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SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #177

FEVER PITCH

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WRITER: KURT BUSIEK
PENCILS: SAL BUSCEMA
INKS: SAL BUSCEMA
COLORS: BOB SHAREN
LETTERS: RICK PARKER
COVER: SAL BUSCEMA
EDITOR: DANNY FINGEROTH
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: TOM DEFALCO

PREVIOUSLY: In Spectacular Spider-Man #176, Peter Parker and Joy Mercado are interviewing Dr. Cedric Forrester, a scientist working on experiments involving energy transmutation on a cellular level, when the Forrester Building comes under attack by a super-powered female who goes by the name of Corona. Corona neutralizes the security guards and steals Cedric’s laptop computer, which contains the working notes of all of his experiments.

Wanting to know more about this strange being, Peter sneaks out of the building, changes to his Spider-Man costume, and follows her. When he catches up to her, she reveals to him that she's Cedric's sister, Dagney Forrester, and that Cedric is to blame for what happened to her.

After leaving Corona, Peter returns home just in time to watch his wife, Mary Jane pass out. Peter rushes her to the hospital where she is diagnosed with the same strange burning fever that has been affected more than a dozen people living in the Soho area.

Peter heads over to the Daily Bugle to try and find some information about Cedric Forrester, whom he suspect is behind the burning fever. But Peter finds nothing and even Ben Urich is unable to help him. While there, he becomes aware of a firefight going on around the Forrester Building. Transforming into Spider-Man, he heads over there to investigate.

The Forrester Building is under attack by Corona once again. Spidey arrives on the scene and is told by Corona that Cedric is indeed behind the poisoning of the water mains in the Soho area and that he is holding off on the antidote for fear of being exposed. But while confronting Cedric about this, it is revealed that Corona purposely lied to him and that she willingly partook in the experiment that transformed her into Corona and that she would be even more powerful if Cedric hadn't pull the plug on the experiment halfway through. It is also revealed that she wants the full tank of antidote for herself because it contains chemicals that will allow her to complete the process and fully transform into Corona, with powers beyond imagining.

Spidey tries to stop her but to no avail. To make matters worse, Corona accidentally shatters the containment tank containing the antidote, which washes down a floor drain. And, as this happens, and for reasons still unknown, Corona transforms into a nastier and uglier version of herself and her powers seem to amplify considerably. At issue's end, she launches herself at Spider-Man, blaming him for her transformation into a grotesque being.

This is where this issue picks up.

REVIEW: Crashing through a window of the Forrester Building, Spider-Man and Corona, who is grabbing hold of his throat, start falling towards the ground several floors below. Spidey manages to shoot a web-line that snatches a nearby building but the combination of his and Corona's weight and the momentum of the swing slams them both into said building. Upon impact, Spidey loses consciousness. Corona grabs hold of him, claiming him as hers, and hoists him onto the building rooftop. She starts ranting and blowing off steam but Spidey remains unconscious. As she angrily yells at him to wake up, shots are suddenly fired around her. As she looks up, she becomes aware that some of Cedric's gunmen have shown up on the scene and are taking aim at her. Refusing to be captured, Corona leaves Spidey behind and takes off.

A short time later, at St. Vincent's hospital, Peter recaps the events of the last few days to Mary Jane, his wife, who is now unconscious, the fever tearing through her. Suddenly, he hears a familiar voice coming from the corridor outside MJ's room. Turning to face the door, he sees Harry Osborn and his wife, Liz-Allan Osborn following a nurse pushing a stretcher upon which Harry's son, Normie is lying down. Harry and Liz are quite worried and ask the nurse what is going on with their son. The nurse replies that he has contracted the so-called Soho fever, which has been traced to something into drinking water. Harry is angry with himself because he kept giving Normie water when the latter told him he didn't feel well. Liz tells Harry not to blame himself, as he could not know that this could happen. Just then, Harry hears a voice telling him that he poisoned his own child and questioning his paternal abilities. Looking up towards the ceiling, Harry is momentarily taken aback because the voice came from above but there is nothing there. Harry asks Liz if she heard something, to which she replies that she didn't. Harry starts wondering if she didn't hear anything because there was nothing to hear or because she was so focused on Normie. Suddenly, a voice from above, different than the last one, calls up to him. As he looks up to the ceiling, he comes face-to-face with Spider-Man. Spidey tells him that he doesn't have much time and that he, Harry, has to come with him. Harry replies that he cannot leave his son but Spidey convinces him to do so because by helping him, Harry will be saving little Normie.

Meanwhile at the Forrester Building, reporters from every New York newspapers are trying to get a quote from Cedric Forrester but his secretary is holding fort and tells them to take a seat, as Cedric is on the phone at the moment. In fact, inside his office, Cedric is on the phone with the NY state senator, trying to entice him into putting in a good word for him to the Environmental Protection Agency (i.e. the EPA), who have become aware that Cedric has been using unlicensed energy-based weaponry. The senator bluntly replies that his neck is already on the line and that unless he can find a cure for the Soho fever, he's on his own. As Cedric slams his phone down, one of his guards enters his office and tells him that someone is waiting for him outside on the balcony. Cedric heads over there and finds Spider-Man, accompanied by Harry Osborn. Spidey introduces Harry to Cedric and tells Cedric that Harry can help him recreate the antidote by providing him with the necessary ingredients.

Meanwhile on the Empire State University campus, at a lab class taught by grad student Roger Hochberg, students are going about with their work when the wall behind them suddenly blows up. As they scatter, Corona enters the lab through the gap in the wall and makes her way to another laboratory where they keep a field acceleration chamber, which she apparently needs for something.

Back at the Forrester Building, Harry Osborn, Cedric Forrester and Spider-Man are working on the antidote to the Soho fever. Sitting on a nearby wall, Spider-Man is impressed at Harry's abilities to deal with Cedric's arrogance. But as he watches on, he suddenly starts feeling sick and almost falls off the wall. Harry approaches him and puts a hand on his forehead to check on his body temperature. Realizing that Spidey may have contracted the fever too, Harry recommends that he should check himself in a hospital. Spidey agrees that Harry might be right and realizes that, although he did not drink any water, all those scratches and bites from Corona may have inadvertently infected him with the fever. Just then, one of Cedric's henchmen walks into the laboratory and whispers something into Cedric's ear. Having heard the guard mention Corona, Spidey confronts Cedric and demands that he tells him what he knows about Corona's whereabouts. Cedric caves and tells Spidey that Corona has been spotted hanging around Empire State University. Spidey asks what she's been doing there but Cedric is unable to give him an answer. Just then, an explosion rocks the whole lab and the ceiling above the three of them comes crashing down. Through the hole in the ceiling appears Corona, who bears a striking new look, with colours reminiscent of the Molten Man. Corona reveals to them that she used the field acceleration chamber located in the lab at ESU to complete the process and goes on saying that she is now what she was meant to be from the very beginning. She adds that she has no intention of leaving any of them alive to try and take her power away from her. Cedric intervenes and tells Spidey that if he and Harry are to complete the antidote, he – Spidey – must take care of Corona. Fully aware of this, Spidey spins a web, climbs through the gap in the ceiling and makes his way outside to confront Corona.

The instant Spidey appears on the roof, Corona shoots a blast of energy at him, which he averts with ease. He then takes off web-slinging to lure her away from the Forrester Building so that Cedric and Harry may finish the antidote to the Soho fever. Back inside, Cedric orders his men to track down Corona and Spidey. Back outside, Corona takes the bait and takes off after Spidey, shooting beams upon beams of energy at him. One of the energy beams misses Spidey and hits the steel cable of a window washer's platform. The cable breaks, making the platform collapse and sending the worker, which stood on top of it, falling towards the ground below. Spidey immediately dives towards the toppling man and grabs hold of him before he hits the pavement. As Spidey drops the man off, Corona flies down towards him. Spectacularly, she uses her powers to reach into the molecular structure of a nearby truck and alters its physical state, turning all of its components to liquid, which surrounds Spidey. Then before Spidey can extract himself from the liquid, Corona uses her powers to reach into the liquid and turn it back into steel, trapping Spidey in the process. Again, showing off her powers, she willingly transforms the hardened steel into tear gas, which allows Spidey to break free while she takes off. Realizing that Corona is capable of synthesizing the antidote but that she just doesn't want to, Spidey immediately swings off after her to try and convince her to help them in curing the Soho fever, promising her that she won't be harmed or imprisoned and that he'll keep her safe from Cedric. Then, standing with his arms wide open, Spidey tells her that if she doesn't believe him, she can go ahead and kill him now. Corona hovers in mid-air for a while, her eyes judging him, weighing his sincerity then she speaks and tells Spidey that if he guarantees her safety, she will help him.

Minutes later, at the Forrester Building, Spidey and Corona land on the rooftop. Spidey tells Corona that he'll go in first to let Cedric know about their cease-fire and she agrees. But as soon as they enter the top floor laboratory, some of Cedric's henchmen are waiting for them and one of them launches a power siphon, which strikes Corona square in the back, to the utter amazement of Spidey, who realizes that they have been ambushed. This causes Corona to lose her recently acquired powers and to revert back to her ugly form again. Cedric orders his men to restrain her before she can get away but Corona manages to escape by the skin of her teeth. Spidey is furious with Cedric because of what he did to Corona, especially because she had agreed to help them, and he confronts him about it. Cedric's retort is arrogant as ever and he tells Spidey that they don't need her help, as her true value is as an experimental subject, not as a technician. The combination of his anger towards Cedric and the effects of the Soho fever taking its toll on him, Spidey almost passes out but Harry helps him up and tells him that he needs a doctor. Cedric concurs in a condescending kind of way and tells Spidey that his men will recapture Corona without his help. Gathering his strength, Spidey replies that there is no way that he – Cedric – will get his hands on his sister ever again and he web-slings away, Harry's warning about the Soho fever possibly killing him going unheard.

Soon enough, Spidey catches up to Corona who has landed on the rooftop of a building. Corona is leaning against the parapet, complaining about what has happened to her when Spidey lands unnoticed behind her. Talking to herself, Corona says that she won't stand for it and become someone's guinea pig. She goes on saying that if she can't be perfect, then she'd rather not live at all. Standing behind her, Spidey tells her not to do what she is thinking of doing and tries to grab hold of her. Just then, Corona jumps off the building in an attempt to kill herself. Spidey launches himself after her, grabs hold of her in mid-air then shoots a webline, which snags a nearby building and slows their fall considerably. But Spidey's fever makes him misjudge the angle of his swing, so he is forced into twisting in mid-air and landing the both of them into a dumpster filled with garbage located in a dark alley. Corona is infuriated with Spidey for having saved her life when she did not want to be saved so Spidey tries to talk some sense into her. Just then, a shot is fired which hits Corona straight in the torso, rendering her unconscious. At the end of the alley, a dozen of Cedric's men, heavily armed, have appeared and are surrounding Spidey and Corona. The henchman in charge tells Spidey to back away from Corona and that he means him no harm – all they want is Corona. Spidey replies that, as he told Cedric earlier, nobody is going to get her and he won't let them have her either. Just then, the Soho fever catches up to Spidey and he starts seeing stars, the images of his adversaries swimming before his eyes – vibrant, blinding colours blurring into one another. Meanwhile, back at the lab, Harry and Cedric have almost completed the antidote but only have one more shot at getting it right or else. Back in the alley, Spidey has amazingly defeated all of Cedric's henchmen. Stumbling out of the alley, Spidey finds a phone booth and dials the operator, who patches him through the number he had asked for. But no sooner is the connection made, Spidey loses consciousness.

Spidey awakens a short time later, Harry Osborn, standing over him, welcoming him back to the land of the living. Harry tells him that the antidote worked and that Cedric is off delivering it to some high muckamucks at the mayor's office. He adds that he kept some and injected him with it personally. Thanking Harry, Spidey tells him that he remembers trying to make a phone call but he can't remember whether he got through or not. Just then, a hovercraft, carrying Reed Richards and Johnny Storm, a.k.a. the Human Torch appears in the sky and lands in front of them. It appears that it was them that Spidey called earlier. Johnny explains that they were able to trace his call since he left the line open and asks him what was so urgent. Spidey explains everything. Reed admits that it might be hard reversing Corona's chemical mutation but promises to try. Just then, Cedric Forrester shows up with a court order remanding Corona to his custody as his only living relative. Reed asks to be shown the court order to verify its authenticity and after having a look at it, he informs Spidey that it is genuine and that they can't go against it. Spidey is furious with Cedric and points out that if it weren't for him, none of this would have happened. Cedric replies that all charges filed against him have been dropped because of his quick and decisive action in formulating the antidote. In his usual arrogant tone, he asks Spidey if he wants his autograph, turns around and orders two of his guards to bring the truck. Seconds later, Corona is being carried away in a some sort of glass box atop the bed of a truck, her brother Cedric following alongside. In the background, Spidey is disheartened.

A short time later at St. Vincent's Hospital, Peter picks up Mary Jane, now cured of the infamous Soho fever. Peter should be happy but he still feels like crap about what happened with Cedric and Corona. He goes as far as blaming himself for everything and complains that he "blew it". MJ comforts him and tells him that, in her book, he didn't blew it and adds that if he wants a second opinion, he should ask Harry and Liz.

Somewhere else in Manhattan, Harry and Liz are ecstatic that little Normie has been cured of the Soho fever. As Liz hugs Normie, Harry suddenly hears a voice (the same heard earlier) calling his name once again...a voice he seems to recognize: "It's impossible! It can't be him!", is his reaction.

To be continued.

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