After witnessing the death of one of his fellow Avengers, Ms. Marvel, Spider-Man is due for even more inner pain to come down the line. Earlier this week, news leaked and then eventually was confirmed by Marvel that Ms. Marvel would meet her end in Amazing Spider-Man #26, coming at the end of May. Now, the August solicits anticipate an even darker turn in Spider-Man’s life, as two of his worst villains team up with deadly intentions.
Marvel’s solicitations for August were released, including Amazing Spider-Man #32 by writer Zeb Wells and artist Patrick Gleason. Gleason, best known for his own work on the Spider-Man character, returns to the team for what promises to be “the darkest arc of ASM yet!“. That promise sounds even more sinister considering that this arc is preceded by the death of Kamala Khan, on top of all of Spider-Man’s drama with Mary-Jane and her new children. To emphasize just how dark Peter’s life is going to be, a variant cover by Elizabeth Torque for the issue pays homage to one of the darkest storylines in Spider-Man history, Kraven’s Last Hunt, this time with Spider-Gwen rising from the grave instead of Peter Parker.
Spidey’s Current Run Goes Darker Than Fans Could Imagine
Kraven’s Last Hunt is all about the classic and, until that story, B-rate Spider-Man villain Kraven the Hunter, who committs to one last attempt to defeat Spider-Man. Kraven shoots Peter with a rifle and buries him, before donning a Spider-Man suit of his own to prove to himself that he’s better than his adversary. After completely losing his mind, Kraven takes his own life, depriving Peter of his chance to settle things. As for Amazing Spider-Man #32, the story promises that two of Spider-Man’s villains will be forming the deadliest duo he’s ever faced before. While the solicit does not specify who these villains could be, it is worth noting that this year’s Free Comic Book Day: Spider-Man/Venom #1 special did see Kraven the Hunter team up with Doctor Octopus. If Kraven is at least half of this mysterious duo, that would also explain the Kraven’s Last Hunt homage connection with the cover.
What the Variant Cover Tells Us
For what’s already been a dark, controversial run for the title character, things continue to go south for the friendly neighborhood web-slinger. Seeing as this is a variant cover, there is no guarantee that Spider-Gwen could actually be making an appearance in this comic herself. However, the fact that the comic pays homage to one of Spidey’s darkest moments really paints a picture as to how dark this upcoming arc could be, if it’s anywhere close to the tone of Kraven’s Last Hunt.
Even if there is no guarantee that Kraven and Doc Ock are the duo in question, the cover certainly offers a hint for that to be the case. Readers never did get the full scope of what the two villains were planning in their FCBD teaser. Amazing Spider-Man #32 could very well be setting up their full plan in motion, and considering that both have a years-old grudge against Peter Parker, Spider-Man‘s life is certainly about to get even more miserable after the controversial death of his fellow Avenger Ms. Marvel.
Amazing Spider-Man #32 releases in August from Marvel Comics.