Spider-Verse Team-Up #1
The Power of Positive Thinking
Spider-Verse continues from Spider-Verse #1…
Earth-94
Spider-Man is locked in the battle with the Vulture. However, this is not the foe he usually fights, but one of an entire flock that of multiversal Vultures that have been sent to capture him for their master, the Inheritor known as Verna.[1]
Spider-Man is quickly swarmed but is saved by Old Man Spider and Spider-Ham, two spider-totems from elsewhere in the multiverse. Spider-Man isn’t sure what is more disturbing when Old Man Spider breaks one of the Vulture’s arms, or when the others start eating him alive.
Old Man Spider explains to this Spider-Man about the Inheritors and their quest to feed on all of the spider-totems on Earth. Spider-Man isn’t worried about this threat since everything always seems to go his way, no matter what. To demonstrate this, he blindly fires a web-line and blinds the one Vulture that was left fighting Spider-Ham. Old Man Spider knows that this Spider-Man is Ben Reilly, a clone of Peter Parker, and warns him about getting complacent.[2] That’s when the Old Man and Spider-Ham are struck with tranquilizer darts from the two remaining Vultures. Quick thinking, Ben uses his webbing to turn the head of one of the Vultures, making him spit acid into the face of his ally. This causes the two Vultures to start fighting each other, allowing the three Spider-Men to web them up.[3]
Old Man Spider and Spider-Ham say it is time to go and after assuring Ben that his world won’t be in danger from the Inheritors as long as he’s gone, he agrees to go with them.[4] They soon arrive in the Safe Zone, a world where spiders from across the multiverse have gathered and are protected by a version of Spider-Man with the power of Captain Universe.[5] As Ben Reilly introduces himself to the other, Spider-Ham is concerned about this version of Spider-Man. When he questions why they didn’t pick one who is a lot less naive, Old Man Spider explains that this Spider-Man’s unending confidence will be useful to their group.
Recurring Characters
Spider-Man (Reilly), Spider-Ham, Old Man Spider, Spider-UK, Spider-Gwen, Captain Universe (Parker)
Continuity Notes
The various Vultures on display here are all from different realities (all unidentified) but they are based off of variations of the character that have appeared on Earth-616 and elsewhere. They are:
Adrian Toomes, the original Vulture, as he first appeared in Amazing Spider-Man #2, only with worse teeth.
There is another, younger, version of Adian Toomes as well. This is the version based on the Vulture we saw in Amazing Spider-Man #386-388. He could become younger by draining the life energies of others, although this process was short-lived. The Earth-616 version of Toomes abandoned this look following Prowler #1-4.
Another is Blackie Drago. On Earth-616, he briefly usurped the role of the Vulture from Toomes in Amazing Spider-Man #48 until Toomes won back the mantle in Amazing Spider-Man #63.
The fourth is a version of Jimmy Natale, who also become the fourth Vulture that Spider-Man fought. He first appeared in Amazing Spider-Man #592.
Lastly, there is an alternate version of the Vulture from the Noir universe, Earth-90214, that version was first seen in Spider-Man Noir #1.
So here’s the thing about the identifies of these two Spider-Men:
Ben Reilly is similar to his Earth-616 counterpart. He was a clone created by the Jackal and later became a hero. See Amazing Spider-Man #249 and any of the Clone Saga stories between Web of Spider-Man #117 to Spider-Man #75.
Ben figures that Old Man Spider is an older crankier version of himself. He’d be wrong. As we’ll learn in that he’s actually a version of Ezekiel Sims in Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 3) #10.
Ben says that this situation is nothing compared to the time he was possessed by the Carnage symbiote. This also happened to the Earth-616 Ben Reilly see the Web of Carnage story arc (Sensational Spider-Man #3, Amazing Spider-Man #410, Spider-Man #67, and Spectacular Spider-Man #233)
Ben confirms that this world’s version of Peter Parker doesn’t have powers. This is also similar to the Peter Parker on Earth-616. His powers eventually faded leading to his retirement in Spectacular Spider-Man #229. Ben Reilly then took over the mantle of Spider-Man in Sensational Spider-Man #0. However, on Earth-616, Peter’s powers returned and he reclaimed the Spider-Man identity after Ben was murdered by the Green Goblin in Spider-Man #75.
This is Earth-13, a reality where Peter Parker retained the powers of Captain Universe. For more on the Safe Zone see Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 3) #9.
Topical References
Real-World people: Sean Connery
The Luck of the Parkers
Earth-15011[1]
Spider-Man Noir has been paired with a six-armed counterpart from another reality to recruit more Spider-Men into their fold. They have tracked this world’s Peter Parker to a hospital and, as they scale the wall, the Noir Spider-Man recalls how he thought he was a unique individual until he became aware of the existence of the multiverse.
In this world, Peter Parker suffered an allergic reaction to the spider-bite that gave others their powers. He is now in intensive care and watched over day and night by his Aunt May and Uncle Ben. They note that one of Peter’s arms has become clawed and hairy, a bizarre side effect to the bite. The six-armed Spider-Man finds it ironic that May and Ben’s constant vigil kept them away from home and — as a result — this version of Ben Parker doesn’t get killed by a burglar.[2]
The Noir Spider-Man suggests they just leave this Peter Parker behind because he is of no use to them. His six-armed counterpart rejects this idea because Peter could still be a target of the Inheritors and others could get hurt if they come for him. He also rejects the 30’s Spider-Man’s suggestion that they put Peter out of his misery. That’s when the six-armed Spider-Man gets an idea. He borrows Spider-Man Noir’s transceiver and sneaks into the hospital. Once inside, he hacks one of the doctor’s laptops and checks Peter’s medical records.
Meanwhile, Spider-Man Noir continues vigil outside when suddenly his spider-sense begins going off warning him that something is about to happen inside. He is contacted by the six-armed Spider-Man who is working on something in one of the labs. The Peter Parker inside the hospital room starts turning into a man-spider creature. As May and Ben flee the room, Spider-Man Noir comes smashing in through the window. He webs up the man-spider and forces him up onto the roof of the hospital.
After a brief struggle, the six-armed Spider-Man returns and injects the man-spider with a needle. This causes the creature to revert back to human form. As the Parkers arrive on the roof with security, the two Spider-Men retreat to the shadows. The six-armed Spider-Man explains that he re-created a serum that was intended to strip him of his powers. He is relieved that this Peter Parker was actually cured because the same formula was how he ended up with six-arms.[3] With the crisis over, the two Spider-Men leave this dimension. Spider-Man Noir figures that this is a small victory at least since this version of the Parker family was granted a happy ending.
… Spider-Verse continues in Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 3) #10.
Recurring Characters
Six-Armed Spider-Man, Spider-Man Noir
Continuity Notes
This story actually just refers to this world as “another reality.” It’s reality designation was not revealed until Secret Wars: The Official Guidebook to the Marvel Multiverse #1.
Which is how Ben Parker eats it in a lot of different realities. The guy can’t catch a break. The first time we saw Uncle Ben get shot was back in Amazing Fantasy #15 and we’ve been told that story countless times ever since.
The six-armed Spider-Man comes from Earth-92100. It was a mirror of Earth-616 up until the events of Amazing Spider-Man #100 when Peter Parker tried to cure himself of his spider-powers and ended up giving himself four extra arms instead. While the Earth-616 version cured himself in issue #102. The Earth-92100 was not so lucky but continued fighting crime with six arms. For more on that, see What If? (vol. 2) #42.
Topical References
This world is said to be in the year 2014. This could be considered a topical reference if one assumes that this world operates on a sliding timescale like that of Earth-616. On the other hand, one could also assume that this world is an era-specific reality. (like 2099, or the Noir realities being set in specific eras) Official sources do not clarify one way or the other so that’s a matter of interpretation.