Amazing Spider-Man #685
Global Menace
Spider-Man, Silver Sable, and the Black Widow have spent the past three days shutting down the satellite manufacturing facilities for Doctor Octopus’ Octavian Lense weapon. In Tongchang-ri, North Korea, the trio find opposition from the Rhino. Spider-Man gets upset when Silver Sable blows up the facility without making sure if it was clear or not, and reminds her that this is his war, and nobody dies. He then uses a device to incapacitate the Rhino.[1] That’s when SHIELD agents arrive on the scene to arrest them for interfering with Otto’s plans as the leaders of the world have all been convinced that Doctor Octopus is trying to reverse the effects of man-man climate change. The Black Widow covers their escape with a smoke grenade and they flee in Silver Sable’s stealth plane.
As they leave North Korea, Spider-Man once again starts to doubt the nobility of his goal now that SHIELD is trying to stop him. However, Silver Sable knows that Spider-Man is right to stop Doctor Octopus. He then begins questioning their prisoner, the Sandman, to learn the location of the next satellite factory. The Sandman refuses to talk until Silver Sable threatens to dissolve him with acid. With is life on the line, the Sandman agrees to tell them everything he knows.[2] That’s when they are contacted by Max Modell who is aboard Horizon Lab’s cruise ship the Zeneth. He doesn’t have good news as his team has not been able ot crack the cloaking technology that is used on the satellites used for the Octavian Lense. However, they have determined that the satellites can do what Otto claims they can and asks again if the web-slinger is sure that they should be shutting this down. Spider-Man has no doubts that this is some sort of trap being set by his enemy.
Meanwhile, from his secret hideout, Doctor Octopus watches news feeds from across the world. Interviews with people on the street all seem positive for his plan, much to Otto’s pleasure. Mysterio and the Chameleon suggest that they take their money and run since Sandman and Electro were defeated and Rhino barely avoided capture. However, Doctor Octopus threatens them to follow through with the next phase of his plan or they will suffer his wraith. The pair grudgingly head off in one of their leader’s amphibious octo-tanks. Mysterio gives the Chameleon flack for testing Octavius, reminding him that they should see the job through until the end because they are professionals. Back at the Sinister Six’s secret hideout, Otto assures the Rhino that he will follow through with his promise and admits that the Chameleon was right about their thinning ranks. In response to this, he begins contacting super-villains all over the globe and begins offering them a great reward if they thwart Spider-Man’s efforts to stop him.
One of those contacted is the Titanium Man who reports this new development to the Black Widow who then shares it with Spider-Man. Spider-Man deciedes to fight fire with fire and opens up communications to the whole world asking for the worlds remaining heroes to help prevent Doctor Octopus from achieving his goals. Answering the call are the Kangaroo in Australia, Union Jack in Britain, Sabra in Israel, Big Hero Six in Japan, and Titanium Man in Russia.[3] Silver Sable vouches for Spider-Man on behalf of her nation of Symkaria. After the address is over, Spider-Man thanks Silver Sable for putting in the good word, and she admits that she has the utmost faith in him, but is disappointed to hear that he wants to save the world for another woman.
The woman he is thinking of is Mary Jane Watson who is still in New York City awaiting for word on what is going on. She has faith in Peter Parker and watches a news conference being held by J. Jonah Jameson. As usual, Jameson is denouncing Spider-Man’s actions, calling him a menace.[4] As the heroes of the world fight back against Doctor Octopus, Spider-Man and his allies locate the last facility located on the border shared between Romania and Symkaria. However, they find the factory deserted. Doctor Octopus then appears on the monitors saying that they are too late as all of the needed satellites were actually constructed here and have just launched. Gloating over his victory, Doctor Octopus reveals that his intention the entire time was destroying the Earth as his ultimate revenge.
The satellites all activate bombarding the Earth with magnified energy from the sun. With the building they are in beginning to burn up, Spider-Man and his allies flee outside the building. Looking out and seeing a nearby village starting to burn, Spider-Man realizes that he was too late and this is the end of the world.
Recurring Characters
Spider-Man, Silver Sable, Black Widow, Sinister Six (Doctor Octopus, Sandman, Rhino, Chameleon, Mysterio), Max Modell, Grady Scraps, Uatu Jackson, Bella Fishbach, Sajani Jaffrey, Tiberius Stone, Mary Jane Watson, J. Jonah Jameson, Norah Winters, Titanium Man, Kangaroo, Union Jacks, Sabra, Big Hero Six (Go-Go Tomago, Hiro Takachiho, Fred, Honey Lemon, Wasabi-No Ginger, Baymax), SHIELD, Crossbones, Lady Deathstrike, Scorpion, Slaymaster, Everwraith
Continuity Notes
This device was built by Spider-Man in Amazing Spider-Man #679.1.
The Sandman knows that not to call Silver Sable on her bluff because he worked for her from Amazing Spider-Man #281 until Peter Parker: Spider-Man #12.
For more on the heroes of the world helping Spider-Man’s efforts see the Amazing Spider-Man: Ends of the Earth one-shot.
Jameson mentions the Spider-Island fiasco. See Amazing Spider-Man #666-673.
Topical References
The term “Global Warming” is used a lot in this story. It is an outdated scientific term and has since been replaced with the more accurate term of Climate Change.
References to Y2K and the 2012 apocalypse are mentioned here as recent events. They should be considered topical here.
