Web of Spider-Man Annual #4
Sweet Poison!
Evolutionary War continues from Uncanny X-Men Annual #12...
Peter Parker is on a Florida talk show to promote his new book, Webs, which features the many photos he took of Spider-Man over the years. After the interview, Peter returns to his hotel room calls his wife and complains about how exhausted he is after traveling to 12 cities in 10 days and appearing on 11 talk shows. He tries to convince Mary Jane to come down to Maimi to spend some time with him, but she tells him that she has a photo shoot to do and can't make it. When there is a knock at the door, Peter lets MJ go see who it is. It turns out to be the hotel cleaning lady who, for some strange reason, has set off his spider-sense. She tells him that she will be done as quickly as possible, saying that she works quickly so she can go home to her son Carlos who is out of school for the summer. Peter is a little surprised that a woman so young could have a child, but she tells him that sometimes she forgets her real age and tells Parker that it's a long story, something she hopes to one day tell Carlos' father.
When the woman leaves, Peter is relieved as his spider-sense was becoming unbearable. He's not the only one who feels strange. Once out of the room, the cleaning lady asks some unseen presence what the sensation she was having. Assured that this is not a target to destroy, she is impressed to know what it feels like to sense someone with power that is devoid of corruption. Meanwhile, in the middle of the Florida Everglades, an army of the High Evolutionary's eliminators have arrived with a Spatial Dissonance Generator. When they activate the device it rips a hole in reality, revealing the Nexus of All Realities. This then attracts the Man-Thing from the swamps, drawn here by the force that is threatening the land he was chosen to protect. However, the rip in reality also affects the Man-Thing, causing the muck monster to explode. While in New York City, the Kingpin has placed a call to the Slug, a drug supplier in Florida. They are talking to the Central American drug supply being cut off and suggests that the pair work together to deal with their mutual problem. After getting assurances that the Slug's men were not responsible for the supply cut-off, the two begin getting to work on a joint venture.
Later, as the housekeeper that Peter encounter, Cecilia Cardinale, finishes her work day, she tells the voice in her mind that she is tired and wants to go home. As she gets on a bus, the voice tells her that they have to go out that evening so they can hunt, telling her to get her son a babysitter and get some rest, as the night belongs to them. Back in the Everglades, the Eliminators are reeling with pain from the rip in reality. Suddenly, blood begins to drip out of the hole in existence. When it strikes one of the Eliminators, it burns him down to the bone. They are contacted telepathically by the High Evolutionary, who tells his minions to be brave as this mission is important to his genetic program and the fate of humanity. He explains that the swamp is the Nexus of All Realities and warns that when there is a cosmic axis shift, genetic pollutants slip through the cracks in reality that can affect the very fabric of existence. Although most of these strains die off in Earth's atmosphere, some could adapt and survive. By this time Cecilia has arrived home to find her son Carlos watching television. She spends some time playing with her son before telling him to get cleaned up before going to the babysitter. Carlos is disappointed that his mother is going out for yet another evening. Later that evening, Peter Parker can't sleep in the uncomfortable motel room bed and decides to go out and grab a bite to eat. However, hearing one of the Slug's men beating up on a rival drug dealer named Santo, Peter changes into Spider-Man and interrupts the beating. Spider-Man pulls Santo out of the car and swings away, asking Santo what is going on. At first, Santo is reluctant to talk, but the drug dealer eventually relents.
Back at Cecelia's home, the woman has just taken a shower and tells the voice in her mind that she is ready to go out. From her closet hangs a costume as well as a scarlet necklace with a skull on it. She puts on the necklace, the first step into her transformation int Poison. By this point, Santo has finished telling Spider-Man everything he knows and the wall-crawler departs. No sooner is Spider-Man is gone does a pair of the Evolutionary's Purifiers arrive. The armored being explains that he is preventing the pollution of the genetic structure. He blasts Santo with his purification ray, killing him instantly. By this time, the Slug has learned that Spider-Man is in Florida and calls the Kingpin to report this. The Slug assures the Kingpin that Spider-Man will not interfere in their attempts to secure the drug reserves in the region. Meanwhile, Poison is hovering over her apartment complex, the voice turns her attention to the Purifiers that are approaching her home. It tells her that they know about her and plan to eliminate her. She floats down to the ground and then kills the intruders in order to preserve her life. Among the people who come out to watch the carnage is her son Carlos. The boy recognizes his mother, but as Poison floats into the air once more, his babysitter tells him that it could not be his mother. The voice tells her that they must go to where their worlds intersect.
Meanwhile, Spider-Man has gotten a boat and is traveling through the Florida Everglades. With the information, he got from Santo leads him to the hidden cache of drugs that were left over from a recent political scandal. Finding a discarded refrigerator locked up in chains. Breaking the locks, Spider-Man finds a huge cache of cocaine and begins snapping photos. He is interrupted by a gang of the Slug's enforcers who were also out looking for the drugs. However, before they can attack, they are mowed down by two Eliminators. Spider-Man leaps up into the tree to snap more photos when suddenly his spider-sense begins going off painfully. Looking up, he witnesses as the housekeeper in the hotel floats down to the ground. Spider-Man can hardly believe it but is forced to defend himself from the Exterminators before he can truly process it. Meanwhile, the voice in Poison's head tells her that they will soon be parting company. It asks her if she will miss its presence, but she will actually be relieved. The essence takes control of her body and begins projecting energy from her body. The presence then emerges from her body as smoke from her mouth. It explains that it has permanently changed her and possibly her son. It also warns that the ones who have come to eliminate her know this, hence their presence here. However, the being has become strong enough to open a portal and return from whence it came.
With the tear in the Nexus repaired, the Man-Thing begins to reincorporate itself and rise from the swamps. Back at the drug stash, Spider-Man finds himself caught in the middle of the firefight. He recognizes the Exterminators when he fought some of them alongside Daredevil. Soon, the Man-Thing arrives on the scene. Seeing the muck monster, both the Exterminators and drug dealers try to kill the creature, but their bullets pass harmlessly through the muck-monster. Spider-Man then webs up the shooters while they are distracted by the Man-Thing. With the danger over, the Man-Thing shambles back into the swamps as though nothing had happened. After dropping the crooks off at the police station, Spider-Man returns to his motel room to try and get some sleep. The next morning, he is woken up by a knock at his door. At first, he thinks it is the house keeper and tells her to go away. However, it turns out to be Mary Jane who decided to take him up on his offer to come down to Maimi after all.
Evolutionary War continues in West Coast Avengers Annual #3...
Recurring Characters
Spider-Man, Mary Jane Watson, Poison, Man-Thing, High Evolutionary, Slug, Kingpin, Carlos Cardinale
Continuity Notes
Peter has been promoting Webs since it was published in Amazing Spider-Man #304. Of the photos showcased on the show included his battle with the Vulture (and subsequently the first photograph he took for the Daily Bugle) in Amazing Spider-Man #2, Doctor Octopus in Amazing Spider-Man #3, the Sandman in Amazing Spider-Man #4, the Lizard in Amazing Spider-Man #6, and the Ox in Amazing Spider-Man #10.
Peter and Mary Jane are referred to as husband and wife here. However, years later, the demon Mephisto erased their marriage from existence in Amazing Spider-Man #545 as a result, they should be considered a common-law couple here, as opposed to husband and wife.
The Central American drug supply was cut off by thanks to interference by the High Evolutionary's Exterminators and the Punisher in Punisher Annual #1.
The political scandal was chronicled in Marvel Comics Presents #1-12.↑ Spider-Man and Daredevil fought the Purifiers and Exterminators in Amazing Spider-Man Annual #22 and Daredevil Annual #5.
Night Stalking!
Walking the streets of Maimi at night, the female vigilante named Poison can't help but think about Vassily. As usual, when thoughts of this man come to mind, she thinks about how she strikes fear into his heart before beating him to death. She remembers how when she was pregnant, she was aboard an overcrowded boat when she fled her native Cuba. Her thoughts are interrupted when she is approached by a drug dealer asking if she wants to buy. She declines and shoves him aside as she continues down the sidewalk. She recalls the day, years earlier, as she was living in a refugee camp in labor. She was in the process of giving birth when she was visited by the dimensional being known as Ylandris. Falling in love with Cecilia, Ylandris merges with the woman. Unlike Vassily, Ylandris never lied to her. Her mind drifts back to her time in Cuba, and how she met Vassily, who was employed at the Russian embassy. They started a romance, even though the Russian government advised their staff not to fraternize with the locals.
Despite the risks, Cecilia was caught and brought before Russian officials. She made the mistake of telling them Vassily's real name. When he was interrogated, he claimed that she seduced him and Cecilia found herself imprisoned. She never saw Vassily again. After months in prison, her own government sent her away on a boat full of other undesirables. With her recollections over, Poison confronts a man who looks like Vassily but determines that he is not, then flies away, sparing the man's life.
Recurring Characters
Poison
Recurring Characters
Spider-Man, Mary Jane Watson, Poison, Man-Thing, High Evolutionary, Slug, Kingpin, Carlos Cardinale
Continuity Notes
This story is written in a way that suggests that Cecilia lived in Cuba while the Cold War was going on, particularly in reference to Russians as being called Soviets. All the dated references in this story should be considered topical references per the Sliding Timescale of Earth-616.
All My Children
This story continues from Uncanny X-Men Annual #12...
The High Evolutionary is going over the tole taken on his Knights of Wundagore following their battle against the demon Chthon. With the death count at seventeen, the losses weigh heavily on the High Evolutionary who was forced to train his New Men in the ways of war to protect their society. That's when he is joined by the sorcerer known as Magnus, who is still possessing the body of Jonathan Drew. He has come with the body of Baron Russoff, another casualty of the battle against Chthon. Drew explains that while the High Evolutionary and his charges were battling Chthon, the spirit of Magnus discovered that Russoff was responsible for summoning the ancient demon. Magnus took possession of Russoff's body and forced him to cast the banishment spell in the Book of Darkhold. Magnus explains that Gregor was attempting to cure himself of lycanthropy.
Later in his study, the High Evolutionary ponders over the supernatural, something he denied for years until the battle with Chthon. He is interrupted by Bova who shows him two twin children that were born by Magda, who was born during the night. Although Magda survived the, she fled in the night leaving a note telling Bova to turn the children over to a good family. The High Evolutionary tells Bova to look after the children until he can find suitable parents for the children. That's when Magnus comes to say farewell before leaving the body of Jonathan Drew so he can return to his eternal rest. He soon departs, telling the High Evolutionary to take good care of Jonathan's daughter Jessica.
Later, Sir Porga has arrived with Robert and Madeline Frank, who have come to get assistance in Madeline's pregnancy. The High Evolutionary finds this will be the ideal couple to give the twins. However, things turn tragic when Madeline's biological child is stillborn and she dies giving childbirth. Still, Bova tries to deceive Robert Frank into thinking that the twins are his children. Unfortunately, Frank is so distraught over the death of his wife he speeds away. The High Evolutionary has just revived Jessica Drew and is about to explain what has happened to her when he is interrupted with Bova with the news regarding the Franks. The High Evolutionary decides to give the children to a couple in a nearby Romany village. The couple in question are Django and Marya Maximoff, who promise to raise these twins like their own children.
Recurring Characters
High Evolutionary, Jonathan Drew, Bova, Gregog Russoff, Sir Porga, Sir Hogg, Pietro Maximoff, Wanda Maximoff, Jessica Drew, Robert Frank, Madeline Joyce, Django Maximoff, Marya Maximoff
Recurring Characters
Spider-Man, Mary Jane Watson, Poison, Man-Thing, High Evolutionary, Slug, Kingpin, Carlos Cardinale
Continuity Notes
The "birth" of Pietro and Wanda Maximoff by Magda Eisenhardt is a deception. As revealed in Scarlet Witch Vol 2 #11 and Uncanny Avengers Vol 2 #4, they were actually the children of Natalya Maximoff. The High Evolutionary stole the children from Natalya to experiment upon. Once he was finished he turned them over to Natalya's closest blood relatives, Django and Marya Maximoff. The idea that Wanda and Pietro are the children of Magneto was a deception that was planted in Vision and the Scarlet Witch #4.
Jessica Drew was treated with spider venom to try and cure her of radiation poisoning but required Jessica to be put in cryogenic sleep as revealed in Spider-Woman #37. This has been questioned in Spider-Woman Origin #1-5. Click here more on how this index interprets these conflicting origins.
These events are explored in more detail Giant-Size Avengers #1.
The adoption of Pietro and Wanda were explored in more detail in Avengers #186.
Evolutionary War Reading Order
X-Factor Annual #3
Punisher Annual #1
Silver Surfer Annual #1
New Mutants Annual #4
Uncanny X-Men Annual #12
Web of Spider-Man Annual #4 <— You Are Here