Process of Elimination: Who can we be sure Kindred ain't? SPOILERS

[Spider-Chan]

Someone's coming to dinner...

[Spidey_62]

Someone's coming to dinner...

Judas Traveller!

[Spidey_62]

Is it a reference to the famous Harry Osborn Green Goblin dinners of yore? Like the one from that great 30th anniversary story in Spectacular Spider-Man #189?

[Batman Begins 2005]

Attachment 100196
After seeing this, I still believe that it could be Ezekiel.

I also thought Ezekiel Sims. I made a point a while ago that Ezekiel Sims was buried in bandages, and Kindred wears those.

[stillanerd]

So in looking all the other issues and promos that have come out recently, my other suspect for Kindred, if it's not Carlie Cooper, is...

Gwen Stacy.

Yes, yes, I know, Gwen been's done to death (no pun intended), but if you think about it, it makes a lot of sense, too.

She would also hate Norman Osborn for obvious reasons, but, as seen in Clone Conspiracy, Gwen learned Peter was Spider-Man moments before he died...and hated him for it since, if you recall, she blamed Spider-Man for the death of her father. She was also in that flashback Kindred referred to when talking to Norman while he still thought he was Cletus Kassidy.
Moreover, we've been getting A LOT of Gwen references and callbacks in Sins Rising, along with some meta commentary about Gwen's death (from Spider-Gwen, no less). Also, it would add to the irony that, as Spider-Man and Green Goblin are forced to work together, Spider-Man would also be up against his first true love.
And yes, all the stuff about Kindred actually being a woman--especially given how "he's" illustrated--still applies. And how Gwen was also a friend to MJ, too.

Having Kindred be Harry would be considered too safe, and having be the pre-OMD Peter would be too convoluted. Having it be Gwen, though, is the kind of "shocking twist" Marvel loves to pull, one that would even potentially resonate with causal readers.

[Spider-Chan]

Two page preview from issue 50.

[WebSlingWonder]

I went back and looked at the "Absolute Carnage" tie-ins for clues.

Like so many have said, it's Gwen.

There are two instances that make me say that from this particular story.

1) In the flashback, Peter is talking to Aunt May and says, "Speak of the devil" when the doorbell rings. The first person who answers and who's front and center is Gwen Stacy.

2) Later on, when Peter and Gwen are talking, Gwen says "This is nice, right? All of us together again." To which Peter says, "Yeah, it is...it really is." But then Kindred in the present says "Do you remember what you said next? You knew then...it was too good to be true." Kindred is talking to Norman, but the quote in question comes from that conversation. Peter was talking to Gwen. Gwen, ergo, is Kindred.

One thing that made me realize that it could be her was also teased in the beginning of the run. Peter and Spider-Man being split into two separate people. One was the good powerless version and the other was the brash arrogant jerk with all the power. People have said that it could be a sign that pre-OMD Peter is Kindred (which is my second choice), but now I'm convinced that it happened to Gwen. It's a stretch but think about Miles Warren cloning Gwen: what if that was what happened? Instead of cloning Gwen, he created a split personality. And we know Warren cloned Gwen before her death; so what did that mean for the Gwen who died?

An FYI: I don't want it to be Gwen for obvious reasons: but the story potential is there.

[NC_Yankee]

I went back and looked at the "Absolute Carnage" tie-ins for clues.

Like so many have said, it's Gwen.

There are two instances that make me say that from this particular story.

1) In the flashback, Peter is talking to Aunt May and says, "Speak of the devil" when the doorbell rings. The first person who answers and who's front and center is Gwen Stacy.

2) Later on, when Peter and Gwen are talking, Gwen says "This is nice, right? All of us together again." To which Peter says, "Yeah, it is...it really is." But then Kindred in the present says "Do you remember what you said next? You knew then...it was too good to be true." Kindred is talking to Norman, but the quote in question comes from that conversation. Peter was talking to Gwen. Gwen, ergo, is Kindred.

One thing that made me realize that it could be her was also teased in the beginning of the run. Peter and Spider-Man being split into two separate people. One was the good powerless version and the other was the brash arrogant jerk with all the power. People have said that it could be a sign that pre-OMD Peter is Kindred (which is my second choice), but now I'm convinced that it happened to Gwen. It's a stretch but think about Miles Warren cloning Gwen: what if that was what happened? Instead of cloning Gwen, he created a split personality. And we know Warren cloned Gwen before her death; so what did that mean for the Gwen who died?

An FYI: I don't want it to be Gwen for obvious reasons: but the story potential is there.

I noted earlier there are three things I am tired of in Spider-Man, and along with OMD and bringing people back from the dead when you know they are coming back, clones are one of them. Using a clone of Gwen would be an easy uncreative way to have Gwen as Kindred “Fit The Narrative” that Spencer wants. I would be very unhappy if he decided to go the Clone route to explain Kindred.

[WebSlingWonder]

I noted earlier there are three things I am tired of in Spider-Man, and along with OMD and bringing people back from the dead when you know they are coming back, clones are one of them. Using a clone of Gwen would be an easy uncreative way to have Gwen as Kindred “Fit The Narrative” that Spencer wants. I would be very unhappy if he decided to go the Clone route to explain Kindred.

Honestly, you've literally said the same thing or a variation of this for like all of your posts recently.

[NC_Yankee]

Honestly, you've literally said the same thing or a variation of this for like all of your posts recently.

I actually said it twice about the 3 things I do not like ( and I acknowledged that). I actually hope that I am wrong and it turns out to be someone like Ezekiel or someone unexpected. What I really want ( besides OMD to end obviously) is to give Peter an actual victory. It seems like too many times he wins it turns out to be pyrrhic, or it gets taken away later on ( like Grim Hunt), or both ( Osborn surviving ASM 122). There is a reason why my all time favorite issue is ASM 33 and it is the fact he had a clear cut victory.

[PCN24454]

I actually said it twice about the 3 things I do not like ( and I acknowledged that). I actually hope that I am wrong and it turns out to be someone like Ezekiel or someone unexpected. What I really want ( besides OMD to end obviously) is to give Peter an actual victory. It seems like too many times he wins it turns out to be pyrrhic, or it gets taken away later on ( like Grim Hunt), or both ( Osborn surviving ASM 122). There is a reason why my all time favorite issue is ASM 33 and it is the fact he had a clear cut victory.

Modern day people are naturally skeptical of victories and "happy endings". Having the heroes have to lose something is an easy way to assuage doubts that the story is finished.

Notably, that clear victory that you're talking about still ended with him breaking up with his girlfriend (even if it really was for the best).

[NC_Yankee]

Modern day people are naturally skeptical of victories and "happy endings". Having the heroes have to lose something is an easy way to assuage doubts that the story is finished.

Notably, that clear victory that you're talking about still ended with him breaking up with his girlfriend (even if it really was for the best).

I wonder if modern audiences really want the unhappy or ambiguous ending, or is it what is being pushed by writers like Dan Slott. There are plenty of modern day stories that are great but do not leave you disappointed. I think of movies like Running Scared with Paul Walker. A movie that is infamous for having the most amount of F Words in history, and plenty of violence ( it was a gangster film), but still had a happy ending. I admit I like to see Peter kick the ass of douche bags like Cletus, Norman and Otto, but still have his humanity ( unlike most comic book heroes and ( especially) anti-heroes, and end up with a woman like MJ. I have always opposed seeing Peter get treated as a punching bag, comedy relief, kid, man-child or loser. Why? Because the number one thing for me in fiction and to a large extent in real life is character growth. By the way that is why I like stories like the new Marvel Zombies so much because it shows that Peter is none of the negative things I mentioned.

[Spidey_62]

Two page preview from issue 50.

Seeing Spidey showing up at Strange's door like that immediately springs to my mind the JMS run where one issue ends with a similar splash page by JRJR. Patrick Gleason's art is top-tier in those two pages, very happy to see him doing this story and he'll knock it out of the park.

[Digifiend]

Two page preview from issue 50.

Turning Points? Hmm...

[PCN24454]

I wonder if modern audiences really want the unhappy or ambiguous ending, or is it what is being pushed by writers like Dan Slott. There are plenty of modern day stories that are great but do not leave you disappointed. I think of movies like Running Scared with Paul Walker. A movie that is infamous for having the most amount of F Words in history, and plenty of violence ( it was a gangster film), but still had a happy ending. I admit I like to see Peter kick the ass of douche bags like Cletus, Norman and Otto, but still have his humanity ( unlike most comic book heroes and ( especially) anti-heroes, and end up with a woman like MJ. I have always opposed seeing Peter get treated as a punching bag, comedy relief, kid, man-child or loser. Why? Because the number one thing for me in fiction and to a large extent in real life is character growth. By the way that is why I like stories like the new Marvel Zombies so much because it shows that Peter is none of the negative things I mentioned.

It’s mostly in the sense of how good and nice people are immediately suspicious in media. Even if they aren’t evil initially, you pretty just wait until they inevitably turn evil.

Think about how many of Peter’s friends turn out to be/become evil. Doesn’t that make you apprehensive whenever Peter meets new people? What’s worse is that because it’s a comic, any superstitions we have are completely valid.