The Amazing Spider-Man #10

[Spider-Man Beyond]

The Amazing Spider-Man #10
The Scorpion’s Sting
Part 1
Birthday Blues

Written and Edited by Daniel Dyer (Spider-Man Beyond)

Morning time in the Big Apple. The birds are singing, the wind blowing, and the low lives are out in full force. Meet Fancy Dan Brito, Raymond “Ox” Bloch, and Montana, the Enforcers. They’re currently in the process of breaking into a Roxxon Industries factory.

“Ox, the wires been cut, get that door off its hinges!”

Ox simply grabs the steel door and rips it off, hurling it backwards.

“Hey, watch it with that thing,” a voice says from behind. “You could put somebody’s eyes out!”

The trio turn to see Spider-Man hanging upside down on a thin web-line. Fancy Dan pulls out his gun.

“No, no, no,” Spidey says, firing a web-ball into the gun’s barrel.

As Montana tries to lasso the wall-crawler, Spidey simply swings gently from side to side, avoiding the lasso.

“That’s not how you lasso,” Spider-Man says. “This is how you lasso,” and he shoots out a web-line to Montana’s feet, giving it a slight tug and knocking the thug off his feet.

“Ox!” Dan shouts. “Get him!”

The behemoth known as Ox charges at the webhead, but Spidey lifts himself higher up on his web-line, allowing the brute to pass underneath, and then drops down, feet first on Ox’s back, slamming him to the ground, hard, and unconscious.

“Well, well, well,” Spider-Man says as he looks around, approaching Fancy Dan, “into a little early morning B & E?”

Dan is wobbly at first but then gets in a fighting stance.

Spidey stands there, looking at the gangster in his suit. “You have got to be kidding me.”

Dan let’s fly a punch which Spidey just steps aside of.

“Too slow.”

Dan then tries a sweeping kick and Spidey hops over it.

“Close but no cupie doll.”

Dan then chops at the hero’s head, Spidey easily ducking.

“My turn,” and Spider-Man lets loose an upper cut, connecting to Fancy Dan’s chin, sending the Enforcing crashing to the ground behind him.

“FREEZE!” Spidey hears behind him.

Spider-Man turns to see Police Captain George Stacy. “Come on, do we have to do this today?”

“You’re wanting in connection to several incidents within the past few months,” the Captain announces.

“I just stopped a break in,” Spider-Man rebuttals.

“Vigilantism is a crime.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Spidey says. “Look, I really hate to do this, you seem like a stand up fellow, but I gotta book.” And the hero webs Stacy’s gun and then webs his feet to the floor, then swings off. Happy birthday to me.

*

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Oscorp, as Norman Osborn sits in his office, he receives a message.

“Your Enforcers have been apprehended, boss.”

“And they were caught, too,” says a 2nd underling.

Norman glares at the obviously dim underling.

“It wuz Spider-Man.”

Norman’s eyes narrow. “Get out.”

“But, boss...”

“GET OUT!”

As the two underlings leave, Norman presses the intercom button. “Dr. Warren, how goes the experiments?”

“We are making progress, Mr. Osborn,” the intercom replies. “I believe we can begin human trials soon.”

“Immediately,” Norman responds.

“Immediately?” questions Miles.

“We must begin immediately.” Norman sits back, folding his hands together. “Tell Gargan to meet me right away.”

*

[Spider-Man Beyond]

“Peter!” May Parker says as her nephew walks in through the front door. “Where have you been?”

“Went for a walk.”

“Well, I’ll be,” Aunt May starts, “you know we have plenty of party planning to do.”

“Why bother?” Peter asks.

“Cause it’s a special day, Peter. All your friends must be looking forward to celebrating your birthday.”

What friends?

“That Thompson boy sure seemed excited.”

“Thompson...? FLASH?!”

“Is that what he goes by?” May asks. “You kids and your nicknames.”

Great, wonder how Flash plans to “celebrate” my birth.

“Flash, indeed,” May continues. “To me he’s plain, old Eugene.”

Eugene???

“And Anna’s niece will be there, too.” May gives her nephew a wink.

And I’m sooooo looking forward to that. Not.

*

[Spider-Man Beyond]

At Oscorp, as Norman walks with a raggedly looking man, a Mac Gargan, through one of his company’s labs.

“So, Osborn, what’s the deal? You want the bug dead, then let me get to work.”

Patience,” Norman says. “I know you are quite adapt at your profession. However, I believe you may need special enhancements to be a threat to Spider-Man.”

“Enhancements?” questions Gargan.

“Right this way,” Norman says as he punches in a code on a keypad and gestures for Gargan to enter.

As the mercenary enters, he sees a Miles warren, standing beside a glass cylinder. In the cylinder is what appears to be some kind of green exo-suit. The armor appears scaley with claws on the gauntlets and boots. And probably the most interesting thing about the armor is a long, green tale with a stinger at the end.

“What the hell is this?” Gargan asks.

“The special enhancements you may need,” Norman says, grinning mischievously.

*

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Later in the day, with Flash and Kong, approaching of the Parker home.

“This’ll be great, Kong.”

“I dunno about this, Flash,” Kong says. “It’s the dude’s birthday and all.”

“Aw, it’ll be fun. Besides, he deserves it for asking out my girl.”

“Wasn’t it Liz that asked him...?”

Flash, smacking Kong on the back of the head says, “Like it matters. Now come on.”

The two then go to the party, greeting May.

“Welcome, boys. I hope you two have a good time.”

“Oh, we will, Mrs. Parker,” Flash says and grins as May walks off.

“Eugene,” says a voice, accompanied by laughter.

Flash looks around and sees Peter laughing. “Oh, yeah, the punk deserves this,” Flash says, pounding his hand into his other’s palm.

*

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Mac Gargan lays, strapped to a table, now wearing the green armor. “Uh... what’s with the operation table?”

“The armor is only part of your enhancements,” Osborn answers and makes a gesture to Dr. Warren.

Miles Warren presses a sequence of keys and up from the floor rises a column, on which is a glass cage with a small scorpion on it. Miles then presses more keys and from beside the column rises a laser.

“What’s the bug for?” Gargan questions.

Osborn grins. “What do you know about spiders?”

“Eight legs. Two body cavities. They make web. They hunt other bugs.”

“And what hunts a spider?” Osborn questions. “Spiders are natural predators. Yet, there is a greater predator. Scorpions.” And Osborn bends at the knees to look at the caged scorpion. “They prey on their arachnid brethren, as you shall prey on our spider best.” Norman then rights himself and to Miles says, “Begin.”

Warren punches in the sequence of keys and the laser fires, hitting the scorpion. As that laser hits the small scorpion, another laser aims at Mac Gargan and fires. The mercenary’s muscles begin to swell and his screams echo in the laboratory.

*

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Back at the Parker home, Peter’s sitting alone, watching everyone having a good time at his party.

Well, I’m sure having a ball, thinks Peter. Flash and Kong are obviously going to cause trouble (Flash looks seriously ticked), I’m not sure how to talk to Harry (do I or don’t I tell him his dad’s a criminal?), and Aunt May’s trying to fix me up (I HATE blind dates). I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, happy birthday to me. Uh-oh, right on cue, spider-sense. Peter turns sees Flash’s fist coming for his face. Before Peter can even think, he ducks.

“Oooo, fast,” Flash comments. “Better hope you can keep thinking fast.”

Flash swings again, and Peter ducks to the side.

“Look, Flash,” Peter starts, “I wasn’t moving in on your girl.”

Flash says nothing, but delivers a right, a left, two more rights, and an upper cut. All of which Peter avoids.

“Wow, Petey,” Harry comments, “some moves.”

Flash then follows with another left, a right and another right, each punch fast and furious. But Peter stays faster.

“Flash,” Kong says, “stop.”

“No!” is all Flash says.

There’s only one way to end this, Peter thinks. This’ll hurt. And Peter allows Flash to connect with his face, falling back.

“That’s for messin’ with my girl.”

Happy birthday to me...

Then May comes in, seeing Peter on the floor. “Peter?”

“It’s okay, Aunt May,” Peter says. “I just tripped. Hit my head on this table,” Peter lied.

May eyes Flash, but says nothing to him. She turns to Peter and says, “Anna’s niece is here.”

Great, thinks Peter. The hits just keep coming.

But as Mary Jane Watson enters, Peter’s jaw drops, seeing the young red headed with a face of an angel.

“Face it, Tiger,” the red headed young girl says, “you just hit the jackpot.” Then she kisses Peter on his cheek.

Happy birthday to me, thinks Peter, grinning.

*

[Spider-Man Beyond]

The screams have died down in the lab beneath Oscorp. Norman Osborn steps next to Dr. Warren, looking on the operation table in wonder. “Did it work?”

The straps are ripped up, and Mac Gargon rises off the table. The armor has now becoming fitted to his form, as if it is now his own skin. As the mercenary steps forward, his tail sways back and forth.

“How do you feel, Gargan?”

“Gargan?!” the mercenary screams and whips his tail at a computer, destroying it. “Gargan’s dead,” he hissed. “I’m the Scorpion, and Spider-Man will fear my sting!”

Continued...