Spider-Man takes on Morlun, Pt. 2

We’ll pick up right where we left off.  Y’know, where old man Ezekiel tells Spider-Man he has no chance and is going to die.  What a bummer.  Unfortunately, as I said yesterday, the minute Spider-Man loses Morlun, the supervillain will just kill civilians and wreck the city until Spider-Man shows up again.  Sure, Spider-Man just got caught in an explosion a few minutes before, but he has to jump right back into the action.  Mainly because Morlun’s a jerk:

Maybe Peter Parker should invest in a spider-coat, because I don’t think any tailor is good enough to sew that outfit back together.  Witness Spider-Man’s nerd rage against Morlun’s supervillainy.  And by the way, Morlun’s the perfect supervillain.  Every action he takes is for the completion of his own selfish goals.  He spews apathy and disregard for anyone or anything who gets in his way, no matter how many lives are ruined or how much destruction is caused.  Well, that and a significant satisfaction when the hero fights back.  And oh, does he fight back.

Game over?  Well, no, because this is the just the start of the article.  But as painful as the fight was, the getaway isn’t any less joyous.

Now Spider-Man has like five or six minutes before Morlun catches up to him.  Probably less.  Spider-Man’s hit that well-dressed hippie with every ounce of strength and move in his arsenal.  He knows he’s going to lose.  And if you only have a few moments left before you’re pounded into mush and drained of your life force, what would you do?  I know you as the reader aren’t blasting Enya while you read these, but please understand the emotional intensity in the next scene.  He makes the last phone call of his life.

Luckily, in the first good news since this arc began, Spider-Man finally has some help.  Not Hulk or X-Men help, but still help.  And oh, how it’s sweet.

You have to buy the comic book to see the process through which Ezekiel changes his mind.  But he does.  Y’see, Ezekiel, having the same powers as Spider-Man, also qualifies as a “totem” that Morlun wants to absorb.  So with the extra muscle comes far higher stakes.

Look, Parker’s not Reed Richards smart.  Or Bruce Banner smart or Tony Stark smart or Hank Pym smart or T’Challa smart or you get the idea, but he does have all the makings of a science genius. And with his high science IQ, he examines, studies, and realizes a neat little truth about his seemingly invincible opponent.

Well, with Morlun fast approaching and Spider-Man’s final act of desperation underway, everything we’ve seen and every attack that’s been thrown has led up to this moment.  Has Morlun drank his last cappucino?

Morlun didn’t know today would also be educational.  Let Spider-Man explain.  Using science.

After four issues of Morlun smacking around Spider-Man while Spider-Man futilely defends himself, the tide has finally turned.  What follows is a good half an issue of Parker just pounding on Morlun.  I’ll show you one or two of the highlights.

Eventually because fights have winners and losers, the radiation takes a toll on our antagonist.  Struck against the wall of the laboratory (symbolically), we see his true form, his final plea, and the thrilling conclusion.

Victory!  With that, Spider-Man’s broken bones, charred back, massive radiation poisoning, and bruised everything can finally heal.  He does heal at an accelerated rate, but I’m talking a few days instead of a year and a half of surgery and rehabilitation.  Oh, and he should probably take care of the final loose end:

Besides the crazy beating Spider-Man endures, what makes this story so important?  Ezekiel does return for an awesome story a few arcs later (that you should find and read), but it’s nothing long-lasting.  Y’see, the fight against Morlun changes the series for a good decade.  Because of this:

Yeah, that’s a big deal.

Morlun week continues tomorrow with his resurrection and return.  Oh, and I hope you like punching, because by comparison, it makes these first two parts look like a birthday party.