Of all the strange (and often disgusting) villains John Byrne created for this series, Flesh is the worst. Itch and Scratch recruit Flesh in this issue, promising her “freedom” from her need to eat people and then throw them up. Yes, this is a bulimia allegory. No, it’s not a GOOD bulimia allegory.
Meanwhile, Captain America and Spider-Woman stop a crime and hang out for a little bit.
Apparently, Cap is both on steroids and is nine feet tall.
Then, Flesh attacks and Itch and Scratch literally sew Spider-Woman inside of her–so that Flesh can’t throw her back up.
Yes, this is like an extreme “Saw” movie.
While inside Flesh, we the readers are treated to a detailed origin of Flesh and her brother Bones, and it involves child abuse, a fat mom, weight-loss drugs gone bad, etc. etc. until finally Mattie escapes.
Only to have Bones appear, and the “weight loss curse” placed upon them gets transferred to Mattie for the big finale of her series, where she “sheds” the curse and ends up hungry.
So we end a very disturbing story arc about bulimia and child abuse with a joke about being hungry.
This ending was not just bad, it was offensively bad.
And at last it is over.