WARNING: contains spoilers to The Amazing Spider-Man #50, in stores now!
Sometimes no matter how deep you bury them, your inner demons managed to come back to haunt you. Unfortunately if you're Spider-Man, that isn't just a metaphor, as his latest villain Kindred has decided to accelerate his campaign against the wall-crawler, who he has sought to torment by orchestrating a new gauntlet of pain and suffering. Proving that not only does he know Spider-Man's true identity but also his personal history, Kindred has dug up, literally, two of Spider-Man's greatest failures, Captain George Stacy and his daughter Gwen for a dinner party that is sure to send Peter straight back to therapy.
First appearing in The Amazing Spider-Man #56 (1968), Captain George Stacy took a special interest in Spider-Man, often defending him against critics while also being supportive of Peter Parker's developing relationship with his daughter, Gwen. Eventually the formerly retired officer began to suspect that Spider-Man and Peter were the same person, but his secret died with him during a battle between Spider-Man and Doctor Octopus. Unintentionally, their battle caused chunks of concrete to rain down on the onlookers below. George leapt to save a little boy from being crushed, although his heroism cost him his life. He soon died in Spider-Man's arms, revealing that he knew Peter's true identity and begging him to look after Gwen. This was a promise that Spider-Man would regret being unable to keep as Gwen was kidnapped by the Green Goblin in The Amazing Spider-Man #121 (1973). As Spider-Man and the Goblin fought on top the George Washington Bridge, Gwen was pushed off the bridge and Spider-Man attempted to save her with a web-line, controversially killing her due to the whiplash caused by the sudden stop.
In The Amazing Spider-Man #50 by Nick Spencer with art by Patrick Gleason, the supernatural villain Kindred was last seen in a cemetery ominously monologuing to "Pete" about his decision to sacrifice Norman Osborn and how one's sins never remain buried forever. In this issue, we see that Kindred is not talking just to hear himself, as his supernatural centipedes prove they're not just for decoration, digging through the ground and helping to desecrate a grave while Kindred waits. As the villain leaves with his prize, we learn that the grave is none other than Captain George Stacy's final resting place, where he had remained undisturbed until now. Later, as Kindred continues to torture and manipulate Peter's actions, he's seen setting the dinner table for the most macabre dinner party imaginable. While lighting candles and organizing the cutlery is one thing, Kindred is sure that this will be a party Peter will never forget as it's revealed he not only dug up George Stacy but also Gwen's body as well.
This latest issue proves that Kindred's long game is beginning to lead to its conclusion, as he removes players from the field while also adding new challenges for his old "friend". No longer content with bringing back and manipulating Peter's enemies, Kindred has evolved to possessing Peter's other spider-themed allies and pushing him towards a final confrontation by exhausting him physically, psychologically, and spiritually. While Peter has no idea who Kindred really is, Kindred shows he not only knows Peter's alternate identity but also has in-depth knowledge of his past, which includes his inner circle and greatest failures. With his true identity revealed by Norman Osborn at the end of this issue, Kindred indeed has a long history with Spider-Man, and more than a few axes to grind with the overwhelmed wall-crawler. Hopefully Spider-Man can snap out of this current rut he's in and save the day but, at this point, it seems Kindred seeks to drag Peter Parker to a personal hell that even he may not be able to escape.