Spider-Man '94 has been quite the ride, giving fans of the 90's animated show a sense of closure as well as a new season of the beloved show. We've seen familiar characters return, seen new adaptations of characters previously not featured in the show, and even seen old enemies become friends, or at least hesitant allies. And now, with issue 5, J.M. DeMatteis brings the story to a close. Does the story falter at the end? Or do we get an ending worthy of the original cartoon?
*Mild spoilers ahead for Spider-Man '94 #5*
As stated in my previous pieces on Spider-Man '94, the series has taken some creative liberties with some of their new characters, none more so than Kaine. Once a "failed" clone of Spider-Man courtesy of the Jackel, this universe has already changed him to be a clone not of our friendly neighborhood webhead, but of the immortal menace Morlun. Cloned over and over again to be nothing more than sustenance for the ageless villain, his life has been an endless cycle of blind obedience and pain. But now it appears that cycle is at an end, as shortly after being killed by Morlun yet again, the latest clone resurrects himself as something new. Something, it seems, that even Morlun is afraid of.
Given everything that Morlun has done over the course of the series, one would be justified in thinking he's getting what he deserves as the green slime-like monstrosity ensnares him in its grasp, preparing to kill him. But despite everything, Spider-Man does what he does best, leaping in to combat the creature to save Morlun. Though the creature formerly known as Kaine is barely phased by the attack, Morlun does manage to escape as the beast turns its attention away long enough to make quick work of Spider-Man. Kraven the Hunter tries to help, stabbing the creature through the torso with his spear, but this too barely phases it. It prepares to kill the hunter only to stop as a surprise moment of emotion from Kraven summons forth a sudden surge of humanity within Kaine, allowing him to truly understand and appreciate life for perhaps the first time before going after Morlun.
Meanwhile, Morlun prepares to flee the building, not sharing his saviors' sense of self-sacrifice as he instead chooses to enact his ultimate plan. A plan that will result in much of the world's population dying, leaving him to rule over the "strong" that remain. Assuming the creature formerly known as Kaine doesn't kill him first.
I'll admit, I found myself significantly less interested and concerned about Morlun's plans here than I was about Kaine's evolution. Don't get me wrong, Morlun's plan had high stakes that bordered on an Avengers level threat, especially given how easily he'd handled Spider-Man thus far, but that took a backseat for me compared to what Kaine was going to do, largely because of the unpredictability of DeMatteis's version of the character. We've watched Kaine grow and evolve throughout the series, questioning himself and his purpose, gaining a degree of independence, and now reaching a point where he's both at his most monstrous and most human. Compared to that, Morlun is ultimately just another villain, no different than Green Goblin or Doctor Octopus were when I was growing up with the show.
I also really enjoyed seeing Spider-Man caught between these two seemingly unbeatable foes, struggling to stop Morlun even as he tries to save him from Kaine's wrath. It's a fantastic showing of exactly what makes Spider-Man such a fantastic hero, one who has remained a favorite across multiple generations. I especially liked how DeMatteis implemented this into the conflict's conclusion, turning it from a battle of might into more of a lesson in true humanity.
Of course, DeMatteis doesn't simply end the story with the conclusion of the conflict, cathartic as it was. After all, one of the strengths of the original cartoon was Peter's relationships outside of his webbed onesie. And boy, does DeMatteis do those justice, neatly tying up things with Mary Jane and even giving us a sweet exchange with Aunt May that was long overdue. With so many Spider-Man stories determined to keep him miserable, it's nice to see a happy ending to the story, with the final panel being as perfect an ending to the story so many of us grew up with as we're likely to ever get.
Was the series perfect? No. It had its share of issues. Some born of the challenges of adapting a cartoon to a comic book format. Others creative choices that might not sit well with longtime fans of the comics. But overall, it was a fun time, giving us just a little bit longer in a world that had ended so abruptly decades ago. Will the story continue from here? Time will tell, though if this proves to be the end, then it's an ending worthy of the show that started it.
Spider-Man '94 #5 is available now from Marvel Comics.
