Reading the Fantastic Four comics from the start. Reminder that events during Civil War are happening not chronologically, but simultaneously across issues. So, while Civil War #6 builds up to the big finale, there’s still a lot happening across the Marvel Universe.

First, let’s go back to Amazing Spider-Man, where a lot happens. Starting in the middle of issue #536, after Spidey’s fight with Iron Man and his subsequent joining Captain America’s side. Now recovered from the fighting, Peter returns to the high school where he’s been teaching, and we learn this is where Mary Jane and Aunt May are hiding out from Iron Man and S.H.I.E.L.D.’s cape-killers. Mary Jane figures out that Peter intends to fight alongside Cap rather than lay low. Aunt May had also already figured this out, as she has saved one of Peter’s original Spidey suits to replace the high-tech Iron Spider armor. Peter then checks the three of them into a cheap motel.

Spider-Man’s next stop is the nightly news, where he interrupts a live broadcast and gives a big speech. He informs the public that anti-reg heroes are being locked up in a Negative Zone prison without evidence or trial. He then announces that he intends to oppose anyone in favor of the registration act. Cut to Iron Man watching this on TV, who says, “Bring him in.”

In issue #537, a woman at the motel recognizes Peter and makes a phone call. At Captain America’s secret HQ, he asks our own Johnny Storm of the FF to send Peter a message. Peter is at a diner with Mary Jane when they see a giant flaming spider in the sky and the words “Call me.”

In jail (regular jail, not the Negative Zone one) the Kingpin meets with an associate. The man hands him a drawing of a spider and says the “individual” has been located. The Kingpin says he wants to give this person a surprise, to be delivered to anyone at home who can receive it.

Captain America leaves for the meeting with Spider-Man, despite Falcon warning him it could be one of Iron Man’s traps. Cap and Spidey meet on a rooftop, and Cap gives a big speech, spending an entire page quoting a Mark Twain essay. He concludes that it’s not about governments or laws, but about the freedom to stand up for what you believe in. Spidey concludes, “It feels good to be on the right side again.” But the issue ends with a sniper across from the motel, with Mary Jane and Aunt May in his sights.

While that’s happening, Punisher War Journal #3 has an extended version of the Punisher/Captain America fight from Civil War #6. It’s intercut with flashbacks to young Private Frank Castle back when he was in basic training, meeting Captain America when Cap visited his base.

Then the comic returns to the new Microchip, who is under attack by a rogue S.H.I.E.L.D. agent named Bridge. Microchip escapes and reunites with Punisher in Punisher’s hideout. Bridge has the Rhino in his employ, and sends Rhino after Punisher. Punisher uses a gigantic gun named the “Satan Claw” to defeat Rhino. Punisher tells Rhino to send a message to the rest of New York: “I’m back!”

But Punisher’s not quite done with Civil War yet. Remember when Punisher killed Stilt-Man back in Punisher War Journal #1? Issue #4 revisits that with Stilt-Man’s funeral. It’s not held at a funeral home or a church, but at NYC’s secretive and often silly Bar With No Name. A whole bunch of costumed villains show up, drinking and reminiscing about Stilt-Man, and about each other. The night takes a turn when a drunken Armadillo threatens to start a fight, and the whole place is about to become a brawl. Everyone stops, though, when Spider-Man walks through the door.

This is especially awkward because the villains all know he’s really Peter Parker now. He insists that he’s only there to pay his respects. After a tense standoff with the villains, he leaves. The villains talk about working together, but they’re too drunk to get organized. One of them turns over a napkin to reveal a Punisher skull symbol drawn on the other side. Turns out that bartender was the Punisher in disguise all along. He ignites the kerosene hidden all around the bar and walks away as the whole place explodes. He wryly jokes, “Some days I get to celebrate with fireworks.”

Some of Marvel’s horror-ish comics got special Civil War: Casualties of War branding during the crossover. In Ghost Rider, the devil revives and possesses Jack O’ Lantern, who was killed by the Punisher in Civil War #5. He and Ghost Rider battled each other in Illinois.

This fight was part of a much bigger ongoing plot about the Rider tracking down all the devil’s avatars on Earth, which I guess also explains why Ghost Rider was too busy to get involved in the Civil War beyond this.

You might have noticed that Wolverine was absent from the big confrontation at the end of Civil War #6. After he escaped from S.H.I.E.L.D. custody in Wolverine #47, he ends up in Blade #5, another Casualties of War issue. S.H.I.E.L.D. hires Blade to track down and apprehend Wolverine.

They’re evenly matched when they fight, but then Blade remembers meeting Wolverine years earlier, when Wolverine helped him. He lets Wolverine go, and he tells S.H.I.E.L.D. that Wolvie is not their problem, as long as he doesn’t kill someone he’s not supposed to.

In Moon Knight’s Casualties of War issues, Marc Spector is fighting crime while putting together the pieces of his broken memory. He a brief run-in with Spider-Man, who’s now a fugitive after joining Captain America’s side, followed by clandestine meeting with Cap himself. Spector tells Cap he would rather fight crime, and track down a serial murderer called the Clock Killer, a.k.a. the Midnight Man. Cap says he’s not there to recruit, but that he wants Spector to stay out of trouble, and that “maniacs” like him are why everyone’s fighting over superhero registration. He warns Spector to stay on the sidelines.

Spector dons the Moon Knight cowl anyway, and continues his hunt for the Midnight Man, roughing up more criminals along the way. The trail leads to the Punisher. The series leaves Civil War behind at this point, as the confrontation is more about Moon Knight and Punisher’s shared history rather than anything related to the crossover.

In New Avengers, which did a bunch of solo stories during Civil War, Iron Man got his turn in issue #25. A disgruntled former Stark employee known only as Kenny uses his knowledge of Stark tech to break into Avengers Tower. He knocks out Jarvis (who is secretly a Skrull in disguise, note his bright green eyes) and he speaks a codeword that makes Tony’s iron armor freeze, trapping him motionless inside it. He gives a big speech about how Tony never considered his employees in all this Civil War stuff, and how none of them wanted to betray Captain America.

Kenny plants an anti-matter bomb in the building, saying that by getting rid of Iron Man, he’ll end the Civil War. While this is going on, Maria Hill of S.H.I.E.L.D. fights her way past all the building’s security with some advanced tech of her own. She manages to contain the blast from the bomb, but not enough to stop it from killing Kenny. Later, Maria and Tony have a heart-to-heart talk. She admits she’s been out of her depth since taking over leadership of S.H.I.E.L.D. She suggests someone more qualified take the job. Someone like… Iron Man.

Fade out: In the extended version of the Captain America/Punisher fight, Sue suggests the anti-reg heroes lock up the Punisher rather than just let him wander off.

Captain America exits Moon Knight’s mansion by flying away in what looks like a blue sphere. Is this supposed to be one of Sue’s force fields?

Flame on:  Johnny says he knows of several ways to contact Peter Parker, but he opts for a variation on the classic “4” flare in the sky.

Fantastic fifth wheel: Luke Cage is the one who talks Sue and the others out of locking up the Punisher. He argues that a beatdown from Captain America is all it takes for Punisher to get the message.

Trivia time: Okay, here’s the list of the bad guys attending Stilt-Man’s funeral: Armadillo, Masked Marauder, the Prowler, Princess Python, Absorbing Man, Dragon Man, the Eel, the Gibbon, Chameleon, the Answer, Will O’ Wisp, Shocker, Puma, Grizzly, Armada, Cat Burgler, and a Doombot. I didn’t have time this week to look up each one of these guys, so let’s just assume most if not all didn’t stay dead. (Fine, I looked up Stilt-Man. The Jackal later brought him back to life in a Spider-Man story.)

The Blade issue also has a guest appearance by Morbius, who reveals he is registered, like a good little living vampire.

Fantastic or frightful? A lot of Spider-Man’s story feels pivotal to the overall plot of Civil War, so it feels odd to have it in a tie-in rather than the main series. Iron Man’s “Bring him in” cliffhanger goes unresolved, however, because Civil War ends and the Spidey books immediately start their Back in Black event after this. The others do their job and fill in smaller gaps to Civil War, while also progressing Iron Man and Punisher’s stories.

Next: Surrender, Dorothy.

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