Unholy Alliances!

This story continues from The Spectacular Spider-Man #224...

The Hobgoblin has called together Electro, the Beetle, the Shocker, Scorpia, the Vulture, and Mysterio. He has gathered them together to discuss the threat of Kaine, who has already killed Doctor Octopus and the Grim Hunter, and he fears that they will be next.[1] Despite their mutual interest, the group can only bicker with one another. Particularly Mysterio, who is untrusted after he recently betrayed them.[2] In addition to this, the Vulture doesn't think that the Hobgoblin was fit to lead them and tries to fight for leadership.[3] That's when the Shocker gets between the two, reminding them that they all need to be working together in order to stop Kaine. The Hobgoblin agrees and he begins going over his plans search areas where Kaine has been recently sighted. However, they are not going unprepared, as the Hobgoblin has brought them a large number of arms to prepare for the coming battle. The newly formed Sinister Seven then split up to search each area.

Meanwhile, Peter Parker is swinging across the city disguised as the Scarlet Spider, after switching spots with Ben Reilly who has taken Peter's place in prison.[4] He just wants to get home to check on his wife Mary Jane, as he is worried about her and their unborn child after Kaine kidnapped her.[5] Suddenly, his spider-sense begins going off, alerting him of the Beetle as he flies by. The two see each other, and unaware that this is Spider-Man, the Beetle retreats since he has never faced the Scarlet Spider before. Parker is surprised that the Beetle would suddenly retreat but goes after him anyway. Seeing that the wall-crawler is following him, the Beetle flies through an office building in order to getaway. Following him, the Spider discovers that the Beetle injured someone while trying to flee and has to break off the chase to get the woman's medical attention. The authorities thank the "Scarlet Spider" for his help and the hero swings away. As he does so, he doesn't realize that his web-pack has come loose and fallen to the ground. Examining it, the officers find a black Spider-Man mask and some web-shooters. This is the moment that Ken Ellis arrives on the scene and he wonders why the Scarlet Spider would have Spider-Man's equipment.[6] The Scarlet Spider decides to head home so he can figure out what to do now that Ben has taken his place in prison.

By this time, the Beetle realizes that he managed to lose the Scarlet Spider just as the Hobgoblin radios in for a status report. However, neither the Beetle nor Scorpia or Electro have been able to find any sign of Kaine. The Hobgoblin is particularly disturbed with how Mysterio keeps making things difficult but decides to deal with him once Kaine has been dealt with. The Vulture, still bitter over Hobgoblin's leadership, doesn't respond, while the Shocker's trail leads him to discover he has been wasting his time chasing rats. This frustrates the Hobgoblin who is becoming more desperate to find Kaine as all of their lives are at risk. As he stands on a rooftop thinking his next course of action, the Hobgoblin is unaware that someone is watching him from the shadows. Back at the Parker residence, Peter announces that he is home, but Mary Jane doesn't believe it and pulls out her recently purchased gun to protect herself.[7] Peter enters the bedroom with his hands up, explaining that he and Ben Reilly switched places so he could be with her. The fact that he is wearing the Scarlet Spider's costume causes Mary Jane even more distress because she doesn't know what to believe anymore. When he expresses his feelings for her and their unborn child, although this makes Mary Jane faint, she finally believes him and she grabs hold of her husband as she needs comfort after all the recent insanity. Meanwhile, Ben Reilly waits in Peter Parker's cell at Ryker's Island, ignoring his cellmate. He can't stand waiting for something to happen. He gets arranges to make a phone call and tries to get a hold of Mary Jane. She doesn't answer and he leaves her a voicemail further confirming that he and Peter switched places. When Mary Jane asks if she should answer the phone, Peter tells her to leave it, but still wonders what he should do, as he needs to find some way to clear his name and get Ben out of jail.

Hanging up the phone, Ben wonders why Mary Jane isn't answering when the guard tells him that he has a visitor. At first, Ben thinks that it might be his lawyer, but it actually turns out to be Felicia Hardy. Hearing that Peter Parker had been arrested she has come to Ryker's to offer her assistance. Since Ben Reilly has never met Felicia Hardy before, the entire meeting is awkward and he is surprised when she says she knows he is really Spider-Man.[8] When "Peter" refuses her aid, she wonders what is wrong, especially after "Parker" abruptly ends their visit. As she leaves Ryker's Felicia realizes that her friend acted like he didn't know who she was, or that she is secretly the Black Cat, leaving her to wonder what's going on. At that same moment, the Hobgoblin is about to call in his team and give up for the night when someone ambushes him. At first, it looks like a misshapen Spider-Man, however, this impostor reveals himself to be Kaine in disguise. The Hobgoblin's gunshots are heard at the nearby Parker home, prompting Peter to put back on his Scarlet Spider costume and go and investigate, despite Mary Jane's objections. Meanwhile, Kaine is able to hold his own against the Hobgoblin when the Shocker, Beetle, and Mysterio arrive as a back-up. As they blast a water tower, the Vulture swoops in and saves the Hobgoblin as the torrent of water washes Kaine off the roof.

Watching from across the way is Electro who wonders if this killed Kaine, but the assassin survives and gets the drop on him. Kaine then asks who wants to die first and stands his ground as the Sinister Seven swarms him. As the team struggles to land a blow, the Vulture swoops in again and tries to pull Kaine into the sky. However, Kaine snaps his wrist, breaking free and falling back onto the rooftops. The Sinister Seven aren't the only ones looking for Kaine, as Jacob Raven has enlisted the aid of Stunner to try and find him as well.[9] Stunner threatens a local crook named Tony Prescott, who tells them everything he knows about Kaine. Stunner warns him that if he is lying she will be back to hurt him, making Jacob glad that she is on his side. At that moment, the Scarlet Spider arrives at the scene of the battle between Kaine and the Sinister Seven. Even though Kaine is his foe, he can't just sit back and let the Sinister Seven murder him. Before Mysterio can shoot Kaine in the head, the web-slinger swings in to stop them. At that same moment, Mary Jane is woken up by a phone call from Seward Trainer. He has completed the results of the test he ran on her unborn baby and asks her to come to his lab to discuss them.[10] Deciding that this is too important, Mary Jane gets dressed and leaves immediately, unwilling to wait for her husband to return home.

Meanwhile, Peter is trying to stop Kaine and the Sinister Seven from killing each other. However, all this does is make the Sinister Seven turn their attention to the wall-crawler putting both he and Kaine on the defensive. While at the Daily Bugle, news of the battle has J. Jonah Jameson upset because they don't have a photographer to capture it.[11] When Joe Robertson suggests they send Cole Cooper, their newest freelancer, Jameson has no choice but succeed. Back at the scene of the battle, Spider-Man and Kaine have narrowly avoided a barrage of pumpkin bombs. Unfortunately for the Sinister Seven, the blast knocked out Electro. The wall-crawler then uses the Scarlet Spider's modified web-shooters to bombard the Vulture with impact webbing and stingers. At that moment, Mary Jane has just gone over the lab results with Seward Trainer. The news is upsetting to Mary Jane, who wonders why bad things constantly follow her and Peter and she rushes out of Trainer's lab in tears. By this time, Kaine has taken down the Hobgoblin and the Shocker, while Spider-Man takes down Scorpia. While their guards are down, Mysterio uses his illusions to make Kaine think that the Hobgoblin has killed Spider-Man. In reality, he is attacking the wall-crawler himself. The web-slinger manages to fight Kaine off, but he escapes in the confusion. That's when Mysterio reveals that he used hallucinogenic gas on Kaine and disappears.

Realizing that Kaine could put Mary Jane at risk, he swings off to look for Kaine again. Meanwhile, police are still examining the scene of the battle between Spider-Man, and the Scarlet Spider against the rogue Spider-Clone they dubbed "Freakface". Unseen by the officers, Scrier appears on the scene and recovers the remains of Freakface. He decides that this clone of Peter Parker still has some uses and teleports away with its remains. Later that evening, Felicia Hardy reads the newspaper and reads the story about the Scarlet Spider's recent activities and the mystery behind this new hero having some of Spider-Man's costume. This confirms to Felicia that the person she visited at Ryker's was not Peter Parker. Before she can investigate this further there is a knock at the door. Answering it, Felicia finds Mary Jane who is soaking wet from the rain. Mary Jane tells Felicia that she needs someone to talk to and is invited in.

... The Clone Saga continues in Web of Spider-Man #125. This story continues in The Spectacular Spider-Man #225.

Recurring Characters

Spider-Man, Scarlet Spider, Mary Jane Watson, Felicia Hardy, Kaine, Sinister Seven (Mysterio, Beetle, Scorpia, Hobgoblin, Electro, Shocker, Vulture), Jacob Raven, Stunner, J. Jonah Jameson, Joe Robertson, Ken Ellis, Cole Cooper, Seward Trainer, Scrier, “Freakface”

Continuity Notes

1. Kaine murdered the Grim Hunter and Doctor Octopus in Spider-Man #55 and The Spectacular Spider-Man #221 respectively.

2. Mysterio tried to pull a fast one on his fellow crooks during the events of Spider-Man: Funeral for an Octopus #1-3.

3. The Hobgoblin mentions how the Vulture regained his youth. That happened in Amazing Spider-Man #388.

4. Peter was arrested for murder in Amazing Spider-Man #400 for a crime committed by Kaine years earlier (as seen in Spider-Man: The Lost Years #3) Peter and Ben switched places in The Spectacular Spider-Man #224.

5. Peter and Mary Jane are referred to as husband and wife here. However, years later, their marriage is erased from existence by Mephisto in Amazing Spider-Man #545. As such they should be considered a common-law couple here. Mary Jane revealed that she was pregnant in The Spectacular Spider-Man #220.

6. Peter recently wore the remains of his black costume before swapping places with Ben Reilly in The Spectacular Spider-Man #224.

7. Mary Jane purchased a gun to protect herself in Amazing Spider-Man #401.

8. Felicia Hardy knows Peter Parker's double identity as Peter revealed it to her in Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #87.

9. Raven is after Kaine for murdering his partner in Spider-Man: The Parker Years #3. He thought Peter Parker was responsible for the murder until Kaine burned his face in The Spectacular Spider-Man #223. Stunner joined forces with him because she was in a relationship in Doctor Octopus when he was murdered in The Spectacular Spider-Man #221.

10. Fearing what Peter's altered DNA may have done to their baby, Mary Jane underwent tests conducted by Trainer in Web of Spider-Man #124.

11. Jameson suggests that this battle is the biggest thing since the Maximum Carnage crisis.