Spectacular Spider-Man Super Special #1
Invasion!
This story continues from Venom Super Special #1...
The planet Earth has been invaded by an army of invading symbiotes from outer space.[1] A news anchor informs his viewing audience that while the military struggles to contain these creatures, heroes like the Human Torch and Black Bolt are able to push back some of the invaders. However, others, such as Captain America, have not fared much better and have been possessed by the alien invaders.[2] The broadcast is suddenly interrupted when the newscaster is possessed by a symbiote invader. Meanwhile, Mary Jane has boarded herself up in the home she shares with her husband Peter Parker.[3] She wishes her husband would come home. She is worried about what might happen to her and her unborn child.[4] Rooting through a drawer, Mary Jane finds an old pack of cigarettes that she didn't throw out after quitting and feels the temptation.[5]
In Upstate New York, Spider-Man flees by a horde of people who have been taken over by symbiotes. He lures them through a drainage pipe where Venom and the Scarlet Spider are waiting. Once Spider-Man leaps out the opposite side of the pipe, his two allies use their webbing to bring it down around their attackers. With a momentary reprieve, they decide that they need to find some weapons to fend off the invaders. That's when they notice they are near the Midford Mall. While at a secure facility some miles away, the guards are wondering why they are wasting their time guarding the unconscious body of Cletus Kasady when the world is under siege.[6] However, one of the guards has been taken over by a symbiote and knocks out the others. Suddenly, Kasady begins communicating with the possessed guard through the cerebro-communicator, having awoken from amidst this crisis. When the possessed guard frees Cletus from his bonds, he slaughters him on the spot. Carnage is surprised when his symbiote suddenly absorbs the other, gaining extra mass in the process. Back at the mall, Sider-Man, the Scarlet Spider, and Venom discover that the building is totally deserted. Spider-Man tells his allies that they need to get all fire and sonic devices they can find.
Walking through the mall on his own, Venom watches news footage on the televisions and blames himself for the invasion by briefly sending his symbiote away.[7] Elsewhere in the mall, Spider-Man tries to find a working phone so he can call Mary Jane, but can't find one. While back in New York City, Mary Jane lights up a cigarette, telling herself she'll only have a few puffs. However, she crushes it out reminding herself that she is pregnant and wants to have a healthy baby. She decides that the only way to deal with the stress is to have faith in her husband. Back at the Midford Mall, the Scarlet Spider finds a blue hoodie to replace the one he lost earlier.[8] After tearing off the sleeves and stenciling on his spider emblem, he gathers some propane torches and heads off to meet with the others. As he leaves the store, he is unaware that a symbiote is hiding among the mannequins. Spider-Man and Venom get to the mall's ice rink first. That's when they hear the Scarlet Spider calling out for them to run as he is being chased by a number of symbiotes. Getting an idea, Spider-Man tells Venom to run for it while he leaps up into the sound booth. There he turns on the music and cranks up the volume.[9] It is not enough noise to affect to the symbiotes, prompting the Scarlet Spider to tell Spider-Man to create more dissonance. To do this, Spider-Man holds a microphone up to the speakers causing sufficient feedback to harm the aliens.
Catching up with Venom, the two Spiders decide to the best way is to reverse the jump gate and use the Venom symbiote's psychic link to the others to cause them enough pain to encourage them to flee. When the Scarlet Spider points out that these symbiotes might go after Venom instead. However, Brock is willing to take that risk to save innocent lives. Back at the mental facility, Carnage wants to know what the symbiote's plans are. In order to get these answers, he holds the symbiote he absorbed over an open flame, in order to force it to tell him everything. A few hours later, Spider-Man and his allies have reached the symbiote's warp gate and toss propane tanks at the creatures. With the flames causing the creatures to scatter, the Scarlet Spider and Spider-Man keep the symbiotes occupied while Venom does his job. Unfortunately, before Venom can reverse the warp gates, the aliens use one of their ships to blow it up. Wondering why they would trap themselves on Earth they are suddenly ambushed by Carnage who has absorbed enough of the alien symbiotes to grow to massive size.
... Planet of the Symbiotes concludes in Web of Spider-Man Super Special #1.
Recurring Characters
Spider-Man, Scarlet Spider, Venom, Mary Jane Watson, Carnage, Human Torch, Black Bolt, Captain America
Continuity Notes
The symbiote race is not specifically identified as the Klyntar race in Deadpool: Back in Black #1.
Captain America is depicted wearing armor here. At the time of this story, the super-soldier serum in Captain America's body has begun breaking down forcing him to wear this armor. This limitation was chronicled from Captain America #425-443.
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.
Mary Jane revealed she was pregnant in The Spectacular Spider-Man #220.
Mary Jane took up smoking in Amazing Spider-Man #361 to deal with the stress of Peter being Spider-Man. At the time of this story, she had just recently quit in Amazing Spider-Man #385.
Carnage has been in a coma since his defeat in Venom Carnage Unleashed #1-4.
The symbiote's sadness from being rejected by Eddie Brock led to it calling out to his people in Amazing Spider-Man Super Special #1.
The Scarlet Spider lost his first hoodie in Spider-Man Super Special #1.
The sound system is depicted as having a tape deck. This should be considered a topical reference per the Sliding Timescale of Earth-616 as cassette tapes are an obsolete technology.
The Cycle of Life
Following the funeral of Aunt May, Peter Parker stands quietly at her grave for over an hour.[1] His wife Mary Jane tells Peter that they need to get going, but Peter can't bring himself to leave.[2] Peter is upset because he wishes there was more he could say to her before she died. Mary Jane tells him that he was the best son he could be. As they leave, they are unaware that a pair of car thieves have just entered the cemetery in order to lay low with their latest theft. The thieves spot the Parkers and figure that they are easy targets. However, when they try to rob the Parkers, Peter Parker knocks one of them out and crushes the gun of another. The couple keep on walking as though nothing happened.
Peter goes into his wallet and pulls out an old photo of his Aunt May and Uncle Ben. He recalls it was taken when he was a young man. He remembers how it took years to accept that Peter's parents were dead and had a funeral in their names.[3] He tells his wife that it was the love of his parents encouraged him to keep on going. A shy child, Peter found an escape in the books he read. It was at that time that Uncle Ben and Aunt May decided to adopt Peter and raise him like their own child. At school, young Peter Parker was bullied by students like Flash Thompson. Although Peter knew he couldn't become a jock like Flash, he insists that he will become something this day. One day, Peter's anger at the cruelties on a rainy day when he and Aunt May were returning home from groceries. When some kids zoom past on their bicycles, intentionally splashing Aunt May, ruining their groceries. Furious, Peter runs at the bullies and tries to fight them. Although he is seriously beaten, Peter refused to stop fighting. Back home, Ben and May treated his wound, they tell the boy how proud they were of his courage.
He goes on to say that they were the greatest parents he could have had. That's why, when his Uncle Ben, was murdered that he lived by his standard and using his powers as Spider-Man as a force for good.[4] Mary Jane reminds Peter that death is an eventuality, that it is a fact of life. However, he tells him that his aunt and uncle's promise that Peter will never be alone is still true because he has her now.
Recurring Characters
Peter Parker, Mary Jane Watson, (in flashback) Aunt May, Uncle Ben
Continuity Notes
This story takes place during the events of Amazing Spider-Man #400 after the woman everyone thought Aunt May died. This woman is actually an imposter, as revealed in Spider-Man #97.
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.
Richard and Mary Parker were killed in action while on a government mission while Peter was still a child, as seen in Amazing Spider-Man Annual #5.
Peter's Uncle Ben was murdered in Amazing Fantasy #15.
Party Monster
This story continues from Venom Super Special #1...
The Scarlet Spider leaps through the skylight of a science gala that has been attacked by the Lizard.[1] He pulls the creature off Cary Armstrong who warns the Scarlet Spider to be careful of its sharp claws. The Spider is quickly caught off guard by how fast the Lizard. As the two fight on the ceiling, the Scarlet Spider loses his grip sending both himself and his attacker falling toward his friend Gabrielle Greer. Thankfully, Armstrong has recovered enough to catch them before they land on the woman. As they continue to struggle, Armstrong promises to be back to fight the Lizard after he gets Gabrielle to safety. Hearing Armstrong call the creature the Lizard makes the Scarlet Spider wonder if this creature is Curt Connors, and is disturbed by this possibility because this creature is entirely devoid of any humanity.
As the Scarlet Spider tries to contain the Lizard with his impact webbing, Doctor Rick Barron pulls Martha Connors to safety. However, the Lizard breaks free and grabs Martha. That's when Armstrong returns and tells the creature to let the woman alone. The Lizard tosses Martha at the web-slinger. The Lizard's lunge sends both of them crashing through a wall taking them outside. With the authorities arriving on the scene, the Scarlet Spider begins trying to hit the Lizard with his stingers. Although they bounce off the Lizard's hide, the creature rapidly digs into the ground to try and get away. The Scarlet Spider manages to tag the creature with one of his minidot tracer. With the authorities getting everything under control, the Scarlet Spider changes back to Ben Reilly and rejoins the party. That's when he is called by Doctor Noah Purl who motions Ben to his ambulance. Inside he finds Gabriel who needs medical attention. Purl assures Ben that she will be okay and that she is only being brought to the hospital as a precaution.
With her in the ambulance is Strongarm, who Ben is surprised to see since his newfound powers should have made him invulnerable. However, Purl points out that there are limitations to Armstrong's abilities. Still, he administers a coagulant that jumpstarts Armstrong's healing factor. They eventually get back to Empire State Hospital where Detective Sloane Chase is waiting to take their statements. Purl tells him about his former colleague Curt Connors and his regenerative research that transformed him into the Lizard.[2] It was this research that he adapted to give Armstrong his powers.[3] However, he's not sure if this new Lizard creature is Curt Connors or not, pointing out that Connor's was reported to have died in the Florida Everglades.[4] In order to try and confirm this, Sloan wants to talk to Martha Connors. Purl wants to come along to find out the truth himself. Both men are unaware that their entire conversation was overheard by Ben Reilly who follows after them as the Scarlet Spider.
Along the way, the Scarlet Spider fumes over the apparent relationship blooming between Armstrong and Gabriele Greer. He wonders why he cares so much since he hardly knows the Greer woman. When he arrives at the Connor's house, he sees Martha comforting her son Billy. Seeing how upset they are, the Spider decides not to intrude on their lives, figuring they have suffered enough. As he heads back home, Ben tries not to look into Gabrielle's window on his way back, but can't help himself. As he does, he sees that Armstrong is in there with her.
... Growing Pains concludes in Web of Spider-Man Super Special #1.
Recurring Characters
Scarlet Spider, Armstrong, Rick Barron, Noah Purl, Toni Moore, Martha Connors, Gabrielle Greer, Sloane Chase
Continuity Notes
Everyone assumes that this Lizard is actually Curt Connors. However, this is actually a real lizard mutated into a humanoid form as explained in The Spectacular Spider-Man #238.
Curt Connors first turned himself into the Lizard in Amazing Spider-Man #6.
Armstrong was given his powers in Spider-Man Super Special #1.
The Lizard seemingly perished in Web of Spider-Man #110-111. However, Connors survived as revealed in Sensational Spider-Man #7.
