Ironically, I feel much less negative about this Mr. Negative series than I did the Venom one. But who knows what’ll happen in these next 2 issues? An unusually strong cover for Jae Lee. The art team here is pared down to just Gianluca Gugliotta and Ronda Pattison from last issue. The negative Spider-Man is running roughshod over these jobbers as he should, as his internal monologue offers a twisted, dark version of his history.
Spider-Man webs the Answer’s mouth so he can’t, you know, tell anyone any answers, then continues whupping on everyone. How long does Mr. Negative’s power last? I assume there was a limit revealed in the past, but I don’t remember. Speaking of, he’s “elsewhere in the compound,” Mr. Negative gives Hammerhead a mysterious cylinder, telling him to take it to a certain address. Hammy protests leaving, but follows orders. He goes barreling through the HAMMER agents blocking off the area, rather more like the Rhino than Hammerhead, even if they both tend to lead with their skull.
Ah yes, Betty, who we’ve seen inexplicably turn into a gun toting vigilante twice, always “curls up in a fetal position and waits for some guy in a mask to save her.” Guess Fred didn’t see those issues.
Not likin’ this character’s dialect. She goes on to relate how Martin had himself smuggled to the US by the Snakehead organization, and we saw how that ended last issue. Betty informs her that every member of that gang is now dead, and the authorities believe the entirety of their turf, in China and the US, is now controlled by Mr. Negative. When Betty asks what the connection is between Martin and Mr. Negative, his wife blows out the candle and leaves Betty stumbling around in the pitch black. Then we suddenly switch to…
Do Norman and Hammerhead know each other? I don’t recall them meeting. Also, can he do that? With the armor? Iron Man could do that because of the Extremis process changing his body chemistry. Rather doubt Norman did that.
Hammy says Mr. Negative has something Norman wants. We cut back to Neg’s place, where Spider-Man has taken down all the losers. Then Martin Li’s wife comes running up, chased by Betty, yelling to Mr. Negative that she didn’t tell Betty anything, which is… an insane decision, on her part. And it leads to Negative saying to Spider-Man about Betty…
That’s the Hood showing up, so that, after they exchange some threats…
They can get down to business. Well, let’s see. Spider-Man won’t kill Betty, and neither of these villains is going to kill each other. Setting ourselves up for a pretty unsatisfying conclusion. Still. Better than that Venom comic.