Added Amazing Spider-Man: Hobgoblin

In late 2022, Marvel Comics released Amazing Spider-Man volume 6 #14 as a prelude to Dark Web, a Spider-Man event that involved the X-Men. The issue featured Ben Reilly in his new villainous Chasm identity. The issue was reprinted in the collected edition Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 3: Hobgoblin.

At the time this issue was released, Ben Reilly had last been seen in Free Comic Book Day 2022: Spider-Man/Venom #1, where he was first seen teaming up with the Goblin Queen.

The issue was broken up into four stories, each titled after a season of the year. This indicated almost a year of time passing in the issue.

In the first story of Amazing Spider-Man vol. 6 #14, Ben Reilly appeared on 4 pages. Janine Godbe returned to their meager apartment to find Ben unpacking technology that he stole from a raid on a safe house owned by the Beyond Corporation. The technology had been used for a failed Project Purgatory. Ben hoped to use the technology to get revenge on Peter Parker, who Ben believed was to blame for his stolen memories. Janine was unsure and left. Some time later, Janine returned to find Ben asleep at his computer. She woke him up and told him there was nothing out in the world for her, that he was the only thing she had. She agreed to follow him on whatever mission or calling he was being drawn toward, even if they have to burn down the whole world.

In the second story of Amazing Spider-Man vol. 6 #14, Ben Reilly appeared on 7 pages. Ben stood outside of Peter Parker’s apartment even though he knew Peter wasn’t there. He was then approached by a debt collector who assumed he was Peter Parker. After a tense exchange, Ben returned to his own apartment. He and Janine had completed work on the stolen technology, which turned out to be a portal to the demonic realm known as Limbo. There he was met by a group of demons who followed him yelling insults about him being a clone. He soon met Madelyne Pryor the Goblin Queen, who was getting similar insults hurled at her by other demons. The two groups of demons confronted each other, as Ben and Madelyne looked on. Ben explained that he felt Limbo call to him, and Madelyne explained that the dimension had started calling to others that share her pain of being a clone. She invited him to see what they could do for each other.

In the third story of Amazing Spider-Man vol. 6 #14, Ben Reilly appeared on 2 pages. Ben and Janine were visiting Limbo for a dinner with the Goblin Queen. Madelyne mentioned enjoying their mischievous excursions to Earth but was concerned about Ben’s next plans to attack New York. Ben proposed leading Madelyne’s army in the attack, which would provide cover for Madelyne to accomplish her goal. After dinner, Madelyne met with Janine and used the severed finger of S’ym to grant Janine mystical powers, transforming her into Hallows’ Eve.

In the fourth story of Amazing Spider-Man vol. 6 #14, Ben Reilly appeared on 7 pages. Ben stood outside the apartment of Peter Parker one last time, and was again harassed by the debt collector who assumed he was Peter Parker. Ben forcefully clarified he was Ben but couldn’t remember his last name. After attacking the debt collector, he and Hallows’ Eve brought him to Limbo. Madelyne was familiar with him, and told him he could go free if he bit into a mystical fruit from a tree she had grown. He did so, and the fruit absorbed his soul. Madelyne inhaled the aroma now coming off of the fruit to sample his soul. They now had a way for Ben to retrieve his memories from Peter Parker. Madelyne agreed to give Ben command of her Limbo army of demons. The three agreed to the plan: Ben would pursue Peter Parker, Madelyne would pursue Jean Grey, and Hallows’ Eve would help Madelyn retrieve her treasure, her son.

Placing these stories presented a challenge. The story titles and the seasonal depiction of weather in each story suggested each installment took place months apart, over the course of nearly a year. However, Marvel’s monthly publication of comics that continue stories over months of our time means that the passage of time in the Marvel Universe is not the same as ours. That typically means 1 year in our world is only weeks or months in the Marvel Universe.

The first two stories, “Spring” and “Summer,” took place before Free Comic Book 2022: Spider-Man/Venom #1. That one-shot was published shortly after the conclusion to the Beyond era of Amazing Spider-Man, wrapping up Ben’s second tenure as Spider-Man. So, we’ve moved Free Comic Book Day 2022: Spider-Man/Venom #1 to Phase Nine of Limbo Part 6.

The third story, “Fall,” took place shortly after that Free Comic Book issue, with Madelyne’s mention of mischievous excursions to New York even getting an editor’s note acknowledging the reference. “Winter” took place several months later during a snowy day in New York.

All four stories have been added to Limbo Part 6. “Spring” is at the end of Phase Eight. “Summer” is near the beginning of Phase Nine. “Fall” is at the end of Phase Nine. And “Winter” is in Phase Eleven. I may nudge them around a little, but ultimately there’s no getting around the discrepancy in the passage of time depicted in this issue in comparison to the rest of Marvel’s comics published over the previous year, and Marvel’s informal principal of a sliding timescale. For a better reading experience, it’s best to not take the seasons in the issue literally.