Aaaalright. We got 3 Peter Parkers to check in with here (Or 4, actually, I guess). Ben Reilly is currently being thrown through a window by The Jackal’s goofy monsters, which look completely different as rendered by Butler than they did under Buscema. While he’s occupied, The Jackal is about to kill Flash, but Ben swings back in and saves him. Meanwhile, Spider-Man is threatening Kaine some more, who says Spidey’s not ready for a fight with him. Then, back to the gym.
Jack mostly just almost gets killed himself, but as Flash evacuates the kids, Ben saves Jack, too. Then The Jackal viciously claws him from behind (His signature move!), and then we’re off to check out Peter Parker #3.
Alright. Good luck. Next page is back to Spidey.
“I can’t believe throwing a folder at a guy and implying I know about his secret life made him angry. What a blunder!” Back to Ben yet again, still fighting the good fight, punching The Jackal across the room as Flash gets the last of the kids out. And then, a new scene…
Aunt May makin’ a move! Has she really been awake and faking it for awhile? What a weird thing. Too late, back to Ben, who is seeing The Jackal hauled off in a fancy restraining suit by the NYPD. He’s being carted off to Ravencroft, which is exactly where he wanted to go in the first place, so that went well. A cop asks Ben what’s going on, and he webs a fleeing Jack to explain it to them. One problem:
Oh, Jack. You shant be missed. Back at the other fight, Kaine decides this needs to end and just… beats the crap out of Spidey and tosses him off a roof, giving himself time to escape. Why didn’t he do that earlier if it was that easy? But also:
I sure wouldn’t call somebody a “tough old mare” if I thought they could hear me, but what do I know? Meanwhile, Ben has traveled to the smoke stack from the 70s clone story, having brought the disk with him. He thinks it could be all the answers he needs…
“…life is in the living!” he shouts to no one as he swings away on a gratuitous splash page. Elsewhere, Connor Trevayne & Jacob Raven are told their warrant for whoever they’re after is with a stickler of a judge and they have to be patient. And finally, Peter #3 is mugged while he tries to sleep, because of course he is.
I don’t remember how long this 3rd Peter thing goes on. But, like, one more page would be too long. At any rate, the stage is set. Ben Reilly has accepted himself. Pete & MJ are happy. Aunt May woke up. It’s all good in the Spiderverse. But next issue is ASM 400. Something big’s gotta happen there. And JM DeMatteis sure loves needlessly, shortsightedly killing off beloved characters for some fleeting pathos…