Toxin #5
Good Luck, Mulligan, Thanks for the Formaldehyde
With the aid of the symbiote he is bonding with, Pat Mulligan has been spending time with his wife Gina and their son Edward while disguised as a man named Larry.[1] He has befriended his wife so he can spend time with her. Gina talks about how hard it is raising her child alone, and “Larry” does what he can to try and make her feel better.
When he writes about the experience in his diary, Toxin tries to read his words, prompting Pat to close his laptop. The symbiote fights with him momentarily before deciding it no longer cares what he writes about. It reminds Pat that they made a deal. Pat had agreed that in exchange for helping Pat see his wife as “Larry”, Pat would allow Toxin full control of his body for two hours — however, before knocking himself out, Pat reminds Toxin that he is not to kill anyone or commit any crimes.
However, as the days go on, Patrick discovers that the symbiote is still causing more trouble. Waking up after one of its outings, Pat discovers that Toxin had stolen a bunch of top of the line electronics and is forced to return them. The following day, Patrick wakes up to find himself inside a diner where everyone has been slaughtered. He accuses Toxin of killing them all, but the symbiote insists that it had no part in the slaughter, saying it was drawn by the smell of blood and came upon the scene before its two hours were up and decided to have Pat check this out. However, as Pat is checking the scene he hears police sirens approaching and is forced to flee.
At the local police precinct, officers are briefed on the slaughter. When one of the officers suggests that the new vigilante is responsible, Officer Paul Meadows — a former partner to Pat Mulligan, and one of the only people who knows his secret — assures the other officers that Toxin could not have done this. Instead of reassuring his fellow officers, it makes them suspicious instead. While back at his apartment, Pat watches the news and still thinks that the symbiote had something to do with it given its lineage.[2] However, the Toxin symbiote pleads innocence asking for a chance to prove that it had nothing to do with the murders, saying that if Pat punishes it now, he won’t be able to see his wife anymore as Larry.
At that same moment, Razor-Fist is watching footage stolen from the cafe that shows his followers — all children — attacking the patrons with knives, slaughtering them all with very little resistance. He tells the knife wielding children that grown-ups are easily consumed with fear and for them to remember this when they are later instructed to murder their families. He tells them how he wants this Saturday to be known as Slasherday, the day that he convinced New York CIty’s children to murder their parents. As he is pampered by his female assistants, Razor-Fist thinks about how this is a much grander plan than most other escapees from the Raft, who have settled themselves with committing petty crimes.[3] His only concern is interference from Toxin. That is something that one of his minions — a New York City police officer — can help Razor-Fist with.
The following day, Pat is spending time with his wife as “Larry” again and encounters his father. Jim Mulligan reminds “Larry” that Gina is married before leaving. Gina tells “Larry” that her father-in-law figures that she will get back together with her husband. When “Larry” says he doesn’t think she’d move on to someone else so soon, she smiles and asks him who says she isn’t and tells him she’ll meet him at the same time tomorrow.
When Pat returns to his apartment, he catches a news report where Razor-Fist has claimed responsibility for the slaughter at the cafe and makes his “Slasherday” plans known to the public. Pat admits he was wrong about Toxin and insists that they need to go out now and find Razor-Fist right away. However, Toxin reminds Pat that he owes him two hours of time and since he has no other choice, he turns the reigns of control over to the symbiote, reminding it not to hurt anybody. At that same moment, Razor-Fist had kidnapped Paul Meadows and demands that the officer tell him everything he knows about Toxin, threatening to hurt him if he doesn’t talk.
Back at Mulligan’s apartment, the Toxin symbiote uses its time to read Pat’s diary and gets upset when he refers to it as a monster. When it accidentally smashes his laptop, Toxin breaks into an electronics store to steal more. Spider-Man is happening by and asks Toxin what he’s doing, and the symbiote tells the web-slinger that it doesn’t understand why humans get so upset when it goes shopping. When Spider-Man tries to explain to the alien who the monetary system works, the creature isn’t interested leading to Spider-Man having to use force to get it to stop leaving with the stolen laptop computers. By this time, Razor-Fist has tortured Paul Meadows to the point where he is willing to give up Pat’s address and pleads for death. After getting the address, Razor-Fist has his “piranha tots”, young private school children, have the pleasure of ending Meadow’s life.
Later, Pat Mulligan wakes up to find himself webbed upside down and hanging off the roof of a building. With Pat back under control, Spider-Man frees him and they both return to his apartment. Pat defend the Toxin symbiote, explaining that while it did break the law it is still learning the difference between right and wrong and that it thought it was doing the right thing after breaking Pat’s laptop earlier. Spider-Man still is concerned that Pat isn’t doing a good enough job keeping his symbiote undercontrol. However, Pat points out that even though he hasn’t caught Razor-Fist, he still managed to bring in the Answer, as well as the Wrecker and Piledriver. Spider-Man still is unsold, but decides to give Patrick another chance, telling him to get Razor-Fist before he pulls off his Slasherday scheme.
After the web-slinger is gone, Pat tells Toxin that they need to start working together beause they don’t need to have Spider-Man as an enemy. He then asks Toxin to do one last favor for him. The following day, “Larry” meets with Gina one last time to tell her that he is leaving down. After saying goodbye, his final words to her are that his husband was a fool for leaving him. At that same moment, Jim Mulligan has arrived at Pat’s apartment with some groceries. There he is ambushed by Razor-Fist who had come looking for Patrick Mulligan, but is satisfied with killing the old man while he waits.
Recurring Characters
Toxin, Spider-Man, Razor-Fist, Paul Meadows, Jim Mulligan, Gina Mulligan, Edward Mulligan
Continuity Notes
Pat Mulligan abandoned his wife and child out of concern for their safety after bonding with the Toxin symbiote in Venom vs. Carnage #1-4.
Pat states that the symbiote is the son of Carnage and the grandson of Venom. That’s not enitrely correct. While the Venom symbiote gave birth to the original Carnage symbiote in Amazing Spider-Man #345, this symbiote was later consumed by Venom in Peter Parker: Spider-Man #10. Cletus Kasady later obtained a nearly identical symbiote in Webspinners: Tales of Spider-Man #13. However, this isn’t common knowledge. (For more on this, see my summary on Venom vs. Carnage #1)
Razor-Fist was among many supervillains who broke out of the Raft prison in New Avengers #1.
