Spider-Man: Lifeline #3

Aug 3

Aug 3 Spider-Man: Lifeline #3

A Taste of Infinity

After ingesting a small portion of the Lifestone Tablet formula, Curt Connors has transformed into a deadlier version of the Lizard. The Lizard easily knocks Spider-Man aside and then attacks Boomerang next. He tells the two humans that the formula from the tablet has given him a better understanding of his reason for being and plans to exterminate all mammals so the Earth can be reclaimed by reptiles. While Boomerand struggles to get free he manages to flick a tiny boomerang that attaches itself to the Lizard’s lab coat. That’s when Spider-Man sprays the creature in the face with a fire extinguisher. The Lizard then tosses Boomerang at the wall-crawler. Spider-Man evades this human projectile, tagging Boomerang with a spider-tracer at the same time. He then tries to go after the Lizard, but the creature manages to slip out the window and into the sewers below. When he turns around, he discovers that Boomerang managed to flee the scene as well. Returning to the roof, Spider-Man discovers that Hammerhead’s men are awake and are about to deal with the Eel. Spider-Man knocks them out for the second time that night and leaves with the Eel as his prisoner.

By this time, Boomerang has retreated to his hideout and calls Hammerhead and tells him that Connors turned into the Lizard and escaped during the battles with Spider-Man. He assures Hammerhead that he’ll track the Lizard down as he planted a tracer on him and it’s just a matter of time before the creature reverts back into Curt Connors. Hammerhead is furious and orders him to find Connors right away as they’ll need him to recreate the formula from his notes. The villain hangs up and tosses his tracerang into the sky so he can begin tracking Connors. While in the sewers, the Lizard concludes that the only way to achieve his goals is with the Lifestone formula, but wonders how he can recreate it without his alter-ego’s scientific expertise. When Boomerang’s tracerang returns he learns that the Lizard is hiding under Canal Street and calls this in to Hammerhead.

Meanwhile, Spider-Man meets with Arthur Stacy and Louis Wilson, the man who found the missing fragments of the tablet that led to this whole situation. Louis reveals that there is yet another fragment of the Lifeline Tablet that he kept secret for his own personal gain. Getting this final fragment, Spider-Man realizes that this is the final piece of the puzzle and the formula that Hammerhead has is still incomplete. Following his spider-tracer, Spider-Man locates Boomerang’s hideout only to discover that his target changed his costume. That’s when the astral form of Doctor Strange arrives after his fact-finding mission to Atlantis and tells Spider-Man that they need to find the Lifeline Tablet. He quickly explains that the Lifeline Tablet is a link to humanities prehistoric past as well as a means to evolve humans to the highest levels of evolution. Hearing that the Lizard is back and is interested in the formulas as well, Doctor Strange fears that things are more serious than ever. Unfortunately, the Tablet’s secrets are more in the realm of science than they are of magic and there is no time to gather the Defenders, leaving Spider-Man to handle the situation alone.

By this time, the Lizard has tracked Hammerhead’s scent to St. Mary’s Hosptial. As he climbs up the side of the building, the creature is snared in a net by Boomerang. At that same moment, Spider-Man has checked in with Arthur Stacy who has been spending this time trying to figure out why Hammerhead is interested in the tablet. Compiling all the information on Hammerhead’s movements over the last while he determines that the mobster has been spending a lot of time at St. Mary’s Hospital, telling Spider-Man that his sister has been in the hospital for the past six weeks. Back at the hospital, Boomerang brings the Lizard to Hammerhead, who has been maintaining a silent vigil at his the side of his sister’s hospital bed. Hammerhead is furious that Boomerang brought the Lizard and not his alter-ego, Curt Connors. As Boomerang explains that his net is electrified and should calm the Lizard down enough to revert him back to human form. Unfortunately, the Lizard’s new form is much stronger than they could know and the creature breaks free from the next. As Spider-Man arrives on the scene he hears gunshots coming from inside the hospital and hopes that he is not too late. By this point, the Lizard has overpowered everyone and is choking Hammerhead. The mobster offers to give the Lizard the formula book to do whatever he wants with it as long as he uses it to also save the life of his sister, Antonia. After Hammerhead blacks out, Spider-Man arrives and reveals that he has the final piece of the tablet and offers it to the Lizard.

Soon enough, Spider-Man and the Lizard are working together to recreate the formula. As he works, Spider-Man plots to take the formula and drink it himself and then use the cosmic power he gains to cure Hammerhead’s sister and Curt Connors. However, he wonders if he should stop there, thinking about all the people he has lost over the years.[1] When the Lizard finally finished the formula, they are ambushed by Hammerhead and Boomerang. In the ensuing struggle, Hammerhead manages to get and drink the formula. Hammerhead suddenly transforms into an omniscient being of pure light. Addressing the Lizard, Hammerhead says the creature fails to adapt to life and therefore does not belong and reverts him back to human form.[2] Having a full understanding of life and death, Hammerhead offers to restore Spider-Man’s lost loved ones back to life. The web-slinger thinks long and hard about this but Connors reminds him that there could be a huge price to pay, reminding him of the price he paid trying to restore his missing arm. However, before Spider-Man can make a decision, Hammerhead feels something wrong with his power. Suddenly, Hammerhead reverts back to human form and curses himself for not using the power he had to cure his sister. That’s when Spider-Man reveals that he was working on his own version of the formula and believes that it should be enough to cure Antonia.

With the battle over, Antonia is given the formula and she wakes up from her coma and is told that she is cured. Curt Connors are reunited with his wife Martha and son Billy, who explains they were rescued by Man-Mountain Marko and the Eel. With the battle over, Hammerhead surrenders to the police. Spider-Man then tells Connors that the secret of the final formula must be kept a secret and leaves, mocking J. Jonah Jameson as he swings past the police cordon outside. The web-slinger then pays a visit to Doctor Strange’s Sanctum Sanctorum. There he hands over the tablet to the Sorcerer Supreme who uses his magic to banish the tablet to another plane of existence until such a time that humanity can use its secrets wisely. Spider-Man points out that this is the same civilization that created reality television and says he won’t hold his breath waiting for the day that happens. As Spider-Man swings off, Doctor Strange thinks how there are few in this world who really understand the meaning of “with great power comes great responsibility” like Spider-Man and how few will know how many sacrifices the web-slinger has made for the good of the many.

Recurring Characters

Spider-Man, the Lizard, Maggia (Hammerhead, Boomerang, Eel), Arthur Stacy, Louis Wilson, Doctor Strange, J. Jonah Jameson, Martha Connors, Billy Connors

Continuity Notes

There are a lot of references to Spider-Man’s past, mostly memories of those who have died.
- Uncle Ben who was killed by a burglar in Amazing Fantasy #15.
- George Stacy who died pushing a child out of the way of falling debris during a battle between Spider-Man and Doctor Octopus in Amazing Spider-Man #90
- Lastly, he references Gwen Stacy, George’s daughter, who was murdered by the Green Goblin in Amazing Spider-Man #121.
- Spider-Man also recounts how he once had cosmic powers for a brief period of time. This during the Acts of Vengeance story arc when Peter was briefly given the power of Captain Universe to stop the threat of the Tri-Sentinel. Peter recalls how he had a huge learning curve with these powers. See Amazing Spider-Man #326-329, Spectacular Spider-Man #158-160, and Web of Spider-Man #59-65.
During this scene, Curt Connors is depicted as having both arms. Later on, when he is reunited with his family he has one arm again. This was probably an artist’s mistake, but I’d like to think that Hammerhead restored Connor’s missing arm but when Hammerhead lost his power so did Connors lose his restored arm. Since Connors will go on to become the Lizard again in Spider-Man: Quality of Life #1-4, one could assume that whatever curative measures Hammerhead used on Connors proved short-lived.