Mutant X #5

Issue Date: 
February 1999
Story Title: 
Goblins in the Night
Staff: 

Howard Mackie (writer), Cary Nord (pencils), Andrew Pepoy (inks), Chris Eliopoulos (inks), Gina Going (letters), Frank Pitaresse (editor), Bob Harras (editor-in-chief)

Brief Description: 

The Six have come to the aid of the Man-Spider, who's having difficulties in defeating the Green Goblin and his demon minions. Maddie orders Havok and the rest of the Six to defeat the minnions while she and the Fallen go after the Goblin. Maddie transforms into the Goblin Queen again and the Fallen is quickly taken down by the Gobin's pumpkin bombs. Havok realizes that he doesn't trust Fallen with his "wife" and sents Brute after them to protect Maddie. She and Man-Spider begin their fight against the Goblin and the Goblin Queen wants to kill him because he has drawn unnecessary attention to the people living in the shadows, who are hated and feared and hunted down. Man-Spider interferes. The Fallen slashes Man-Spider and Goblin Queen then kills both Man-Spider and the Goblin. Brute has witnessed everything and panics and intends to tell Havok. But Maddie and the Fallen stop him and order him to not mention any of this to Havok, or they'll kill Brute's friends and parents. Brute gets enraged and starts fighting but just then Havok and the Six arrive and take Brute down. Maddie convinces the rest of the Six that Brute has gone berserk and killed both Man-Spider and the Goblin and also wanted to kill her and Fallen. The Six believe her and Brute gets arrested by the police and placed into custody.

Full Summary: 

The Six have come to the aid of the spectacular Man-Spider, who's already defeated. Alex asks Maddie if the demons got him, but Maddie gets angry at Alex because they are not demons. Alex says they sure look like it, and the Green Goblin probably will agree with him. The Goblin stands triumphically on his glider and orders his minions to kill them all, because the day of the Goblin has finally arrived. Alex asks how Maddie knows these aren't demons, as Man-Spider called them because he knew the Goblin was planning a big move against all the other crime syndicates and Man-Spider also knew he couldn't face these demons alone. Maddie replies that she doesn't know if Man-Spider is the best authority after the whole clone debacle, but she just knows they aren't demons. She knows because she faced real demons when S'ym and N'astirth abducted their son and Maddie went after them alone. Havok takes her word for it and they continue fighting.

Maddie explains that Norman Osborn is no Goblin King, just a criminal scientist genius who plans to bring crime up again in this city and into the world. But his secret was found out by Man-Spider and, Maddie claims, Osborn is just a fraud. Maddie says they'll have to get to Osborn if they want to end this and orders Havok and the others to clean up their foes, while she takes the Fallen with her to Osborn. Havok agrees, but thinks to himself that Maddie has been acting so strange latley, ever since the incident at their castle with the demons that attacked him and Scotty. He doesn't trust the Fallen with Maddie, his wife. Then he realizes she isn't his wife and this isn't his world or his life. He looks at the Six, who he considers true heroes and realizes he only really trusts the Brute.
Hank gets bitten by a demon but throws it off. Alex asks if he can go help Maddie, which Brute is happy to do because they both treat him nicely. Brute leaves, but Ice-Man points out that he would never trust any woman with any of the Six.
Maddie orders the Fallen to go find the “false one.” The Fallen does as "his queen" orders. He flies over to the Goblin, but the villain throws his pumpkin bombs at the Fallen which hit him and he faints. Goblin then starts attacking Maddie, but she transforms into the Goblin Queen.
She exclaims that Osborn stepped over the line this time, for bringing unneeded attention to the underworld, which is in fact hers to control. Osborn says that his Goblin persona was just meant to bring fear to the world, a way to seek global domination. Osborn asks if she truly believes in this supernatural drivel, because if so, she fully diserves the trashing he plans to give her!
Goblin and Maddie start fighting, with Maddie threatening he'll die tonight. Goblin attacks in full rage, but gets stopped by the webs of the Man-Spider, who tells Osborn that he's gone too far this time and the world shall now finally know he's not that kind business-man he always claimed to be. He's gone mad ever since experimenting with mystic arts and the whole Dr. Strange thing, and Man-Spider is just glad that J. Jonah Jameson will finally cut him some slack after he unmasks Osborn and informs Jameson about Osborn's plans.

Man-Spider notices Maddie, who's ready to attack Osborn. Man-Spider webs Osborn and says he's got the situation under control and Maddie can cut it out. Osborn points out that Maddie intends to murder him in her rage and Man-Spider has to let him go so that he's got a fighting chance. Man-Spider doesn't buy it, of course, and Maddie orders Man-Spider to step away, as the Goblin will die tonight.
Man-Spider tries to calm him down because they're the good guys and they don't kill. Maddie fully transforms into the mad Goblin Queen and prepares herself. Osborn begs Man-Spider to release him, so maybe together they stand a chance, but Maddie replies they wouldn’t stand a chance against her. Maddie explains that ever since Dr. Strange started using his magic, people began fearing and hunting the people living in the shadows down, but with Strange put into custody the fearing had stopped, until Osborn came along and started making his foolish plans and started drawing attention to them again.

Man-Spider tries to stop Maddie, but the recovered Fallen slams him down with his claws. Madelyne telekinetically lifts both Osborn and Man-Spider up because they both have to die now, and they'll only be the first to go. But then the Brute shows up at the back, looking for Maddie to protect her from the Fallen and Osborn as Havok ordered him to do and sees how Maddie kills both Man-Spider and the Green Goblin. Brute panics and runs away wanting to tell Havok what he has seen, but gets stopped by the fire flames from the Fallen.
Maddie wants Henry to forget what he has seen, but Brute knows Man-Spider was a good guy and Havok won't like this. Maddie doesn't know what to do and orders the Fallen to convince Brute. Warren orders Brute to forget what he saw but Brute still doesn't want to listen. The Fallen then threatens that he'll kill Bob then, his best friend, and his teammates and also his mother and father, living at the farm. Brute gets enraged yellingat him to leave his parents alone and slashes theFallen.
Brute is about to slash Maddie as well, but gets stopped by Havok's powers. The rest of the Six arrive as well. Maddie tells them that Brute went berserk and killed Man-Spider and the Goblin and is now trying to kill them.

Brute calms down and cries, imploring the others that ever since the day with the puppy he's been really good and he didn't do it! The Six just watch him, not really knowing what to do.
Later the cops arrive, and Brute says they did a real bad thing. Havok appears from behind asking Brute who did a bad thing. Brute says Man-Spider and Goblin were going to kill him. Havok asks who, but Brute won't tell. Havok says it'll be their secret, but Brute doesn't want to because he wants to be a good friend and a good son. Brute gets shot and imprisoned in an ice-iglo from Ice-Man. The rest of the Six come and Maddie says Brute was losing it, even the police could see it. Maddie explains this was bound to happen to Hank one day and they did a bad thing by letting him serve on the team. Havok agrees.
Brute gets arrested by the police and the Fallen asks Brute if he wants him to send a note to his parents, that he'll be a good son. Brute repeats that he will be a good son, and the Fallen gloats he knows he will be and Brute gets taken away.

Characters Involved: 

Bloodstorm, Brute, Fallen, Havok, Ice-Man, Marvel Woman/Goblin Queen (The Six)

Man-Spider / Peter Parker

The Green Goblin/Norman Osborn

Story Notes: 

The Clone debacle Maddie speaks of contained in the real universe that Peter Parker, Spider-Man was cloned by Dr. Miles Warren and it resulted in Ben Reilly, who followed Peter into his footsteps and for a time took over his role as Spider-Man while Peter resigned. Reilly was eventually killed and Peter was once again the one and only Spider-Man.

In the real universe Spider-Man got his six arms as a result of ingesting a serum that was meant to cure him of his powers. It took a new serum with the addition of the vampire Morbius’s blood to cure him from that condition. [See Amazing Spider-Man #100-102] Apparently he didn't find a cure in this universe.

Norman Osborn, the Green Goblin, is in the real universe Spider-Man's worst enemy as well, mostly because he killed his first love, Gwen Stacy, during a battle on the Brooklyn Bridge.

Issue Information: 
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