Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #6

Background

After the whole Torment story line Peter is relaxing thinking he rid himself of the lizard and nothing could have ever been as weird as that whole fiasco. Little does he realize things are going to get weirder.

On a happier note this book got four awards from the CBG Fan Awards including: Favorite Hero, Favorite Penciler, Favorite Cover Artist, and Favorite Letter.

Story Details

We start off in an abandoned warehouse where their are screams and pleas about someones face, We see that it's the Hobgoblin and he appears to be taking off his mask. His face is not normal what so ever.It looks just like his mask only more demonic. Hobgoblin took in over 20 some people and is holding them in a slime like prison (ala Aliens). Apparently he wants to help eliminate their lies But they don't listen, the people just keep screaming on how scary looking Hobgoblin is.

Hobgoblin keeps saying he wants to help and asks the people why they continue to curse him. A woman with her child close by says they haven't said a word. Hobby calls her a liar and demands that she look him in the eye and say that. The woman refuses and keeps her head down. Hobgoblin gets angry and yells that she is contorlled by the devil and that she is too blind to see the truth. The woman denies saying anything again. Not taking anymore crap Hobgoblin then pushes her face into the slime prison thats holding her until she suffocates to death. He then prays for her and says that he hopes God will forgive her.

The child asks what happen to his mom. Hobgoblin said that she went to a better place, but is amazed that the boy isn't screaming or looking away from his ugly face. He takes the boy out of his slime prison and hugs him.

(Then we cut away from Hobgoblin Hugging the boy to Pete and MJ hugging each other to a picture of Petes costume and a close up of the spider on his chest to a spider in a brooklyn alley. Clever McFarlene Clever.)

Anyway we see the ever happy Ghost Rider holding a priest by the feet over the roof of a building. Rider is threatening to kill him because the priest was making kiddie porn. The priest tries to rationalize by saying he was fulfilling there wants and needs. They were worthless and homeless. His only sin is that he cared. Ghost Rider angry screams that they stole their innocence and that thats a crime he can't forgive. He then drops the priest, but not before he hits the ground when he's caught by none other then Rider himself. Instead of killing the priest he decides to give him the penance stare. Then rides off in the night leaving behind a very scared priest.

Hobgoblin is still asking why his prisoners are cursing him (gee I wonder myself) He tells the boy he used to be a mercenary but now ascends to be something better. He decides to take the boy and leave just before he throws a lit pumpkin bomb in the warehouse destroying it completely. Showing what happens to sinners.

(Now our hero comes into the mix!) Pete is trying to sneak out of the house but as usual MJ stops him before he leaves. He sweet talks his wife and quickly leaves the house. He hears about the bombing and from what police/fire officials and news reports say its the Hobgoblin. He decides to go after street thugs looking for answers. He finally comes up to a druggy ready to snort some coke (gotta love McFarlene) Spidey steals his drugs off the druggy and webs him up. He threatens the druggy by droping the drugs if he doesn't find out where Hobgoblin is going. Eventually he gets the answers and tells the druggy the webbing will disolve in an hour or two. And in classic Spidey Humor he puts the coke outta reach of the druggy.......on a windy night.

It seems that Ghost Rider caught ear of Hobgoblin too. Trying to get answers to his whereabouts Ghost Rider busts a few heads and then is on his way.

Hobby tells the child he's happy that he has converted over to the side of 'good', and that he was once in sin himself, and always held on to the negative things in life until he started hearing the voices in his head. He has dealt with them one by one until he conqured them all. And now the little boy has shown him there is still hope for the truth. The boy agrees. Hobby tells him he's ready to redeem his soul and once complete the devil himself could never touch him. Just when that was said and done Spidey busts through and says how sick Hobby is for what he did and how he uses innocent people to get at him. Hobgoblin syas that Spidey is the devil and has come to challange his new alligiance.

Flabbergasted by what Hobby just said, Spidey picks up the child and tells him to stay back. Bad move. Hobgoblin goes schizo and throws pumpkin bombs in there direction. Spidey is now pissed, he jumps at the goblin...fist first screaming that how he almost killed the innocent child. Hobgoblin uses his laser gloves yells at Spidey to repent his sins over and over again. Spidey is now confused and has no idea what possed Hobgolin to beome a "Holier than thou" type of person. Just then the little boy tells them to stop fighting. Spidey looks up to see the boys face is changing into a face just like the goblins! The boy then says "Don't hurt Hobgoblin we are best friends. He loves me.

Off in the distance Ghost Rider is coming......

General Comments

Spooky stuff! Great art, and a really unusual story line make for a great tale. But hang on, we're not quite finished, there's still Part Two to come yet!

Overall Rating

Four webs for now. Let's see what happens next.