We continue our Spider-Man Christmas with 1990's "Creatures Stirring" from Spectacular Spider-Man #173 by Gerry Conway, David Michelinie and Sal Buscema...

Gerry Conway's run on Spectacular Spider-Man slowly comes to an end beginning with this issue, as he wrote the first few pages and then Michelinie took over (and then plotted the next issue and that was it).

The issue sees the return of Doctor Octopus, who kills some thugs at the beginning of the issue and then goes to visit Aunt May, the only person who was ever really nice to him.

Meanwhile, Spider-Man is being hounded by the slimy photographer Nick Katzenberg, who also gives Peter crap at the Daily Bugle Christmas Party, leading to an altercation where Peter bumps Nick, who bumps into a table and knocking the expensive present Peter got for Mary Jane to the ground, breaking it. Peter then goes off on Nick and almost seriously injures him. He collects himself as he realizes everyone is freaked out at the sight of Peter Parker throwing a guy around. Peter heads home to calm down, but on the way, he naturally comes across Doctor Octopus outside his home...

Kind of a dark Christmas plot there.