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Astonishing Spider-Man Vol 1 9

Appearing in "Tentacles"

Reprint of the 1st story from
Amazing Spider-Man #397

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Synopsis for "Tentacles"

Reprint of the 1st story from
Amazing Spider-Man #397
Wracked with pain from the poison coursing through his body, Spider-Man web-slings across the city. As he does so, he is unaware that he is being observed by the mystery man known as Kaine, who knows some sinister secret about the wall-crawler. Trying to ignore the pain, Spider-Man is suddenly struck with a foreign memory, an image of himself growing in a cloning tank.[Continuity 1] This causes Spider-Man to lose consciousness and he falls down onto a rooftop above him. Spider-Man's body is discovered by his old foe Doctor Octopus. He has been watching Spider-Man since his most recent escape from the Vault, and he has noticed that the hero has changed and he doesn't like what he sees.[Continuity 2] He thinks of their long-standing rivalry, and it causes him to wonder when he truly became Doctor Octopus. Was it during his first battle with Spider-Man, or was it years earlier thanks to an abusive father and smothering mother.[Continuity 3] Having learned that the Vulture had succeeded in poisoning Spider-Man, he wanted to see the truth for himself.[Continuity 4] Saddened by the state of his foe, Doctor Octopus decides to leave the wall-crawler to live out whatever life he has left so he can resume his current schemes. When Spider-Man finally wakes up, he is unaware of his encounter with Doctor Octopus, or that Kaine is still watching him. He is about ready to surrender to the fact that he was dying when he realizes that there is someone he can go to for help.

Meanwhile, a voluptuous woman calling herself Stunner walks into a Manhattan bar called Lucky's, getting the attention of its all-male clientele. She revels in this attention, accusing these men of being adulterers and wife-beaters. When she asks them who is man enough to handle her, they are all speechless, just as she suspected. In response, Stunner trashes the entire bar. When the bartender reaches for his shotgun, Stunner is joined by Doctor Octopus who threatens to disembowel him if he shoots. Surprisingly, Octavius pays for the damage done to the bar before taking Stunner and leaving. They return to Otto's penthouse apartment, where Stunner asks if he is upset with her for what happened at the bar. Quite the contrary, Otto explains, saying that she is the best thing that has ever happened to him. He explains that he is upset about what has happened to Spider-Man. He explains that regardless of his hatred of his old foe, he always saw him as an honorable man, full of intelligence and good humor. However, it now seems that the Spider-Man of old is gone, and all that is left is a humorless thug, a persona -- much like what Doctor Octopus believes himself to have become. Otto then realizes how much he depended on Spider-Man to maintain a certain level of humanity. Stunner tries to cheer Otto up by telling him that everything he expects out of Spider-Man, she already sees in him. Suddenly, Stunner feels a strange sensation and tells him that she needs to go, but promises to be back. Despite Otto's protests, Stunner suddenly disappears. At first, Otto rages, but this eventually leads to despair.

Later that evening, Mary Jane returns home from her trip to Pittsburgh.[Continuity 5] She discovers that her husband, Peter Parker, is not surprised given the state of their marriage.[Continuity 6] However, she refuses to walk away when Peter is going through so much.[Continuity 7] Seeing the mess in the kitchen, she decides that she is too exhausted to deal with it and goes to bed. She briefly considers calling the hospital to see how May is doing, but is too tired for that even and goes to bed.[Continuity 8]

At this time, Spider-Man has forced himself awake and decides that the only thing he can do is go home to his wife so he doesn't spend his final moments alone. It's then that his mind is assaulted with the image of Peter Parker in a cloning tank. He screams for the image to get out of his head and loses his balance. He almost falls over the edge of the building, but he is caught by Stunner. However, she only saved his life so she could defeat the wall-crawler with himself. Too weak to fight back, Spider-Man takes a serious beating from Stunner, who is unimpressed with the battle. She is stopped by Doctor Octopus, who arrives on the scene before she can kill his old foe. He realizes that there is something seriously wrong with Spider-Man. He thought the wall-crawler's illness was being faked, but now intends to find out what to do next. He then unmasks the web-slinger and is surprised to see that Spider-Man is actually Peter Parker.[Continuity 9]

This story is continued in Spectacular Spider-Man #220...

Appearing in "Echoes of Silence"

Reprint of the 1st story from
Web of Spider-Man #119

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Synopsis for "Echoes of Silence"

Reprint of the 1st story from
Web of Spider-Man #119
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.[Continuity 10] 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.[Continuity 11] However, when he arrives at the Parker's brownstone, he finds the place deserted.[Continuity 12] He is frustrated to see that even Peter's wife, Mary Jane is not home.[Continuity 13] He then goes to May Parker's home in Queens and finds the place deserted as well, and wonders what is going on.[Continuity 14] 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.[Continuity 15] 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 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.[Continuity 16] 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.

Appearing in "Gathering Storms"

Reprint of the 1st story from
Spider-Man #53

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Synopsis for "Gathering Storms"

Reprint of the 1st story from
Spider-Man #53
This story continues in Web of Spider-Man #119...

The Scarlet Spider's battle with Venom has taken a turn when the symbiotic monster begins strangling the hero. Still thinking less of himself for being a clone, the Spider is about to accept this as par for the course. Venom, knowing that he is fighting an impostor, intends on killing the Scarlet Spider so he can go back to finish his job of killing the female symbiote.[Continuity 17] Hearing this, the Spider can't give up with the woman's life on the line, as he that wasn't the way Aunt May raised him. As he fights free, he can't believe that Spider-Man would let this creature roam free, even making a deal with him.[Continuity 18] Eventually breaking free from Venom's tendrils, the Spider hits Venom so hard he is knocked into a billboard across the street.

Meanwhile, at the Daily Bugle, Ken Ellis is typing his story about the Scarlet Spider's battle with Venom. He is obsessed with getting an interview with this new hero in his attempt to overshadow Ben Urich as the Daily Bugle's star reporter. He is interrupted by J. Jonah Jameson who has come to congratulate him for a job well done. Back in Times Square, the Scarlet Spider is working to dodge Venom's attack. He has to keep reminding himself to trust in his abilities to guide him.[Error 1] Needing to take down Venom before he gets hurt, the Spider fires a number of his impact webbing on the symbiote to try and bind him up. At that same moment, the Grim Hunter visits his father's grave once more.[Continuity 19] He vows to his father that he will track down Spider-Man once more and either he or the wall-crawler will die the next time they meet. Back in Times Square, Venom is wrapped up in the Scarlet Spider's webbing. This gives him a moment to pause and wonder if Spider-Man was the one who changed over the years, or if he himself changed. While inside the web cocoon, Venom struggles to get free.

At that moment, in Salt Lake City, the police get a communique from New York City.[Continuity 20] When one of the officers looks at it, they inform Lieutenant Jacob Raven that the perp he has been chasing for years has just turned up in New York.[Continuity 21] While back in New York, Venom breaks free from his webbing and lunges at the wall-crawler, knocking both of them off the side of the cliff. While elsewhere in the city, Gavin Thorpe has returned from his trip abroad. Unhappy with the state of his crime organization, he kills his brother for letting him down. He has decided to retake control over his family organization. When he learns that Spider-Man has been causing his organization problems, something that Thorpe intends to rectify.

Back in Times Square, the Scarlet Spider and Venom are fighting on the street. He tries another attempt to stop Venom with his impact webbing. This time, he fires it into Venom's open mouth, separating the symbiote from its host. With Eddie Brock's skin exposed, the Scarlet Spider manages to tag him with one of his venom stingers. He then begins laying into Venom, unaware that he is being observed by the mystery man known as Kaine. Kaine wants to destroy the Scarlet Spider but intends to wait for the right opportunity. With Venom knocked out, the symbiote tries to bond with the Scarlet Spider, but the clone refuses to allow it to bond with him. The strain of the rejection knocks the alien creature out. Soon, Guardsmen arrive on the scene and take Venom and his symbiote into custody. In the aftermath of the battle, the Scarlet Spider is proud of himself for being able to defeat Venom and feels confident that he can handle anything from now on, unaware of the various forces that are marshaling against him that he will have to face in the future.

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