It’s taken 4 issues, but Peter David and Will Sliney have finally given us a bona fide superhero battle.  Not only do we get a slugfest between a costumed hero and a souped-up villain, but we also get an army of robots as well. But while Spider-man 2099 #4 may be the series’ most action-packed issue to date, the most powerful moment occurs away from the fighting.

Sliney gets the opportunity to draw some incredible poses during the battle scenes. Nearly every page of fighting has Miguel attacking or defending like an Olympic gymnast.  He’s also very effective with his smaller scale panels, like when Miggy is thrown out of a window early in the comic. If there is any critique with the art, it’s the face of the Scorpion. Sliney’s faces are usually one of his strengths but, in my opinion, the human facial features on the robotic exo-skeleton are awkward.

Throughout the series, we’ve been learning what kind of Spider-Man Miguel is. Miggy doesn’t seem to mind that he’s facing an evil super villain. He’s willing to talk him down and cooperate. His actions aren’t motivated by a clearly drawn line about what’s right and wrong, but Miguel does have a strong enough moral code that he’s not going to let innocent civilians become the Scorpion’s victims.

I think it’s important that Miguel uses his brains to defeat his enemy, instead of his powers. It appears to be a recurring theme of the last two issues that superior strength and agility won’t be the most important tools to accomplish his goals in 2014. In fact, Miguel remains fairly powerless to change his surroundings. He’s not the one who convinces Tiberius to change his mind about supplying Spider-Slayers to a dictator. It’s Mussaret, the rebel leader, whose honorable sacrifice compels Tyler to do the right thing.

Tiberius’ Deactivation Phrase for the Spider-Slayers is a quote from a 1920s novel “Scaramouche.” In that book, a cynical lawyer becomes an idealist. It appears that Tiberius is also making that same transformation. Has he completely changed his course though, or is this just a temporary lapse in reason?

The revelation that this Scorpion is the one-and-only Mac Gargan should not be taken lightly. Gargan is a reputable cold-blooded killer, who’s now apparently on the Alchemax payroll. Not only has he been an Avenger as Venom, he’s had his jaw punched off by Spidey/Ock and is back for more! The idea of Mac and Miguel becoming Alchemax’s private security team could be pretty interesting.

Lyla finally makes good use of her only apparent skill: costume change. First, she’s able to get Miggy out of danger when he’s originally outnumbered. Then, she cloaks the Scorpion, turning him into a Spider-Slayer target.  It sounds like Lyla is also a phone, but that hasn’t been confirmed.

It appears Miguel’s forthcoming fate is to get sucked into the Spider-Verse. With this in mind, it will be interesting to see where Peter David takes the characters next. Has Tiberius changed enough to prevent the evil Alchemax of 2099? Will we learn more about Liz Osborn’s intentions for Miguel and Alchemax?  Will Miggy establish personal relationships that complicate his return to 2099? Spider-Man 2099 #4 may wrap up the series’ first arc, but it seems David and Sliney have only skimmed the surface of the stories they want to tell.