Nick Peron

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Spider-Man: Blue #6

Nick Peron

All of Me

Then

Peter Parker wakes up in the middle of recording his memories of his romance with Gwen Stacy. He tells the listener that he fell asleep and had a dream about Gwen Stacy. In it, Peter is driving a car with Gwen and her hair is blowing in the wind and she is laughing. The strangest part to Peter was that it wasn’t a memory of the past, the dream was today as though Gwen Stacy hadn’t died and deems life to be unfair. He then continues his story…[1]

At this time, Kraven the Hunter had been reviewing footage of Spider-Man’s battles with his various foes. Each one appearing to be based on an animal. After he is finished, Kraven believes that he has learned from their mistakes and is prepared to defeat Spider-Man once and for all.[2]

It was Valentine’s Day and Peter had gotten a card from someone who signed it with a smiley face. When Harry asked who it was from, Peter figured it was sent by his Aunt May. The pair are getting ready for a going away party that they are throwing for Flash Thompson who had just enlisted in the military. Just as Harry is commenting on how Peter had both Gwen Stacy and Mary Jane eating out of the palm of his hand, the doorbell rings before Peter can respond. It turns out to be Gwen, who is the first person to arrive for the party. Peter is completely blown away by how great Gwen looks and as he is about to close the door, Mary Jane comes pushing her way in. She is followed by Flash and then a steady stream of other guests. As Peter is putting people’s coats on his bed, he catches Harry finishing a phone call. Harry tells him that he was just talking to his father who is feeling better today and might be coming to the party.[3] Reflecting back on this moment, Peter recalls feeling uneasy particularly when Harry mentioned how his father was asking about Peter, considering that — as the Green Goblin — Norman learned Spider-Man’s secret identity and he wasn’t really sure he could buy the idea that Osborn was suffering from amnesia.

Peter and Harry then joined the party just in time for Flash to make a toast and thank everyone for coming out to the party. As they all make cheers, Peter’s spider-sense suddenly started going off. That’s when Kraven the Hunter came crashing into the window and sense that Spider-Man was somewhere in the room. Deciding to single out Harry Osborn, Kraven grabbed him and leaped out the window. Peter remembers telling Gwen to call 911 while he rushed up to his room, making an excuse that he was getting his camera to take pictures for the Bugle as he was certain that Spider-Man would show up. Reflecting back on this moment, Peter wonders if Gwen ever really bought his excuses. By this point, Kraven had dragged Harry to a nearby construction site, thinking that the young man was Spider-Man. That’s when the real web-slinger arrived and began fighting him. In the middle of the fight, Norman Osborn arrive to try and save his own son. Kraven recognizes Osborn, distracting him long enough for Spider-Man to renew his attack.[4] As Spider-Man throttled Kraven he asked why he attacked. Before blacking out from the beating, Kraven explains that he was hired by the Green Goblin to kill Spider-Man and that he was fulfilling the contract. With a knock out blow, Spider-Man tells Kraven that the Goblin is dead. Norman thanked Spider-Man for saving his son but suddenly felt faint. As Harry goes to help his father, Spider-Man slipped away.

Moments later, as Peter is changing out of his clothes, Gwen enters his room and tells him that everyone else had left. When she sees the Valentine’s Day card, she tells him that it was him and asks Peter to be her Valentine. That’s when the pair first kissed and it was at that moment that Peter realized that was the moment that Gwen Stacy had him, all of him.

Now

Peter Parker is sitting in the attic at his Aunt May’s home looking through his personal things while making these recordings. Peter is wrapping up his recording by thinking about how, over the years, he has been trying to make sense of her death, trying to think about what good came after that tragic loss. He remembers how on the night of Gwen’s funeral, Mary Jane came to see how he was doing and he was particularly rude to her.[5] Still, Mary Jane stuck by him, and he thinks that prior to Gwen’s death, Mary Jane could never have a serious relationship with Peter until he saw how much they all lost when she died. Now, Mary Jane is Peter’s wife, that he had to learn to love again and she taught him how to do that.[6] That’s when Mary Jane makes her presence known, that she had been listening for quite a while. When Peter apologizes, she tells him that it’s not necessary and to say hi to Gwen for her and tell Gwen that she is missed. After Mary Jane leaves, Peter finishes up his last recording. He talks about how this time of the year always reminds him of Gwen and it makes him feel blue and he longs for a time when Gwen was around because her incredible smile could always make him feel good and make him think how life can be great.

Recurring Characters

Spider-Man, Kraven the Hunter, Gwen Stacy, Mary Jane Waston, Harry Osborn, Norman Osborn, Flash Thompson

Continuity Notes

  1. By my assessment, Peter’s narration was recorded between Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 2) #50 and 51. His recollections are based on the events of Amazing Spider-Man #47. Per the Sliding Timescale, these events happened about eight years prior to Peter’s narration. Gwen Stacy died in Amazing Spider-Man #121.

  2. Of the different clips of past Spider-Man battles, only tho can be specifically identified. The battle with the Scorpion took place in Amazing Spider-Man #20, the Doctor Octopus battle appears to be their first clash in Amazing Spider-Man #3.

  3. Norman Osborn has been recovering following his battle with Spider-Man as the Green Goblin in Amazing Spider-Man #29-30. It should be noted that following that battle, Norman was stricken with selective amnesia and has forgotten everything about his alter-ego, including the revelation that Peter Parker is Spider-Man.

  4. As explained in Amazing Spider-Man #47, when the Green Goblin hired Kraven the Hunter to destroy Spider-Man circa Amazing Spider-Man #34. The Goblin partially paid Kraven for the job out of costume, hence why Kraven recognizes him here.

  5. Gwen Stacy’s funeral and Peter’s rude response to Mary Jane coming to console him were seen in Amazing Spider-Man #123. He’s getting his facts mixed up, as Mary Jane visited him and he was rude to her in the previous issue.

  6. Peter states that he and Mary Jane are married. However, years later, their marriage is erased from existence by Mephisto in Amazing Spider-Man #545. As such, in the altered timeline, Peter is engaged to Mary Jane and would refer to her as his fiancee instead of his wife here.

Placing Continuity

As I’ve been saying throughout this whole series is that there is a lot of weird continuity. I’ve tried to reconcile this by pointing out that the original Stan Lee/John Romita stories were written from a third-person perspective and Jeph Loeb’s story is from the first-person perspective of Peter Parker and that perhaps, Peter is not remembering events in the correct order. In this case, the final issue of Spider-Man: Blue, in my mind, actually takes place prior to issues #4 and 5. This allows it to work with the original continuity. That said, this story doesn’t require a whole lot of mental gymnastics to make it fit with previously established continuity like the other issues. This story fits into the continuity of Amazing Spider-Man #47, particularly since nobody mentions the events of issues #4 and 5 in this story.

Chronology

With the above in mind, here is how the continuity of this issue would fit….

  1. Spider-Man: Blue #6 (SMB #6) Page 1-4: Kraven the Hunter reviews Spider-Man’s previous battles and decides the hunt will begin.

  2. Amazing Spider-Man #47 (ASM #47) 1-4, Panel 1: Kraven the Hunter recalls how the Green Goblin hired him and Norman Osborn paid him to eliminate Spider-Man. Breaks into the morgue room of the Daily Bugle and reads about the Goblin’s “death” and decides to pay a visit to Osborn anyway.

    • The only issue with this is, if you go back to Spider-Man: Blue #2 (which takes place around Amazing Spider-Man #42-43) Kraven already read the newspaper shortly after Spider-Man defeated the Goblin circa Amazing Spider-Man #40. I would like to assume that Kraven broke into the morgue room at the Bugle to learn more about where he could find Norman Osborn, not necessarily to confirm the Goblin was dead. It just so happened he found the paper and it pissed him off etc. etc.

  3. ASM #47 Panle 4, Panel 2 to Page 11, Panel 1: Kraven hunts for Norman Osborn. Peter and his pals prepare for Flash’s going away party. They go to a diner where there are burgers and dancing and everyone is having a good time.

    • The original story has the party set at a diner, while in SMB #6, the party is at Peter and Harry’s apartment and it hosts a much smaller crowd. My assumption here is that there was a larger party at first at the diner and then it moved to Peter and Harry’s for a smaller more intimate get together that’s how what follows to fit. One should also ignore the fact that in ASM Flash is wearing normal clothes while SMB he is wearing his military uniform.

  4. SMB #6: Page 5-10: Peter and Harry freshen up before people show up for the party. Peter talks about his valentines. The guests show up. Flash makes a toast. Kraven the Hunter comes crashing in through the window.

  5. ASM #47 Page 11, panel 3: Kraven demands Harry Osborn be surrendered to him.

  6. SMB #6 Page 11: Flash tries to stop Kraven and is knocked aside, Kraven spots Harry.

  7. ASM #47 Page 12: Kraven grabs Harry, Flash tries to stop him again and gets swatted away. Peter starts trying to figure out a way to slip out of the room. Kraven prepares to leave with Harry.

  8. SMB #6 Page 12: Kraven leaves out a window. Peter rushes upstairs telling Gwen and Mary Jane that he’s going to get his camera. This is where things get kind of sticky…..

  9. SMB #6 Page 13-16, Panel 3: Kraven drags Harry up onto the building being constructed. Spider-Man ambushes him and begins pummeling his foe.

  10. ASM #47 Page 13-19, Panel 4: Kraven puts Harry down on the ground and leaps up to fight Spider-Man up on the girders. Harry is dragged away by his friends. Ned Leeds calls in the battle to the Daily Bugle. Norman is on his way home when he hears about the battle and tells the driver to go there. Kraven zaps Spider-Man leaving him stunned. Norman Osborn arrives in his cab and is glad Harry is okay. Harry is grabbed by rope and pulled up onto the girders and begins demanding payment. Spider-Man begins recovering from the stun blast.

  11. SMB #6 Page 16 panel 4-Page 18: Harry comes up behind Kraven to knock him out. Spider-Man then leaps in and beats Kraven into submission. Norman thanks Spider-Man for his help. Spider-Man moves out of sight.

  12. ASM #47 Page 19 Panel 5-6: Kraven flees, Norman falls off the girders. Spider-Man saves Norman and leaves the scene. Returns as Peter Parker, bids Flash good luck in the military.

  13. SMB #6 Page 19-20: Gwen talks with Peter in his room, the couple kiss.

Topical References

  • Kraven is depicted watching footage of Spider-Man’s previous battles on a old film projector. This should be considered topical since these machines are practically obsolete.

  • Peter is depicted as using a pocket tape recorder and that his recordings are kept on cassette tape. This should also be considered topical because this is obsolete technology.