For those wondering - Amazing Spider-Man Vol 1 #338 (Hobgoblin sprays Spider-man with poison) and #339 (Doc Ock reveals the poison only becomes lethal when combined with cocaine).
Publication Date
Sep 10, 1990
Yeah that tracks
If Ock had been smarter he could have given the "antidote" to Mysterio, who could have spread it around Hollywood. Lots of actors to blackmail, kill and steal from, etc.
Spidey finally accepts Otto's catch-phrase after shutting it down during Spider-Verse.
I like to think that when they draw big villain ensemble pages everyone immediately looks for “their guy.”
Having finally read it, I give Superior Spider-Man, vol. 2 (2018-19) four out of five stars because Gage is a good writer, the art is good, and Spiders-Man is a great character. Also there was no way to really save the sudden return to the status quo that was probably forced on him, so maybe he decided to just make it blatant and have yet another Spider-Man use Mephisto to solve his editorially-mandated problems.
Marvel Comics is Mephisto, I think, is what I am reading into the text.