The following article contains spoilers for Amazing Spider-Man #18, on sale now from Marvel Comics.
Ben Reilly/Chasm rules over Limbo as the Goblin King and gets a major costume upgrade in Marvel's Amazing Spider-Man #18.
Amazing Spider-Man #18 comes from writer Zeb Wells, penciler Ed McGuinness, inker Cliff Rathburn, colorists Marcio Menyz and Erick Arciniega and letterer VC's Joe Caramagna. Throughout Marvel's Dark Web event, Ben has aligned himself with Madelyne Pryor/the Goblin Queen and assisted her in launching an attack against Spider-Man, X-Men and all of New York City. Madelyne, however, has switched sides and joined the X-Men in repelling the attack after Jean Grey let her access her memories of raising Nathan Summers in Dark Web: X-Men #3 (by Gerry Duggan, Phil Noto, Rod Reis and VC's Cory Petit), thus leaving Ben and his girlfriend, Janine Godbe/Hallows' Eve, alone in their villainy.
Hallows' Eve confronts Madelyne, who became the queen of Limbo in 2022's New Mutants #28 (by Vita Ayala, Rod Reis, Jan Duursema, Ruth Redmond and VC's Travis Lanham), about her decision in Amazing Spider-Man #18 -- a confrontation that results in Hallows' Eve stealing Madelyne's scythe. "All of Limbo's leaders have a weapon," Hallows' Eve says when giving it to Ben. "If they lose it, well...they lose that authority."
Chasm proceeds to pick up the staff and then transforms into a massive version of himself complete with an enhanced costume and accompanying wings. When he then confronts Peter Parker and Rek-Rap -- a new, demonic version of Spider-Man -- an army of Limbo demons question Chasm their new "Goblin King," which Chasm confirms is accurate.
Marvel's Dark Web Event Nears Its Conclusion
Having initially begun in Dec. 2022 with Dark Web #1, Marvel's X-Men/Spider-Man event will conclude in Feb. 2023. Both the penultimate chapter, Venom #16 (by Al Ewing and Bryan Hitch), and the last entry, Dark Web: Finale #1 (by Wells and Kubert) arrive on Feb. 1. The synopsis for Dark Web: Finale reads, "The dawn rises after the demonic invasion of New York City, but what will that light reveal? It will reveal Chasm’s final gambit and the new denizens of Hell he helped create and unleash on Spider-Man and the X-Men! See how Dark Web changed this city’s landscape forever!"
Amazing Spider-Man #18 features cover art by John Romita Jr., Scott Hanna and Romulo Fajardo Jr. and variant cover art by McGuinness, Rathburn, Menyz, Ryan Stegman, JP Mayer and Sonia Oback. The issue is on sale now from Marvel.
Source: Marvel