|
Post by fan4 on Feb 12, 2007 23:56:23 GMT -5
The Amazing Spider-Man #6 Hero or Menace? Written by Daniel Dyer Edited by Aaron Martel My name’s Ben Urich. I’m a reporter at a major metropolitan newspaper, the Daily Bugle.
“WHERE’S THE DIRT?!?”
That’s our editor-in-chief, J. Jonah Jameson. It’s best to just let him rant. Recently a costumed vigilante in red and blue with webs all over showed up swinging over New York. Yours truly was assigned to get the “dirt” on this Spider-Man.
“You were supposed to have that wall-crawler freak nailed by now! What exactly have you been doing, Urich?!”
“Jonah, I...”
“Enough excuses! Either get me what I want on Spider-Man or find another job!”
So that’s it. Jonah’s been obsessed over Spider-Man since he showed his webbed covered face. I don’t quite get it, but those are my marching orders. Get the scoop on Spider-Man. I leave the office to go after the story.
|
|
|
Post by fan4 on Feb 12, 2007 23:58:43 GMT -5
Elsewhere in the city. The Diamond District.
“I got the case secured,” states a man as he holds up a briefcase, handcuffed to his right hand.
“You better have. That’s a million dollars worth of diamonds you have attached to your wrist,” his partner says.
“You worry too much. No one’s gonna get... ulp!”
Before the courier can finish his sentence, he’s snatched up and carried high into the sky by a man in green armor with razor sharp wings. The courier looks at the man in the green armor and sees an ugly, old, bald man.
“Hello there,” says the man in green armor. “I believe I’ll be taking that.” And the flying man slashes the chain to the cuffs, allowing the courier to fall.
“AHHHH!!!” screams the courier.
Suddenly the courier is snatched up again. “Gotcha!” he hears a voice yell.
He looks at his rescuer and screams again, “AHHHH!”
Spider-Man grumbles, “No respect.”
|
|
|
Post by fan4 on Feb 12, 2007 23:59:54 GMT -5
“Yeah, I was there,” says a man, around 20 years of age.
“You saw the whole fight at Coney Island?” I ask.
“Yeah, yeah, I saw it I said.”
There was an incident at Coney Island. A man who was apparently made of sand trying to rob the amusement park. Details have been sketchy but I know Spider-Man fought Sandman. “What can you tell me about what happened?” I inquire.
“That spider-guy was causing a commotion when this sand-dude tried robbing the place.”
“Spider-Man was terrorizing the place?”
“Yeah,” says the man.
“Then why were they fighting?”
“Fighting? Ha, no. Once the sand guy showed up, the spider turned tail and ran. It was only dumb luck that he stopped Sandy.”
“Are you sure about this, Sir?”
“Yeah. Trust me, that spider-freak is a coward.”
|
|
|
Post by fan4 on Feb 13, 2007 0:00:46 GMT -5
The green clad villain flies on, holding the briefcase close to him.
“So,” starts Spidey as he swings after him, “what are you called? Flier? Bird-Man? No, wait. Bird-Brain?”
“Bah,” the old man scoffs and just continues to fly.
“’Bah’? Well, I’ll give you this, it is original.”
The bird-man dives and swoops, flying through alleys and through clotheslines.
“If I didn’t know better, Bah, I’d think you were trying to get rid of me,” Spider-Man says as he continues his pursuit.
As Spidey swings and turns a corner, the bird-man pops out, slicing the web-swinger’s web-line.
“It’s Vulture,” he says and flies off.
Spider-Man manages to get out a web-line and swings to a fire escape, seeing the Vulture flying off. “Vulture? Guess you aren’t as original as I thought.”
|
|
|
Post by fan4 on Feb 13, 2007 0:01:40 GMT -5
“Dr. Connors,” I start the interview with, “you were present at the... uh... Dr. Octopus incident?”
“Yes, I was.”
Dr. Octopus. Some nut with four mechanical tentacles that attacked ESU. This one got away, but Spider-Man was on the scene. “Reports say Spider-Man was helping this Octavius, when there was a misunderstanding and the Doctor began beating on Spider-Man. Is that how you recall it?” I ask.
“That day is a bit of a blur, but from my perspective it seemed like Spider-Man antagonized Otto.”
“Spider-Man started the fight? For what reason?”
“I can’t really tell you. Maybe he had a change of heart. Maybe he wanted a bigger cut. Maybe he just didn’t want a partner. I’m not sure of his motive, but one thing’s for sure: he did save my life. For that reason, I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt.”
“Thank you, Doctor.”
|
|
|
Post by fan4 on Feb 13, 2007 0:02:38 GMT -5
As the Vulture continues on his flight, Spider-Man shoots a web-line to his feet. “Huh?” the Vulture grunts.
“Come to papa,” says Spidey as he starts to tug, but instead of the Vulture coming to him, the Vulture pulls Spidey skyward. “D’oh!”
“I think you should come to papa,” the Vulture snaps.
“Wouldn’t you be more of a grandpapa?” asks the web-swinger.
“Joke while you can,” Vulture states as he brandishes his razor sharp wing.
“Okay, this isn’t going according to plan.”
“Any last words?”
“Naw, I’m not big on long good-byes,” Spidey jokes as he shoots a web-line to a building, halting the Vulture’s flight.
The Vulture sneers at the arachnid adventurer and cuts the web-line.
Spider-Man, hanging along the side of the building, says, “This is gonna be one of those days,” and swings off, in pursuit of the Vulture.
|
|
|
Post by fan4 on Feb 13, 2007 0:04:27 GMT -5
“Oh, my God, he was so brave and daring and... hot!”
“Spider-Man?” I ask.
“Eww, no,” a girl, Rebecca, tells me. “Johnny Storm.”
You have got to be kidding me. Just the other day, this young woman was attacked by a “Hydro-Man”. He was an obsessed stalker and this woman would probably be dead now if not for the intervention of Spider-Man and a guy who has recently taken on the name of an old World War II hero, the Human Torch. If his team, the Fantastic Four, weren’t in a foreign country at the moment*, I’d go to Mr. Storm himself, but be that as it were, I’m stuck with this... woman.
“Johnny was great. He turned Morrie into steam. He was so smart and daring and brave.”
“Yes, but what I really wanted to talk to you about is Spider-Man.”
“What about him?”
“He was also involved in the incident, correct?”
“Yeah... not that it’d matter with the Torch on the case.”
I begin rubbing my temples. Have patience, Ben. Have patience. “Ma’am, what exactly was Spider-Man’s role in this?”
“Maybe he was a damsel in distress? The Torch saved his butt, too.”
I throw up my hands in the air and turn away, walking off.
(*Editor’s Note: Read current issues of The Fantastic Four for more on the FF’s trip to Latveria- Aaron.)
|
|
|
Post by fan4 on Feb 13, 2007 0:06:00 GMT -5
“Back off, web-swinger,” yells the Vulture as he flies evasively.
“No can do, Vultie. They’d revoke my superhero license.”
“Bah, I don’t have time for this,” mumbles the Vulture. As he continues avoiding pursuit, he surveys the ground, and spots Ben Urich. “A hostage,” he says under his breath and goes into a nosedive.
“Was it something I said?” Spidey swings to a roof and crouches, looking to the ground. “Mr. Urich,” he says quietly.
The Vulture snatches up Ben and flies back into the sky. “Here’s the deal, Spider. You let me go, or I drop him.”
|
|
|
Post by fan4 on Feb 13, 2007 0:07:18 GMT -5
Guess this is the perfect ending to a great day. I’m depending on Spider-Man to save me. Guess now we find out. Hero or menace?
“Okay, Vulture,” Spider-Man says. “You win. Just don’t harm the nice reporter.”
The Vulture grins, edging back. “How can I guarantee you won’t follow me?”
Spider-Man stays perched on the ledge. “Oh, I’m not supposed to follow you?” he jokes. Spider-Man then sprays webbing over the Vulture and me.
“Try dropping him, now,” he says and leaps at the Vulture, bringing them crashing to a rooftop as I work my way out of the webbing.
“Off me!” screams the Vulture as he slashes his wing at Spider-Man.
“Ya know, that hurt. I think it’s time to clip your wings.” And Spider-Man grabs the Vulture’s razor wings, pulling. “URGH!” he grunts, ripping off the wings.
The Vulture gets to his feet. “You miserable little...”
Spider-Man then decks the Vulture, laying him out, flat on his back.
Spider-Man turns to me and gives me a briefcase. “Tell the cops the Vulture stole this.”
And before I can say anything, Spider-Man swings off.
|
|
|
Post by fan4 on Feb 13, 2007 0:09:58 GMT -5
That night, Ben returns home. The lights are out. Hmm... Doris must be asleep. Ben turns on a light and flops back in his easy chair. What a day. Interviewing eyewitnesses got me nowhere. Each one conflicted the other, but what I saw today... He looks at his notes. He’s a hero. Too bad Jonah will never let it see the light of day.
Ben gets up and tosses his notes in a trash can. I’m sorry, web-head. I truly am, thinks Ben, turning off the lights and going to bed.
End.
|
|