Marvel Mayhem: Deadly Foes of Spiderman #1 (of 4)
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There’s nothing like a good bit of web-slinging to calm the mind Peter Parker thought as he swung across the city in his classic red and blue suit high above the glass and concrete canyons of New York City It’s just a shame my spider sense has been buzzing ever since that whole debacle with Mr Hyde and Smythe*. Well as long as… Before he could finish the thought the building in-front of him ignited, licks of flame engulfing the structure as the sounds of sirens sounded from inside the building.
“Looks like its hero time again.” Peter sighed as he swung over to the building and watched as the employees erupted from the emergency exits. “Ow Spider Sense but…” He yelled as his brain positively rattled as a chunk of masonry the size of a taxi cab split off of the building and plummeted towards him. With a quick flick of his wrist Spiderman had caught the debris in a web and stuck the formally lethal projectile to the side of the building. Peering inside he saw movement and watched as a shadowy figure sprinted deeper into the burning hulk. “Great it’s going to be one of those days. Seriously when did I become the person who ran into a burning building?” He sighed before heading inside and following the mysterious figure deeper into the inferno.
Hitting the stairs he zipped down and caught sight of an armoured figure barrel though the emergency doors. “Yo Scorcher! Molten Man? Steve? I can't believe I making this pun, where's the fire?.” Spiderman called as he followed his mysterious prey into a TV studio, and although the set was burning he recognised it almost immediately.
This is where I used to wrestle before I took the whole hero thing seriously. This is where I let that crook run past me, the one who killed Uncle Ben. Somehow I doubt this is a coincidence. He thought as he looked around for the mystery man, “You know if you run away I can’t insult you later and boy I would hate to miss out on that.”
“You know what kind of idiot runs into a burning building.” A gravely voice announced as a dark shadow moved against the blazing back wall. “You’re not Moth Man are you?”
“Hey I’m the one who tells the jokes!!!”
“Not for much longer.” The figure said as he stepped into the light, his body covered in thick bulky green armour topped with an old fashioned looking helmet, a pair of pistols holstered on his belt. “Name’s Steeplejack, I’d say remember that but you are about to burn!” He sneered before drawing his pistols and firing, bright beams of energy lancing across the stage as his prey sprung out the way.
“Wait you named yourself after a chimney? Man and I thought guys like Rapido had stupid names.” Spiderman chuckled as Steeplejack kept firing, his acetylene pistols accelerating the spreading inferno with each shot.
“Hold still god-darnit!!”
“Make me.” Spiderman answered before firing a web line and pulling Steeplejack’s guns away. “Now please come quietly I’m begging to feel a little roasted and seriously you don’t want to see me tanned it does not look good.”
“Funny I feel fine.” Steeplejack hissed, “Maybe even a little cold.” He added as he removed a detonator. “We’ll be seeing you soon Spiderman.” He added before pressing the button on the cap before removing a backup pistol. Springing forwards Spiderman felt the building shake before a massive wall of flame erupted upwards separating him from the fleeing villain as Steeplejack cut his way out of the back wall. Chocking Spiderman retraced his steps and sprung from the building just as the Fire Department skidded around the corner. Swinging round the burning torch he came to a hastily cut exit hole but no Steeplejack, it was almost as if the villain had vanished.
Okay so I’ll catch you next time. I know I’ve heard that name recently though, where have I heard of Steeplejack. Spiderman mused. I’ll head off to the Bugle and see what I can rustle up from the archives. Hopefully Jameson will be elsewhere since my last pictures, the ones of my fight with the Trapster didn’t impress and I have no new photos to give him.
**
Daily Bugle Building, New York City
Cautiously Peter Parker walked up to the news room and peeked his head round the corner and breathed a sigh of relief. J. Jonah Jameson was nowhere to be seen despite the bustling bullpen full of reporters, editors and photographers. Heading inside Peter slumped down on a chair at one of the vacant desks and logged in to the Daily Bugle servers. Filling in the search criteria he suddenly felt the dull buzz of his Spider Sense turn into an alarm and felt his chair spin round to face a tall imposing dark haired woman dressed in a business suit.
“You’re in my chair Parker.” She growled in a low almost threatening voice. “At my desk as well and on my computer.”
“Hey Jessica I’m just hoping to find something in the archives.” Peter replied as Jessica shot him a look that, if not designed to kill would at least maim him. “We did an article on Steeplejack a while back and I though that since…”
“You thought? You thought!” Jessica hissed. “Maybe you should think a little more. Now get out of my cubicle. You want to know about the dead-man talk to that Liddle b!+[h she was the one who wrote the article.”
“Clearly I have touched a nerve.” Peter stated softly. “I’m going to talk to somebody else about this.” He added as he walked away from Jessica and towards the other end of the bull-pen. No sooner had he got halfway when a new wave of shouting, this time from Jameson’s office engulfed the bullpen.
"What is this you're giving me Liddle?" Peter flinched, as bad as it sounded he knew if Jameson found out he had no offering the decibel rating would be ten times louder.**
"Lance was unconscious. And it was a surreal moment. You had to be there boss. I just snapped the picture as an afterthought." A female voice replied. Peter knew that Liddle was good at her job, but the pair of them kept their distance. The woman was almost too intuitive for her own good.
"Sit down. Gimme that." Jameson snorted "We'll push it to page two. Search for the mysterious Man-Thing continues. Where is Luke anyway?"
"Lance, sir. He's at the downtown hospital now--" Mercy stammered making the number one mistake of correcting Jameson about names.
"Take a taxi and pick him up. I have a new story for you two." Jameson continued ignoring Liddle’s interruption. Peter fealt cheated, he always got yelled at when he did that. "A killer on the loose, and not the useful kind like Castle.".
"How.." Liddle started to ask. “If this case was ongoing, the police would never release them to a newspaper.”
"Friends in high places." Jameson replied. "Ghoul calls himself Zodiac." Seconds later Mercy Liddle emerged from the office and almost ran into Peter, her face half way between a scowl and a curious grin. “What do you want Parker?” She asked, “I have a cab to catch.”
“Why would I want…okay the Steeplejack article you wrote a month back? I need to know what happened to him.” Peter stammered.
“Killed by a crowbar either by the Wrecker, Punisher or Scourge.” Liddle replied, “Now excuse me I have to go. You know what happens when J.J is kept waiting”
“Wait where was he buried?” Peter called out as Mercy pushed her way past before hitting the staircase down towards the lobby. Turning Peter eyed a vacant computer and desk before walking over it only to be stopped by a glare from one of the photographers standing by the water cooler.
“Hey Phil” Peter called. “You know I’ll just work from home today.”
**
St Paul’s Chapel, New York
Peter crouched on-top of the mausoleum as the spring sun set behind him to the west, most of the mourners had gone but one, a woman dressed in black with a large brimmed hat seemed almost like she didn’t want to leave. Eventually however the graveyard has deserted and Spiderman dropped down and walked over to the grave of Maxwell Plumm, the original Steeplejack, a bouquet of tulips left at the foot of his headstone.
So you got a visitor. But judging from the age on the headstone you would have been too old to run through a burning building even with the protective armour on Peter thought. I’m not dealing with resurrection then, just somebody eager to break into the big leagues and using a dead man’s name to do it
Turning he walked away from the grave before feeling his phone vibrate against his knee. Reaching down he flipped it open and accepted the call before rolling the mask off of his mouth. “Hey Aunt May, I’m working a bit late today, don’t wait up.” He stated as he walked towards the exit.
“I’m just calling to remind you Peter, we have the anniversary coming up.” Aunt May croaked down the line, “I don’t feel like I want to be alone at the moment, this time of year is always hard.”
”I know.” Peter answered as his spider sense began to buzz even louder then the usual background hiss that was omnipotent at the moment. “I’m actually visiting Uncle Ben right now.” He added, “Once I’m done I’ll swing by I promise.”
“Oh Peter you are such a good boy, I don’t know what I’d do without you.” Aunt May crooned.
“Me neither Aunt May.” Peter answered. “I’ll see you soon.” He added turning off the phone and looked at the gravestone where he had stopped. The tomb had been ripped open by something big, and the head stone partially sunk yet the name was visible.
Denis Carradine, the man who killed Uncle Ben. This is too much of a coincidence not to be related to Steeplejack burning down the building where I met Denis. Something isn’t right here, and where is his body? Spiderman thought as the ground moved slightly before a massive figure erupted from the ground with a screaming hiss.
“Wow you are hideous.” Spiderman gasped as the armoured woman dressed in blue straightened herself out and stared at him with golden compound eyes. “Let me guess you’re the new Beetle I’ve been hearing about. Got to say the old one looked lamer then you but not by much.”
“I am not the Beetle.” The woman snarled. “I am the Scarab and you have come to your own grave.”
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* As shown in Batkevin47's short lived but most excellent Spiderman
** Adapted from Wildvine's magnificent Mercy Liddle Reporting
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