In Spectacular Spider-Man #195, the creatures that kidnapped Edward/Vermin and Dr. Kafka reveal themselves to be victims of mutation experiments led by Baron Zemo, just like Vermin. Their reason for kidnapping Edward is straightforward; they want him to lead them into forging a new future for themselves – Edward accepts and leads them out into the City. While scouring the City for Edward and Dr. Kafka, Spider-Man runs into Vermin and the creatures and confronts them. He is taken prisoner and brought to where Dr. Kafka is being held. The creatures prepare to kill Spider-Man and Dr. Kafka but Edward stops them and convinces them otherwise. However, at issue's end, Helmut Zemo, son of the original Baron Heinrich Zemo, shows up on the scene, kills one of the creatures and claims the rest of them as his. Spider-Man confronts him but Zemo manages to gain control of the creatures and Vermin and he orders them to kill Dr. Kafka if Spider-Man doesn't let go of him.

This is where this issue picks up.

REVIEW: Slowly, Spider-Man releases his grip on Zemo and asks his enemy how he managed to gain control of the creatures and Vermin. Zemo explains that Vermin and the creatures share a brain-wave pattern common to all of them, which he manipulated using a simple adjustment of frequency via a well-hidden device of his. Unimpressed, Spidey demands that Zemo order Vermin to get away from Dr. Kafka. Zemo complies and starts talking about how he survived falling into a lava pit (in Captain America #363) and how he's become his own man and now refuses to hide behind a mask, like his father did. Having heard enough, Spidey asks him what he wants. Zemo explains that he wants to continue his research on mutations. As he says that, he pulls a knife and readies himself to stab one of the creatures with it. Swiftly, Spidey shoots a web-line and grabs the knife out of his hand. He then leaps and lands but a few feet from Zemo. Zemo reiterates what he said earlier, which is that if he – Spider-Man – tries anything, one word will suffice in having Dr. Kafka killed. Zemo continues explaining that he has no interest in Dr. Kafka, only in Vermin and the creatures, and that if he – Spider-Man – leaves now, then he'll forget about this little incident. Spidey firmly refuses to leave so Zemo threatens to take Dr. Kafka with him and experiment on her, as he once did to Edward Whelan, Vermin's alter ego. As he ponders about what monster lie behind her mask, Dr. Kafka has a flashback of when she was a young girl.

Dr. Kafka remembers her childhood and most specifically having to deal with her sick mother and mentally retarded sister. She recalls how difficult it was to take care of the two of them day after day after day. She was nineteen when her mother passed away and her death made her realize that the only life she had ever known was taking care of people. Sick of it, she left her sister in a Nursing Home, went to college and studied psychology, leaving all those demons behind.

But now, back in the present, those demons have resurfaced to punish her – and she is scared. Surrounded by Vermin and the creatures, she implores Spider-Man to let Zemo take the creatures so they can go. Spidey jumps and lands next to her and pushes both the creatures and Vermin out of the way. Spidey has his hands full with fighting the creatures and is being pushed towards some kind of chasm. Zemo orders the creature to take Spidey’s mask off to see what he is hiding behind his mask. The creatures overwhelm Spidey and take his mask off. They then hand it over to Zemo who puts it on "to feel Spidey's pain". But as he does so, Edward/Vermin grabs the mask and pulls it off Zemo's face. Zemo orders Edward/Vermin to stay back but he has other ideas. His claws rip through Zemo’s face as Zemo screams for the creatures to help him. But the creatures do not respond to his call and simply stand still. Cowering in a corner, Zemo cannot understand why they are not responding to his call. Edward/Vermin explains that when he broke free of his (Zemo's) control, his freedom rippled out into the others though the brain-wave pattern common to all of them. Frightened, Zemo begs Edward/Vermin for his mercy but Edward completely surrenders to his Vermin persona and prepares to kill Zemo for what he's done to him in the past. Having heard enough, Spidey intervenes between the two and punches Vermin to the ground. Spidey tries to reason with Vermin but Vermin sends him flying into a brick wall with one heck of a solid punch to the head. Vermin then orders the other creatures to hold Spidey still, while he approaches Zemo, telling him that he is going to kill him piece by piece and that he's going to feel every single bite. Terrified, Dr. Kafka watches on. Still, she finds enough strength in herself to scream at Vermin to stop. Amazingly, Vermin stops, as she draws near him and explains to him that if he kills Zemo, he will consciously allow his Vermin persona to commit such an unspeakable act that his human person will die and his Vermin persona will live on forever. Vermin tells her to back off or else he'll kill her. Dr. Kafka calls up his bluff and dares him to do it. Confused, Vermin does not know what to do, and calls her a liar. Dr. Kafka replies that she is telling him the truth and tells him to let go of Zemo and to let Vermin die. Vermin releases Zemo and starts screaming. He then takes off running towards the chasm, screaming that he does not want to die, and he throws himself down the hole. At the same time, Zemo uses the opportunity to take off. At an amazing speed, Spidey shoots two web-lines; the first one snags Vermin's foot while the other snags Zemo, whom Spidey proceeds to knock out with one heck of a punch. Spidey then turns his attention towards the chasm and pulls on the web-line that snagged Vermin's foot. As a total surprise to everybody, Edward emerges out of the hole, letting them known that Vermin is dead. After shaking Spidey's hand and hugging Dr. Kafka, Edward tells them that he has to give himself up and stand trail for Vermin's crime. Spidey comments that he – Edward – was not responsible for them but Edward cuts him off and says that if he's ever going to be able to live with what he's been, he's gonna have to let the law decide who is responsible. As the creatures surround them, they ask what will become of them. At first resilient, Dr. Kafka caves in and tells the creatures that she has a few ideas.

Things have returned to normal for Peter Parker/Spider-Man, as well as for Dr. Kafka, who has hired Edward as her assistant to try and find a cure for the mutated creatures. Things seem to be going even better for Edward, who reveals to Dr. Kafka that Matt Murdock has agreed to represent him in court. Dr. Kafka is really glad for him and comments that he is in very good hands. Edward replies that, if you ask him, he's been in good hands all along.

The end...for now.