Web of Spider-Man #119
Echoes of Silence
This story continues in Spider-Man #52...
Following his recent encounter with Venom, the Scarlet Spider returns to his apartment to deal with his wounds.[1] Tying his hoodie to the wound to act as a tourniquet until he can get medical help, Ben Reilly changes into his street clothes and leaves his apartment. He goes to the nearest payphone where he calls his friend Seward Trainer to let him know that he is coming. However, just as Seward picks up the phone, Ben passes out from blood loss. That's when Ben Reilly is found by his neighbor, Gabrielle Greer. She briefly considers if she should get involved, and decides to help anyway. Despite Ben's protests that he cannot afford to go to a hospital, she takes him to one anyway.
Meanwhile, Venom has arrived at the home of Peter Parker in order to enlist his help against the Scarlet Spider, whom he thinks is an impostor.[2] However, when he arrives at the Parker's brownstone, he finds the place deserted.[3] He is frustrated to see that even Peter's wife, Mary Jane is not home.[4] He then goes to May Parker's home in Queens and finds the place deserted as well, and wonders what is going on.[5] By this time, Gabrielle has brought Ben Reilly to a clinic that will treat him without insurance. He refuses anesthesia, causing him even more pain as the doctor stitches him up. The sudden arrival of this stranger prompts one of the nurses on duty to call in a tip to Daily Bugle reporter Ken Ellis.
Thinking that this is the lead that he needs, Ken Ellis rushes out to catch a cab, unaware that he is being followed by the female symbiote.[6] She has been following Ellis in the hopes that the reporter will lead her to Venom so he can force him to teach her how to control her symbiote. While in Midtown, a gang of mobsters is meeting to discuss how Papa Granite has been encroaching in their territory. This meeting is across the street from the restaurant that Granite takes his wife on their anniversary. They have hired an assassin named Kaine to eliminate their rival, however, this mystery man is more interested in the front-page story on the Daily Bugle. When Kaine misses the opportunity to eliminate Papa Granite, the mobsters become angry and pull their guns on him. Kaine's only explanation is that something has come up and kills them all. One of his victims is killed by a single touch to the face, leaving Kaine's burned handprint on the man's face. Back at the clinic, the doctors have finished patching up Ben Reilly. Although they want him to stay so they can check on sutures, his spider-sense begins going off. That's when Ken Ellis comes barging in demanding to talk to the "John Doe" that checked in. Not wanting to be tied to the Scarlet Spider, Ben quickly escapes through the ventilation shaft.
By the time Ben gets to the roof, he has covered his face with his mask. However, he runs into the female symbiote, Scream, who asks the Spider for his help. Unfortunately, the Scarlet Spider refuses to help and tries to leave. This causes the female symbiote to lose control and lash out, causing the tendrils of her symbiote to shatter a nearby chimney and sending debris to the ground. Warned of this by his spider-sense, the Scarlet Spider leaps back and smashes the debris before it can harm innocent people on the street. Thinking about what he should do next, Ben can't help but think about the night that Spider-Man failed to stop the burglar who later went on to murder his Uncle Ben.[7] He realizes that he can't just ignore the symbiotes running loose in the city. Returning to his apartment, Ben begins working on a batch of new web-fluid. He is interrupted by Gabrielle Greer, who has come to check on him. He thanks her and brushes her off, much to his displeasure. With a fresh batch of webbing, Reilly then changes into the Scarlet Spider and heads back out into the city. Meanwhile, the female symbiote has begun to go on a rampage through Times Square in the hopes of drawing out Venom. Sure enough, the ploy works, when her symbiote's progenitor ambushes her. Venom quickly overpowers his female offspring and attempts to rip the symbiote off her skin. He is stopped when the Scarlet Spider ambushes Venom with his new impact webbing. Pulling the webs off his face, Venom confronts the Spider and looks forward to the coming fight. The Scarlet Spider is also determined to take down Venom once and for all.
... This story continues in Spider-Man #53.
Recurring Characters
Spider-Man, Gabrielle Greer, Ken Ellis, Venom, Scream, Kaine, Seward Trainer
Continuity Notes
Venom slashed open the Spider's side in Spider-Man #52.
Venom has known Spider-Man's double identity after bonding with the symbiote, as explained in Amazing Spider-Man #300.
At the time of this story, the real Spider-Man is struggling with his identity crisis and fighting for his life as seen in the Back From the Edge story arc.
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 is not home because she went to Pittsburgh to reconnect with her family, as seen in Amazing Spider-Man #394.
May Parker's home has been empty since she suffered a stroke in Amazing Spider-Man #391.
This female symbiote is later identified as Scream in Civil War Battle Damage Report #1. Venom recalls that her symbiote was birthed from his in Venom Lethal Protector #4. She mentions her recent brush with death in Venom Lethal Protector #5.
The events leading up to the murder of Ben Parker were chronicled in Amazing Fantasy #15.
