Amazing Spider-Man #547
Crimes of the Heart
After angering J. Jonah Jameson into having a heart attack, Peter Parker desperately gives his former employer CPR hoping that he hasn’t killed him. Soon EMTs arrive on the scene and take control of the situation. Joe Robertson, unphased by Jonah’s condition, tells his staff that regardless of what happened they still have a newspaper to put out. Particularly, he wants coverage of Randal Crowne’s latest attack ad, and any news about the Karnelli crime family’s sit down with other Maggia bosses. When Peter asks how he can help, Joe pulls him aside and explains that the Bugle is going through some financial troubles and what they need now, more than ever, are some photos of Spider-Man. Since Peter is Spider-Man he can do this, although he feels a lot of pressure as it’ll be hard to pull off some phenomenal photos, especially since one of his web-shooters was recently stolen. However, this gives Peter an idea who to go after, the mugger who wears a Spider-Man mask who the media has dubbed the Spider-Mugger. At that same moment, Harry Osborn, his girlfriend Lily Hollister and her roommate Claire Cooper arrive at the Coffee Bean. Since Harry owns the coffee shop he asks the staff to clear the place out and comp the customers so they can all talk in private. Carlie is still upset that she and Peter were robbed by the Spider-Mugger. In the process of canceling her credit cards, Carlie asks if Peter has any credit cards, which deeply amuses Harry, who says Peter is flat broke.
While at the Blind Spot, a dive bar, the Spider-Mugger is trying to sell his stolen goods to a fence. The fence isn’t particularly interested in the stolen credit cards, and especially the bracelet that the mugger thought was a watch. Putting it on, the Spider-Mugger tries to figure out what it actually does and is surprised when it fires off a spider-tracer. Unseen by anybody, the tracer lands on Bruno Karnelli. Karnelli has been in the bar complaining about how he has not been included in the meeting of members of the Maggia families. Meanwhile, the Spider-Mugger is even more surprised when another button causes a stream of webbing to shoot out of the device. None of this is seen by the fence, who is still looking over the other stolen goods.
Later, as Spider-Man searches the city for the signal of his spider-tracer, he picks it up but is confused when it “splits in two” as both Kanrelli and the mugger exit the Blind Spot from different exits. As Spider-Man tries to decide which signal to go after he witnesses men in a van kidnapping Bruno Karnelli and decides to follow that one instead. He is forced to give up his pursuit when the van slams into the side of a crane truck trying hauling a Daily Bugle billboard. The wall-crawler is forced to stop to catch the billboard and, as usual, the locals all blame the web-slinger for the whole incident. Looking at the photo of J. Jonah Jameson, Spider-Man genuinely hopes that Jameson is doing okay.
At that moment, Marla Madison arrives at Mount Sinai Hospital where she learns that Jonah is still alive but in a coma. Seeing her husband plugged into so many machines makes her realize how many years they have wasted on the Daily Bugle and Jonah’s vendetta against Spider-Man and how little time they actually have left. To that end, Marla calls their lawyer and tells him to sell all their shares in the Daily Bugle to Dexter Bennett.
Meanwhile, in Chinatown, Bruno Karnelli finds himself a prisoner of Mister Negative who has him hooked up to a machine that is drawing his blood. When Bruno demands to know what Negative is doing, he is cryptic saying the bloodletting has everything to do with breeding. Picking Bruno’s clothing off the ground, Mister Negative finds Spider-Man’s spider-tracer and tells his Inner Demons to prepare for the wall-crawler. That’s when Spider-Man comes crashing through the window, and begins fighting with the Inner Demons. Negative is furious that Spider-Man is interfering with his plans again after he prevented Override from getting away with is robbery.[1] He then reveals that he has still managed to recover what he wanted, an ancient tablet. At first, Spider-Man mistakes it for the Tablet of Life which he encountered once a while ago. However, Mister Negative explains that this is its sister tablet, the Tablet of Death and Entropy.[2] Spider-Man quickly snags the tablet with his webbing and shatters it, however, Mister Negative has already copied and translated the formula written on the tablet to create something called Dragon’s Breath using Bruno’s blood. With the mixture created, Mister Negative sets the machine to bleed out Bruno and makes his escape. Spider-Man is forced to stay behind and save Bruno before he dies.
At that moment, the Spider-Mugger is robbing an elderly couple who think he is the real Spider-Man. This makes the thief realize that this web-shooter must have belonged to the real Spider-Man and that if he can get back the wallet he sold to the fence, he can learn Spider-Man’s secret identity. While in Queens, Aunt May returns home for a moment between shifts at FEAST and discovers that Peter hasn’t been home since she last saw him and decides not to worry about him as he is an adult, even if he doesn’t act like one all the time. By this time, Spider-Man has freed Bruno Karnelli and learns that he is a member of the Karnelli crime family who is among those who are going to meet with the other Maggia families. Bruno thought that Mister Negative was going to help him gain real power but double-crossed him. Fearing for the safety of his family, Bruno tells Spider-Man that the families are meeting at the Vandemere Hotel. At that same moment, Mister Negative and his men are in the basement of the hotel preparing to dump the Dragon’s Breath into the ventilation system. Upstairs, members of the Maggia are meeting and discussing what to do about the Hood.[3]
Suddenly, Spider-Man comes swinging in trying to warn the mobsters of the danger but they begin opening fire. Suddenly, a red gas starts filling the room killing all the Karnelli’s. As Spider-Man begins succumbing to the gas as well he realizes that he forgot to bring his camera.
Recurring Characters
Spider-Man, Mister Negative, Harry Osborn, Lily Hollister, Carlie Cooper, J. Jonah Jameson, Joe Robertson, Betty Brant, Glory Grant, Aunt May, Spider-Mugger, Overdrive, Maggia (Bobby Karnelli, Bruno Karnelli, Carmine Karnelli), Marla Madison
Continuity Notes
Spider-Man encountered Overdrive in Free Comic Book Day 2007: Amazing Spider-Man #1.
Spider-Man previously encountered the Tablet of Life back in Amazing Spider-Man #68-75.
Parker Robbins, aka the Hood, was becoming a considerable threat after forming his own gang of super-villains in New Avengers #35.
