Spectacular Spider-Man #178

Title: “The Child Within part one: Up From the Depths”

Writer: JM DeMatteis

Penciller: Sal Buscema

Inker: Sal Buscema

Colors: Bob Sharen

Editor: Danny Fingeroth

A taped session with Vermin plays. The doctor tells Vermin that there is nothing to be afraid of. Vermin doesn’t respond. The doctor says that Vermin has to come out sometime. Vermin crawls out and hides in the corner. The doctor tells Vermin that he doesn’t have to be afraid and that she wants to help him. Vermin comes out from the corner and calls her a liar. The doctor says that she is telling the truth. Vermin shouts, “LIAR!” He says that everyone lies and hides behind masks. The doctor asks Vermin who lied to him. Vermin crawls back into the corner. She asks again who lied to him, but Vermin crawls out of sight again.

Rats run through the sewer as Vermin walks behind them. He says that he is free. He says that they thought they could keep him locked, and hidden away, forever. Behind the walls, and behind the masks, forever. He says that he showed them. He says that no matter how they try that he will always break out and climb up into the light. Vermin trips into the sludge. He shouts, “NOOOOO” and thinks about how much he hates the light. He says that he stays down there because it is dark, safe, and warm. He thinks about how he doesn’t want to hide anymore. Vermin splashes his arms into the water and shouts, “Do you hear me? You can’t hide me away forever!” A voice calls to Vermin. Vermin turns startled and sees a young African-American boy. He asks Vermin what he is doing. Vermin asks who he is and how he got there. The boy says that he isn’t sure, but that he knows that he doesn’t want to be there. He asks Vermin if he will help him. He asks, “Will you help me get home?” Vermin says, “Home?”

Dr. Kafka shows Spider-Man some pictures of the people slain when Vermin escaped. She says that these pictures aren’t all of them and that some were too horrible for her to show him. Spider-Man asks if they were more horrible than these. Kafka says that Vermin’s escape was bloody and baffling. Spider-Man says that he isn’t baffled and that Vermin is the most vicious opponent he has ever faced. Kafka says that they were making so much progress. Spidey tells her that she is living in a fool’s paradise. He says that he always thinks that he is rid of them, but that they always come crawling out of the slime again. Spidey flashes to his own hand coming out of the grave Kraven put him in. Kafka says that she knows that this is hard for Spider-Man. She says that the media had a field day with the Kraven thing, but that Vermin isn’t someone to be hated… but pitied. Spider-Man asks Kafka if she knows how many people that thing has killed. He asks if she knows what he does to them after he kills them. He says that Vermin isn’t human and that he eats people. Kafka says that when Reed Richards contacted her about Vermin that she thought the same thing, but that Reed managed to convince her that Vermin’s cure might not be physical, but psychological. She says that she has spent months performing hypnotherapy to try and get down to the person that was buried there by Baron Zemo. She says that she knows Vermin now in a way that Spider-man never could, and that she knows she can help him. Spider-Man walks outside. As he swings away he tells Kafka that he is sure that the families of the people Vermin killed will be very grateful for her efforts.

As Spidey swings he thinks about how she didn’t deserve that. He thinks about how he is the one that turned Vermin over to Reed in the first place. He thinks about all the people Vermin killed and wonders if their blood is on his hands. He wonders if he overreacted as a sign of feeling guilty. He wonders how he would have stopped Vermin short of killing him. He thinks about the file he read on Vermin and how Baron Zemo transformed him into the thing he is. He thinks about how Vermin didn’t make the choice to become what he is. He thinks about the two weeks he spent buried in the ground and then thinks about how he doesn’t want to think about it. He thinks about how after all this time that he finally made some peace with what Kraven did to him. He thinks how Vermin coming back now is too much. He hopes that Vermin will just disappear or go far far away.

As Spidey swings away, Vermin pops his head out of the manhole cover. Vermin thinks to himself that he smelled Spider-Man, but decides that he didn’t. He comes out holding the young boy. Vermin says that he is free again and hungry again. He says that he has to eat. The little boy tells him that he doesn’t have time and that he has to get him home. Vermin says that of course he will take him home. Vermin asks the boy why he trusts him. The child says that he doesn’t know why, but that he just does. Vermin looks down and the soft, sweet child and thinks about how he trusts him. Vermin walks off still carrying the boy.

Spider-Man returns to the area. He felt his spider sense as he passed over the area. He sees the open manhole cover and looks in, but sees nothing.

Harry Osborn sits on the couch with his son Norman. He tells Normie that he used to love to sit with his dad and watch T.V. just like this. He says that there was nobody else around… just two buddies. Normie stares wide eyed at the television as Harry tells him that it is too bad that Normie never got to meet his grandpa. He says that he was a very special man and that is why he named him after him. He says that his father was busy a lot and ran a big business like he does. He says that it was tough for his dad after his mom died to take care of him and do all the work, but that he did his best and loved him. A voice tells Harry that he isn’t listening to him. Harry turns and sees an apparition of his father Norman looking down on him. Norman tells him that Harry is pouring his heart out to the boy, but that he only stares like a zombie at a stupid cartoon. Harry tells his father that it is okay. He says that Normie is just a little guy and that he doesn’t understand any of this anyway. Norman says that Harry is just making excuses for him. He says that the problem is that Normie is just like Harry. He tells Harry that he used to live on his own planet… lost in his own head. He says that whenever he talked to him that Harry wouldn’t hear him. Harry starts to talk, but Norman cuts him off and tells him not to make any more lame excuses. He says that he doesn’t want him raising the boy to be weak. He says that when Harry talks that he is supposed to listen. Norman shouts in Harry’s face as he holds Harry’s hair in his hand, “NOW MAKE HIM LISTEN!” Harry tells Normie that he is talking to him and that when he is talking that Normie should listen. Harry asks Normie if he understands. Normie just stares at the television lost in the show. Harry says again that he is talking to him. He shouts Norman’s name and grabs him by the shoulders. Normie’s eyes are full of tears. He asks, “Why’re you yelling, daddy? Did I… did I do something wrong?” Harry’s angry face softens. He tells Normie that he didn’t do anything wrong. He says that he is sorry and that he shouldn’t have yelled. He tells Normie that he loves him. Norman’s ghost scowls on the whole thing.

Mary Jane lies in bed watching a movie she used to love when she was nine years old. She thinks about how embarrassing this is and remarks to herself that the movie is the biggest piece of junk she has ever seen. She says that it is two men in funny costumes shooting rubber monsters with plastic guns. She wonders if this is really the memory that she always treasured. She says that things change, but then thinks about how she still likes men in funny costumes. She thinks she hears Peter and rushes to the skylight, but doesn’t find him.

Spidey swings away from home. He says that he was so close. He says that he could have been wrapped up in MJ’s arms watching some old movie safe and warm, but that Vermin is out there. He says that as much as he would like to that he can’t rest. He says that Vermin is his responsibility. He wonders if he is being noble or just guilty. He wonders if there is a difference in the end. He thinks that sometimes he wishes he could just stop thinking, but that he just has to worry about everything. He says that he is too old to change now. He says that he is going to find Vermin, and that for Kafka he is going to remember that under the fur and fangs that he is just a man like him.

Kafka watches another of Vermin’s session. She tells him to breathe deeply and feel the tension draining out of his body. Vermin lies closer and closer to the ground as Kafka continues the hypnosis. Vermin says that it feels nice. Kafka tells him that is how he is supposed to feel. She tells him that he will keep feeling that way as he descends a staircase. She says that with each step he takes down that another door will open inside him. She says that they are going to go back before Zemo did this to him when he was just a little boy. Vermin says, “…no… bad… BAD” Kafka asks what is bad. Vermin sits up and says, “THE BAD THING! Don’t make me remember… THE BAD THING!” He hurls himself at the camera. The screen goes black and Kafka wonders why she keeps watching the tapes as if that will bring him back and make it all right. Kafka turns the monitor off. She says that she knows that Vermin is no villain, but just another victim. She says that she has been working these kinds of cases all her life. She says that she was so close, but that she blew it. She thinks that chances are good that he is going to kill again and that it is all her fault. She thinks that Spider-Man was right and that maybe he is a monster. Kafka looks at a picture of her hugging Vermin.

Spider-Man watches a woman being snatched into an alley. He figures that he finally found Vermin. He says that there will be no more blood on his hands. Spider-Man pulls the woman free. He pounces, but instead of landing on Vermin he finds just another random mugger.

Spidey swings away from the webbed man as the police are pulling up. He says that he is jumping at shadows and thinks that he has to go home and get a good night’s rest. He thinks that tomorrow he can start again, but then he thinks about how tomorrow might be too late. He says that Vermin could kill again and then it will be on his head. He says that it will be just like Uncle Ben… just like Gwen… just like…

A man drives along in a truck on the rainy night. Suddenly Vermin’s face descends from the roof onto the windshield. His hand smashes through the windshield and grabs the man. He tosses the man out of the cab and in front of an oncoming car. The car screeches to a halt before hitting the man. The truck hits a pole and stops. Vermin hops off the top and climbs into the cab. He drives away. The young boy is sitting next to him and asks, “We’re going home?” Vermin says, “Home!”

Peter lies in bed holding MJ as she sleeps. He can’t sleep and his eyes are focused.

Harry lies in bed holding Liz as she sleeps. He can’t sleep and his eyes are worried.

The truck is on its side. Vermin and the boy stand at the high gates of an expensive and large house. Vermin holds the bars of the gate in his hands as he looks at the house. He says, “Yesss. Daddy… Mommy… I’m… HOME!” His arms rise above his head in anger.

Tangled Web rating: 8 out of 10

Review and pictures by The Leader

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