WARNING: The following contains major spoilers for Spider-Man: Spider's Shadow #1 by Chip Zdarsky, Pasqual Ferry, Matt Hollingsworth, and VC's Joe Caramagna, on sale now.
Spider-Man and Venom have both seen more than their fair shares of dark times. Both heroes have recently overcome some of their darkest, in fact, with the events of King in Black having taken Eddie Brock and Venom to Hell and back, while Peter Parker has been reeling from the machinations of Kindred and Kingpin respectively. While the present is far from paradise, Marvel's What If? line has returned to take a look back at the past. Specifically, just how bleak things might have been if one of the most defining moments in both Spider-Man and Venom's lives had gone just a little bit differently.
Spider-Man: Spider's Shadow #1 brings readers all the way back to the 80's, specifically the era of Spider-Man's black suit which first appeared in 1984's Amazing Spider-Man #252 by Tom DeFalco, Roger Stern, and Ron Frenz. Much like the story that longtime fans will remember, Peter has been suffering from horrible nightmares, leaving him unable to sleep and stuck patrolling at night in a daze rather than resting. This restlessness, and the symbiote urging him on in the back of his mind, have left Peter on the edge of a breakdown, causing him to lash out not just at the criminals he encounters while protecting his city, but even those closest to him. When Mary Jane comes to visit, he awakens from one of his nightmares only to shove her across the room before realizing what exactly he has done.
Peter is quick to show remorse for what he has done, and Mary Jane is understanding of the situation considering how hard things have been for him lately. Her concerns don't fall on deaf ears, thankfully, and neither do those of Black Cat, who also wants the Wall-Crawler to get some help after overhearing him threaten Hobgoblin's life. When Peter goes to Reed Richards to analyze his suit, rather than leave it with Reed for further study, Peter very nearly begins a fight with his longtime ally before leaving.
The darkness that has been worming its way into Peter's head isn't unfamiliar, but the way in which he embraces it is far from anything that readers have seen before now, especially when he unleashes that inner demon on one of his most unfortunate foes. After leaving the Baxter Building, Peter finds himself confronted once again by none other than the Hobgoblin, though the villain soon enough discovers that Spider-Man is no longer the friendly neighborhood hero he once was.
Peter, now fully immersed in his new persona, spares no time in killing the Hobgoblin and leaving him on the street for all to see. There is no question that the people closest to him will come calling soon enough, though how he will react to them is yet to be seen.
While it can be expected that in this new, ferocious state Spidey isn't going to react well if the Fantastic Four seek him out in an effort to free him of the symbiote suit, what reaction he might have to Black Cat or Mary Jane with the same concerns could turn this version of the classic tale into even more of a horror story than it has already become.
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