Proof Positive

The newly opened HEART Clinic is a front for the vigilante known as Cardiac. In a hidden medical facility he uses stolen technology to perform medical treatments outside of traditional medical channels. Having stolen a neural scanner that was invented by Doctor Octopus, Cardiac — as Doctor Elias Wirtham — is using the device to cure a young girl named Amy Chen, who has suffered a brain injury. The results are promising but they can only do so much without knowing how to properly operate the device. Wirtham tells the doctors that the only person who knew how to use the device was Otto Octavius who is dead.[1]

While at Avengers Tower, Spider-Man has violently opposed a request from Captain America to undergo a full body exam. This has caused the other Avengers —which include Thor, Black Widow, Wolverine and Spider-Woman — to attack him. Watching from the sidelines is the spirit of Peter Parker, who is a prisoner in his own body. He cheers on the Avengers but asks for them to not hit him in the face. Otto Octavius actually hears this and asks who said it, distracting him long enough for the Avengers to knock him out.

The Avengers aren’t the only ones who are suspicious about Spider-Man. Carlie Cooper is also convince that someone else has taken control of Spider-Man’s body but doesn’t have any proof.[2] She calls in a friend to help her get this evidence. This person points out that they have been on a leave of absence because of Carlie, but agrees to help when Cooper says she doesn’t know who else to turn to.[3]

By this time, Spider-Man wakes up and finds himself being examined by the Avengers. After a complete battery of tests, the Avengers hold a meeting. Spider-Man is furious with them for violating his privacy, but Captain America confirms that he is not a Skrull or a Space Phantom, nor is he under the control of the Puppet Master, Controller, or Purple Man. Peter Parker can’t believe those are the only tests that the Avengers have run. That’s when Otto looks over the brain scan and notices a small anomaly that the Avengers haven’t seen. Otto then asks for a copy of the data collected, making up a story about never having such a thorough examination of his physiology and is given a copy by the Black Widow. However, Captain America is not done with him yet and tells Spider-Man that he is on probation and that if he continues to cross the line he’ll be kicked off the team.

That’s when the Black Widow offers a theory on why Spider-Man has been acting they way he has recently and suspects that this all has to do with the recent death of Silver Sable. However, that incident was the first time that Spider-Man crossed a line where someone died and offers to listen if he needs someone to speak with.[4] Peter can’t believe that Natash is opening up to Otto like this. However, he uses the distract to try and send her a warning. Using his will power he makes his hand try to write a warning on a nearby note pad. Unable to access the langauge centers of his brain, all he can do is draw a crude picture of an octopus with an arrow pointing at a Spider-Man mask. Otto eventually thanks Natasha for his advice and leaves with the data from the body scan. After he leaves, the Widow notices the drawing and dismisses it as a poorly drawn doodle of a spider.

Otto heads back to Horizon Labs, considering himself lucky that none of the Avengers resident scientists were around, as they would have noticed the minor deviation in his brain scan that he did.[5] When he arrives at Horizon Labs, Otto pushes past his co-workers so he can review the Avengers files on in his private lab. However, he finds the data inconclusive and needs to conduct a more thorough brain scan. Watching this, the spirit of Peter Parker begins to fear that Otto might be on to him.

Later, at the HEART Center, Doctor Wirthham is treating Amy Chen when suddenly the alarm begins going off. He tells the other doctors to keep working and heads off to change into Cardiac. As he is putting on his armor, Emil discovers the spider-tracer that Spider-Man planted on him earlier and realizes who the intruder is. The pair begin fighting it out all the while Cardiac and the spirit of Peter Parker plead with him to stop because he is putting the patients at risk. That’s when he sees his neurolitic scanner on Amy’s head and tries to take it away. Peter pleads with Otto to stop doing this, as it will harm a little girl. That’s when Cardiac explains that he is using a device created by Doctor Octopus to erase one of his crimes. This causes Spider-Man to pause and asks what he is talking about.

Cardiac recounts one of the last schemes of Doctor Octopus, where he threatened to destroy all life on Earth by magnifying the power of the sun. Amy was involved in a car accident during the ensuing panic and when Otto gave a demonstration of his doomsday weapon the heat complicated Amy’s injuries causing severe brain damage. Otto immediately feels empathy for the little girl and convinces them that he can use the neurolitic scanner to help her. Getting into doctors scurbs. Otto prepares to work but a hestitant Peter Parker tries to still his hand. Insisting that he knows what he is doing, Peter decides to give Otto the benefit of the doubt and he is allowed to work unimpeded.

The process is a success and when Spider-Man and Cardiac take a break, they find a kindship together and Spider-Man pledges to help the HEART Center whenever needed. He then asks to use the scanner, saying he only needs it for a short while, promising to return it once he is done. That’s when one of the nurses tells them that Amy Chen is awake. The little girl is grateful that Spider-Man helped saver her life and she wants to give him her favorite stuffed animal, pinky penguin. At first, Spider-Man is reluctant to accept the gift, but Witham and his staff insist saying that Amy has a replacement, as the girl has now has a stuff Spider-Man to take pinky’s place.

Returning to Horizon Labs, Otto begins using the scanner on himself. He thinks about how he has grown accustomed to being a hero, thinking that this was his true calling. Peter tells Otto not to get used to it as still plans on winning his body back. Otto hears him this time, thanks to the scanner, and tells Parker that his interference ends now. He then orders the Living Brain to prepare for what he calls a Pakrer-ectomy.

Recurring Characters

Spider-Man, Cardiac, Peter Parker, Avengers (Captain America, Thor, Black Widow, Wolverine, Spider-Woman), Carlie Cooper, Amy Chen, Living Brain, Yuri Watanabe (unidentified), Max Modell, Grady Scraps, Bella Fishbach

Continuity Notes

1. Not quite true. Doctor Octopus began suffering from a degenerative disorder since Amazing Spider-Man #600. Luckily, for him at least, he managed to cheat death by taking control of Peter Parker’s body. See Amazing Spider-Man #698-700.

2. Carlie Cooper’s suspicions began when she encountered a dying Doctor Octopus in Amazing Spider-Man #700 who claimed that he was actually Spider-Man. Seeing Spider-Man in action afterwards has raised her suspicions, particularly when she witnessed the web-slinger brutally beat the Vulture in Superior Spider-Man #3.

3. The person Yuri is talking to is revealed to be Yuri Watanabe in Superior Spider-Man #10. Yuri has been on an extended leave of absence on Carlie’s insistance after she discovered that Watanabe was operating as the Wraith. See Amazing Spider-Man #663-664.

4. The Black Widow lists off the various recent incidents where Spider-Man crossed the line.

   • First she mentions the death of Silver Sable. Sable seemingly perished when she helped Spider-Man and the Black Widow stop Doctor Octopus from destroying the world. See Amazing Spider-Man #682-687.

   • However, unknown to everyone at this time, Silver Sable is still alive and her survival is explained in Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 5) #33.

   • She also mentions how Spider-Man almost killed the Lizard. This was when Peter Parker was still in control of his body. See Amazing Spider-Man #688-691.

   • She also mentions how, more recently, Spider-Man killed Massacre. Otto killed the mass murderer to put a stop to his rampages. See Superior Spider-Man #4-5.

5. Otto states here that Iron Man is off “gallivanting” in space. Tony decided to take some time to clear his mind by going into space in Invincible Iron Man #527. He returned to Earth in Iron Man (vol. 5) #17.

Topical References

• Spider-Man’s brain scan data is stored on a USB stick in this story. This should be considered a topical reference because this technology is quickly becoming obsolete.