PREVIOUSLY: In the last few issue of Spectacular Spider-Man, Harry Osborn began hearing voices in his head. He seemed to recognize the voice but his reaction told us that whoever was speaking to him should not have been able to. So who was the person behind the voice?

In Kraven's Last Hunt, by J. M. DeMatteis and Mike Zeck, in which Kraven the Hunter commits suicide, the creature known as Vermin is captured by Spider-Man and sent to the Ravencroft Institute where Dr. Ashley Kafka begins working hard to try and cure him, as he used to be a human before the infamous Baron Zemo turned him into a half-rat half-human creature.

In Spectacular Spider-Man #178, Vermin escapes from Ravencroft. While hiding in the sewers, he comes across a young boy who begs him to take him home. Vermin and the boy make their way to the boy's home, which also happens to be Vermin's home. What is the connection between the young boy and Vermin?

Standing at the gate leading to his and the little boy's home, Vermin is afraid to go into the house. But the boy tells him not to be afraid and gives him a hug. Reassured, Vermin leaps over the gate and makes his way towards the house, while the boy stays behind. Vermin reaches the house in minutes and climbs the outer wall of the house up to the second storey, seemingly looking for his mother. Inside the house, his mother wakes up, as if feeling his presence. In another room, his father sleeps. Vermin enters his father's bedroom and lies in bed next to him. His father gradually opens his eyes and slowly grabs a gun from a nearby dresser; then he shoots Vermin in the shoulder. Screaming hysterically, Vermin leaps out of the bedroom window and disappears into the night. Back at the gate, the young boy starts to cry.

Peter, Mary Jane, and Aunt May are at the cemetery visiting Peter's deceased parents, Richard and Mary Parker. While Aunt May blabbers on about Uncle Ben and Richard, Peter finds himself staring intensely at this parent's tombstones. Suddenly, the soil covering his parent's graves begins shaking and Vermin emerges from their graves. Peter starts yelling, which startles both MJ and Aunt May. Aunt May asks if everything is all right to which he replies that he's just realized he had an appointment with Joe Robertson at the Daily Bugle and that they have to go. Aunt May tells Peter that she'll go back over to Uncle Ben's grave to say goodbye and then they can go. After she leaves, MJ comes closer to him and tells him that Aunt May probably did not buy into his explanation for yelling like that. She asks him if his scream had something to do with the whole Kraven business to which he replies that maybe it does, but not the way she thinks it does. He goes on explaining that Vermin on the loose is what has been bothering him.

Meanwhile, in another part of the City, Harry Osborn, his wife, Liz, and son Normie are in Central Park enjoying some family time together. Liz and Normie are riding the merry-go-round while Harry watches on, a smile on his face. Just then, the ghost of Norman Osborn appears and confronts Harry about him being too soft on Normie. Harry replies that Normie is just a little boy who needs protection and shelter, just like that which he was provided with when he was a kid. Furious, Norman grabs hold of Harry and denies ever doing that. Harry retorts that he did and that he remembers how good a father he was and how he loved him. Norman calms down and replies that he did love him and goes on to say something else when suddenly he is impaled by the ghost of his goblin glider, which led to his demise back in Amazing Spider-Man #122. Standing behind his dead body is Spider-Man who tells Harry that his father didn't have any love in his heart and that he should be happy that he's dead. Transfixed and stunned, Harry does not realize that Normie is right next to him pulling on his arm. With a goblin-like fury, he turns to face his son and asking him what the devil he wants. Liz intervenes and asks Harry what is the matter with him. Suddenly realizing what he has done, Harry immediately apologizes to Normie and promises to buy him some cotton candy, just like his dad used to buy him.

Later that night, dozens of rats show up in the same spot, followed by Vermin, who is bleeding from his injury. In his rage, Vermin destroys the merry-go-round in one fell swoop.

Dr. Kafka is watching another video footage of one of her sessions with Vermin. In it, she is shown entering Vermin's cell while he is asleep. She kneels down next to him and wakes him up. Growling at first, Vermin calms down and hugs her. As Dr. Kafka watches this, Spider-Man appears in her office and asks her how she was able to get close to Vermin as she did on the video, revealing that every time he's been near him, he's felt like crap. Using new-age psychobabble, Dr. Kafka tries to explain how Vermin's mind affects people who have little to no psychological defences but Spidey is not interested in her explanations. What Spidey is interested in is knowing what caused Vermin to escape from Ravencroft and kill all those people. Dr. Kafka explains that during Vermin's therapy sessions, she found something buried deep, something from Edward's childhood; his father sexually abused him. Just as she tells that to Spidey, she looks out the window and comes face to face with Vermin (and his rats), who is hanging outside the window, begging her to help him.

Dr. Kafka tells Vermin that everything is all right and that there's nothing to be afraid of. She goes on saying that she will help him when Vermin suddenly picks up Spider-Man's scent. Freaked out, he climbs up to the building rooftop, hoping to get away from him. But as he reaches the rooftop, Spidey is already up there waiting for him. Spidey calls Vermin by his human name, Edward, and tells him that he and Dr. Kafka simply want to help him. Vermin does not believe Spidey, thinking that he's trying to trick him. Spidey replies that no one is trying to trick him and calls him Edward once again. Hearing his human name triggers something in his brain and Vermin launches himself at Spidey, grabbing him in a chokehold, and seemingly trying to eat him. Rage filling his every pore, Spidey suddenly gets a burst of energy and sets himself free from his adversary's grip. Then, his thoughts poisoned by Vermin's psychic poison, he starts pummelling him with all his might. He is on the verge of killing him when Dr. Kafka arrives on the rooftop and implores Spidey to stop. Spidey reluctantly pulls back, letting her approach Vermin. But as she nears him, Vermin bites her (helping) hand and kicks her in the gut, sending her crashing into the ground. He then orders his rats to chew her up and takes off. Spidey comes to her rescue and gets rid of the rats, just as policemen arrive on the rooftop.

Harry kisses his son good night when the ghost of Norman Osborn appears, the Green Goblin costume in hand, and tells Harry that "it's time".

To be continued.