Spider-Man #45
The Dream Before
This story continues from Amazing Spider-Man #388...
Spider-Man's nightmare began when he learned that the couple who have claimed that he was their parents Richard and Mary Parker turned out to be nothing more that simulacrums created by the Chameleon. He was forced to fight the one that posed as his father, and neither simulacrum survived the battle.[1] Not long after these imitations died, their bodies dissolved into nothing. Now, outside, the wall-crawler watches the building from outside as the police arrive on the scene. Knowing they will find no evidence of anything there, the wall-crawler decides that it is up to him to catch the Chameleon. Spider-Man is furious, tired of his various foes come back to strike at him in his personal life. This time around, Spider-Man is willing to do whatever it takes to make sure the Chameleon is out of his life is for good. While at his safehouse on the Upper West Side, the Chameleon has a similar idea. Loading up with weapons, he has decided that subterfuge against his foe and intends to hunt down and kill Spider-Man once and for all.
Later, Peter Parker returns home where he tells his wife Mary Jane everything that happened.[2] Mary Jane insists that Peter tell his Aunt May what happened. Peter absolutely refuses to tell May the truth because he would also have to tell her that he is Spider-Man. As he angrily changes into his costume, Peter explains that he doesn't think that Aunt May's health could possibly handle the shock of knowing that her nephew has been Spider-Man all this time.[3] When Mary Jane insists that he talk to her Aunt about what happened, Peter angrily tells her not to tell him what is good for his Aunt. He then climbs out of the skylight to go web-slinging. Watching her husband go, Mary Jane remarks that she has never seen her husband this angry before. She worries that his usual escapism as Spider-Man will only serve to avoid dealing with the problem.
Soon, Spider-Man arrives at his parent's graves in Queens, a raging storm has begun. This recent deception by the Chameleon has ripped open the pain that Peter has always felt after his parents died. He once more feels the pain of growing up without parents, and he once more is furious that they died, leaving him to grow up without them. While on the Lower East Side, the Chameleon pays a visit to a local killer named Frank Cortese. He hires the assassin for a large sum of money, telling him to come to his hideout so he and his men to collect the weapons for the job. With everything sorted out, the Chameleon leaves the bar, to wait for Spider-Man to fall into his trap. Meanwhile, the web-slinger is going around the city roughing up crooks in order to learn where the Chameleon is hiding out. However, he comes up with no clues and so the web-head decides to try another lead. He shows up at the home of Special Agent Connor Trevane. The officer is unhappy at being woken up by the wall-crawler but agrees to meet him up on the roof.[4] He convinces Trevane to help, and he tells the wall-crawler that the Chameleon has been seen 50 Central Park East. However, he warns Spider-Man if he goes too far in his hunt against the Chameleon, Connor will come after the wall-crawler next.
When Spider-Man arrives at the address provided, the wall-crawler is ambushed by Frank Cortese and his men who have been decked out in high tech weapons provided to them by the Chameleon. The web-slinger lures them out into Central Park where he has the advantage against them. A half hour later, the Chameleon returns to his hideout and finds it in shambles. He also finds a note written on the wall from the wall-crawler. It warns the Chameleon that this is only the beginning and that he doesn't have enough faces to hide behind this time. Among the wreckage is a smashed picture frame that contains a photo of the Chameleon and his longtime confidant Kraven the Hunter. Since Kraven has been dead for some time, the Chameleon wishes he could turn to his old friend for advice.[5] By this time, Aunt May is visited by her nephew Peter. Getting him out of the rain and making him some warm tea, May asks Peter what brings him to her home so late at night. At first, May's nephew can't bring himself to speak. May then demands Peter tell her what is wrong. He then tells her that the people who were posing as her parents were impostors and when he confronted them they went away.[6] May is relieved that Peter and Mary Jane all right. With her suspicions confirmed, May tells Peter that his real parents would be proud of him if they were still alive today. Although Peter is relieved that his Aunt is taking this revelation well, he refuses to rest until he finally catches up to the Chameleon.
...This story continues in The Spectacular Spider-Man #221.
Recurring Characters
Spider-Man, Mary Jane Watson, Aunt May, Chameleon, Connor Trevane, “Richard and Mary Parker” (corpses)
Continuity Notes
These impostors showed up claiming to be Peter's parents in Amazing Spider-Man #365. The truth was revealed in Amazing Spider-Man #388. The real Richard and Mary Parker were killed in action two decades earlier, as explained in Amazing Spider-Man Annual #5.
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.
Per the Sliding Timescale of Earth-616, at the time of this story, Peter has been Spider-Man for roughly nine years.
Last issue it was revealed that Tervane owes Spider-Man after the wall-crawler saved his son during Carnage's rampage of New York during Maximum Carnage
Kraven committed suicide not long before this story during Kraven's Last Hunt.
Aunt May has been aware that there was something strange about the fake Richard and Mary Parker since Amazing Spider-Man #382.
