10 Takeaways From Marvel's Web of Spider-Man #1

Spider-Man vs. Tombstone

It's a showdown that has been brewing since Zeb Wells' Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 6) #1 in 2022: Spider-Man vs. Tombstone. The wall-crawler recently formed a temporary alliance with the Harlem crime boss, who emerged as the victor of the city-wide Gang War — and New York's newest kingpin of crime. Because the city's criminals saw him working with the superhero, the tough-skinned Tombstone threatened to re-establish his reputation by beating Spider-Man to death in broad daylight.

Web of Spider-Man's "Amazing Spider-Man Pt. 1" reveals that Spider-Man is destabilizing Tombstone's hold over his criminal empire by interfering with his illicit business dealings, a ploy to make gangs think they're still working together. "He has no idea what I'll do to keep this city. Let him keep acting cute," Tombstone tells his lieutenant, White Rabbit. "I've got big plans... and when I'm done, there won't be any Spider-Man to worry about."

To be continued in: Amazing Spider-Man

Miles Morales, Vampire Hunter

When Brooklyn's Spider-Man battled bloodsuckers, Blade the Vampire Slayer gifted Miles Morales his own vampire-hunting suit. Miles and Blade teamed up to hunt down the immortal vampire R'ym'r, The Insatiable One, and they'll next join forces when eternal night falls over the Marvel Universe in vampire-centric crossover Blood Hunt.

Web of Spider-Man's sneak peek at upcoming issues of Miles Morales: Spider-Man sees the wall-crawler fighting a legion of R'ym'r's energy vampires with the super-speedster Hightail, who was once turned by the vampire lord. Blade sealed R'ym'r away in a statue — but with that statue stolen by a minion seeking to free their master, Miles must seek out Blade before the energy vampires can free R'ym'r.

To be continued in: Miles Morales: Spider-Man #21

The Assembly... Assembles

After Hydra abducted Jessica Drew's son, Gerry, her age-accelerated and brainwashed boy became the villainous Green Mamba. Jessica told her friend, Carol Danvers, that she was leaving New York, and headed west to San Francisco to chop off Hydra's head and dismantle Viper's Hydra operations.

But Jessica's old stomping grounds in the Bay Area already has its own group of new, Avengers-like superheroes: The Assembly.

To be continued in: Spider-Woman #7

Nothing Gold Can Stay

A reformed Norman Osborn — having had his sins cleansed by Stan Carter, the Sin-Eater — has been operating as the heroic Gold Goblin. As Peter Parker's archenemy-turned-ally, Norman helped Spider-Man battle the returned Doctor Octopus and the cloned Last Son of Kraven the Hunter. But as Sin-Eater foretold: "Our sins always catch up to us in the end." Before the Green Goblin returns in Zeb Wells' Amazing Spider-Man #50 in May, Norman's last few acts of heroism play out in Web of Spider-Man.

"Amazing Spider-Man Pt. 2" shows the Gold Goblin recapture Grave Goblin, one of the demonic Insidious Six unleashed when Ben Reilly — as King Chasm — ensnared New York in a Dark Web with Madelyn Pryor, a.k.a. the Goblin Queen, the clone of Jean Grey of the X-Men. Madelyn later established the Limbo Embassy in the heart of New York City, which contains a portal to Chasm's prison.

To be continued in: Amazing Spider-Man, Chasm: Curse of Kaine

Out of the Spider-Verse

On Earth-65, Gwen Stacy — a.k.a. Spider-Woman, a.k.a. Ghost-Spider — is haunted by dark visions after the events of Spider-Gwen: Smash. Web of Spider-Man reveals the timeline-monitoring organization known as the Time Variance Authority has taken an interest in Gwen, who will soon permanently move to the prime Marvel Universe of Earth-616.

"Gwen Stacy of Earth-65... I need you to come with me," says TVA Agent Ouroboros, emerging from a portal through the multiverse.

To be continued in: Spider-Gwen: The Ghost Spider #1

Chasm's Curse

Peter Parker's corrupted clone, Ben Reilly, has been imprisoned in Limbo since last year's Dark Web Finale. (The former Scarlet Spider emerged as Chasm after his exposure to psycho-reactive goo, naturally.) Chasm used the Scythe of Sorrows to dethrone Madelyn Pryor as the king of Limbo, but when Spider-Man defeated his genetic "brother," Queen Pryor regained rule of her domain and locked Chasm away in her New York Limbo Embassy.

In Web of Spider-Man, Chasm begins to master his dark energy powers. Vowing vengeance to reclaim what he thinks Peter took from him — his memories, his freedom, his life — Chasm breaks free from his prison. "Imprisoning him here felt like the humane option at the time, but that time has passed," says Madelyn as she watches the scorned clone escape. "I played at being a warden for far too long. It's not in my nature. So whatever path he chooses to follow now... Chasm's fate rests in his own hands."

To be continued in: Chasm: Curse of Kaine

My Brother's Keeper

After Chasm's escape into the sewers beneath Manhattan, another Parker clone — Kaine, a.k.a. the Scarlet Spider — tracks his "brother" with help from the all-seeing Madame Web. After he was severed from the Web of Life and Destiny and ceased to exist (in End of the Spider-Verse), Kaine returned to life — and it's his mission to be his brother's keeper. Before Kaine's hunt for Chasm can continue, he's attacked by a sewer-dwelling creature with glowing red eyes: Freak.

To be continued in: Chasm: Curse of Kaine

Freaks of the Week

Freak — a mutated drug addict transformed into a raging monster after a freak encounter with a serum he mistook for drugs — debuted during the Brand New Day era of Amazing Spider-Man, and he's only periodically surfaced since. Web of Spider-Man sees Freak return as one of the simple-minded minions of Druig, a telepathic Eternal, along with the Mole Man's subservient Moloids. The immortal villain has lived so long that he schemes to pass the time, but he's become disinterested toying with the deviant creatures dwelling in New York's sewers.

"Perhaps a few itsy-bitsy spiders will enliven proceedings," Druig declares. "I have always excelled at pitting family against one another."

To be continued in: Chasm: Curse of Kaine

The Spider-Society

Miguel O'Hara, the Spider-Man of the year 2099, was pulled to the present by Madame Web to form the Spider-Society in February's Edge of Spider-Verse #1. The clairvoyant warned Miguel of a mysterious threat endangering all Spider-Totems connected via the Web of Life and Destiny — a threat that required them to choose a team of unexpected Spider-heroes from across the Multiverse. Miguel made his first pick — Aña Corazón, a.k.a. Araña — but he was attacked by shadowy supervillains before he could select his roster.

To be continued in: Edge of Spider-Verse #4

Gwen Goblin

Web of Spider-Man continues where Edge of Spider-Verse left off: with Miguel captured by the unrevealed villains who appeared to be Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus, and Kraven the Hunter. Miguel escapes but is pursued by a female Green Goblin who unmasks herself, revealing the face of... GWEN STACY?!

It seems Gwen Goblin is the mysterious sixth member of the new Sinister Six that Doctor Octopus formed in the latest issue of Amazing Spider-Man. And with Norman Osborn set to return as the Green Goblin in issue #50, Marvel might be setting up Gwen versus Norman... Goblin versus Goblin.

To be continued in: Edge of Spider-Verse #4