Content warning: contains a depiction of bloody violence.

The superpowers of everyone's friendly neighborhood Peter Parker during the Clone Saga. Afterward, Kaine decided to break out on his own, dubbing himself the Scarlet Spider. Kaine is capable of doing all of the things that Spider-Man can, but he has one particular ability that the clone himself originated, with Peter Parker later developing his own version of the brutal move.

Kaine possessed a twisted form of Spider-Man's signature wall-crawling ability, able to channel heat to his hands to burn a handprint onto someone's face in a move called the Mark of Kaine. Kaine was a far darker hero than Peter, but when he was killed in Spider-Man's place during the 'Grim Hunt' arc, Marvel's most morally dependable hero developed his own version of the attack in honor of his fallen 'brother.'

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In Amazing Spider-Man #637 by Joe Kelley, Michael Lark, and Marco Checchetto, Peter takes vengeance on Kraven's family for their ritualistic attack on Marvel's spider-heroes. Clad in the black suit he tends to adopt for more morally questionable missions, Peter attacks Kraven's wife, Sasha Kravinoff, moments after she kills Madame Web. This happens a few issues after Sasha kills Kaine, who is among Spidey's other allies. In a rage, he uses the adhesive qualities of his wall-crawling hands to tear the flesh off Sasha's face, replicating the Mark of Kaine. It's one of Spider-Man's most violent moments, and is presented as a dangerous tipping point which may see Peter go too far and lose his heroic core.

Spider-Man-Mark-of-Kaine-Power-Attack

The movie adaptations of the Spider-Man character, particularly the latest MCU films, tend to depict a bright-eyed, optimistic, friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. In many ways, these movies perfectly embody the spirit of everything Spider-Man is about at his best, but they rarely (if ever) defer from that lighthearted imagery, certainly not to the extent of something like 'Grim Hunt.' However, such stories are necessary in depicting the rage and power Spider-Man holds back, showing that his heroism is a hard-won choice, not always his default reaction.

The Kravinoff Family's attacks treated Peter as a totemic representation of the spider and, for a moment, that's what he became, allowing his predatory instincts to come forth, and revealing that his powers can be used far more viciously than his usual adventures suggest. Thankfully, his allies were able to call out Peter's behavior, and he stepped back from the brink of true darkness. However, while his attack on Sasha was done in Kaine's name, it utilized only Peter's usual wall-crawling powers, emphasizing that should he choose, this brutal attack is always at Spider-Man's disposal.

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