Torment: Part 2

After a long day of work, two wealthy New Yorkers named Morley and Stan are heading home for the day. Stan is going over the personals in the Bugle's classified ads section. While Stan has an interest in being a sugar daddy to some young woman, Morley doesn't think he could do such a thing. As they cut through an alley, they are unaware that the Lizard is stalking them above, commanded by the sounds by the distant beatings of a drum. Before they can react, the Lizard pounces on the two men and savagely slaughters them.

The next morning, Peter and his wife Mary Jane are having breakfast together. Mary Jane tries to talk to Peter about getting wall-paper for the bathroom, but Peter is too focused on the front-page story in the Daily Bugle about the most recent murders in the city.[1] Mary Jane tries to get him to focus by tickling him and promising some intimacy later. When she refers to Peter as a "monster" he suddenly makes a connection. Looking at the crime scene photos he sees the word letters "CNNR" painted in the victim's blood. He realizes that it that the killer was trying to spell Connors in blood and realizes that it is the Lizard. Without another word, Peter drops the newspaper and rushes to the bedroom to put on his Spider-Man costume and swing out into the city. Meanwhile, at a mansion elsewhere in the city, the woman who has been controlling the Lizard can sense that Spider-Man is out looking for Connors and begins preparing for the battle to begin. Having set up a bubbling cauldron, she tosses in a spider, some ashes, a lizard, and some of her own blood. Laughing madly, the woman continues to beat on her drums.

These drum beats begin to affect Spider-Man's spider-sense making it increasingly difficult to think straight. While he is distracted, he is knocked off the side of a building by a powerful blow. In order to break his fall, Spider-Man fires a web-line and swings through the window of a nearby office building. Soon the Lizard comes leaping in through the broken window. Before the wall-crawler can react, it slashes him across the chest. Struggling to get out from under the reptile, Spider-Man throws a nearby desk at his attacker, however, it does little to stun his foe. Still unable to think straight, Spider-Man begins to fear for his life and rushes to a nearby elevator in an attempt to getaway. Unfortunately, the Lizard rips its way through the doors to the elevator car. With his life on the line, Spider-Man kicks the Lizard with all of his might. This sends the creature flying into a jagged piece of metal that pierces through his chest. Seeing that the Lizard is impaled, Spider-Man fears that he may have killed Curt Connors. His thoughts becoming even more disjointed, he fears what is happening to him. Meanwhile, Mary Jane is spending the evening at a nightclub to take her mind off her usual worries over her husband. As Mary Jane dances the night away, she also deflects the unwanted advances from some of the other patrons in the club.

Soon, the woman who has been controlling the Lizard continues her spell, knowing that it will poison Spider-Man's mind. The wall-crawler sits atop a water tower fearing that he may have killed Curt Connors. He thinks about how Connors has been his friend ever since the first time he accidentally transformed himself into the Lizard.[2] However, the body of the Lizard has disappeared, leaving Spider-Man to wonder what is happening to his mind. As the drum beats continue, the woman commands her thrall to rise again. Suddenly, The wall-crawler notices that it's not just rainwater falling on him, but also blood. Horrified, Spider-Man turns around, hardly able to believe that the Lizard is not only alive but leaping at him for the kill.

Recurring Characters

Spider-Man, Calypso, Lizard

Continuity Notes

1. The date on the newspaper states it is the year 1990. However, this should be considered a topical reference per the Sliding Timescale of Earth-616. Likewise, should the headline about Wayne Gretzky retiring from hockey be considered topical.

2. Curt Connors was first cursed to become the Lizard in Amazing Spider-Man #6.