Spider-Man 2099 #45
Drowning by Inches
Working with Mister Fantastic of the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man manages to use the computers at the Four Freedoms Plaza to hack into one of Tyler Stone's satellites so they can examine the melting of the polar ice caps as well as the movements of the New Atlanteans. They also use this opportunity to check in on the rest of the Fantastic Four and see if they have had any success finding the Human Torch.[1] What they find is the wreckage of a Fantasti-Car, but Reed insists that this is anything more than circumstantial evidence of the fate of his family, saying that they have escaped many perils in the past. That's when Miguel notices that Downtown has begun to flood again and heads out as Spider-Man to help with those affected by this new disaster. As he leaves, Reed Richards detects something heading toward Nueva York.[2]
Arriving Downtown, Spider-Man dives into the floodwaters outside of St. Patrick's Cathedral. As he swims past drowned flood victims he forces his way into the church in the hopes that Father Jennifer is still alive. Inside he finds a Public Eye hovercraft and decides to use it to move faster in the waters. He then comes upon what appears to be the drowned body of Father Jennifer and fears the worst. That's when Spider-Man is ambushed by the Goblin who pushes the S-Man out of the church. As the pair are fighting outside, the Vulture -- who was also hiding in the church -- discovers that Father Jennifer is still alive and decides to take her with him as a hostage. As he flies out of the church and above the floodwaters, the Vulture begins plotting his end game that will see all his enemies destroyed. While at Alchemax, Tyler Stone uses a retina-morph implant to gain access to the facility. He then contacts Captain Pike who provided him with this means to get inside the facility. Pike warns Tyler that there have been a number of disappearances on Alchemax's Mars facility. Tyler explains that he intends to hitch a ride to Mars when Miguel O'Hara travels there later.
Back Downtown, Spider-Man manages to struggle free from the Goblin and get to the surface before he runs out of air. However, his foe is not far behind and intends to defeat Spider-Man once and for all. The S-Man still wonders how the Goblin could know so much about him. He eventually manages to knock down the Goblin and is about to unmask his foe before he is kicked away. When the Goblin attempts to blast Spider-Man with his hallucinogenic blasters, Spider-Man manages to deflect them with a reflective surface.[3] With the Goblin incapacitated, Spider-Man reaches out to unmask his foe. That's when the Goblin thinks about all the times that Spider-Man and Miguel O'Hara were favored over him and reveals that he is none other than Miguel's brother, Gabriel. The Goblin explains that he is fed up with the way Miguel has taken everything he has cared about: First Dana, then Kasey Nash, he most recently earning the adoration of their mother.[4]
While explaining all of this, the Goblin reminds Spider-Man that Father Jennifer is probably drowned in the church below. The S-Man leaps down into the water to search for her to find her. Unfortunately, he finds no trace of the Father. Returning to the surface, Spider-Man is horrified to witness an Atlantean invasion fleed racing toward the Alchemax building.
Recurring Characters
Spider-Man, Mister Fantastic, Father Jennifer D’Angelo, Goblin, Vulture, Tyler Stone,
Continuity Notes
The search for the Human Torch began in Fantastic Four 2099 #6.
The melting of the polar ice caps and the strange energy reading that Reed detects here are hints of the upcoming Phalanx invasion which will be chronicled in 2099: World of Tomorrow #1-7.
Spider-Man recalls his previous experience with the Goblin's hallucinations in Spider-Man 2099 #40 he also likens them to his experiences in cyberspace in Spider-Man 2099 #19.
Miguel stole Dana away from his brother as seen in Spider-Man 2099 #37. Later, Kasey Nash became obsessed with Spider-Man after he saved her life in Spider-Man 2099 #4. For a time she thought Gabriel was Spider-Man as of Spider-Man 2099 #26 and that was the only thing keeping their relationship alive until she learned the truth in Spider-Man 2099 #34. Gabriel was most recently upset to learn that his mother decided to work as Miguel's secretary in Spider-Man 2099 #43.
