The Amazing Spider-Man #2

[Spider-Man Beyond]

The Amazing Spider-Man #2
Snapshot

Written and Edited by Daniel Dyer

Peter Parker wakes up Saturday morning. He’s exhausted, another late night web-swinging through the Big Apple. Caught a couple of muggers, but nothing that would give him much trouble. After all, who could stop the Amazing Spider-Man. As Peter gets out of bed he feels a slight tingle in the back of his head.

“Peter,” calls his aunt from outside of the room.

Peter looks over a chair, his costume draped over it. My costume?! Peter thinks before he grabs the costume and shoves it under the bed just before May enters.

“Peter, breakfast is ready.”

“I’ll be right down, Aunt May,” Peter replies before May leaves him. Whew, gotta be more careful.

As Peter goes downstairs, he notices a couple of bills laying on the coffee table labeled “Final Notice.” These are all pass due. Peter continues into the kitchen, sits quietly and just starts picking at his eggs.

“Something the matter, Peter?”

“No...” Peter lies.

May looks down at Peter. “I know, Peter. I miss him, too,” she tells him as she puts her hand on his.

You have no idea, Aunt May, Peter thinks to himself, the guilt overwhelming him.

*

[Spider-Man Beyond]

“The Times! The Globe! Even the damn Enquirer!” shouts the editor-in-chief of the Daily Bugle. J. Jonah Jameson’s a very passionate man. And what is he being passionate about? “Spider-Man! All of New York wants to know what he is! I’ll tell you what he is! A menace!”

“Jonah...” Joe “Robbie” Robertson usually plays the voice of reason at the Bugle. However, it may take more than Robbie to calm Jonah this time.

“Don’t Jonah me, Joe!” Jonah gets up and starts pacing around his office. “He swings around this city, webbing up innocent bystanders!”

“Innocent, Jonah? I’d hardly call muggers and hold up men innocent, Jonah.”

“Don’t give me that, Robbie!” Jonah goes to the door and yells, “Urich, get in here!”

Ben Urich, one of the Daily Bugle’s top reporters enters the office. “You bellowed, Mr. Jameson?”

“Hmph. I want the inside scoop on Spider-Man! I want you to find out what he really wants.”

“Spider-Man?” asks Ben

“Yes, are you deaf? Spider-Man. Find out how he can do what he does. Find out his ulterior motive.”

“And if there is no ‘ulterior motive’?”

Jonah’s face practically turns red with rage. “OF COURSE THERE’S AN ULTERIOR MOTIVE!!! NOW GET TO WORK! And spread the word, I’ll pay top dollar for a picture of that eight-legged freak for the front page!! NOW GET ON IT!!!”

*

[Spider-Man Beyond]

What are we going to do? wonders Spider-Man as he swings through the Big Apple. We could lose our house. That’s been in Uncle Ben’s family for several generations. Can’t let that happen.

That’s when Spidey swings down to a billboard with a picture of Jonah holding a lot of money. The ad reads, “Cash reward for a picture of Spider-Man.”

Hmmm, that’s doable.

Sirens then begin to blare in the background.

Duty calls.

*

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Midtown Bank is now the scene of a hold up by a man dressed in a purple and white costume. He calls himself the Looter. He’s doing what a Looter does. Looting. Not exactly a criminal mastermind.

“Come out with your hands up,” shouts Captain Stacy through his bull horn as he gets out of his police cruiser.

Uh-oh, thinks the Looter as he waves his big payday good-bye.

*

[Spider-Man Beyond]

As Spider-Man swings on his way to the disturbance, he notices a newsstand. More specifically a headline to a Daily Bugle. “Who is this Webbed Menace?”

Spidey snatches up the paper and starts reading. “This webbed horror has been terrorizing New Yorkers for weeks now. Spider-Man attacks little old ladies?? SNACKS ON KITTENS?!?!”

“Hey, mack. This ain’t no library.”

Spider-Man looks at the man, then at his costume. New Yorkers. “I’ll take one of these,” he says as he picks up a disposable camera. I’ll show them. Eating kittens, sheesh.

*

[Spider-Man Beyond]

A mastermind, the Looter may not be, yet he still has an escape plan. The roof. The plan, make the police believe he’s holding hostages while he leaps to the next roof and goes down to ground level through that building.

“Purple and white?” Looter hears from behind him. “Those colors are soooo last year.”

The Looter turns around and sees Spider-Man crouching on the opposite ledge. “SPIDER-MAN?!?!”

“Oh, you’ve heard of me? I’m flattered.” The camera’s hidden in my built. No way to set it up from a distance, but hopefully it’ll be evident that Spider-Man brought this loser in.

The Looter’s freaked and goes for his gun. “You won’t take in the Looter!”

Unfortunately he’s not quite fast enough as Spidey webs the barrel of the gun. “Who writes your dialogue? Certainly not Hallmark,” says Spidey as he punches the Looter, knocking him unconscious with that singular punch. “Lights out, Lootey.”

*

[Spider-Man Beyond]

“What do you mean he’s gone?” yells Stacy into a walkie-talkie.

The officer on the other line replies, “Looks like he managed to allude us, Sir.”

“Ahem,” Spider-Man clears his throat, getting the Captain’s attention.

“Spider-Man?!”

“Wow. Another fan. I think I could get used to this. A gift for my adoring public,” Spidey says as he points past the Captain to a lamppost with a web cocoon hanging from it, the Looter within. “No, no. Your thanks is unnecessary. I am but a humble servant. Ta-ta.”

And Spider-Man swings off, leaving the Captain with his mouth hanging open.

*

[Spider-Man Beyond]

“Jonah, we have someone to see you,” a voice comes over his intercom.

“Tell him to scram, Miss Brant.”

“I think you should see him, Mr. Jameson.”

“Oh really? You do, do you? I think you should...” Jameson stops midsentence as Peter walks into his office. “Miss Brant, is this some kind of joke?? This kid’s barely out of diapers?”

Diapers? Uh...maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. “Mr. Jameson? I... I have pictures of.... Spider-Man.”

“Huh? You? Kid, don’t w...” Peter shows him a picture off Spider-Man (one he took after the fight with Looter). “...don’t just stand there. Sit, sit.” Jonah starts flipping through the pictures. “Who’s this other guy?”

“H... he calls himself the Looter. Spider-Man apprehended him.”

“Apprehended? Seems they were working together on this?”

“What?!” asks a shocked Peter. “They’re fighting, Mr. Jameson!”

“Hmm... looks like a dispute between partners to me. I can see the headline now. ‘Spider-Man double-crosses the Looter.’”

“DOUBLE-CROSSES?!?!”

Jonah pushes his intercom button. “Miss Brant. Write Mr...”

“Parker.” Double-cross???

“...Parker a check.” Jonah turns back to Peter. “Now, Parker. You bring me more of these and you’ll have yourself more pocket money.”

“Like a job?”

“Freelance, son. Best thing in the world. Now get going. I got work to do.”

And Peter exits Jonah’s office, leaving the Bugle EIC with dreams of just how he’ll crucify Spider-Man. I think I just made my life as Spider-Man way harder.

End.