Into the Light

Kraven the Hunter has come to a cemetery to reflect on the past. After a time, he tells his lion companion that it is time to go and focus on the future. As he turns to leave, Kraven senses someone watching him and tells them to show themselves. It turns out to be Calypso, the former lover of Sergei Kravinoff. Thinking that this man is her former love, she is not surprised to see him alive and well especially after her own recent brush of death.[1] When she tries to kiss him, Kraven shoves her aside, telling her that the Kraven she knew is dead and that the path he walks is one that he walks alone.

In Manhattan, Peter Parker has taken his wife out to dinner at the Union Cafe.[2] Although it is a fancy restaurant, Mary Jane is not happy with him. She explains that she is tired of Peter always being on the run either as Spider-Man, or to sell photos for the Daily Bugle as Peter Parker. More importantly, she is concerned that yet another villain -- the Chameleon -- has discovered Peter's secret identity.[3] Although she understands what she accepted about Peter when they got married, she wonders what his responsibility to her is. She tells him that while she encourages what he does, she feels vulnerable right now and needs him to be more present for her. While at New York University Hospital, J. Jonah Jameson is getting off the phone just as his wife Marla comes to see how he is doing. When she asks who he was talking to on the phone, Jonah says it was nobody important. Marla expresses her concerns that Jonah has been acting weird since his attack and hospitalization. However, Jonah insists that everything is fine and that he wants to go home. That's when Marla notices her book of poems written by Percy Bysshe Shelley on the night table. It's strange to find it here because she thought it was at home and has been looking everywhere for it. When she asks Jonah how it got in his hospital room, he thinks how it was brought to him by Jack O'Lantern as a threat, but tells her that he has no idea. While at her apartment, Doctor Ashley Kafka wakes up and remembers that her hypnotic regression session with John Jameson resulted in John unleashing his dark side and attack her. Blaming herself for what happened, Ashley grabs her jacket and rushes outside to try and find John.

In Hoboken, New Jersey, Flash Thompson is shooting hoops when he is joined by his sister Jessie. She was surprised he called her after not hearing from him for over a year. The reunion is a happy one, and Flash gets his sister up-to-date on what's going on with his life. Things begin going sour when Flash tries to talk to Jessie about their father, Harrison. However, Jessie isn't interested in talking about their father and wants to leave his alcoholism and abuse in the past. Flash tries to push the issue, telling her that he can't let go of the past and that it still haunts him. That's when Jessie realizes that her brother is drunk. All she can say to Flash is to stop going down this road of self-destruction, warning him that this is exactly what happened to their father. As she storms away, Flash begs her to come back, but Jessie wants nothing to do with him. Meanwhile, Peter and Mary Jane are heading to Serendipity to get dessert before they go and see a movie. When Peter starts complaining in the rain, Mary Jane decides to make it fun by suggesting they frolicked in the downpour like Gene Kelly. Their merriment is interrupted by screams and they see some feral looking man running and leaping across traffic. It's too dark to get a good look at the figure, but Peter knows he has to go after this person as Spider-Man. Although Mary Jane doesn't want him to go, she quickly relents. However, Peter assures her that he will be back in time for them to see the movie.

Quickly changing into Spider-Man, Peter feels bad for leaving his wife to play hero again. However, after he briefly saw what appeared to be Kraven the Hunter earlier, he wants to make sure his old foe is deceased. However, none of this makes sense to the wall-crawler since Sergei Kravinoff has been dead for years, and his only apparent heir, the Grim Hunter is also dead.[4] He dismisses the whole situation as another one of the Chameleon's manipulations. When Spider-Man finally catches up with the wild-man on a nearby rooftop he is shocked to discover that it is John Jameson and wonders what happened to him. Jameson attacks him with the fury of a wild animal. Spider-Man deduces that somehow, his Man-Wolf identity has come out, but without becoming the monster. Meanwhile, at the Daily Bugle, Betty Brant is busy trying to find the right wording for a story about a recently humiliated politician. Her work was interrupted when Norman Osborn enters the newsroom and commends her on her hard work. Back on the rooftops, Spider-Man struggles to keep John Jameson under control and prevent him from harming himself. Unfortunately, John won't allow himself being restrained without a fight. With no other choice, Spider-Man knocks John out in order to stop him. That's when Doctor Ashley Kafka arrives and explains that she accidentally unleashed John's Man-Wolf personality through hypnotherapy. She then convinces the wall-crawler to help her bring John back to her place so she can reverse the process.

As Spider-Man goes to help Ashley, Mary Jane waits at the theater for her husband. When Peter doesn't show up, she is not surprised. While in Hoboken, Flash Thompson is driving home after a night of heavy drinking. As he swerves all over the road, he complains to himself how everyone thinks that he is nothing but a drunk now, and how he misses the glory days when he was the captain of the high school football team. He is so distracted, Flash barely has to swerve out of the way when a boy and his dog cross the street. Although he manages to avoid hitting the kid, Flash's car hydroplanes and crashes into a tree. When the boy rushes to the wreck to see if the driver is okay, he discovers that Flash is unconscious inside. While back at the Daily Bugle, J. Jonah Jameson has convinced his wife Marla to allow him to leave the hospital and check on his business. There he discovers that Betty Brant has called the NYPD because Norman Osborn showed up at the property. Jonah is upset, even when Betty reminds him how Osborn caused a lot of damage to the city room in the past.[5] Jonah is furious that Betty would do this, telling him that Norman Osborn has every reason to be at the Bugle. This comes to a shock to everyone, but Norman tells them that as of this morning he owns the Daily Bugle.

Recurring Characters

Spider-Man, J. Jonah Jameson, Flash Thompson, Mary Jane Watson, Kraven the Hunter, Calypso, John Jameson, Norman Osborn, Marla Madison, Ashley Kafka, Betty Brant, Jessie Thompson

Continuity Notes

1. Some facts about Kraven and Calypso here:

   • Sergei Kravinoff committed suicide during the Kraven's Last Hunt story arc.

   • Although everyone thinks this is Sergei back from the dead, this is actually Kraven's son Alexei as seen next issue.

   • Calypso had a steady relationship with Kraven since Amazing Spider-Man #209 until his death.

   • Calypso had a brief brush with death around the time of this story, as seen in Spider-Man Annual 1997.

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

3. The Chameleon had just recently learned Spider-Man's secret identity in The Spectacular Spider-Man #243.

4. The Grim Hunter was murdered by Kaine in Spider-Man #55.

5. Betty is referring to when the Green Goblin held a number of Peter Parker's friends and co-workers hostage in Spider-Man #75.