Warning: Spoilers ahead for Amazing Spider-Man #60.

After all these years, Spider-Man's greatest secret – the deal he struck with Mephisto that would be erased from his memory – is finally out. Nick Spencer's Amazing Spider-Man run is finally forcing Peter Parker to confront the truth about his forgotten past. Spencer is taking a slow-burn approach, but it's gradually become clear that the wall-crawler's newest nemesis Kindred is actually a demonic Harry Osborn from the pre-One More Day timeline.

Kindred forced Spider-Man to go to Doctor Strange for help, and the Sorcerer Supreme realized there was something terribly wrong with his friend's soul. Naturally, Strange has no idea what this means When Spider-Man struck an unwise deal with Mephisto to rewrite history, even Peter himself was affected by it. But if anyone can figure out the truth, it is undoubtedly Doctor Strange. He is, after all, the greatest sorcerer of this world. He is no stranger to the powers of Mephisto, and in Nick Spencer and Mark Bagley's Amazing Spider-Man #60 Strange's quest to learn the truth takes him to Mephisto himself.

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The comic ends with Doctor Strange breaking into Mephisto's current lair and confronting him about Kindred. Mephisto initially claims not to know anything about him – "and even if I had, most of my former employees don't leave forwarding addresses," Marvel's version of the Devil observes. Strange is not interested in playing games, and tells Mephisto he is rather more concerned with what he learned when he looked for Kindred. "Tell me, Devil," Strange insists, "what is wrong with Peter Parker's soul?" Mephisto is turned away from him, and so Strange does not see the look of glee on his face.

Doctor Strange Confronts Mephisto

Peter Parker's deal with the devil was always naïve. He believed his marriage to Mary Jane Watson was the only thing taken from him, but he failed to factor in the damage done to his very soul in dealing with Mephisto. Worse still, because his memories were taken as part of the agreement, Peter has no real knowledge of what is wrong with him; just the nagging sense that he is responsible for something, but he does not know what.

Mephisto's delight suggests he always intended the truth to be revealed in the end. It is quite possible Spider-Man was just a pawn in a greater game, with Mephisto's eyes set on a prize of far greater significance to the cosmic order. Doctor Strange may well find he has no choice but to imitate his MCU counterpart, and come to bargain. But this time it would be with a losing hand, and Spider-Man's soul on the line.

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