So far in the month of October, we have seen New York City under siege by the undead in Vampire State Building. The same week, we see a threat against New York City in the Marvel Universe in Contagion #1 by Ed Brisson and Roge Antonio.

In Kun-Lun, a mysterious staircase is found underneath a temple and three men are sent to investigate what lies below. When they don’t return, a search party is organized, and the men are found dead and covered in green spores. Yu-Ti investigates the scene and realizes that there are only two corpses there, not three.

A week later in New York City, The Thing is buying kitty litter at a nearby bodega when a young teenage boy asks for his help. The Thing rebuffs the boy, thinking it’s another prank by the Yancy Street Gang. The boy reiterates that his friend Ruby is in trouble and The Thing agrees to help him.

The two search for Ruby in an old abandoned subway system. The boy tells Ben that a man covered in colored fuzz attacked the group of friends and grabbed Ruby. They find Ruby and when she turns around, she’s infected with the green spores! As Ruby goes to attack them, she collapses. The Thing covers the girl with her friend’s jacket and the two prepare to leave until the Thing hears something behind them. Ben tells the boy to get Ruby to the nearest hospital. As Ben goes to check to see what he heard, he is attacked by spore covered Moloids. As Ben fights them off, he calls Reed for backup.

As The Thing holds his own until the cavalry comes, an infected Mole Man appears and tells Ben that a man has control of the Moloids, just before the villain attacks Ben. Ben knocks Mole Man’s lights out as the rest of the Fantastic Four arrive on scene. As Reed investigates the infected Moloids, the Disease Man makes his presence known and begs for help. As Reed walks near him, the man infects Reed. As Sue and Johnny try to help, they are both infected as well. The Thing, angry about what has happened to his family, begins to pummel the Disease Man.

Elsewhere, Danny Rand is awakened from his slumber by Yu-Ti, who has journeyed to New York City to tell him what happened in Kun-Lun. She tells him that the world is going to end. Danny tells Yu-Ti that they are going to save it.

Marvel Comics is celebrating the Halloween season with this weekly series. I am thrilled to see Iron Fist getting the spotlight in this mini-event. He always seems to play second fiddle to the rest of his Defenders teammates. Like any good horror movie, we see an infection being spread that turns normal people into monsters and we don’t know the origin of the green spore sickness just yet. With the big brain of Reed Richards under the control of the Disease Man, who will rise to help Iron Fist and Yu-Ti find a cure for the contagion? Have we seen the last of ol’ Ben Grimm?

Next Issue – A NEW EVIL BEYOND UNDERSTANDING COMES TO THE MARVEL UNIVERSE! A seemingly unstoppable force has invaded the Marvel Universe, and it’s going to take every hero the streets of New York has to stop it! A strange substance is taking over heroes and citizens alike, draining them of their life force, stealing their knowledge and abilities, and neither science nor magic can stop it! Where did it come from? Can anything destroy it? And who will fall to its awful, overwhelming power? In Stores October 9, 2019.