Interlude? What? Where’s my Dream Team!? These days, a side issue like this would be numbered, like, ASM 585.CA and I would sneer at it very hard. Back then, common sense still governed issue numbers. Kinda reckon I’m gonna end up doing a lot of sneering anyway, though. Barry Kitson Karl Kesel and Andres Mossa tag in for this one.
From that cherry moment, we jump to the last moments of the fight last issue, now with Lily’s internal monologue to explain why she didn’t kill Spider-Man.
So Lily actually transforms into Menace, rather than wearing a suit. That’s different. I suppose this is as good a time as any to mention again that I looked up who Menace was years ago, long before ever reading a comic with Menace in it, just out of curiosity, so I’ve been reading this whole thing with an eye towards it. Like how Lily and Harry kept getting separated during the Secret Invasion tie-in issues, allowing her to go be Menace. So I feel like they did a good job covering their bases and all. But it’s still a pretty strange reveal. So far, anyway. We see Lily order a new poll for her dad just before Harry comes in at the end of last issue.
You can imagine this is about the most traumatic thing that could happen to Harry, but that’s no excuse for the slap, buddy.
Uh… yeah, Lily, they totally were! Lily goes on to reveal that she found a secret room in Harry’s closet, and in said room, found one of the dreaded Osborn journals. She says she was worried about him, worried he was back on drugs, and that’s why she was snooping. She is unnecessarily rude about how much “whining” Harry does in the journal. Is it not one of Norman’s? I assumed it would be.
I hope someone does. Lily goes on to reveal that she kissed Peter back in ASM 573, and did so because he was about to grab the book that reveals the secret lab, to distract him.
Well, that’s stupid. “I accidentally knocked over a vial of Goblin serum that just happens to not work like any Goblin serum before, and hey presto!” A fittingly underwhelming origin for the lamest Goblin, I guess.
Lily reveals that the reason Menace targeted her dad is, after candidate Parfrey died in ASM 551 (“Not my fault,” she says), she realized sympathy was a valuable tool, and so started terrorizing her dad to make sure he wins. Also:
I think she is really not taking Harry’s mental state into account here. Or maybe that’s just more manipulation.
That glider is enormous! Is it gonna be Goblin vs. Goblin? I don’t know. But I do remember from my old Wiki investigation of Menace that her story only gets more complicated. I kinda wish I hadn’t known in advance. Who would I have guessed? Would I have guessed anyone? Would I be satisfied with this reveal? I can’t say.