Spider-Man Family #5
In another dimension, Spider-Man and Doctor Strange find themselves prisoner of the demonic creature known as Seth-Dagon. Strange tells Dagon to leave Spider-Man alone as the demon’s quarrel is with him. However, the demon intends to destroy both intruders to its realm and then conquer Earth’s dimension. In order to thoroughly destroy his foes, Seth-Dagon then probes their mind to learn their deepest secrets….
Hours Earlier
Peter Parker was visiting Aunt May when suddenly some unseen force began pulling him upstairs by the hand. Unable to resist, Peter is drawn to an upstairs mirror where he sees the image of the Eye of Agamotto on the forehead of his reflection. Suddenly, the force compelling Spider-Man pulls him out of Aunt May’s house and across the city in the air. Along the way, Peter strips off his street clothes and changes into Spider-Man. When Spider-Man arrives at the Sanctum Sanctorum, he is greeted by Wong, who takes him to see Doctor Strange. The sorcerer apologizes for calling Spider-Man so abruptly but he needed the web-slinger’s assistance as Morbius the Living Vampire somehow stole his magical abilities. Luckily, Strange still had time to cast a spell to summon Spider-Man before his powers were completely taken from him. He explains that Morbius had acquired the Vaal Talisman, a Babylonian artifact that can transfer the powers and abilities of one person to another. He goes on to say that the restoration of his mystical powers are vital as his role of Sorcerer Supreme requires him to defend the Earth from various hostile dimensions and without them, the Earth is in great danger. When Spider-Man asks what he can do to help, Strange explains that he wants to utilize Spider-Man’s spider-sense to help him track down Morbius as the ability seems to be quasi-mystical on top of biological in nature. To assist in this search, Strange gives Spider-Man a mystical amulet that will amplify his abilities.
Meanwhile, in an abandoned warehouse, Morbius is attempting to use the magic stolen from Doctor Strange to cure his mentor, Doctor Hammond, of neurological disease. Hammond is nervous because they are playing with forces they know nothing about. Still, Morbius is convinced that he can pull off a cure with the Talisman as well as a page from the book of Darkhold. However, when Morbius attempts to cast the spell demonic hands to come out of the mists produced from the spell. Realizing something is wrong, Morbius can’t do anything to stop the hands from grabbing him.
Back at the Sanctum Sanctorum, Doctor Strange is trying to get Spider-Man to concentrate on Morbius when they are suddenly ambushed by three serpent demons that have crossed the dimensional plane. Spider-Man and Doctor Strange fight off the demons, Strange needs more firepower and summon a set of knives that respond to his mental commands, a gift from the Ancient One. As they require no sorcery to operate, Strange commands them to slay a number of demons. That’s when Spider-Man’s spider-sense begins picking up Morbius and the pair flee the Sanctum to go and find him. As they web-sling across the city, Spider-Man has to cope by telling jokes. The entire city is under attack from the serpent men, and Spider-Man insists on stopping when he sees a defenseless family being attacked by the creature. As they fight the creatures, Doctor Strange can’t help but think about how Spider-Man is risking his life for total strangers and considers him to be a true hero. Unfortunately, despite their best efforts, Spider-Man and the Doctor are knocked out by two of the demons.
Now
As Spider-Man endures Seth-Dagon’s mental torture, he suddenly picks up Morbius again. Breaking free from his bonds, the web-slinger covers Dagon in webbing and frees Doctor Strange. Fleeing the scene, the pair get to the warehouse where Morbius was attempting to cast his spell and find the psudo-vampire fighting two more of the serpent men. Quickly, Spider-Man smashes the talisman, causing the stolen mystical power to leave Morbius and return to Doctor Strange. With his powers back, the Sorcerer Supreme casts a spell to banish all the serpent men back to their native dimension. Strange then scolds Morbius for foolishly using magic he could hardly control. Morbius is ashamed of himself but shows them that he was trying to save his colleague, Doctor Hammond, who is now in bed. Strange and Spider-Man are surprised to learn that Morbius stole the magic not to cure himself, but to cure a friend. Strange told Morbius that all he had to do was ask, but reminds him that magic is not a shortcut either. Morbius reminds Strange that he did come asking and he refused. When Spider-Man says that’s no excuse, Morbius asks him if he could still say that if he was in his shoes.
However, Strange says that Morbius is right and that his refusal was in looking at the bigger picture and not the bedside manner he was trained to follow as a medical doctor. Strange tells them that to cure someone like Doctor Hammond would require a massive price as magic, like science, has a number of immutable laws. He relates to a story when he was being trained in the mystic arts by the Ancient One. One of the other students used magic to heal the legs of a villager who suffered serious leg injuries in a tiger attack. Although the spell worked, the student lost their legs a day later in another tiger attack. He recalls how, prior to that day, Strange thought to use magic to heal his own hands until he saw what happened.[1] He then asks both Spider-Man and Morbius if they can live with the fact that curing Doctor Hammond would result in someone else being stricken with the same affliction. Neither of them are able to answer. That’s when Hammond wakes up and tell Morbius that he has made peace with his condition and is ready to die if that’s what comes next. Strange then tells Morbius that even though there is not much he can do, Michael shouldn’t give up hope for a miracle.
With the danger over and Morbius dealt with, Spider-Man returns the mystical bracelet to Doctor Strange asking if he can come back for it next time he loses his keys. Strange tells the web-slinger all he needs do is ask.
Recurring Characters
Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, Morbius the Living Vampire, Aunt May, Wong
Continuity Notes
Before becoming a practitioner of the mystic arts, Stephen Strange was a surgeon, until a car accident damaged the nerves in his hands making him incapable of working again. He sought out a cure from the Ancient One but became his disciple instead. See Strange Tales #115.
Topical References
Doctor Hammond is said to be suffering from Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. While ALS is a real-world disease with no known cure, it should be considered topical as it is a specific real-world illness that can be affected by future advancements in medicine.
Outdated pop culture and technological references: Sonny Chiba DVD’s, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice,
Big Game
Kraven the Hunter has returned to New York City for a hunt, but not one for himself, he has taken two wealthy twins named Penny and Dallas Gold, who have paid him a large sum to go on a hunt in the city.[1] However, after long hours of hunting, both Penny and Dallas are growing bored. He tries to rekindle the women’s interest in the hunt by telling them that they aren’t hunting a man, but a creature beyond their imagination.
That’s when Spider-Man comes crashing onto the rooftop in the middle of a battle with the Man-Wolf. Seeing Kraven, Spider-Man starts quipping about what other animal-themed enemies are going to make an appearance. However, when he recognizes one of the Gold twins it is enough of a distraction for the Man-Wolf to strike him in the face. That’s when the creature turns its attention to the twins, who begin to panic. This prompts Kraven to intervene. He grabs the Man-Wolf in a hold and orders the girls to shoot the monster. Unfortunately, their aim is about as good as their composure. With the situation out of control, Spider-Man wraps his wrist in webbing and makes the Man-Wolf bite down on it. When the web-slinger tells Kraven to remove the Moon-Stone around the Man-Wolf’s throat, Kraven already knows this and removes the gem. This causes the Man-Wolf to revert to human form.
Spider-Man doesn’t recognize the person who was the Man-Wolf and demands to know what is going on.[2] Kraven explains that all parties in this hunt were willing participants and that everyone is getting paid, including the man who willingly allowed himself to be turned into the Man-Wolf. Kraven then gloats that nobody will admit that crimes were being committed. Spider-Man, on the other hand, decides to let Kraven’s lawyers try to get him out of trouble and webs up everyone and leaves them for the police. As Spider-Man swings away, Kraven thinks of all of the prey he has hunted in his lifetime, none have been worthy than his battles with Spider-Man.
Recurring Characters
Spider-Man, Kraven the Hunter
Continuity Notes
This story takes place when Kraven the Hunter was still alive (he committed suicide in Amazing Spider-Man #294), per the Marvel Chronology Project this story (and the previous one) take place between Spider-Man’s appearances in Questprobe #2 and Amazing Spider-Man #260, or “year six” of the Modern Age.
Spider-Man laments that he knows two Man-Wolves now. The original Man-Wolf was John Jameson who was first transformed by the Moon-Stone in Amazing Spider-Man #124.
