Blood from a Stone

After being tied up and gagged by an intruder, Dana D'Angelo gets free from her bonds and goes into the next room. There she is horrified to see that Tyler Stone has been shot and left for dead. A quick call for an ambulance has Tyler Stone rushed to get medical attention immediately.

Meanwhile, Spider-Man is swinging across New York trying to make sense of everything that has happened since Doctor Doom became president of the United States.[1] That's when he almost swings into the path of some SHIELD Fly Boys. He thinks he is under attack and tells them that he doesn't want any trouble. They tell him that they have orders to leave him alone for the next 72 hours while he considers Doom's offer of a position in his cabinet. Asking what will happen when the 72 hours run out, one of the Fly Boys responds by daring Spider-Man to turn down the offer in order to find out, and they leave. While back in Washington, a SHIELD agent questions Dana, but she cannot tell them anything about the identity of the person who shot Tyler Stone. When the agent begins to suspect she is responsible, he is ordered to stand down by President Doom. He assures his agent that Dana was Tyler Stone's trusted confidante and is above suspicion. Doom then provides Dana with an update on Tyler's status, telling her that he will be fine and is being transported back to New York where there are adequate facilities to treat his injuries.

Back in downtown New York, news of the attempt on Tyler Stone's life reaches the Fenris and their leader, Bloodmace.[2] Bloodmace decides that this is the time to strike against Alchemax. That's when a strange black liquid seeps out of the sewers and takes on a humanoid form. It demands to know more about the status of Tyler Stone. However, Bloodmace tries to attack this strange creature, it covers him in a black liquid that eats him alive. The monster then turns to the other member of the Fenris and demands to know more. Meanwhile, Miguel O'Hara returns home and asks Layla, his virtual assistant to put him in touch with Xina Kwan. Xina is still driving back to New York after Miguel was kidnapped from her car. He tells her that he is safe. When he realizes that Layla altered his holographic projection to make him appear with a female body, he quickly ends the call, telling her that he will call back. As Miguel scolds Layla for messing with his transmissions, he is visited by President Doom who wants to know of Miguel has made a decision on his offer to become head of Research and Development at Alchemax. Doom wants an answer immediately given the recent attempt on Tyler Stone's life. Having not heard of this, Miguel asks to know more of what happened. While in Crystal City, outside of Washington, Conchata O'Hara walks into an alley where she tosses the gun she used to shoot Tyler Stone into a recycling bin, destroying it instantly.

Downtown, Gabriel O'Hara bangs on Kasey Nash's door, wanting to talk to her. She is angry that he deceived her into thinking he was really Spider-Man.[3] He tries to explain that he tried to tell her the truth but she wouldn't give him the chance. This does little to assuage her anger and she tells him they are through and slams the door in his face. Furious, Gabriel tells her that she is going to regret dumping him and storms away, while Kasey cries by herself in her apartment. At that moment, Miguel O'Hara arrives at the hospital to check on Tyler Stone and is reunited with his ex-fiancee, Dana D'Angelo. He expresses his condolences, not for what happened to Tyler, but for her moving in with him. As they talk, the creature that killed Bloodmace emerges from one of the hospital sinks nearby. The creature interrupts them and is glad to see Miguel O'Hara and Tyler Stone in the same room together as it intends to kill them both. When Miguel tries to punch this intruder, his hands burn when touching the creature's black liquid skin. Miguel then rushes out of the room, leaving Dana to try and hold the creature off alone. Before the intruder can kill Tyler Stone, Spider-Man enters the room to stop him.

The creature "recognizes" the attacker, staying that its other once knew Spider-Man years ago. As it lunges toward the hero, the monstrous intruder introduces itself as Venom.[4]

Continuity Notes

1. Doctor Doom took over America in Doom 2099 #28.

2. Mention is made of the fact that Bloodmace used to call himself Bloodhammer until his last humiliating defeat in Spider-Man 2099 #17.

3. Kasey believed that Gabriel was Spider-Man since Spider-Man 2099 #23-24.

4. Venom' symbiote obviously mistakes this Spider-Man for the original Spider-Man that was active during the modern age of heroes. On Earth-616, Spider-Man started wearing the symbiote as a costume starting in Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #8 but ultimately abandoned it when he discovered it was alive in Amazing Spider-Man #258. The symbiote later bonded to Eddie Brock to become Venom in order to get revenge against Spider-Man as seen in Amazing Spider-Man #300. As Earth-928 is a possible future of Earth-616, these events also occurred during the heroic age of Earth-928 as well.