WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Symbiote Spider-Man: Alien Reality #1, by Peter David and Greg Land, on sale now. 

Like its predecessor, Marvel's Symbiote Spider-Man: Alien Reality takes place in the 1980s, before Peter Parker discovered his black suit was actually an alien being. This time around, however, the wall-crawler finds himself in a strange alternate reality that’s far more dangerous than he could have ever imagined.

The first issue begins with Black Widow encountering Doctor Strange in Siberia. The Master of the Mystic Arts has excavated a book from beneath the snow that he refers to as “the Word of God.” Realizing that this is above her pay grade, Natasha decided to leave Strange to his devices. At the same time, Spidey is in the middle of a slugfest with Kraven the Hunter at JFK airport.

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During the fight, Peter's injected with a non-fatal toxin that turns his world upside down. After things go fuzzy, he discovers that the Kraven isn’t a villain, he’s actually his partner Not only that, but he still drives the Spider-Mobile and the Black Widow of this reality is the Black Cat. Disoriented, confused and desperate for answers, Spider-Man seeks the help of Dr. Strange, stating, “When everything’s insane, there’s only one guy to go to for advice.”

Longtime Strange confidant, Wong, greets Peter at the door. Spider-Man’s relief at seeing Strange’s longtime friend is immediately squashed when Wong makes it clear that he doesn’t know who Dr. Strange is, but he will take him to the Sorcerer Supreme’s acolyte. As the pair reach a door, Peter's spidey-sense goes nuts. Waiting for him on the other side of that door, dressed very much like the Sorcerer Supreme, is none other than the Hobgoblin.

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Unlike Kraven, in this topsy-turvy world of swapped identities, Hobgoblin is still very much an adversary of Spider-Man. Created by Roger Stern and John Romita Jr., Hobgoblin made his debut as the Green Goblin’s successor in 1983's The Amazing Spider-Man #238 and remains one of the wall-crawler's most recognizable villains to this day. In this story, though, he is infinitely more threatening now that he has the ability to use magic.

Hobgoblin wants to know that Spider-Man remembers the world as it used to be. Spider-Man leaps at him, demanding to know what he’s done, only to pass through a portal that sends him flying in the opposite direction. Hobgoblin admits he’s responsible for the bizarre reality they now inhabit, telling him, “I want you to appreciate the awesome finality of your defeat!”

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Spidey crashes through the Sanctum Sanctorum and starts web-slinging away. Hobgoblin doesn’t need his glider anymore, now that he has the cloak of levitation, but decides to go it old school and chases him through the streets of New York, throwing pumpkin bombs and magic at Spider-Man at every turn. Until Peter manages to turn down an alley and escape Hobgoblin’s sight. The final page of the issue reveals a haggard-looking Stephen Strange. His hair is long, he’s sporting a full beard and his cloak has been replaced by a brown duster. “

There are still a lot of mysteries surrounding this reality and just what role Kraven's toxin played in what Spider-Man is experiencing. Still, a reality in which Hobgoblin is the Sorcerer Supreme is a dire one indeed.

Symbiote Spider-Man #1 is on sale now.

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