04x04 - Chapter IV: The Return of Kraven

[bunniefuu]

Peter, don't forget to
water all the plants.

Aunt May, relax.

You're just going to be
staying around the block.

I know dear, but I wanna give
Anna Watson all my attention.

She's been devastated since
Mary Jane's been gone.

She's not the only one.

Shall I ring the bell?

No. Anna gave me the key.

Take care while I'm gone.

Dear Aunt May.

She's never given up her faith
in the value of helping others.

I wish I could feel the same.

But after what happened to Mary
Jane, I'm angry at the world.

Question is, can I be this angry

and still live up to my
responsibilities as Spider-Man?

I got your message.

What did you want to
see me about, Felicia?

Mother and I are
preparing our budget

for next year's youth
science program.

We need your input.

There's a break-in in the east lab,

near the warehouse storage area.

I don't believe it.
It's Sergei Kravinoff.

What's he doing here?

Who is that wild man?

Stay here while I
see if I can help.

Parker, come back!

This does not concern any of you.

Well, I don't know about that.

I'm a caring kind of guy.

Spider-Man. One of the last
person I wanted to see.

I forgot. This bolas wire is
stronger than my webbing.

- Run.
- Look out.

Mother!

- Are you alright?
- Yes, thanks to you.

That maniac nearly k*lled you.

I'm going to get help.

The last time I saw Kravinoff,
he helped me as a friend.

Now he's acting more like his insane
altered ego, Kraven the Hunter.

What's changed him?

Hang on tight.

You okay, Spider?

Yeah. Must have been some
chemical in that powder.

It's making my head
pound like a jungle drum.

I'll give you a hand up.

Forget it.
I'll be okay in a sec.

Spider.

You really do have to take
better care of yourself.

This is humiliating.

I'm saved, then chided
by the Black Cat.

Who does she think she is?

Superhero version of Aunt May?

This lab is ruined.

What did that maniac want?

Good question.
What was in this cabinet?

Well, it contained serum that a
doctor named Mariah Crawford

had been working on.

It was one originally developed
by a friend of hers, Dr. Reeves.

Dr. Reeves?

Reeves gave me the last
vial of his wonder drug.

Could this have been the serum

that turn Kravinoff into
Kraven in the first place?

Is Dr. Crawford here in town?

Last I heard, she was still in Africa
fighting an outbreak of the plague.

The serum is gone.
The jungle man must have taken it.

Did Kraven use the serum again?

And turn himself back
into that monster?

I will not hurt Mariah.

So you gonna hurt me instead?

And if he did, why?

You don't seemed to
understand, Spider.

I've been given this great power.

I owed it to the world to
give something back.

Like you, I want to do
good things with it.

Do yourself a big favor.
Forget it.

My great powers have given
me nothing but grief.

Quit while you still can.

If it's so bad, why don't you quit?

Lady, I've been asking myself the
same question every night since...

What was that?

It sounded like some
kind of wild animal.

- No! No!
- Someone's being attacked.

It's a monster.

He's as strong as me.

He is Kraven now.

Kraven the Hunter.

Last time, we met as friends,
but make no mistake,

I would sooner destroy you
than suffer your interference.

Not this time, pal.

You've taken the serum.

I want to know why.

Is this private or can any
party animal join the hunt?

Stay back.
Kraven's too dangerous.

Thanks.

You gave me time to untangle
his little toy and use it on him.

See? We really ought to
work together, Spider.

Look, I told you before,
I'm not interested.

That's why I work alone.

Watch it!

Cat, stay out of his way.

Cat. Look out!

If you ever try to stop me again,

I promise I will destroy you!

Spider!

Thank goodness.
You're only stunned.

Blast. He got away because of you.

What were you thinking?

You risk both our lives for this?

I couldn't let an innocent
creature be destroyed.

Don't you care about
anybody anymore?

That's just the problem.

- I don't think I do.
- Wait.

I don't know why you
wanna be a crime fighter.

But take my advice.
In the end, you'll regret it, big time.

I wish I could tell him why
I wanna be a crime fighter.

It's not just for me
but for my father as well.

I wanted something better for you,
better than the life I've had.

Daddy, this isn't your fault.

There was no way you could
have stopped the Kingpin

from giving me that serum.

Maybe, but what about all
the times you needed me

when you were growing up
and I wasn't there?

Will you ever forgive me for that?

That's all in the past.

I want to make up for all the
mistakes he made in his life.

That's what he'd want me to do.

That Spider has become
so hard-hearted lately.

How can I make him understand what
a great companion the Cat can be?

I should feel badly about this.

After all, Kraven did
save my life once.

Now I'm trying to bring him in.

Why am I always hurting people

especially once this mask is on?

I wonder how Aunt May is
doing with Anna Watson?

Maybe I ought to peek in to
make sure everything's okay.

Hey, who's that guy
watching the house?

It's Harry Osborn.

Looks like he's taking Mary Jane's
disappearance as hard as I am.

I should talk to him,
but I have nothing to offer.

The Black Cat was right.

I feel nothing in my heart
right now for others

and that makes me a worse
monster than Kraven.

Help!

Help!

No. No!

FEROCIOUS STALKER
TERRORIZING NEW YORK

ATTACKER BEHAVED
LIKE A MONSTER

It's interesting.

Flash! This would be much
easier if you would hold still.

Debra, I never did anything like
this with any of my other dates,

not even Felicia Hardy.

I'll consider myself a member of
an elite society from here on end.

Yes, claw marks!

And a hair sample.

This supports my theory

that the night stalker
is some strange animal.

Phase one of my
investigation is complete.

Now phase two.

Phase two?

Alright Spidey, you've
faced this puzzle before.

How do you hunt for the hunter

in an asphalt jungle
as big as New York?

The last time, I tracked him down

at the special jungle exhibit
at the Central Park Zoo.

He's at home in that
kind of environment.

That's where he has an advantage.

I'll start there.

I just wish I knew what he's after.

Okay, the coast is clear.

Debra, what are we doing here?

Listen Flash. This was where
that creature was spotted last.

If I can prove it's existence,

maybe I can get funding for another
project I've been wanting to do.

Project? What project?

I thought I heard something.

Wait a minute.

I've just figured it out.

Figured what out?

You've been into
this weirdo stuff

ever since Michael
Morbius disappeared.

You think this might lead
to Morbius, don't you.

That's your project, isn't it?

You don't know what
you're talking about.

Well, you want to find that vampire?

Debra, are you crazy?

Look, Flash...

What on earth?

Sounds like I came
to the right place.

It's got to be Kraven.

Help. Help!

Come out of hiding, Jungle Man.

I know you're here.

So it is you, Kraven.

I have already warned you to
leave me alone, Spider-Man.

Oh no! Not more jungle dust.

Can't see straight.

Can barely move.

I can't risk further interference.

I will keep my promise
and end this charade now.

- Argh!
- No! Don't!

Back off.

Are you alright?

There's nothing that beast can dish
out that this beauty can't handle.

Look!

Stay back!

Why do you stalk this city?

This hunt is not my passion.

It is my tragedy.

Great. Just great.

Don't worry, Spider.
I'll help you find him.

I don't need your help.

I need you to stay out of
my way, out of my life!

- What's with him?
- I don't know.

He seems to be going through
some personal struggle right now.

Unfortunately, it's
giving him tunnel vision.

I mean, there's more involved
here than what Spider thinks.

For instance, why did Kraven
call his hunt a tragedy?

And you two.
What are you doing here?

We're not doing anything that I
wouldn't drop any hot New York minute

if you needed me.

In fact, if Spider-Man doesn't
want to be your partner,

I'm willing to...

I have a scientific
interest in the stalker,

so I tracked him down to
his lair, here, in the park.

Really? Perhaps we need to talk.

Is Kraven and this ferocious
stalker one and the same?

But if so, how is he
transforming himself?

And why?

Was it a nasty after effect
of his taking the serum?

I've got to figure out
where he'll strike next.

Now that Central Park
isn't his lair any longer,

does East River Park seems
like the next best location?

I couldn't see it clearly.

It was some kind
of horrible monster.

It headed east out of the park.

Well, I had the right park,
but I'm too late.

Kraven's on the move again.

The Williamsburg Bridge
leads to Brooklyn.

Now, why would Kraven
be headed there?

Of course. Prospect Park!

It has a botanical garden and zoo.

Kraven's probably picked
up the animal's scent.

Yes?

Debra. What's wrong?

You need what?

Okay. Okay, I'll be right there.

Kraven.

Do not dare interfere again!

Now I'm really mad.

You got my suit wet again.

You're not getting away,

not until you tell me what your
connection is to that stalker.

- Are you that creature?
- Me?

No, I am not the creature

but I did create it.

What?

Yes. I created it willingly.

And then it destroyed my love,

Mariah.

My little Calypso exists no more.

No! I can't have lost her too!

Why did you let that happen? Why?

Spider, wait!

- Leave me alone!
- You've got to calm down.

There is something here
you don't understand,

something you must know
about that creature.

All I need to know is that it
destroyed a good friend of mine.

And after I'm finished with this
scum, I'm going to destroy it.

No. Debra Whitman analyzed
the hair samples in the lab.

She discovered the creature's DNA.

It's female!

- What?
- Don't you get it?

When Kraven spoke
of his tragedy,

he said it with
passion in his voice.

With love.

That creature is probably
someone that Kraven loves.

- A woman.
- No. It can't be.

That's the truth, isn't it?

No use trying to break free.

I mixed up a stronger batch
of webbing just for you.

Better for you to talk, Tarzan.

Tragedy is like a strong acid.

It dissolves away all but
the very cold of truth.

My beloved Mariah
Crawford went to Africa

to help the victims
of a lethal virus.

I was devastated when she
contracted the disease herself.

The doctors said she
could not be saved.

There was only one hope.

The serum that Mariah
used to save my life

when I was the Hunter.

She was still trying to perfect it,
to make it safe.

That was why we had it with us.

I did not know if I had
done the right thing.

Her recovery was miraculous.

She seemed completely healed.

I brought her back to
New York to recuperate.

All was well at first.

But then the serum had an effect even
stranger than the one it had on me.

She became a worse feral creature
than I had once become.

Mariah?

She was too strong.
I couldn't hold her.

I only knew one thing that could
make me powerful enough to catch her,

the remaining sample of serum that
transform me into Kraven the Hunter.

I didn't want to take it,
but I knew it was my only hope.

As Kraven, I could
hunt her with abilities

far beyond those of
an ordinary human.

I only wanted to catch her
before someone else did

and cure her.

So Dr. Mariah Crawford
is the hideous creature?

Yes.

You must know I would never
harm my beloved Calypso.

- Calypso?
- His nickname for her.

Calypso was a Greek goddess who
offered Odysseus the gift of life.

I believe you and I want to help
you, but I don't know how.

Wait, I do.

Debra Whitman figured enough of this
out to go ask Dr. Curt Connors for help.

Connors was familiar
with Crawford's work.

He used that knowledge to make this.

It's a possible antidote
based on the sample

of Dr. Crawford's plasma which
was on file at the Hardy Foundation.

It probably won't be
a complete cure,

but it might reverse some
of her transformation.

- Can we use it on him?
- No.

No, it's tailored only
to her blood cells.

I have the creature's scent.

I know she is nearby.

You must set me free.

- Well?
- Alright. Let him loose.

After all, I wouldn't want to be
accused of being heartless.

Calypso?

Kraven, my darling.

- Dr. Crawford?
- Spider-Man.

Is there a cure for her?

Can she be transformed all the
way back to her normal human self?

The only one who could
come up with that antidote

is Dr. Mariah Crawford herself.

No, I do not want to change.

Don't you understand?

You and I, we are truly
kindred spirits now.

I do understand.

We must go.

Go? But where?

We will go where we can be free.

Perhaps it is better this way.

I vow to stay by her side
and protect her always.

I feel like we lost this one.

At least Kraven and Mariah still
have their love for each other.

And what kind of life
are they going to have?

I forgot. You don't believe in
happily ever after these days.

But don't you still believe in love?

In opening your heart to others?

Seems to me it's a prerequisite
for your line of work.

I don't know.

Maybe I will again, some day.

Peter, what are you doing here?

You still need a roommate?

Well...

...it is a big place.

I got to figuring, maybe we
need each other right now...

...old pal.