Clemency

Agent Venom is acting as security as the Human Fly is being transferred to the Raft. Along the way, the Fly admits that he’s a bad guy — as he has murdered people to sustain himself — but explains that he recently stole drug money from the Kingpin to give his son, Sammy, a decent life and how the Kingpin will kill his son if he doesn’t get his money back.[1] Venom asks the Fly to give him the information and he can have Sammy brought into protective services. The Human Fly reminds Venom that that’s not enough as they are dealing with the Kingpin. He please with Venom to let him go so he can return the money to save his boy’s life, promising he’ll turn himself in afterwards. He then tries to appeal with his guard, asking if he ever hit rock bottom and needed help. This makes Flash think about the times he has been on a bender in the past. When he doesn’t comply, the Fly asks for Flash to at least get a letter he wrote to his son before he gets murdered by the mobsters.

That’s when one of the guards ask to speak to Venom privately. Going to another car, Agent Venom is informed that the Kingpin has just put ten million dollar bounty on the Human Fly’s head. Venom knows what this is about and assures the guards that their route to the Raft is random and nobody could know where they are. However, the guard explains that one of the guards in Mandroid armor accepted the marker and is planning on killing their prisoner. However, while he goes to deal with this situation the Hobgoblin sneaks aboard the train and kills all the guards. He then offers Venom a job, saying that after they kill the Human Fly, he will help Venom eliminate Crime-Master and Jack O’Lantern.[2] At the mercy of the Hobgoblin’s flaming sword, Venom pretends to accept the terms. However, this is to allow him to free the Human Fly so he can spray Hobgoblin in the face with his acidic vomit.

When Venom tries to fight back, his symbiote is weakened by both Hobgoblin’s flaming sword and his sonic laugh and is knocked off the train. Hobgoblin and the Fly take their battle to the top of the train. There, the Fly overpowers Hobgoblin and begins using his vomit to start eating him. The Kingpin — who is listening in via radio — listens as the Fly gloats over his impending victory. The Hobgoblin manages to break free and, when two guards come up onto the train, tosses some pumpkin bombs at him. That’s when Agent Venom launches himself off an overpass on a motorcycle to get back on the train, crashing into the Hobgoblin.

With their foe gone, the Fly pleads with Flash to let him go to save his son. Agent Venom has no choice by let him go in order to save one of the guards who is clinging onto the side of the train for dear life. As he flies away, the Human Fly tells him to read the letter he wrote for his son as it will be very illuminating. Going back into the prisoner car, Flash finds the envelope in the Fly’s cell. When he opens the letter all that is written on it is “I DON’T HAVE A SON!”

Recurring Characters

Agent Venom, Kingpin, Hobgoblin, Human Fly

Continuity Notes

1. There are multiple references in this story about Venom’s previous battle with the Human Fly. This happened in Venom (vol. 2) #5.

2. Crime-Master and Jack O’Lantern have been blackmailing Venom to do their bidding since Crime-Master learned Flash’s secret identity in Venom (vol. 2) #2.