The issue starts with a flashback in Queens. A young Peter Parker is sitting on a porch swing with Uncle Ben and Aunt May. They’re flipping through an old photo album, looking at pictures of relatives who have passed away. Peter asks about his biological parents, Richard and Mary. When he mentions kids at school telling him he’s adopted, May and Ben quickly reassure him that he belongs with them completely, promising to take care of him forever.
Spider-Man and Ravage: Still Fighting
Back to the present day, we pick up where issue #1001 left off. Just outside Manhattan, Spider-Man is locked in a fight with his cousin Cormac, the villain named Ravage. While fighting physically, Ravage attacks Spider-Man on a psychological level, throwing accusations that Spider-Man has only brought pain and trauma into Aunt May’s life through his constant secrets and absences.
Ravage shares that he traveled around Europe with a friend from college who was a drug addict. Ravage used his powers to remove the agony and shame of the addict going through a decade of withdrawal. This is an example of Ravage using his powers for good. It cured the addict.
Ravage used the hammer that removed the memories the addict had and hit Spider-Man with it, causing him to see the memories. Ravage offered to do the same for Spider-Man. By removing the memories of Aunt May from Spider-Man’s mind it can give him peace from May not being around anymore.
Ravage gave the warning… he doesn’t want to kill Spider-Man. They are family.
Checking on Gwen
For some reason, we are back in Manhattan checking on Gwen Stacy. On the night May had her stroke, Gwen went on a rampage, delaying Peter’s ability to get to the hospital. She doesn’t remember why she did it, making it clear Ravage is behind it.
Gwen is being held in a heavy-duty containment chamber called the Goblin Suite. Built by Norman Osborn out of vibranium and diamond fiber, the room is meant to keep everyone safe in case Gwen loses control. Gwen feels uneasy about the built-in restraints. She admits she nearly caused a disaster earlier by throwing cars around. After confirming her biometrics look okay, she settles in for a forced quarantine.
Where are Glitch and Symbie?
I can’t stand it anymore. Where are Glitch and Symbie? What is the point of pulling them into the storyline to park them? Peter loves Aunt May so much he doesn’t use Glitch and Symbie? Since this is a no-kill comic, Glitch and Symbie wouldn’t kill Ravage, but they would neutralize him. It would force Cormac to come up with another plan. I’d love to know what that looks like.
Okay, back to the nonsense. You might want to get a drink and some popcorn.
Spider-Man Levels Up
Back to the fight, Ravage thinks he has won. No, no, no… deep inside within Spider-Man, an instinctual power triggers. A raw evolution of his Spider-Sense that he usually keeps suppressed. Moving on pure impulse, Spider-Man launches into a furious counterattack, hammering Ravage with unbelievable speed and force.
Every punch Spider-Man lands cracks open the stolen psychic energy inside Ravage. As he hits Ravage, Spider-Man is flooded with random memories and feelings stolen from other people over the years. Realizing he’s dangerously close to losing control and doing permanent damage, Peter pulls back, forcing his mind to calm down before he crosses a line he can’t take back.
Flipping the Psychological Script
Cormac sits in the water, beaten but still smug. He figures Peter won’t kill or torture him to get Aunt May’s memories back. That’s when Peter pulls off his mask and changes tactics.
Peter starts calling Cormac “Champ,” mocking the nickname given by Cormac’s father. He brings up how Cormac messed up his own mother’s mind in the past, calling his work sloppy. This is why Peter doesn’t want Cormac to try to replace May’s memories.
Peter threatens to go to May, and reveal Cormac is Ravage. If May doesn’t believe him, Peter will beat Cormac senselessly in front of her until he powers up. Peter claims that since Cormac erased him in May’s heart, he has nothing left to lose. He argues May might be better off dead than living under Cormac’s control.
The Truce
Aunt May appears on the mansion balcony in her wheelchair with Ric, her boyfriend. Peter plays it off like two friends having a disagreement.
They both have their masks off. Ravage is back in his normal street clothes. Spider-Man has his suit on with the mask off. Ironically, Cormac is in full view but Peter’s face is blocked by shadows. May doesn’t recognise Spider-Man as Peter. Ric, who has seen Peter hundreds of times, doesn’t recognize Peter’s stance or body frame.
With Aunt May and Ric watching from a distance, Peter whispers the terms of their new deal.
- Aunt May goes back home to her own house.
- Cormac never touches her mind again.
- Peter gets to rebuild his relationship with her without interference.
Once Peter figures out how to fix her memory loss, May will choose who she wants in her life on her own terms. Cormac agrees to the truce, saying “if I don’t kill you first”.
Peter swings off, with his mask on, telling Cormac “Let the best son win.”
Only Cormac heard that?
Long Swing Back to the City
As Peter swings the hour back to Manhattan, he realizes winning the fight through a bluff brings him zero comfort.
He knows Cormac fell for it only because Cormac is a monster who naturally expects people to act ruthlessly. Peter rests on a ledge overlooking the city lights, clearing his head. He tells himself Aunt May is safe for tonight. Tomorrow, he’ll start working on a way to restore her mind, treating it like any other science problem he needs to solve.
But is she really safe? Spider-Man beat the crap out of her son leaving the door open for him to rip Spider-Man apart. May will dislike Spider-Man more than she already does, making it harder for Peter to tell her the truth and it ends well.
Cormac didn’t agree to mess with anyone else’s mind. The possibilities are endless.
Peter should plant Glitch in May’s apartment to make sure she stays safe. May already “met” Glitch… she doesn’t know it.
