One of Spider-Man‘s oldest enemies is back at the absolute worst time for the web-slinger. Spider-Man has faced several iconic villains in his career, but the newest bad guy is pushing Spidey to the limit. A new volume of Amazing Spider-Man calls for an all-new villain called Hellgate. The mysterious figure already looks imposing, catapulting him up the ranks of Spider-Man’s rogues gallery. These villains typically come and go, but some have name recognition, even if they aren’t on the ranks of a Doctor Octopus or Green Goblin. Hellgate’s recent win over Spider-Man has brought one of these villains out of the woodwork — and he brought backup with him.
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Marvel released a preview for Amazing Spider-Man #9 by Joe Kelly, Michael Dowling, Marte Gracia, and VC’s Joe Caramagna. It comes in the aftermath of Spider-Man’s defeat at the hands of Hellgate. Amazing Spider-Man #8 ended on an ominous cliffhanger, with fans left to wonder if Spider-Man is alive or dead. After a flashback to a young Peter out shopping with Aunt May, we return to the present day, where Shocker is in the middle of a heist in broad daylight.
Shocker calls out to some masked henchmen working with him, telling them that they have the bag and it’s time to evacuate. But before he gets too far, Shocker begins spouting to innocent pedestrians running for their lives in the streets. He says the city doesn’t belong to them anymore, and the old ways are long gone. Shocker is back, and he’s brought the Aftershocks with him.
Forget the Sinister Six, Shocker Has His Aftershocks
When it comes to villainous teams looking to take out Spider-Man, the Sinister Six is the first name that comes to mind. Instead of fighting Spider-Man individually, the Sinister Six brings together characters like Mysterio, Sandman, Kraven the Hunter, Doctor Octopus, and more. Fans have even seen the Sinister Six in Marvel’s Spider-Man video game franchise on PlayStation. Shocker usually doesn’t make the cut for the Sinister Six, but now he doesn’t have to worry about that. He’s got the Aftershocks to watch his back.
It’s not often that Spider-Man villains have a gang of flunkies to watch their backs. The only example that comes to mind is the Goblin Nation. We don’t actually get to see the Aftershocks do anything, because their rampage is interrupted by Peter Parker, not Spider-Man.
Shocker asks if Peter has something to say since he’s looking like a tough guy with his walking cane and a boot on his right foot. Peter declines, and his internal dialogue tells readers how his body feels alien to him after facing Hellgate. The only thing he feels is a lot of pain. Peter walks away while listening to J. Jonah Jameson’s podcast in his ear. Apparently, since Spider-Man’s defeat, the gangs have been running amok with no web-slinger in sight.
We learn Spider-Man has been missing for weeks since he fought Hellgate. As for Peter, he’s walking to his job at Rand Enterprises without a care in the world. “There is nothing I can do but keep my head down and eke out something like survival,” Peter thinks. “This is my life now.”
Marvel has already revealed that some major changes are coming to Amazing Spider-Man. There will now be two Spider-Men, with one operating in space and another patrolling street-level crime. The space stories will be drawn by Pepe Larraz, with John Romita Jr. handling art for the Earth-based stories.
“I love really grounded, Manhattan-based Spider-Man stories, and I also love when he’s in ‘fish-out-of-water’ mode. You don’t get much farther from the pond than deep space. But why choose? Why not have… both? Hence, this Tale of Two Spider-Men,” Kelly shared. “On either track, Spider-Man is facing down his personal demons in the wake of Hellgate’s brutal debut, because no matter where Spider-Man goes he brings inner turmoil with him. There are a lot of pyrotechnics in this arc, new characters and threats, but also a ton of heart as Peter and those closest to him try to move forward with their lives in the aftermath of a devastating event.”
Amazing Spider-Man #9 goes on sale Wednesday, August 6th. Let us know your thoughts on the preview in the comments below!
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