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Dan Slott has nearly reached the end of his record-setting 10-year run on Amazing Spider-Man, and the writer won’t be leaving the series without a big, blow-out story. For his final arc on Amazing Spider-Man, Slott has resurrected spider-nemesis Norman Osborn, the Green Goblin, but even that wasn’t enough. Osborn has found an ally in Cletus Kasady and Kasady’s symbiote, better known as the villain Carnage.
Now, with the symbiote’s help, Osborn is the Red Goblin, with all of the strengths of both villains and none of the usual weaknesses.
What’s a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man to do? Fight back with an unexpected mashup of his own.
[Warning: This post contains spoilers for Spider-Man #800.]
Slott pulls on every corner of the Spider-Man supporting cast for his near-finale, from Miles Morales and Anti-Venom to a Spider-Slayer robot and Doctor Octopus (his true final issue on the book will be next month’s Amazing Spider-Man #801). But one of the coolest moments in the 80-page giant issue is something a little different.
The Red Goblin nearly kills Mary Jane, but she is protected by Spider-Man and Venom (who was called into the fight by J. Jonah Jameson — look, a lot happens in this issue), Spider-Man is left with an unshakable conclusion. Red Goblin is two of his biggest villains combined in one man: He’s not powerful enough to defeat him alone.
But Eddie Brock, current host of the original symbiote (the guy they’re making a whole movie about) has a desperate suggestion — Peter could borrow his alien buddy. With no other choice, Peter accepts his offer, and Venom/Spider-Man is back on the page.
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The nostalgia trip is only temporary — Peter has to find another solution entirely to finally put the Red Goblin down — but we won’t spoil the ending for you, or the major death scene and its aftermath. Amazing Spider-Man has plenty of surprises up its sleeve, and Peter Parker teaming up with the original symbiote is just one of them.
