Spectacular Spider-Man #234
Leap of Faith
This story continues from Spider-Man #68....
Mary Jane is Ben Reilly's wounds following his battle with Cell-12 and the Hobgoblin. When Peter Parker asks what happened, Ben explains that he is a total failure as both Spider-Man and Ben Reilly.[1] Peter refuses to believe it, but Ben goes through everything that has happened to him recently, starting with how Jessica Carradine managed to take a picture of Ben as he was taking off his Spider-Man mask, this was followed by someone emptying out his apartment and setting the Daily Grind on fire, he then learned that the fire was started by the Hobgoblin and Cell-12. Mary Jane recognizes the name as that was what the cyborgs who attacked Peter earlier had called themselves.[2] When Peter points out that whoever was responsible knows their secret identities. Ben agrees but it wasn't Jessica Carradine as he initially suspected, revealing that this was all put into motion by Ben's old friend Seward Trainer.
Ben Reilly is not entirely correct, as at the offices of Multivex, Seward Trainer is protesting against his master's plans. This mysterious cyborg doesn't care about Trainer's feelings and has Hobgoblin restrain him, then reminds Seward that he is in no position to disobey him.[3] He then asks Hobgoblin for a status report and is filled in on everything Hobgoblin has done to Spider-Man and Peter Parker. When he learns that Spider-Man didn't interfere with the beating of Peter Parker, the cyborg is very pleased. Back at the hotel where the Parkers are staying, Peter is sorry to hear how Seward Trainer is somehow involved in all of this. Still, Ben feels horrible for the way he accused Jessica for everything, particularly since she hates Spider-Man and blames him for the death of her father.[4] Mary Jane tries to convince Ben that Jessica will forgive him, and Peter insists that they need to find Trainer and force him to explain himself. Still feeling utterly defeated, Ben tells the couple that he can't do it and swings off.
Ben web-slings over to Jessica's apartment and tells her that he is sorry for accusing him for the attacks on his civilian identity. He also tells her that he still has feelings for her regardless of what happened in the past. Jessica feels the same way, admitting that after getting to know him, she can put the past and her desire for revenge against Spider-Man behind her. However, the reconciliation suddenly turns sour when Ben asks her to burn the negatives that reveal his secret identity. This upsets Jessica, who thinks this is the only reason why Ben came to see her and orders him to get out of her apartment before she calls the police. While in Massapequa, Long Island, Liz Osborn goes over the Osborn Industries business expenses, a job she took on since the death of her husband, Harry Osborn, and putting her step-brother Mark Raxton in charge of the company.[5] Finding some strange expenses being transferred to one of one of Oscorp's subsidiaries, Liz calls Mark and asks him what he knows about the Multivex Corporation.
By this point, Ben Reilly has returned to the hotel room where the Parkers are staying. Mary Jane tells him that Peter has left, explaining that he has gotten tired after being manipulated by the Jackal and losing his powers and decided to go to Multivex and get some answers.[6] At that very moment, Peter uses some lock-picks borrowed from Felicia Hardy to break into the Multivex building. There he sneaks around the facility disguised as a scientist. However, he is soon caught by Cell-12 who are about to beat Parker again when Spider-Man interrupts them. When they try to use Peter as a hostage, the group of cyborgs is unprepared for the fact that Peter armed himself with web-shooters of his own. This allows Peter to break free and Spider-Man to deal with Cell-12. The pair then continues looking for Seward Trainer when they are suddenly confronted by the Hobgoblin. Spider-Man sends Peter to go look for Seward while he handles the cybernetic mercenary. Their battle takes them outside, where Spider-Man wrests the Hobgoblin off his Goblin Glider. Meanwhile, Peter chases Seward Trainer onto the roof of the Multivex building. There he is forced to let Trainer go and leap onto the Goblin Glider in order to steer it away from a massive fuel tank.
Although he has defeated the Hobgoblin, Spider-Man has to rescue Peter, who can barely control the Goblin Glider. By the time Peter is saved, both the Hobgoblin and Trainer have fled and the police are arriving on the scene. Fleeing into the nearby woods, both Ben and Peter are certain they did the right thing, but it still leaves them without the answers they have been seeking.
Blood Brothers continues in Sensational Spider-Man #5...
Recurring Characters
Spider-Man, Peter Parker, Mary Jane Watson, Gaunt, Cell-12 (Hobgoblin, Nardi, Andros, Lasher, Bramer), Seward Trainer, Liz Osborn, Normie Osborn, Molten Man
Continuity Notes
Peter and Mary Jane are referred to as husband and wife here. However, years later, their marriage is erased from existence by Mephisto in Amazing Spider-Man #545. As such they should be considered a common-law couple here.
These events occurred in Sensational Spider-Man #4, Amazing Spider-Man #411 and Spider-Man #68 respectively.
The relationship between Seward and his mysterious employer is explained in Spider-Man: The Osborn Journal #1.
Jessica's father is the burglar who murdered Peter Parker's Uncle Ben in Amazing Fantasy #15. The Burglar later died of a heart attack in Amazing Spider-Man #200. Jessica thinks that Spider-Man framed her father and later murdered him as revealed in Sensational Spider-Man #3.
At the time of this story, everyone thinks that Harry Osborn is dead following the events of The Spectacular Spider-Man #200. However, unknown to everyone at the time, Harry survived as explained in Amazing Spider-Man #581. He will resurface again in Amazing Spider-Man #545.
At the time of this story, Peter had recently lost his powers in Spider-Man: The Final Adventure #4. However, they begin coming back in The Spectacular Spider-Man #237.
