Avengers: The Initiative #7 (2008)

This done-in-one focuses on the  “Scarlet Spiders” (three guys in the armor Iron Man made for Spider-Man) who work for The Initiative.  It’s fun–they face off against the Vulturions (three guys in Vulture suits, who we haven’t seen in a long while).

The Vuture gang try to steal tech from Baron von Blitzschlag.  The Scarlet Spider team go after them.  The battle takes them by the hospital where Aunt May is being treated for a nearly fatal gunshot wound, and Spider-Man joins in the fun.

For the big punchline, we learn that the guys inside the Scarlet Spider suits are actually clones of the deceased Initiative character “MVP” (Michael Van Patrick).  The Baron is confused about some of their behavior because he didn’t “program them” that way.  Then, we see Michael Van Patrick’s dead body being held in a lab (he’s basically in a coffin with a face window–gross!) and it’s smiling.

Also in this issue, as happens often in this issue, we get a passing introduction to some new characters–and learn that Frog Man is now living in Kentucky as part of that city’s hero team, called “Action Pack.”