MOTHER'S DAY/ BEHIND THE MASK

• Editor in Chief - Tom Defalco
• Writer - Peter David
• Penciler - Rick Leonardi
• Inker - Al Williamson
• Colorist - Steve Buccellato
• Lettering - Rick Parker
• Editor - Joey Cavalieri

Summary

  The Alchemax reclamation of Atlantis project was set back when mutates sabotaged it, desiring their own New Atlantis to be the only underwater power. Tyler Stone receives his son Kron's ashes. His murderer is unknown, but Tyler shows very little emotion as his ceremoniously flushes the ashes down the toilet.

  At the Wellvale Home, Gabriel sympathizes with his mother, but Miguel sees this as a pathetic attempt at attention. Miguel claims he reminds her to much of his father. Gabriel recalls when their "father" George O'Hara came home and told Miguel he was accepted to Alchemax's School for Gifted Youngsters. Conchata argued that her son deserved a choice to which George angrily beat her. Dana recalls a past moment when she met George and how he taunted Miguel to fight. Alone, Conchata tells Miguel she wishes he were more of a caring, self-sacrificing man -- like her idol Spider-Man! Miguel tries to explain that he is Spider-Man, but Conchata laughs and kisses her son for trying to be more caring. Miguel believes he finally sees what has happened to him since he joined Alchemax, and now he accepts Spider-Man as who he should be. In a show of his determination, he stops a band of Public Eye from disrupting a Thorite demonstration. Later, he visits his father's memorial (a plaque on a wall), describing how he wanted to kill him, but would be content to watch him suffer old age, which George cheated anyway by dying. He vows to make his world one he can live with until he finds a cure for his condition.