Spectacular Spider-Man (vol. 2) #2
The Hunger Part 2
In a Midtown railway tunnel, Spider-Man is locked in battle with the Venom symbiote and is shocked to discover that it has separated from its current host, Eddie Brock. The alien creature is trying to bond to Spider-Man again, but the wall-crawler continues to evade it.[1] Ultimately, Spider-Man manages to get away from the symbiote by putting the alien in the path of an oncoming train. However, instead of allowing itself to get run over, the symbiote hitches a ride on the train, deciding to seek a new host elsewhere.
By nine PM that evening there is a new victim of the attacker the media is calling the “vampire”. When Detective Neil Garrett arrives on the scene his suspicions are confirmed, this victim has two punctures above their kidney and they have been drained of their adrenaline. Garrett knows that the attacker is trying to convey some kind of message. That’s when Neil’s captain arrives on the scene with some new information. Another detective was investigating break-ins at local hospitals and as it turns out the medical records of each victim were stolen. She also provides a connection: Each of the victims was undergoing cancer treatment. This still doesn’t give Garrett an answer to why, but at least now he knows that the perp is going after something he needs.
Meanwhile, Spider-Man is returning home from a night on patrol, slipping past John Anderson — the loud New Zealander that lives upstairs — who has passed out on a lawn chair after spending all night drinking on the roof. Changing back into his street clothes, Peter Parker thinks about how much busier this apartment building is. Meanwhile, Eddie Brock is looking at himself in the mirror when the symbiote returns home to feed. Eddie tells the creature to get away from him, but the symbiote forcibly bonds with him, telling Brock that it has quite the hunger. While at the same time, Detective Garrett is comparing notes with the medical examiner who still can’t figure out how their mystery attacker is draining his victims of adrenaline. However, Neil thinks there is a link between the adrenaline and cancer and asks the examiner to look into it.
A few days later, Spider-Man is out on patrol when he stops a mugger who just robbed a convenience store. As he goes into action, he thinks about how these busts are so routine now. He quickly takes down the crook and vanishes just as the cops arrive. Meanwhile, the Venom symbiote is forcing Eddie Brock to act as a bloodhound to sniff out their next victim. Once Brock has singled them out, the symbiote decides to have some fun by tormenting Eddie. Dropping over the side of a building, the symbiote takes great joy in Eddie’s fear of dying. Literally drinking in the fear, that it needs to survive. As the symbiote sheathes itself around Eddie, it tells him that it will squeeze every last drop of sustenance out of him, and more. Meanwhile, Liz Osborn and May Parker are at the hospital where Flash Thompson has been recovering following a car accident. Liz doesn’t know what to do since Flash has woken up from his coma but is in a vegetative state.[2] Although Liz has the resources of Osborn Industries to pay for Flash’s future medical needs she has no idea where he is going to stay, telling May that she is too busy to look after him. Surprisingly, May has a brilliant idea to solve that problem.
By the end of the week, Spider-Man has tracked down Detective Garrett in order to look into the so-called “vampire” that has been terrorizing people in the city. He tells the detective that he suspects that Eddie Brock might be responsible after his recent encounter with the symbiote in the trainyards. When Garrett explains everything he knows, Spider-Man realizes that these attacks aren’t being carried out by Eddie Brock at all, but the symbiote, which is apparently looking for a brand new host.
Recurring Characters
Spider-Man, Venom, Neil Garrett, Aunt May, Liz Osborn, John Anderson, Flash Thompson, Barker
Continuity Notes
The Venom symbiote was originally worn by Spider-Man from Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #8 until he discovered it was alive and it was trying to bond with him and he rejected it in Amazing Spider-Man #258. It later bonded to Eddie Brock as seen in Amazing Spider-Man #299-300.
Flash Thompson has just woken up from a coma following a car accident orchestrated by the Green Goblin as seen in Peter Parker; Spider-Man #44-47. He will remain in this catatonic state until Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #4.
Topical References
Spider-Man likens his spider-sense like a VCR on freeze-frame. This should be considered topical since VCRs are an obsolete technology.
