Why is Spider-Man on Drugs? Our Exclusive Preview Answers (& It's Not What You'd Expect)

The opening arc of Amazing Spider-Man is nearing its conclusion, and as a result, Spider-Man is trying to figure out what kind of conpiracy he has found himself caught up in. In the first issue of Amazing Spider-Man, Spider-Man's foe, the Rhino, almost died after being poisoned by a mysterious drug. After Spidey saved his life, he discovered that the Rhino was actually ACCIDENTALLY poisoned. Some villain was putting a LITTLE bit of a new drug in a soda bottling plant, but the Rhino just happened to drink so much soda that he got a big dosage of the drug. Spider-Man, himself, was then given a large dose of the drug, as well, and has been hallucinating since the end of the first issue of the series. At the end of the previous issue, Spider-Man discovered that Hobgoblin was behind the scheme, and in this CBR exclusive preview of next week's Amazing Spider-Man #4, Spider-Man tries to figure out WHAT Hobboblin is doing, while also staying alive while fighting his fearsome foe while tripping balls.

Amazing Spider-Man #4 is from writer Joe Kelly, artist Pepe Larraz, colorists Marte Gracia, and letterer Joe Caramagna, and it also continues a key subplot where Peter Parker has reconnected with a middle school friend who has helped Peter get a new job, but reuniting with his old friend has made Peter start to think of some of the drama that went down when Peter was friends with this "bad influence" when they were kids.

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #4

Joe Kelly (W) • Pepe Larraz (A/C)

VARIANT COVER BY MARK CHIARELLO • VARIANT COVER BY GREG LAND

IMPOSSIBLE MAN POP-UP VARIANT COVER BY PEPE LARRAZ

TIMELESS VIRGIN VARIANT COVER BY ALEX ROSS

TIMELESS VIRGIN SKETCH VARIANT COVER BY ALEX ROSS

• The cause of Spider-Man’s and Rhino’s rampages – and the mastermind behind it – is revealed!

• Norman Osborn ain’t the only GOBLIN back in Peter’s so-called life!

32 PGS./Rated T …$4.99

In the preview pages, Peter's old friend, Brian Kehring, agreed to analyze a can of soda that Peter brought in in the hopes that it would prove that Peter's erratic behavior since he started at Rand Enterprises was becaude he was drugged by a third party, and not because Peter was an erratic flake who should never have been hired, which is what Brian's boss currently believes.

We then cut to the soda-bottling plant, where Spider-Man fights against the Hobgoblin and the villain's minions. Spidey is both A. trying to figure out WHY Hobgoblin wants to drug thousands of people with a drug that makes them anxious, and B. trying to win his fight with Hobgoblin before his drug hallucinations kick in. Sadly, just as Spider-Man is starting to figure out A (he believes the Hobgoblin plans on selling the cure once everyone is hooked on the drug), the hallucinations kick in, and Peter flashes back to middle school, just as the Hobgoblin is about to attack.

You'll have to pick up Amazing Spider-Man #4 next week to see if Peter's hunch about Hobgoblin's plan is correct!

Source: Marvel