Marvel Knights Issue 9

&lt;&lt;&lt; Marvel Knights: Spider-Man &gt;&gt;&gt;

The Last Stand &gt;&gt;&gt;



Marvel Knights: Spider-Man #9 is the first part in the final Sub-Arc (The Last Stand) in the Marvel Knights: Spider-Man Collected Story-Arc.

Heroes

 * Spider-Man

Flashback:

 * 1) Captain America
 * 2) Human Torch

Villains

 * Venom Symbiote

Flashback:

 * 1) Green Goblin (Norman Osborn)

Civilians

 * Peter Parker

Flashback:

 * 1) Ben Parker
 * 2) Gwen Stacy
 * 3) Young Peter Parker

Personal Reflection:

 * 1) Aunt May
 * 2) Harry Osborn
 * 3) Jean DeWolff
 * 4) Richard Parker
 * 5) Captain Stacy
 * 6) Bennett Brant
 * 7) Freddie Foswell
 * 8) Ben Reilly

Only Appearance

 * Humberto (Peter's student; Civilian)

Plot Summary
The story begins with a flashback of a young Peter Parker with Uncle Ben. Peter is crying and Ben tries to figure out why. He assumed bullying or his crush on Liz Allen. Peter's sorrow comes from Ben and May's age, and that they may gone after everyone else's parents reach fifty. Ben assures Peter with a hug, saying he'll live forever. Peter reflects on how Ben died years later, at the hands of the Burglar he could have stopped. Peter sees lillies. He then sees the battle with the Green Goblin and the night Gwen Stacy died. More lillies.

Peter then has a personal relection where he recites everyone's death he still has guilt for. He sees the faces of Aunt May, Harry Osborn, Jean DeWolff, Richard Parker, Captain Stacy, Bennett Brant, Freedie Foswell and Ben Reilly. Peter Parker then pushes his way through a New York crowd towards Mac Gargan.

He claims to have kidnapped Aunt May, but Peter doesn't recognize him at first, until he tells him. Peter pins Mac Gargan up to a window and demands to know where Aunt May is. Mac Gargan assures Peter she is safe: for now. Mac Gargan says if Peter threatens him again, she's dead.

Peter still wonders why Rachel Summers told him Aunt May was dead. Mac Gargan tells Peter (over a civil meeting and coffee) that this is the Green Goblin's plan. He then explains why super-villains exist and why Peter continually fights all his villains: because villains hide the secrets of higher power (companies under the government). Heroes then dispatch the faulty ones (like the Green Goblin). The government plans to send in an assassin to destroy Norman, so they need Spider-Man to get him out.

Mac Gargan leaves, saying he is picking up a new Scorpion suit, courtesy of Norman. On his way home Peter sees his student, Humberto, and helps him with his physics paper.

At Mac Gargan's home something begins talking to him, telling him the new suit will make no difference in his career. The thing is the Venom Symbiote who remarks, "You've never had a friend like me before."