PARTNERS IN DANGER
Chapter IV

Kraven the Hunter returns for the first and last time since he aided Spider-Man through the Neogenic Nightmare. His resurrection is no battle, but a plea, brought back by the misfortunes of his lover Mariah Crawford — once his ally, now transformed into the animalistic beast Calypso. Love becomes twisted into obsession, and devotion into darkness, as their bond collapses under the weight of magic and madness.

The episode pulses with the theme of belonging. Kraven and Mariah are bound together, yet torn apart by the rage of Calypso’s nature. Their tragedy mirrors the fragile ties of others: Flash Thompson and Debra Whitman, mismatched yet reaching for connection, and Spider-Man and the Black Cat, whose attraction grows even as mistrust lingers.

Spider-Man stands at the centre of these tangled bonds, watching as love becomes both strength and peril. Felicia Hardy’s presence sparks new passion, but her independence keeps Peter at arm’s length. Their dance of loyalty and defiance contrasts sharply with Kraven and Mariah’s descent, showing how love can either redeem or destroy.

At its heart, The Return of Kraven is about love in all its forms — mismatched, fragile, enduring, and possibly doomed. It shows that even in a world of masks and battles, the need to belong together defines heroes and villains alike, shaping destinies as surely as power or fate.

May Parker moves in with Anna Watson, offering comfort as both women grieve Mary Jane’s loss. Peter, after helping his aunt, attends a Hardy Foundation meeting withFelicia and Anastasia, but Kraven the Hunter storms the building. Spider-Man and Black Cat rise to defend it, yet Kraven escapes, seeking the serum that once made him feral.

Kraven ambushes Spider-Man, knocking him out with gas. Black Cat intervenes, but the hunter slips away. When Peter awakens, he lashes out at Felicia, warning her that a life of crimefighting brings only sorrow. Their bond strains under the weight of his grief and her determination.

Reports of a savage stalker spread across New York. Spider-Man suspects Kraven and prepares new webbing to ensnare him. Debra Whitman uncovers evidence of an animal form, and with Flash Thompson, faces the creature at the jungle exhibit. Spider-Man saves them, but Kraven appears, binding him and casting him to the lions — only for Black Cat to rescue him once more.

Debra alerts Curt Connors, while Spider-Man hunts Kraven, convinced he is the monster. He captures him, but Kraven protests his innocence. Black Cat calms Peter’s fury as Kraven reveals the truth: the creature is Mariah, his lover, infected in Africa and saved by the serum, only to transform into a beast upon their return.

Together, Spider-Man, Black Cat, and Kraven attempt to cure Mariah with Connors’ serum. It lessens her transformation, but she refuses full humanity, declaring herself and Kraven kindred spirits. They depart into the shadows, while Peter and Harry Osborn choose to share a flat once more, seeking strength in friendship against the burdens they carry.

ROGUE’S GALLERY

CALYPSO

Calypso emerges in The Amazing Spider-Man #209 as a voodoo priestess of Haitian descent, her sorcery twisting fear into power. From the start she was tied to Kraven the Hunter, manipulating his obsession with Spider-Man and driving his hunts into ritual and madness.

Her magic sets her apart from other foes, striking not at the body but at the spirit. Illusions, potions, and mind control make her battles unpredictable, forcing Spider-Man to confront dangers beyond science or strength.

Through Kraven, her influence deepens — she is both partner and corrupter, turning his pursuit of the wall‑crawler into a curse. In her hands, the hunt becomes sacrifice, obsession becomes doom.

Calypso embodies corruption of spirit, a villain defined by mystic cruelty and manipulation. Her presence lingers as a reminder that Spider-Man’s world is not only threatened by crime, but by darkness itself.

The Black Cat | Partners