafka is sleeply restlessly on the couch. She is suddenly awoken by he sound of a breaking window. Rushing to her study, Ashley is shocked to discover Spider-Man has came smashing through the window. Still under the influence of the hallucinations, Peter beds Doctor Kafka for help.

Recurring Characters

Spider-Man, Ashley Kafka, Green Goblin, Vermin

Continuity Notes

1. At the time of this story, Norman Osborn was presumed to have died during a battle with Spider-Man in Amazing Spider-Man #122. However, unknown to everyone, Norman survived as explained in Spider-Man: The Osborn Journal #1. He will resurface again in Amazing Spider-Man #412.The original Green Goblin murdered Gwen Stacy in Amazing Spider-Man #121.

2. This is the same hallucinogenic gas that Norman Osborn used on Spider-Man back in Spectacular Spider-Man Magazine #2.

3. Kraven buried Spider-Man alive and left him for dead as seen in Kraven's Last Hunt.

4. Kraven committed suicide after he failed to defeat Spider-Man in Amazing Spider-Man #294.

5. Nathan Lubenski died of heart failure in Amazing Spider-Man #336, while Ned Leeds ware murdered by assassins in Spider-Man Versus Wolverine #1.

6. George Stacy was fatally injured saving the life of a young boy during a battle between Spider-Man and Doctor Octopus back in Amazing Spider-Man #90.

7. Not long after Peter got his spider-powers, he failed to stop a burglar fleeing the scene of a robbery. Because of his inaction, the burglar later went on to murder Peter's Uncle Ben. The guilt over Ben's death has been the major motivation of fighting crime as Spider-Man. Thesee events were all detailed in Amazing Fantasy #15.

8. Richard and Mary Parker were CIA agents who died serving their country as revealed in Amazing Spider-Man Annual #5.