GUILTY! Joe "Robbie" Robertson is speechless. A thousand thoughts crowd his
mind, from the ridiculous to the sublime. He remembers suddenly that he has tickets to a Knicks game later that month.
He worries whether his wife Martha managed to get the storm windows up, with a blizzard due to hit New York later that evening.
And he wonders almost distantly if they'll let him keep a notebook in prison. The presiding judge thanks the jury for its prompt
and considered verdict and discharges them. He then turns over to Robbie and his attorney, Mrs. Bernhammer, and tells them that,
in light of the seriousness of the offence – misprision of a felony – in which Robbie wilfully concealed his knowledge of a
federal felony from the proper authorities for more than twenty years, it is the intention of the court to conclude the
proceedings at the earliest opportunity. Mrs. Bernhammer is outraged and asks the judge if such haste is appropriate.
The judge replies that justice was delayed because Robbie concealed the identity of a murderer for two decades and explains
that the court feels an obligation to see that no similar delay occurs this time. Mrs. Bernhammer tries to reciprocate but
the judge adjourns the proceedings.
In the back of the courtroom, Peter Parker is furious. His wife, Mary Jane, is in tears and asking Peter how something
like this could happen to a man like Robbie. Peter replies that they both know how that happened and the reader is offered a
flashback of the events that transpired between Spectacular Spider-Man #139 and #142. Back in the courtroom, Robbie is
being handcuffed and taken away by security. His wife, Martha, runs up to him and tells him to do or say something, to defend
himself. Robbie apologizes to Martha and asks his son, Randy, to take her home. Martha refuses to let go and throws herself
around his neck. Nick Katzenberg, photographer for the Daily Bugle, comes out of nowhere, camera in hands, and tells
Robbie and Martha to hold their pose, as it is "front page material". Randy Robertson is furious with Katzenberg and
leaps at him fists clenched. Peter intervenes between the two, trying to separate them, and he accidentally/intentionally
causes Katzenberg's Nikon camera to fall to the floor and break. Katzenberg is furious with Peter and immediately accuses
him of purposely making him drop his camera. This time, the judge gets involved and tells Peter and Katzenberg to clear the
court or else he'll have them arrested for contempt. Robbie is taking out of the court by a security officer while Martha
watches on, begging him not to shut her out, whatever happens.
Moments later, outside the courthouse, Katzenberg once again attacks Peter, accusing him of being jealous because HE
got the shot and Peter didn’t. Peter calls Katzenberg a paparazzo and tells him that the Daily Bugle doesn't need his kind
of photojournalism. J. Jonah Jameson steps in and tells Peter that the Bugle is in the business of selling newspapers and Nick's photos
sell lots of newspapers, particularly those photos that caught Spider-Man red-handed committing a robbery (as seen in Web
of Spider-Man #50). Peter replies that he had photos clearing Spider-Man of all charges and that he, Jonah, rejected them.
Jonah replies that he did so because, guilty or innocent, Spider-Man is a menace. Jonah adds that Katzenberg understands that
and Peter doesn't. He then wraps his arm around Nick's broad frame and the two take their leave. Looking at them walking away,
Peter can't understand why Jonah has been setting off his spider-sense so much lately. Peter goes back and finds Mary Jane
with Randy Robertson and his wife Amanda. Randy invites Pete and MJ to a get-together at their house in Queens that night and
the two of them accept the invitation. However, Peter tells MJ to go ahead and he'll meet her later, after he's run a few
errands in the City, as Spider-Man!
The train from Philadelphia to New York's Grand Central Station arrives late and by the time Peter Parker reaches
Manhattan, a crisp light snow carpets the City presenting an outer charm in contrast to the bleak reality beneath. Donning
his Spider-Man costume, Peter has made his way across the City via his web-lines and has come to rest atop the roof of a building.
Deep down inside, he is infuriated that a decent man like Robbie Robertson is going to spend the next few months in prison for a
crime twenty years old while a criminal mastermind like the Kingpin lives it up like a medieval lord in his tower right in the
middle of the City. Peter knows that the Kingpin was the one that brought Tombstone back to New York City and had it not been
for that, Robbie never would have had his crisis of conscience, so in a way, the Kingpin is to blame. Determined to avenge his
friend, Spidey web-slings towards the Kingpin's headquarters to give him a wake-up call. But only a few minutes into his trip,
he hears screams coming from a nearby subway kiosk. He makes his way down atop the roof of the kiosk and slowly peeks down the
staircase. What he sees is a nightmarish landscape of bloody corpses spread out in all four corners of the staircase, and at
the bottom of the stairs, he sees something he cannot believe: a large black-haired wolf with red glowing eyes standing amidst
the cadavers. Suddenly, the large wolf leaps towards Spidey. Warned by his spider-sense, he spins through the air and for one
disoriented instant, he glimpses a creature his mind tells him cannot possibly exist, but when he has a solid wall beneath his
feet and he looks again, the creature is gone. Having experienced the whole "Inferno" and the return of Carrion,
Spidey has a hard time accepting that he just saw a real werewolf, but still, he is not so sure, especially as he looks down the
staircase at the dozens of bodies piled up on top of each other. Suddenly, he hears a moan coming from one of the men in the
staircase; a lone man has survived. Spidey gets hold of him and swings away towards a hospital. On the way there, the man
confesses to Spidey that he is working for the Kingpin. Spidey tells him not to worry because he is going to pay a visit to
his old enemy.
Meanwhile, the large wolf seen earlier has made its way across town. Once it reaches a certain rooftop, he makes his
way down the building's fire exit and enters an apartment by climbing in a window. Down at street level, Daily Bugle reporter,
Joy Mercado has been on spying on her friend and co-worker, Gloria Grant, ever since Gloria has told her that she is
dating known criminal Eduardo Lobo. Joy sees the large wolf enter Gloria’s apartment and because the snow is so thick, she
thinks it's a man. Still, she can't help but to wonder what on Earth is happening with Gloria.
Meanwhile at the Robertson House in Jackson Heights, Queens, friends and family are gathered to offer their support to
Martha Robertson. Mary Jane and Randy's wife, Amanda, are helping Martha in the kitchen while the other guests talk in the
living room. Daily Bugle photographer, Lance Bannon is talking with Kate Cushing about J. Jonah Jameson's very
noticeable absence at the Robertson house. Both have become aware that Jonah has been behaving oddly for weeks, ever since he
hired Nick Katzenberg. It is apparent that both Lance and Kate wished Robbie were back. Back in the kitchen, MJ, Martha, and
Amanda are on their way out of the kitchen when Martha accidentally drops a large plate of sandwich. Martha falls to her knees,
her head buried in her hands, weeping for Robbie's return. Amanda helps her mother-in-law up and suggests that she go lay down
for a few minutes, while MJ cleans up the mess. MJ can't help to wonder what she would do if she’d lose Peter.
Meanwhile in Philadelphia, Robbie sits in his jail cell, thinking about his wife and what he put her through over the
last few months. Although he feels terrible for all the grief he's caused her, he knows that he has to face this alone, even
if it means pushing her away. Suddenly, another detainee approaches his cell and tells him that he has a message from the
man: "Stay well. I'll be looking for you in Lewisburg" (i.e. in prison). As the prisoner takes his leave,
Robbie is left wondering what he meant by that.
Back in New York City at the offices of Wilson Fisk, a.k.a. the Kingpin of Crime, Peter confronts the big man about the
recent killings of the members of his mob. The Kingpin appears confused and asks Spidey to explain himself. Spidey is stunned
that the Kingpin is unaware of what has been going on, and tells him that somebody has been wasting his men for a few weeks.
The Kingpin accuses Spidey of lying but Spidey replies that someone in his organization has been keeping secret from him, because
he – Spidey – is telling the truth about the murders. Having said that, Spidey swings off into the night, leaving the Kingpin
to ponder about what he's just found out. The Kingpin knows there's only one man who can keep a secret from him and that's the
one man he trusts to run his mob day to day: the Arranger. With the press of a button, he calls the Arranger into his
office; he wants a word with him.
The next morning in Chelsea, Gloria Grant wakes up and finds her boyfriend, Eduardo Lobo, lying on the ground naked with
bleeding wounds in his chest and shoulder. She asks what happened and he replies that he would explain if he could, but there
are things about him she must not know. He tells her he doesn't know why he came there, or even how and explains that, at times,
he does things he cannot remember. Gloria, seeing that Eduardo is bleeding profusely, brings him in the bathroom and starts
putting bandages on his wounds. Eduardo tells her that he's bewildered and that it's the first time he doesn’t have control.
Gloria asks him what he means by that and how he got those wounds to which Eduardo replies that he and his brother are at war
against the Kingpin and that she can help them destroy him. Eduardo explains that he needs Gloria's help in obtaining Daily
Bugle's files on Wilson Fisk – The Kingpin – that contain information he and his brother need for their war. Gloria replies
that she can't do that but Eduardo begins kissing her and tells her that if she loves him, she can do anything.
A few days later, at the Federal Courthouse in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, judge Ingersoll is ready to deliver Robbie's
sentence. Before he does, judge Ingersoll tells Robbie that the court carefully considered the facts of this case, including his
outstanding record as a citizen and journalist. He explains that, in fact, it is his record as a journalist, which makes
Robbie's behaviour so difficult to comprehend...or condone. He goes on explaining that Robbie's crime – concealing knowledge of a
crime in disregard of his duty both as a citizen and as a reporter – may have been argued by his attorney as having been acted
upon under extenuating circumstances and that these circumstances may have been reduced to one unassailable fact – that he was
afraid, but the judge adds that fear is no excuse for betraying his fellow citizens, his profession, himself. The judge explains
that, in light of this, he orders Robbie to be removed to the Federal Penitentiary at Lewisburg to be detained in custody for a
period not to exceed thirty-six months. The judge then proceeds to adjourn the court. All those in attendance are flabbergasted
when they hear the sentence. Robbie's wife, Martha, almost faints and breaks out in tears. Peter is outraged. On the other
hand, Robbie remains poised and takes a good look at his wife before being taken away by two security officers.
Lewisburg Federal Penitentiary. Joe Robertson remembers a morning when he was six years old. The sky was still grey
when his father rousted him out of bed and told him to get dressed. Even though it was early September, the floorboards in his
room were cold and his breath fogged in the early morning light. Breakfast was hurried, and Joe was shocked to see his mother
crying as she ladled oatmeal into his bowl. He didn't dare ask what was wrong. Joe only knew he must have done something bad.
After breakfast, he went in his father's truck, an old Ford pickup, and they drove to a building surrounded by a high iron fence
miles from his home. Joe's father left him there with a dry kiss on the cheek, and a paper sack, holding a yellow No. 2 pencil,
and a crisp baloney and lettuce sandwich. There were other kids in the building behind the high iron fence and they laughed to
see Joe cry. Never let anyone know you're scared. That was the first lesson Joe Robertson learned on his first day of school.
And there is no better place than a penitentiary to put that lesson into effect. As Robbie is brought into the entrails of the
penitentiary, he is deprived of his personal effects, given a physical examination, showered, provided with the customary prison
attire and brought to his jail cell. All that time, his mind is on that first day of school. As his jail cell door is closed
behind him, he suddenly hears a familiar voice coming from the adjacent jail cell. He takes a look and discovers that
Tombstone is in the next cell over.
To be continued.
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