For months now, Norman Osborn, the original Green Goblin, had successfully distanced himself from his alter ego and had reinstated himself as a kindly philanthropist. Norman had even bullied his old friend, J. Jonah Jameson, into giving him a share in the ownership of the Daily Bugle which he used to smear Spider-Man's name. Norman was determined to make Peter Parker's life a living hell, and more then once, had succeeded in driving his greatest enemy over the edge. But Norman sought change in his current situation. Gathering a centerpiece, and five mystical stones, Norman initiated the ceremony known as the Gathering of Five which promised it's five participants either the gifts of Power, Knowledge, Immortality....but also Madness and Death. As well as Norman, the pawnshop owner Morris Maxwell, the ageing Madame Web, teenage Martha Franklin and Doctor Gregory Herd, better known as the mercenary called Override took part in the ceremony. In Amazing Spider-Man #441, it was believed Norman Osborn received the gift of Power, which he believed gave him the power of a god. But in the Green Goblin's defeat in Peter Parker: Spider-Man #98, it was revealed Norman had in fact received the gift of Madness, which reduced him to a raving lunatic.

Last issue, Peter was finally able to unmask the new Spider-Man, and learned it was Martha Franklin, the teenage girl who also took part in the Gathering of Five ceremony, and was believed to have received the gift of Knowledge. But as Peter suited up to take on the new enemy known as Shadrac, Mattie explained she had in fact relieved the gift of Power in the form of spider powers which she used as the new Spider-Man. As Peter left her on a rooftop, he left to take down Shadrac as SPIDER-MAN! The issue begins with Spider-Man, and yes, the original Spider-Man, leaping over rooftops mere minutes after last issue. Peter is thinking over what happened last issue. "The paramedics are on their way to take care of Mattie, the girl who would be Spider-Man," (Continuity Glitch: Mattie never told Peter her name last issue!), "I'm going to have to get her to tell me the whole story about her powers, why she picked up the Spider-Man guise and all" (Continuity Glitch: Mattie told Peter this last issue!). As he wonders how is going to find Shadrac, Peter is also worried just how is he going to explain the situation to Mary Jane, since he swore to her he would stop being Spider-Man in Peter Parker: Spider-Man #98. "Now it's up to me to act responsibly...and have some fun in the process!" Peter thinks. "Swinging across the skyline on a webline -- webline?" Peter then remembers that Mattie had no web-shooters, and madly grabs the wall of the building and slides down, and lands on his butt on the pavement. "Spider-Man?" "You...fell!" The flabbergasted onlookers say, as an embarrassed Spidey replies, "Er, yeah...I meant to do that!" before he recovers his senses and dignity, and leaps away from the scene to find Shadrac.

Elsewhere, and somewhere else in the city, we find the villain Shadrac crouching and screaming in agony. "The pain! Make it...stop! Please! Why are doing this to me? How?" He asks, to someone off screen. "The why is simple, my dear Shadrac...because I own you!" And then we see that the man with whom Shadrac is conversing is the suspicious looking character we saw watching Shadrac at Oscorp last issue! As the two talk we learn that Shadrac is in fact Doctor Gregory Herd, better known as the mercenary called Override, who took part in the Gathering of Five in Amazing Spider-Man #441. Herd had hoped that whatever he received would help cure his dying wife Annie, he was injured in battle as Aura in Sensational Spider-Man #25. It was believed that Herd received Immortality, but we now learn he in fact received the gift of Death, which gives him his 'flaming skeleton' form. The man refers to Shadrac as his "personal Angel of Death. The flames sear you from the inside out. Your death will be a long, painful one." We then gain some insight as to what happened after the ceremony in Amazing Spider-Man #441, as Herd discovered who received each of the gifts, and sought the aid of the pawnbroker, Morris Maxwell, who was believed to possess Madness, but instead received the gift of Knowledge. Herd had hoped to use Maxwell's Knowledge to learn how to cure his dying wife and his own affliction.

Maxwell told Herd to seek out the Long Island home of Robert Drake, secretly the mutant known as Iceman, whose powers would presumably help Herd with the flames that were destroying his body. The mysterious man then breaks into the narrative to explain he was able to track Shadrac down the moment his powers manifested themselves as a result of his powerful bond with the spindle. (The centerpiece that Norman used for the Gathering of Five). The mysterious man then explains that he used his bond with the spindle to seize control of Shadrac's mind, and sent him into battle against Iceman, for the man needs Shadrac to help him locate and regain the spindle. "Why?" Shadrac asks. "Because I could. No more questions." The man replies, and then tells Shadrac that if he finds Shadrac is fighting or betraying him, "you and your beloved wife will wish death had been a far kinder experience".

Meanwhile, over at the locker room at TriCorp, Peter finds the first pair of web-shooters he ever created in his locker at TriCorp which he hopes to use against Shadrac. He then runs into Javier again, who informs Peter that Dr. Twaki is looking for him. Peter attempts to brush Javier off, and tells Javier to tell Twaki he has personal business to take care of. Javier then turns on Peter, telling him "I don't like you, Parker. I think your alleged genius is highly overrated and...and...and...just stay out of my way!" "Are you done?" A far from amused Peter asks, "Not by a long shot." Javier replies and he storms off. Peter then meets Terry, who tells him not to worry about Javier because he just can't stand the competition with Peter. Twaki then comes along, and Terry goes off, as Twaki and Peter go into a laboratory, and Twaki explains to Peter the experiment that they have planned. Twaki seems pretty excited about it, and is disconcerted when Peter informs him he has personal business to take care of. "I to told you sir. Parker just doesn't have the necessary commitment to perform at TriCorp." Javier tells Twaki, leaving the older scientist to scratch his head in confusion.

Later, uptown, Shadrac and his mysterious manipulator, whom Shadrac calls Dolman, are arguing. Shadrac begs Dolman to let him go, but the other man chides him, explaining it's too late and Herd is already dying. "Ironic, isn't it? Death being the most powerful gifts from the Gathering?" The man says, as they come to the door of Maxwell's pawnshop, which appears to be closed. Dolman commands Shadrac to break the door down, but he refuses and fires a blast of flame which catches the attention of a nearby squad car. One of the policeman points his gun at the two, and Dolman uses this to distraction to reassert his control over Shadrac and uses it to knock the policeman aside with Shadrac's flames. Overhead, Spider-Man is swinging around when he notices squad cars heading to the scene. Spidey decides to hitch a ride and jumps atop one of the squad cars. "What's the fire, web-head?" says a voice, and Spider-Man turns to see Iceman nearby on an ice slide and learns from the mutant that he is also looking for Shadrac. Spider-Man realizes that Iceman's powers may be of use to the upcoming battle. Back outside the pawnshop, the policeman are firing rounds at Shadrac who flames are burning with more intensity thanks to the hold that Dolman has on his mind. Shadrac tries to explain to the police that Dolman is doing this, and they should be going after him, but they aren't listening, and Shadrac's fury causes the flames on his body to burn ever harder. Dolman has appeared to have vanished from the scene at this point.

Spider-Man and Iceman then arrive, and attack Shadrac for a while, until they realize that Shadrac wants more ice. "If it's ice he wants...ice he's going to get!" Iceman shouts, as he covers Shadrac with huge amounts of ice. Shadrac explains that Iceman is helping him fight Dolman's mind control, and then Shadrac explains that Dolman must be stopped from getting the spindle, for it would send Dolman's power out of control since it was activated by the Gathering of Five ceremony. The superhero duo have no idea what he's talking about, but Shadrac then says he needs Iceman's help to live. "You've got to freeze my blood...what blood I still have...freeze it...lower it's temperature as much as you can. To absolute zero if you have it in you. Or I will die." Iceman explains that if may kill Shadrac anyway, but the creature explains it is a risk he is willing to take, for Dolman has to be stopped. "You asked for it!" Iceman says, as he raises his hands to cover Dolman with more ice. The issue ends, to be continued in Peter Parker: Spider-Man V2 #3.

I have to admit, there is some fabulous artwork throughout the issue, but the story is severely let down by the ever-infuriating loose ends from the Gathering of Five. A character is wasted in Shadrac, who was always more interesting as Override previous to the reboot. Greg Herd was always depicted as doing what he wanted, in order to somehow save his wife, now he is merely a puppet for Dolman. The story is made more confusing by the appearance of Dolman, who's been never mentioned or referenced before, and whose presence is forced into the story to make it seem more interesting. This is Peter's book, but his appearance and Iceman's guest-appearance seems nothing more that a distraction in the overall story, which is really about the feud between Shadrac and Dolman.

Gee, Peter is certainly enjoying being Spider-Man again, eh? I guess it's a necessary evil that our hero turns back to the webs so quick, since it's been inevitable since the start of the reboot. And since Pete even kept web-shooters in his locker at TriCorp, even he must have realized it was inevitable he would be the wall crawler again!

By Gerry Sparling

Continued in Peter Parker: Spider-Man V2 #3.