Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man #181

Issue Details

Synopsis

THE CHILD WITHIN PART 4 - GUILT At the mansion that was once home to Edward Whelan, the man who would become the Vermin, Edward's mother goes over old family photos. At the same time, Doctor Ashley Kafka is working late in her office reviewing the Vermin's files. While at one of the Green Goblin's secret hideouts, Harry Osborn has brought Peter Parker in order to avenge the death of his father, Norman. When Peter wakes up from the knock out gas that Harry exposed him to, he is disorientated at first. Harry grabs his longtime friend and demands to know why Peter constantly reminds him of the crimes that his father committed as the Green Goblin. Becoming more, and more unhinged, Harry claims that his father was not a bad man. Although he admits that his father was responsible for the death of Gwen Stacy, he insists that it must have been some kind of accident.  As Harry sees the image of his father impaled on his goblin glider, Peter tries to remind Harry that they are best friends. However, Harry is too far gone saying that Spider-Man has taken too much away from him so Harry must go away so the Green Goblin can take over. Putting on his Goblin ask, Harry opens up a specially made pumpkin bomb containing hallucinogenic gas.    Breathing deeply, Spider-Man begins to succumb to the gas and begins hallucinating. He finds himself in a graveyard where massive tombstones loom over him. The first one he sees is one for himself, the very tombstone placed when Kraven the Hunter buried him alive not long ago.  As Spider-Man tries to flee, he is stopped by someone who appears to be Kraven the Hunter, complete with a gunshot wound to the head.  However, "Kraven" pulls his face off, revealing himself to be the Green Goblin. The Goblin grabs Spider-Man and pulls him to another part of the cemetery to see who else is dead thanks to Spider-Man. There, the wall-crawler is haunted by the spirits of Aunt May's late fiancée Nathan Lubenski as well as Daily Bugle reporter Ned Leeds. Lastly, Harry makes Spider-Man gaze upon the spirit of his father, Norman Osborn.  Spider-Man's finds himself being pulled further along this hallucinatory graveyard by the Green Goblin. The Goblin deposits Spider-Man in front of the looming graves of George Stacy and his daughter Gwen.  Trying to flee, Peter finds himself face-to-face with the grave of his Uncle Ben. This fills him with guilt and begs his Uncle for help, frantically apologizing for not stopping the burglar who killed him.  Suddenly, his mind floods back to the day that his Uncle Ben told him that his parents had died. Spider-Man is suddenly approached by the ghoulish apparitions of his parents.  The constant emotional onslaught finally causes Peter to snap, and in the real world he begins to scream at the top of his lungs. Filled with fear and panic, Peter begins flailing around, smashing objects. This causes Harry's personality to snap back. Removing his mask, Harry tries to go to Peter's aid, but his friend knocks him aside. Smashing through the wall, Peter swings out across the city in a state of utter horror.   Meanwhile, at the Whelan home, Edward's father is also looking over old family photographs in his bedroom. Suddenly, a rat drops down on a picture of Edward and his father. As he tosses the rodent away, Vermin enters the room, dragging his mother in by the hair. The creature greets his father and explains that he has come to kill him. While at her office, Ashley Kafka is sleepily restlessly on the couch. She is suddenly awoken by he sound of a breaking window. Rushing to her study, Ashley is shocked to discover Spider-Man has came smashing through the window. Still under the influence of the hallucinations, Peter beds Doctor Kafka for help.