Bump in the Night

• Writer - Tony Bedard
• Penciler - James Calafiore
• Inker - Mark McKenna
• Colorist - JC
• Lettering - Dave Sharpe
• Ass't Editor - Sean Ryan
• Ass't Editor - Stephannie Moore
• Editor - Mike Marts
• Editor in Chief - Joe Quesada

Summary

  New York is medieval. Kyra goes out at night despite curfew and her mother's warning, desperate to find her missing boy Brian, probably taken by the Night Watch. A winged form flies across the face of the moon. Guards mutter about when Callisto was captain; they're afraid of being crucified like her, and of their captain, Russell, so they patrol for curfew breakers. Suddenly, they are attacked and ripped apart by Wendigo, as Kyra looks on in horror. She flees to a nearby public house, but the owner won't open the door after dark. He listens to her screams as Morbius feeds on her, and then he serves his patrons a round on the house.

  Among them are the Exiles, low on cash, desperate for work. Calvin wants to help the Night Watch catch curfew breakers; Kevin suggests master thief Clarice could just steal what they need; Namora is out of gold trinkets to sell and wants to sell the Tallus, but Clarice can't get it off and doesn't know what it is or why she hears voices in her head; Heather is ill. They retire for the night, and Parker observes.

  Calvin wakes and pops claws; Spider-Man is on the ceiling, trying to ask for help, but Calvin's bed-partner Clarice wakes and tries to zap him. Spider-Man covers them both with webbing; Clarice teleports out of it and asks if he can pay them; he says it'll definitely pay off for them.

  He tells the Exiles that Kulan Gath used a master spell to transform Manhattan, and all who enter from outside forget their former lives; he questions Namora, showing she can't remember more than a few weeks ago. He was spared, so Gath could torture him later.

  Gath transformed superhumans, drawing out the darkness in them, and evil supernatural beings from around the world were drawn here. But Gath made a mistake when he transformed Johnny Blaze; the Ghost Rider demon, Zarathos, understood Gath's spell better than he did, stole his amulet, and now rules the city. Spider-Man wants the Exiles to help; he has a partner who's interested in Clarice's bracelet.

  Morbius and Wendigo enter the palace; there's something caught in Wendigo's teeth, and Russell says they could wash him stem to stern, but it wouldn't bring back the guards he ate. He's annoyed with Morbius for not reigning in his partner, and at them both for not finding Gath. They come to blows, and Russell transforms into Werewolf by Night and slaps Wendigo down.

  Zarathos appears on his throne and tells them it's no time for blood sport. He needs Gath, to sacrifice him and make his spell global. He says there are newcomers; Wendigo ate Xavier and Caliban, so there's no easy way to track them. An object they brought ripples across reality, and he threatens to kill his guards if they don't find them before Gath does.

  Spider-Man leads the Exiles through the sewers, empty since Callisto tried to kill Zarathos and he burned all the Morlocks alive. Spider-Man calls to his partner, Magik, who slices through Clarice with her sword; Calvin eye-blasts her; Spider-Man webs over his eyes. Clarice is returned to her senses and tells her team to stop; the Soulsword broke the spell over her.

  Spider-Man warns that his other partner is Gath and promises he's really on their side now. Clarice confirms the Tallus wants them to help but Gath back on the throne.