Back to GatefoldIssue #21 by Mike Exner III
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"THE DRAGON AND THE MAIDENS"
Previously in the Amazing Spider-Man: Spider-Man was forced to deal with the ramifications of the attack on New York perpetrated by the Brotherhood of Mutants and his unwilling part in it. After dodging police gunfire, Spider-Man saved Eugene from certain death at the hands of the villainous Toad and then with barely a lull in the action was forced into a battle with Sandman. After triumphs on both counts, will the web-slinger be able to return to some semblance of normalcy? It's doubtful, true believers. Just ask J. Jonah Jameson!
"If you ask me, that wall-crawler deserves to be strung up by his neck and stoned by the public!" spat J. Jonah Jameson around the cigar perched precariously between his lips.
"Be reasonable, Jonah. We've only received smatterings of information about what happened between Spider-Man and the Brotherhood of Mutants. We need more concrete evidence before we can print anything," replied Robbie Robertson as he and the senior staff of the Daily Bugle huddled around the news monitors that constantly flashed images of the chaos surrounding the Starbucks bombing.*
( *Check out the past two issues for the full story - Dino )
Jonah grunted and gnawed deeply into his cigar. "I don't need any evidence to show me what I already know, Robbie. That web-slinging menace has always been a bad seed. As many times as I've been wrong about him, I know I'm right this time. We've got the video evidence right here to prove it!"
"I've got to agree with Robbie, JJJ," said Ben Urich and Jonah turned a hateful eye in his direction that Ben promptly ignored. "Only one news camera was able to capture Spidey's involvement in the bombing and the footage is choppy at best. Unless we've got pictures to go along with a story, anything we print will be pure speculation and nothing more."
"Well, where the hell are my photographers!" yelled Jonah at the top of his lungs. "Where's Parker or Rodriguez or Yin when you need them!"
"Right here, Chief," spoke a voice from behind the assembled gathering of newshounds and everyone turned to see who it was. Angela Yin stood there with her camera dangling from her neck. Traces of black soot and gravel tracked throughout her hair and lingered on her face and arms. The girl looked utterly exhausted but there was a wry smile on her face. As Jonah saw the grin, a matching one crept onto his own features.
"Tell me you got the pictures I need, Yin. Tell me that and I won't even dock you in pay for calling me Chief," growled Jonah around the cigar clamped tightly between his teeth.
Angela Yin's smile only grew wider as she slipped the film from her camera. "Mr. Jameson… let's make a deal."
Spider-Man landed noiselessly on the charcoal-colored fire escape that led into his apartment. His spider-sense hadn't warned him of any passerby casually looking in his direction and there hadn't been even the slightest twinge to indicate that Randy was in the general vicinity.
But Randy was in the apartment.
Spidey immediately opened the window and rushed inside. Randy was laid out in the middle of the floor and had obviously been severely beaten. The apartment itself was trashed. The television set had been hurled into the wall. The couch was overturned and the stuffing for the cushions was littered all throughout the living room. The glass coffee table had been shattered and splinters of glass and wood were everywhere. Even with his spider-sense and reflexes, Spidey had a hard time navigating his way toward Randy without skewering his foot on one of the shards.
Spider-Man looked down at his friend and grimaced. Randy's face was beaten to pulp. Even if he had been conscious there was no way he would have been able to see Spidey through eyes that had swollen so massively. Spider-Man knew a lot about injuries and it looked like Randy had at least a broken jaw. Internal injuries were harder to gauge, but Randy's clothes were torn and ripped in many places. There was no telling how much damage had been done to his friend.
He couldn't chance carrying Randy to the hospital himself. There was no telling how much extra damage he might do. Eugene had at least been conscious and still resisting his assault when Spider-Man had carried him to the hospital. This was definitely a graver situation. There was really only one thing he could do. Spidey bounded over to the phone in one leap and dialed 911.
Jill Stacy pivoted on her toes and spun around in a neat circle. Her hips swung from side to side as she danced from one corner of the room to the other. Music slipped to her ears from the stereo situated underneath her television screen. The sound of it soothed and distracted her enough so that she could run through the thoughts in her head without breaking into tears.
A broom sat clutched between her fingers and she swept it along the floor of the kitchen as she swept her body in time to the music. The mess had been here to greet her after she had returned from visiting Randy with Peter's Aunt May. Coming home to disorder in her house was becoming a regular occurrence now that her father had gone away.
Her brother Paul had done this. She had no doubt in her mind about that. It seemed like Paul had started to become distant the second her father had left. Jill was afraid he was using drugs and the people he had started running with did nothing to assuage those suspicions.
She knew who the Friends of Humanity were. A group of hatemongering individuals that used every resource and opportunity they had to make the lives of mutants that much harder to deal with. They usually recruited young people straight out of college into their organization and it had been no different with Paul. Jill had always thought Paul smart enough to see past people who used bigotry and hatred as their inspiration. For a while it seemed he was.
But then their father had left and Paul had started to become depressed. Jill tried as hard as she could to cheer him up and pull him out of it but Paul just became more isolated from her the more she tried. That was when the Friends of Humanity started coming around again. Paul began spending even less time at home and when he was home he would only speak to her in grunts of affirmation or negation. When she wasn't around Paul would root through the house in search of money or food. Messes like the one she was cleaning now were commonplace.
Jill knew the signs of a drug habit well enough. She was afraid that it was only a matter of time before Paul began taking things from the house to pay for his affliction. Still, in the back of her mind she had always hoped Paul would snap out of it somehow. He was smart. He could get past this if he just thought about what he was doing.
But then Jill had gone over to Randy's house and she had watched the footage of the Friends of Humanity dying in the explosion at the Starbucks coffee house. One of the victims was Reginald Valley. Jill had met Reginald on one of his many visits to their house. He was the one who finally convinced Paul to join the organization. To hear Paul speak of it, Reginald Valley was as good a friend to him as any he had ever had in his life.
Jill had left Randy's with May in tow as soon as she saw the initial report. She had rushed home and she had seen the new mess and she had tried to convince herself that things were still the same. Paul would snap out of it. Paul was smart. Paul would figure things out.
But what do you do when you lose your best friend? Things change when something like that happens to you. And it isn't often that they change for the better.
Plus the Friends of Humanity weren't exactly a kind and loving organization. They would definitely be planning some sort of retaliation against the Brotherhood of Mutants. Jill shuddered as she thought of what Paul's part in that might be. It was guaranteed to be a bloody affair and Paul could easily be caught in the middle. She had to do something. But what could she do?
The phone ringing next to her ear nearly caused her to scream out loud. Jill looked over at it as if she had been slapped. It was sitting on top of her microwave and she realized she had been leaning on the broom in front of it just staring off into space… lost in her thoughts.
She shook her head and blinked away the cobwebs tangling her mind. She picked up the phone and held it to her ear. The speaker on the other end of the line didn't give her a chance to respond. After a few short moments she hung up the phone and then let the broom fall to the polished tiles of her kitchen floor. She rushed to her closet, put on a jacket and raced out the front door of her house. The mess in the kitchen would have to wait.
"The humans call it the Eye of the Sun, my pet. But in Asgard it is known as the Eye of Power," said the ravishingly beautiful woman garbed in green as she paced thoughtfully in front of the lumbering purple beast before her. The monster made no reply, but simply followed the woman with cold, artificial eyes.
"I am uncertain how the Eye of Power was returned to Midgard, but there is no mistaking that the battle between the humans and that cosmic fool, the Collector, was in order to lay claim to it," continued the beauty as she flipped a long strand of blonde hair behind her ear. "I could sense the energies of the Eye of Power until the climax of said battle. But now it is lost to me."
The giant purple beast shifted as if it could sense the discomfort of its master. The beautiful blonde woman smiled and turned to the monster.
"Fear not, gentle dragon. I, the Enchantress, know that the Collector did not leave with the article in hand. There is another who claims it… one who I am quite familiar with. We crossed paths once before.* But the spell that melded the woman to the Eye of Power confuses me. In order to trace the Bearer of the Stone we must first find the trail."
( * The Enchantress and Sekhmet Conoway met in Iron Man #10 - Dino )
The Enchantress slipped next to the creature known as Dragon Man and stroked his bowed head absently with her fingers.* "And that is where you come in, my pet. You will travel to the New York Museum of Natural Art and use the spell I have cast over you to locate the scent of power the stone exudes."
( *This story takes place after the Frightful Four arc in M2K's Fantastic Four title - Dino )
The Dragon Man huffed and a whiff of brimstone slipped to the nostrils of Amora the Enchantress. "When you locate the scent it will be simple child's play to hunt down the human woman who holds it and wrestle it from her grasp. Once I hold the Eye of Power, Asgard will rule over Midgard once more. I will be the Bearer of the Stone and I will be most beloved of all forevermore. Now go, Dragon! Bring me my prize."
The Dragon Man roared and his giant purple frame rose into the air. His large wings beat once and then twice and he was carried swiftly away. Amora the Enchantress watched him depart and then with a wave of her hand, vanished in a glimmer of pinkish light.
"Jill, I'm glad you could come," said Peter as Jill rushed down the hallway towards her friend. "I was afraid I wouldn't be able to get a hold of you."
Jill embraced Peter and struggled to blink back her tears. "Well I'm here now, Peter. You sounded so strange on the phone that I wasn't sure I was hearing you right. I can't believe Randy and Eugene are both in the hospital."
Peter pulled away from Jill and she could see he was struggling with his own emotions. "I feel like part of it is my fault. I left to see if I could get pictures of the riot in Times Square and Eugene got hurt because of it and then I left Randy alone when I went to check out the Sandman's rampage and he got hurt while I was gone."
"It's not your fault, Peter. It could have been you and Randy who got hurt. I'm sure if there were anything you could have done, you would have. We should just be thankful that our friends are alive and that they're going to be ok," said Jill and looked past Peter into the room Eugene was lying in.
Peter followed her gaze. "They have Randy in intensive care downstairs but they said that he should be well enough to move in a day or so. Eugene should have a roommate to keep him company soon enough."
Jill nodded. "That's good. Is Eugene allowed to have visitors?"
"He is, but he just fell asleep a little while ago and the nurse asked me not to disturb him," replied Peter and he could see Jill's face drop. "He should wake up in a couple of hours though. Why don't we go somewhere and get a drink until he does."
Jill looked away from Eugene's room and smiled at Peter. She slipped a hand into Peter's and he made no effort to remove it. "Yeah, ok. I'd like that, Peter. You want to go get some coffee?"
Peter scrunched his face up into a scowl. "No way. No coffee for me, thank you very much. I don't want to go near one of those coffee houses for the rest of my life if I can help it."
"Yeah, I know what you mean," said Jill and then began pulling Peter in the direction of the exit. "A soda it is then. C'mon Mr. Parker. I don't have all day.
Peter let himself be pulled. After everything that had happened over the past few days, a quiet drink with a friend was just what he needed.
Ben Urich sat looking at the door of J. Jonah Jameson's office with a scowl on his face. Hours earlier Jonah had gone into his office with Angela Yin and had her film developed. The pictures were incriminating to say the least and Jonah had been as happy as a lark with a fat worm in its beak as he called for Ben and Robbie to come into his office to share in the glory.
Jonah had already written an editorial for the paper and had ordered Urich to write a piece alongside Angela Yin's photographs to accompany it. Ben had done it because it was his job but he wasn't at all happy about it. Spider-Man made a mistake. He didn't deserve to be crucified for it.
Jonah had reviewed the article and didn't seem to mind that it didn't completely rip Spider-Man to shreds. If anything, he seemed even happier than before. He went into his office with a gruesome smile twisting his face that nobody on the staff could look at for more than five seconds at a time.
Then the phone call came.
Ben thought he was the only one who noticed Glory Grant forward the phone call to Jonah and the strange message that accompanied it. Urich was a reporter and he was always aware of his surroundings. Glory's exact words had been: Jonah, you have a call from a Mr. Scrier. Jonah's reply had been: I'll take it immediately, Ms. Grant.
Ben Urich had done a lot of work on the Green Goblin case. There were rumors circulating in the Underworld that the Green Goblin was dead. But Ben Urich wasn't the kind of guy who did his reporting based strictly on rumors. A good source was a good source, but the Goblin had been reported dead before and he always seemed to find a way to come back.
Jonah, you have a call from a Mr. Scrier.
Those were the words that stuck like glue in Ben Urich's head. Scrier was an organization that the Green Goblin had somehow taken control of. He had used it to gain a minor foothold on the Underworld in New York and he had used the members of said organization to make the life of Spider-Man a living Hell.
If Jonah was speaking to a Mr. Scrier was it possible there was a connection between the man he was speaking with and the Scrier organization? Ben had heard that little boy's club had gone down in flames long ago… but you never knew. Ben Urich was a faithful employee of J. Jonah Jameson, but above all else he was a reporter…a damn fine reporter. If there was any connection between the Green Goblin and J. Jonah Jameson, Ben Urich was going to find out about it.
Ben got up from his desk and began walking slowly towards the door to Jameson's office. Before he could reach the door and close his hand over the knob, Glory Grant stepped in front of him.
"Jonah doesn't want to be disturbed, Ben," she said with an innocent quality in her voice that made Ben want to strangle her. Here he was about to question the owner of the Daily Bugle about a possible connection with the Green Goblin and the man's assistant was cutting him off.
"Look, Glory. I have to see Jameson," said Ben in his most accommodating voice and Glory smiled. Ben had seen this smile many times before and matched it with one of his own. "I know you have a job to do but I'm walking through this door. Now move out of the way."
Surprisingly, Glory did just that. "Don't say I didn't warn you."
"Yeah, I owe you one," muttered Ben as he opened the door to Jonah's office. The man was hunched over his desk. The phone was on the ground and the receiver was broken in two. At the sound of Ben's entrance, Jonah's head snapped up like a cobra.
"Urich, I'm going to give you to the count of three to get the hell out of my office. If you're not gone within those three seconds I will fire your ass without hesitation. Now get the HELL OUT!" screamed Jonah at the top of his lungs. Ben backpedaled out the way he had entered and pulled the door shut instinctively behind him.
Ben could distinctively hear Glory laughing into her hand and turned to glare at her. Glory continued laughing and took her hand from her mouth to utter two words that burned Ben to the core. "Told you."
"Oh, shut up," replied Ben as he stomped back to his desk. Ok, so he wasn't willing to lose his job to expose Jonah's little scheme. That didn't mean he couldn't go to Robbie with what he knew. Robbie knew Jonah better than anybody. He'd get to the bottom of it in no time. Whether Jonah liked it or not, the mystery of Mr. Scrier was coming into the light.
Peter and Jill sat across from each other at a booth in the Little Soda Shop and sipped on their chosen preference of beverage. For Peter a simple Coca Cola was enough to satisfy him, but Jill had taken it a step further and ordered a root beer float.
"Did you have to get all that whipped cream? It's making me uneasy," said Peter as he slipped his straw between the cubes of ice to get the last lingering amount of his soda.
Jill stuck her tongue out at Peter and lightly kicked him beneath the table. "Oh, be quiet. A girl is allowed to indulge from time to time. Besides, your choice was so boring I had to spice things up a bit."
Peter grinned. "Hey, I lead a life of excitement and adventure. I actually need a good old Coke to settle things down from time to time."
"You know, I would have thought you were joking before, but who knows what your life is like now. You've been doing a pretty good job of avoiding your friends and family lately," said Jill as she took another sip of her soda.
Peter let his straw drop from his lips. "C'mon, Jill. That's unfair. It's not like I'm avoiding you or anybody else for that matter. Things have just been…"
"Just been what?" said Jill but then she looked up at Peter. His attention had been captured by something behind her and she turned to see what it was. On a television behind the counter was a news report showing a huge, purple, dragon-like creature fighting police outside the Museum of Natural Art. Jill watched as the creature whisked police away with massive flaps of its wings and breathed fire from its terrifying mouth.
"Looks like that thing needs a cool drink more than we do…" said Jill and turned back in her seat. Peter's empty glass of soda was still sitting on the table with a ten-dollar bill tucked beneath it.
Jill sighed and went back to sipping her soda. "Typical. Just when I think I'm getting you to open up to me you run off on your own. No Peter, you're not avoiding me at all."
"Get you anything else, miss?" asked a small hairy man who was wiping one of the soda glasses with a dingy cloth.
"Um, just the check please," said Jill as she watched the tattered cloth leave grimy streaks on the glass. "I've suddenly lost my appetite."
Robbie Robertson stood outside the door to the Intensive Care Unit with his hand pressed firmly over his face. Peter Parker had called him about an hour ago and told him that his son had been injured during a break-in at their place.
Robbie had immediately dropped what he had been doing at the Bugle and rushed over. He had spoken with doctors about the condition of his son and they all agreed that he was going to be fine. He had been badly beaten by what the doctors could only assume were multiple assailants. Five of his ribs had been broken. He had fractured his right cheekbone. His jaw was broken. He had a tear in the lining of his small intestine from an intense blow to the stomach area. Bruises and cuts covered the entire mass of his battered body.
Robbie felt the tears leak down his cheeks. He felt partially responsible for what had happened. He was the one who had cut off his son from any financial aid whatsoever. Martha had disagreed with Robbie right from the start but Robbie had held firm to his decision. If Randy hadn't been living in such a bad neighborhood none of this would have happened.
"Oh, Randy. I'm so sorry," said Robbie Robertson to nobody in particular… and continued to cry.
Spider-Man stopped on the same building he had set up his automatic camera to film the battle between himself and the Collector.* He set up his automatic camera again and this time focused it on the lumbering form of the Dragon Man. The android monster was making short work of the police officers that were attempting to stop it. So far the creature had killed none of the officers, but Spidey wasn't about to bet on those odds for much longer.
( *It all took place in issues #14-16 - Dino )
Spider-Man shot a thick strand of webbing across the street and swung on an arc towards Dragon Man. The creature seemed busy with the police and didn't notice Spider-Man hurtling towards it, but Spidey noticed that there was something strange about the way the android was moving. It was almost as if something else was occupying its artificial brain.
"Hey, purple-puss. Long time no see," said Spider-Man as he collided with the massive artificial dragon. The monster didn't budge an inch and the creature turned to regard Spider-Man with a scowl of rage.
"Ugh, and who would want to see you again with a face like that," said Spidey as he dodged an intense shot of flame from the mouth of Dragon Man.
Spider-Man shot a full cartridge of webbing at the Dragon Man that covered its entire head. "Now, I know the Museum of Natural Art is looking for exciting new exhibits for their displays, but this is certainly not how you go about auditioning for them. They're down to earth people, trust me"
Spider-Man's spider-sense went off as Dragon Man burned through the webbing surrounding its head.
"And with breath like that, I think you might want to get some Cool-Mint Listerine before you meet with the museum staff," said Spidey as he dodged another fierce blast of fire.
Spider-Man landed neatly on his toes and swiveled his body in the direction of the orange tape of the construction crews that had been working diligently on the repairs to the museum. He leapt towards the construction site and picked up a large slab of fragmented concrete that had been shattered from the steps of the museum in his battle with Stunner.*
( *As seen in issue #14 - Dino )
Spider-Man jumped back towards Dragon Man and raised the slab of concrete over his head. "Ok, that's it. Just because you're all big and purple and the kids dig you doesn't mean you can run amok and start hurting people. Would Barney the Dinosaur act like this?"
Spider-Man's spider-sense warned him of another shot of flame and he used the giant mass of concrete to deflect the blast. "And I know Barney would never spit fire at everybody's favorite friendly neighborhood knight in shining armor. I made a cameo on his Christmas Special!"
Dragon Man whipped out its tail like lightning and Spider-Man leapt into the air to avoid the swipe. He arched his back and tightened his grip on the hunk of pavement. "Fine, be that way. Guess I've got to get medieval on your purple butt."
Spider-Man slammed the chunk of concrete down on Dragon Man's head. "Have at thee! Oh, purple purveyor of putrid putrescence! Or whatever them medieval types say."
The android stumbled on its clawed feet and fell heavily to the ground. Spider-Man landed nimbly beside it. "Man, somebody needs to lay off the potato chips and pizza rolls. How about we try falling on the ground without shaking the city to pieces next time, fatty."
"Bravo, human. That was most impressive," whispered a sultry voice from directly behind Spider-Man. Spidey clenched his fists and turned around and immediately felt his heart begin to hammer in his chest. Standing before him was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen in his life.
"Allow me to reward you… with a kiss," said the woman and reached her arms out to embrace Spider-Man. Spidey let himself fall into her arms and she raised his mask slightly to kiss his lips. Spider-Man felt the world fall away from him as his mind emptied and focused entirely on the beauty before him.
"Go now, human. I have business here that you have interrupted. Find fortune in the fact that I do not kill you for your transgression upon my personage," said Amora the Enchantress and Spider-Man nodded his head slowly. Spidey shot a web-line towards the building he had set his camera upon and swung away. The Enchantress watched him go with a frown on her face and then turned her attentions to Dragon Man.
"I certainly hope you completed your mission, my pet. Failure does not sit well with a goddess born," said the Enchantress and then motioned with her arms. The approaching police saw nothing but a massive pink spark of energy and when it diminished the Enchantress and the Dragon Man were gone.
Jonah stepped out of his office and Ben watched him intently. The man was bound tightly within his trench coat and his fedora hat was pulled low over his eyes. Jonah looked like a man who had something to hide.
"Leaving, Jonah?" said Glory from her desk but Jonah didn't even glance in her direction.
"Yes, Ms. Grant. Hold all my messages. I plan to be out for the rest of the day," replied Jonah and then began walking towards the elevators that led down to the lobby of the Bugle.
"Jonah, if I could get a word," said Ben as Jonah walked briskly past him.
Jonah didn't even humor Ben by slowing down. "Keep writing, Urich. If you need a word I'm sure Robbie will provide you with all the information you need. If that fails, find a dictionary."
Ben Urich slumped in his seat and watched as J. Jonah Jameson entered the elevator and the metal doors shut him within. Ben tapped his pen on his desk and turned to look in the direction of Jonah's office. When Robbie got back he was going to have a nice long talk with the Editor in Chief of the Daily Bugle. If Ben didn't like what he heard, maybe he'd do some investigative reporting of his own. After all, Jonah couldn't keep his secret forever.
So you actually made it back, huh? I'm seriously impressed. I didn't think I'd see you for at least another couple weeks," said Jill as she spotted Peter walking slowly down the hall of the hospital in her direction.
"After you pulled your disappearing act I came back here to wait for Eugene to wake up," said Jill as Peter continued to move towards her. "I was hoping I'd see you again but I don't know if it was so I could ask you where you ran off to… or so I could punch you in the face."
"You're so sweet, Jill. I don't know what I'd do without such a kind and loving friend to see me through my miserable, pointless existence," said Peter and then began to dance along the hall, waving his arms as if an invisible wind were blowing beneath them
"Um, Peter. What the hell are you doing?" said Jill as she watched Peter spin around in little circles. "Are you drunk?"
"I feel drunk whenever I'm around you, Jill. Drunk on the love juice," said Peter as he closed the distance between the two of them in three giant steps. Before Jill could react, Peter swept her into his arms and kissed her deeply. Jill resisted slightly but Peter pressed his lips firmly to hers and didn't relinquish the hold he had on her. After a few long moments Jill responded with her own passion and then finally Peter broke the kiss. Peter clamped a hand to his head and groaned as Jill stood looking at him.
What was that all about, Peter?" said Jill. She felt as if she were standing on legs that might buckle at the knees at any moment. Her thoughts were all jumbled inside her head. Images of the day Peter had held her in his arms after Smoke had brushed her leg filled her senses.* She had fallen into his strong arms and felt safe that day. It had felt right. Peter jolted her from her thoughts with a groan of dismay.
( *Again, in issue #14 - Dino )
"I'm so sorry, Jill. I never meant for this to happen," said Peter as he began to back away from Jill and retreat down the length of the hall. "I don't know what came over me.
"Peter… where are you going? You didn't do anything wrong!" said Jill as she watched Peter rush away. Peter didn't respond as he opened the door to the stairwell of the hospital and disappeared again. Jill pressed her face to the glass window of Eugene's hospital room and sighed. She never saw her brother Paul come out of a hospital room a few doors down and watch as she and Peter talked. She never saw him tuck the bottle of pills into the pocket of his jacket. She never saw as he watched her kiss the one person he blamed for his cousin's death. She never saw his face darken. She never saw him walk away.
Next Issue: Things sure are getting complicated in Peter's love life. Unfortunately he won't have much time to sort through his problems after the Enforcers come calling. They're back and tougher than ever. Will Spidey be able to stop them from completing their mission? And who is the mysterious man they work for? Plus: The aftermath of the bombing perpetrated by the Brotherhood of Mutants finally comes to a head… and the city cries out for Spider-blood!!!
"If you ask me, that wall-crawler deserves to be strung up by his neck and stoned by the public!" spat J. Jonah Jameson around the cigar perched precariously between his lips.
"Be reasonable, Jonah. We've only received smatterings of information about what happened between Spider-Man and the Brotherhood of Mutants. We need more concrete evidence before we can print anything," replied Robbie Robertson as he and the senior staff of the Daily Bugle huddled around the news monitors that constantly flashed images of the chaos surrounding the Starbucks bombing.*
( *Check out the past two issues for the full story - Dino )
Jonah grunted and gnawed deeply into his cigar. "I don't need any evidence to show me what I already know, Robbie. That web-slinging menace has always been a bad seed. As many times as I've been wrong about him, I know I'm right this time. We've got the video evidence right here to prove it!"
"I've got to agree with Robbie, JJJ," said Ben Urich and Jonah turned a hateful eye in his direction that Ben promptly ignored. "Only one news camera was able to capture Spidey's involvement in the bombing and the footage is choppy at best. Unless we've got pictures to go along with a story, anything we print will be pure speculation and nothing more."
"Well, where the hell are my photographers!" yelled Jonah at the top of his lungs. "Where's Parker or Rodriguez or Yin when you need them!"
"Right here, Chief," spoke a voice from behind the assembled gathering of newshounds and everyone turned to see who it was. Angela Yin stood there with her camera dangling from her neck. Traces of black soot and gravel tracked throughout her hair and lingered on her face and arms. The girl looked utterly exhausted but there was a wry smile on her face. As Jonah saw the grin, a matching one crept onto his own features.
"Tell me you got the pictures I need, Yin. Tell me that and I won't even dock you in pay for calling me Chief," growled Jonah around the cigar clamped tightly between his teeth.
Angela Yin's smile only grew wider as she slipped the film from her camera. "Mr. Jameson… let's make a deal."
Spider-Man landed noiselessly on the charcoal-colored fire escape that led into his apartment. His spider-sense hadn't warned him of any passerby casually looking in his direction and there hadn't been even the slightest twinge to indicate that Randy was in the general vicinity.
But Randy was in the apartment.
Spidey immediately opened the window and rushed inside. Randy was laid out in the middle of the floor and had obviously been severely beaten. The apartment itself was trashed. The television set had been hurled into the wall. The couch was overturned and the stuffing for the cushions was littered all throughout the living room. The glass coffee table had been shattered and splinters of glass and wood were everywhere. Even with his spider-sense and reflexes, Spidey had a hard time navigating his way toward Randy without skewering his foot on one of the shards.
Spider-Man looked down at his friend and grimaced. Randy's face was beaten to pulp. Even if he had been conscious there was no way he would have been able to see Spidey through eyes that had swollen so massively. Spider-Man knew a lot about injuries and it looked like Randy had at least a broken jaw. Internal injuries were harder to gauge, but Randy's clothes were torn and ripped in many places. There was no telling how much damage had been done to his friend.
He couldn't chance carrying Randy to the hospital himself. There was no telling how much extra damage he might do. Eugene had at least been conscious and still resisting his assault when Spider-Man had carried him to the hospital. This was definitely a graver situation. There was really only one thing he could do. Spidey bounded over to the phone in one leap and dialed 911.
Jill Stacy pivoted on her toes and spun around in a neat circle. Her hips swung from side to side as she danced from one corner of the room to the other. Music slipped to her ears from the stereo situated underneath her television screen. The sound of it soothed and distracted her enough so that she could run through the thoughts in her head without breaking into tears.
A broom sat clutched between her fingers and she swept it along the floor of the kitchen as she swept her body in time to the music. The mess had been here to greet her after she had returned from visiting Randy with Peter's Aunt May. Coming home to disorder in her house was becoming a regular occurrence now that her father had gone away.
Her brother Paul had done this. She had no doubt in her mind about that. It seemed like Paul had started to become distant the second her father had left. Jill was afraid he was using drugs and the people he had started running with did nothing to assuage those suspicions.
She knew who the Friends of Humanity were. A group of hatemongering individuals that used every resource and opportunity they had to make the lives of mutants that much harder to deal with. They usually recruited young people straight out of college into their organization and it had been no different with Paul. Jill had always thought Paul smart enough to see past people who used bigotry and hatred as their inspiration. For a while it seemed he was.
But then their father had left and Paul had started to become depressed. Jill tried as hard as she could to cheer him up and pull him out of it but Paul just became more isolated from her the more she tried. That was when the Friends of Humanity started coming around again. Paul began spending even less time at home and when he was home he would only speak to her in grunts of affirmation or negation. When she wasn't around Paul would root through the house in search of money or food. Messes like the one she was cleaning now were commonplace.
Jill knew the signs of a drug habit well enough. She was afraid that it was only a matter of time before Paul began taking things from the house to pay for his affliction. Still, in the back of her mind she had always hoped Paul would snap out of it somehow. He was smart. He could get past this if he just thought about what he was doing.
But then Jill had gone over to Randy's house and she had watched the footage of the Friends of Humanity dying in the explosion at the Starbucks coffee house. One of the victims was Reginald Valley. Jill had met Reginald on one of his many visits to their house. He was the one who finally convinced Paul to join the organization. To hear Paul speak of it, Reginald Valley was as good a friend to him as any he had ever had in his life.
Jill had left Randy's with May in tow as soon as she saw the initial report. She had rushed home and she had seen the new mess and she had tried to convince herself that things were still the same. Paul would snap out of it. Paul was smart. Paul would figure things out.
But what do you do when you lose your best friend? Things change when something like that happens to you. And it isn't often that they change for the better.
Plus the Friends of Humanity weren't exactly a kind and loving organization. They would definitely be planning some sort of retaliation against the Brotherhood of Mutants. Jill shuddered as she thought of what Paul's part in that might be. It was guaranteed to be a bloody affair and Paul could easily be caught in the middle. She had to do something. But what could she do?
The phone ringing next to her ear nearly caused her to scream out loud. Jill looked over at it as if she had been slapped. It was sitting on top of her microwave and she realized she had been leaning on the broom in front of it just staring off into space… lost in her thoughts.
She shook her head and blinked away the cobwebs tangling her mind. She picked up the phone and held it to her ear. The speaker on the other end of the line didn't give her a chance to respond. After a few short moments she hung up the phone and then let the broom fall to the polished tiles of her kitchen floor. She rushed to her closet, put on a jacket and raced out the front door of her house. The mess in the kitchen would have to wait.
"The humans call it the Eye of the Sun, my pet. But in Asgard it is known as the Eye of Power," said the ravishingly beautiful woman garbed in green as she paced thoughtfully in front of the lumbering purple beast before her. The monster made no reply, but simply followed the woman with cold, artificial eyes.
"I am uncertain how the Eye of Power was returned to Midgard, but there is no mistaking that the battle between the humans and that cosmic fool, the Collector, was in order to lay claim to it," continued the beauty as she flipped a long strand of blonde hair behind her ear. "I could sense the energies of the Eye of Power until the climax of said battle. But now it is lost to me."
The giant purple beast shifted as if it could sense the discomfort of its master. The beautiful blonde woman smiled and turned to the monster.
"Fear not, gentle dragon. I, the Enchantress, know that the Collector did not leave with the article in hand. There is another who claims it… one who I am quite familiar with. We crossed paths once before.* But the spell that melded the woman to the Eye of Power confuses me. In order to trace the Bearer of the Stone we must first find the trail."
( * The Enchantress and Sekhmet Conoway met in Iron Man #10 - Dino )
The Enchantress slipped next to the creature known as Dragon Man and stroked his bowed head absently with her fingers.* "And that is where you come in, my pet. You will travel to the New York Museum of Natural Art and use the spell I have cast over you to locate the scent of power the stone exudes."
( *This story takes place after the Frightful Four arc in M2K's Fantastic Four title - Dino )
The Dragon Man huffed and a whiff of brimstone slipped to the nostrils of Amora the Enchantress. "When you locate the scent it will be simple child's play to hunt down the human woman who holds it and wrestle it from her grasp. Once I hold the Eye of Power, Asgard will rule over Midgard once more. I will be the Bearer of the Stone and I will be most beloved of all forevermore. Now go, Dragon! Bring me my prize."
The Dragon Man roared and his giant purple frame rose into the air. His large wings beat once and then twice and he was carried swiftly away. Amora the Enchantress watched him depart and then with a wave of her hand, vanished in a glimmer of pinkish light.
"Jill, I'm glad you could come," said Peter as Jill rushed down the hallway towards her friend. "I was afraid I wouldn't be able to get a hold of you."
Jill embraced Peter and struggled to blink back her tears. "Well I'm here now, Peter. You sounded so strange on the phone that I wasn't sure I was hearing you right. I can't believe Randy and Eugene are both in the hospital."
Peter pulled away from Jill and she could see he was struggling with his own emotions. "I feel like part of it is my fault. I left to see if I could get pictures of the riot in Times Square and Eugene got hurt because of it and then I left Randy alone when I went to check out the Sandman's rampage and he got hurt while I was gone."
"It's not your fault, Peter. It could have been you and Randy who got hurt. I'm sure if there were anything you could have done, you would have. We should just be thankful that our friends are alive and that they're going to be ok," said Jill and looked past Peter into the room Eugene was lying in.
Peter followed her gaze. "They have Randy in intensive care downstairs but they said that he should be well enough to move in a day or so. Eugene should have a roommate to keep him company soon enough."
Jill nodded. "That's good. Is Eugene allowed to have visitors?"
"He is, but he just fell asleep a little while ago and the nurse asked me not to disturb him," replied Peter and he could see Jill's face drop. "He should wake up in a couple of hours though. Why don't we go somewhere and get a drink until he does."
Jill looked away from Eugene's room and smiled at Peter. She slipped a hand into Peter's and he made no effort to remove it. "Yeah, ok. I'd like that, Peter. You want to go get some coffee?"
Peter scrunched his face up into a scowl. "No way. No coffee for me, thank you very much. I don't want to go near one of those coffee houses for the rest of my life if I can help it."
"Yeah, I know what you mean," said Jill and then began pulling Peter in the direction of the exit. "A soda it is then. C'mon Mr. Parker. I don't have all day.
Peter let himself be pulled. After everything that had happened over the past few days, a quiet drink with a friend was just what he needed.
Ben Urich sat looking at the door of J. Jonah Jameson's office with a scowl on his face. Hours earlier Jonah had gone into his office with Angela Yin and had her film developed. The pictures were incriminating to say the least and Jonah had been as happy as a lark with a fat worm in its beak as he called for Ben and Robbie to come into his office to share in the glory.
Jonah had already written an editorial for the paper and had ordered Urich to write a piece alongside Angela Yin's photographs to accompany it. Ben had done it because it was his job but he wasn't at all happy about it. Spider-Man made a mistake. He didn't deserve to be crucified for it.
Jonah had reviewed the article and didn't seem to mind that it didn't completely rip Spider-Man to shreds. If anything, he seemed even happier than before. He went into his office with a gruesome smile twisting his face that nobody on the staff could look at for more than five seconds at a time.
Then the phone call came.
Ben thought he was the only one who noticed Glory Grant forward the phone call to Jonah and the strange message that accompanied it. Urich was a reporter and he was always aware of his surroundings. Glory's exact words had been: Jonah, you have a call from a Mr. Scrier. Jonah's reply had been: I'll take it immediately, Ms. Grant.
Ben Urich had done a lot of work on the Green Goblin case. There were rumors circulating in the Underworld that the Green Goblin was dead. But Ben Urich wasn't the kind of guy who did his reporting based strictly on rumors. A good source was a good source, but the Goblin had been reported dead before and he always seemed to find a way to come back.
Jonah, you have a call from a Mr. Scrier.
Those were the words that stuck like glue in Ben Urich's head. Scrier was an organization that the Green Goblin had somehow taken control of. He had used it to gain a minor foothold on the Underworld in New York and he had used the members of said organization to make the life of Spider-Man a living Hell.
If Jonah was speaking to a Mr. Scrier was it possible there was a connection between the man he was speaking with and the Scrier organization? Ben had heard that little boy's club had gone down in flames long ago… but you never knew. Ben Urich was a faithful employee of J. Jonah Jameson, but above all else he was a reporter…a damn fine reporter. If there was any connection between the Green Goblin and J. Jonah Jameson, Ben Urich was going to find out about it.
Ben got up from his desk and began walking slowly towards the door to Jameson's office. Before he could reach the door and close his hand over the knob, Glory Grant stepped in front of him.
"Jonah doesn't want to be disturbed, Ben," she said with an innocent quality in her voice that made Ben want to strangle her. Here he was about to question the owner of the Daily Bugle about a possible connection with the Green Goblin and the man's assistant was cutting him off.
"Look, Glory. I have to see Jameson," said Ben in his most accommodating voice and Glory smiled. Ben had seen this smile many times before and matched it with one of his own. "I know you have a job to do but I'm walking through this door. Now move out of the way."
Surprisingly, Glory did just that. "Don't say I didn't warn you."
"Yeah, I owe you one," muttered Ben as he opened the door to Jonah's office. The man was hunched over his desk. The phone was on the ground and the receiver was broken in two. At the sound of Ben's entrance, Jonah's head snapped up like a cobra.
"Urich, I'm going to give you to the count of three to get the hell out of my office. If you're not gone within those three seconds I will fire your ass without hesitation. Now get the HELL OUT!" screamed Jonah at the top of his lungs. Ben backpedaled out the way he had entered and pulled the door shut instinctively behind him.
Ben could distinctively hear Glory laughing into her hand and turned to glare at her. Glory continued laughing and took her hand from her mouth to utter two words that burned Ben to the core. "Told you."
"Oh, shut up," replied Ben as he stomped back to his desk. Ok, so he wasn't willing to lose his job to expose Jonah's little scheme. That didn't mean he couldn't go to Robbie with what he knew. Robbie knew Jonah better than anybody. He'd get to the bottom of it in no time. Whether Jonah liked it or not, the mystery of Mr. Scrier was coming into the light.
Peter and Jill sat across from each other at a booth in the Little Soda Shop and sipped on their chosen preference of beverage. For Peter a simple Coca Cola was enough to satisfy him, but Jill had taken it a step further and ordered a root beer float.
"Did you have to get all that whipped cream? It's making me uneasy," said Peter as he slipped his straw between the cubes of ice to get the last lingering amount of his soda.
Jill stuck her tongue out at Peter and lightly kicked him beneath the table. "Oh, be quiet. A girl is allowed to indulge from time to time. Besides, your choice was so boring I had to spice things up a bit."
Peter grinned. "Hey, I lead a life of excitement and adventure. I actually need a good old Coke to settle things down from time to time."
"You know, I would have thought you were joking before, but who knows what your life is like now. You've been doing a pretty good job of avoiding your friends and family lately," said Jill as she took another sip of her soda.
Peter let his straw drop from his lips. "C'mon, Jill. That's unfair. It's not like I'm avoiding you or anybody else for that matter. Things have just been…"
"Just been what?" said Jill but then she looked up at Peter. His attention had been captured by something behind her and she turned to see what it was. On a television behind the counter was a news report showing a huge, purple, dragon-like creature fighting police outside the Museum of Natural Art. Jill watched as the creature whisked police away with massive flaps of its wings and breathed fire from its terrifying mouth.
"Looks like that thing needs a cool drink more than we do…" said Jill and turned back in her seat. Peter's empty glass of soda was still sitting on the table with a ten-dollar bill tucked beneath it.
Jill sighed and went back to sipping her soda. "Typical. Just when I think I'm getting you to open up to me you run off on your own. No Peter, you're not avoiding me at all."
"Get you anything else, miss?" asked a small hairy man who was wiping one of the soda glasses with a dingy cloth.
"Um, just the check please," said Jill as she watched the tattered cloth leave grimy streaks on the glass. "I've suddenly lost my appetite."
Robbie Robertson stood outside the door to the Intensive Care Unit with his hand pressed firmly over his face. Peter Parker had called him about an hour ago and told him that his son had been injured during a break-in at their place.
Robbie had immediately dropped what he had been doing at the Bugle and rushed over. He had spoken with doctors about the condition of his son and they all agreed that he was going to be fine. He had been badly beaten by what the doctors could only assume were multiple assailants. Five of his ribs had been broken. He had fractured his right cheekbone. His jaw was broken. He had a tear in the lining of his small intestine from an intense blow to the stomach area. Bruises and cuts covered the entire mass of his battered body.
Robbie felt the tears leak down his cheeks. He felt partially responsible for what had happened. He was the one who had cut off his son from any financial aid whatsoever. Martha had disagreed with Robbie right from the start but Robbie had held firm to his decision. If Randy hadn't been living in such a bad neighborhood none of this would have happened.
"Oh, Randy. I'm so sorry," said Robbie Robertson to nobody in particular… and continued to cry.
Spider-Man stopped on the same building he had set up his automatic camera to film the battle between himself and the Collector.* He set up his automatic camera again and this time focused it on the lumbering form of the Dragon Man. The android monster was making short work of the police officers that were attempting to stop it. So far the creature had killed none of the officers, but Spidey wasn't about to bet on those odds for much longer.
( *It all took place in issues #14-16 - Dino )
Spider-Man shot a thick strand of webbing across the street and swung on an arc towards Dragon Man. The creature seemed busy with the police and didn't notice Spider-Man hurtling towards it, but Spidey noticed that there was something strange about the way the android was moving. It was almost as if something else was occupying its artificial brain.
"Hey, purple-puss. Long time no see," said Spider-Man as he collided with the massive artificial dragon. The monster didn't budge an inch and the creature turned to regard Spider-Man with a scowl of rage.
"Ugh, and who would want to see you again with a face like that," said Spidey as he dodged an intense shot of flame from the mouth of Dragon Man.
Spider-Man shot a full cartridge of webbing at the Dragon Man that covered its entire head. "Now, I know the Museum of Natural Art is looking for exciting new exhibits for their displays, but this is certainly not how you go about auditioning for them. They're down to earth people, trust me"
Spider-Man's spider-sense went off as Dragon Man burned through the webbing surrounding its head.
"And with breath like that, I think you might want to get some Cool-Mint Listerine before you meet with the museum staff," said Spidey as he dodged another fierce blast of fire.
Spider-Man landed neatly on his toes and swiveled his body in the direction of the orange tape of the construction crews that had been working diligently on the repairs to the museum. He leapt towards the construction site and picked up a large slab of fragmented concrete that had been shattered from the steps of the museum in his battle with Stunner.*
( *As seen in issue #14 - Dino )
Spider-Man jumped back towards Dragon Man and raised the slab of concrete over his head. "Ok, that's it. Just because you're all big and purple and the kids dig you doesn't mean you can run amok and start hurting people. Would Barney the Dinosaur act like this?"
Spider-Man's spider-sense warned him of another shot of flame and he used the giant mass of concrete to deflect the blast. "And I know Barney would never spit fire at everybody's favorite friendly neighborhood knight in shining armor. I made a cameo on his Christmas Special!"
Dragon Man whipped out its tail like lightning and Spider-Man leapt into the air to avoid the swipe. He arched his back and tightened his grip on the hunk of pavement. "Fine, be that way. Guess I've got to get medieval on your purple butt."
Spider-Man slammed the chunk of concrete down on Dragon Man's head. "Have at thee! Oh, purple purveyor of putrid putrescence! Or whatever them medieval types say."
The android stumbled on its clawed feet and fell heavily to the ground. Spider-Man landed nimbly beside it. "Man, somebody needs to lay off the potato chips and pizza rolls. How about we try falling on the ground without shaking the city to pieces next time, fatty."
"Bravo, human. That was most impressive," whispered a sultry voice from directly behind Spider-Man. Spidey clenched his fists and turned around and immediately felt his heart begin to hammer in his chest. Standing before him was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen in his life.
"Allow me to reward you… with a kiss," said the woman and reached her arms out to embrace Spider-Man. Spidey let himself fall into her arms and she raised his mask slightly to kiss his lips. Spider-Man felt the world fall away from him as his mind emptied and focused entirely on the beauty before him.
"Go now, human. I have business here that you have interrupted. Find fortune in the fact that I do not kill you for your transgression upon my personage," said Amora the Enchantress and Spider-Man nodded his head slowly. Spidey shot a web-line towards the building he had set his camera upon and swung away. The Enchantress watched him go with a frown on her face and then turned her attentions to Dragon Man.
"I certainly hope you completed your mission, my pet. Failure does not sit well with a goddess born," said the Enchantress and then motioned with her arms. The approaching police saw nothing but a massive pink spark of energy and when it diminished the Enchantress and the Dragon Man were gone.
Jonah stepped out of his office and Ben watched him intently. The man was bound tightly within his trench coat and his fedora hat was pulled low over his eyes. Jonah looked like a man who had something to hide.
"Leaving, Jonah?" said Glory from her desk but Jonah didn't even glance in her direction.
"Yes, Ms. Grant. Hold all my messages. I plan to be out for the rest of the day," replied Jonah and then began walking towards the elevators that led down to the lobby of the Bugle.
"Jonah, if I could get a word," said Ben as Jonah walked briskly past him.
Jonah didn't even humor Ben by slowing down. "Keep writing, Urich. If you need a word I'm sure Robbie will provide you with all the information you need. If that fails, find a dictionary."
Ben Urich slumped in his seat and watched as J. Jonah Jameson entered the elevator and the metal doors shut him within. Ben tapped his pen on his desk and turned to look in the direction of Jonah's office. When Robbie got back he was going to have a nice long talk with the Editor in Chief of the Daily Bugle. If Ben didn't like what he heard, maybe he'd do some investigative reporting of his own. After all, Jonah couldn't keep his secret forever.
So you actually made it back, huh? I'm seriously impressed. I didn't think I'd see you for at least another couple weeks," said Jill as she spotted Peter walking slowly down the hall of the hospital in her direction.
"After you pulled your disappearing act I came back here to wait for Eugene to wake up," said Jill as Peter continued to move towards her. "I was hoping I'd see you again but I don't know if it was so I could ask you where you ran off to… or so I could punch you in the face."
"You're so sweet, Jill. I don't know what I'd do without such a kind and loving friend to see me through my miserable, pointless existence," said Peter and then began to dance along the hall, waving his arms as if an invisible wind were blowing beneath them
"Um, Peter. What the hell are you doing?" said Jill as she watched Peter spin around in little circles. "Are you drunk?"
"I feel drunk whenever I'm around you, Jill. Drunk on the love juice," said Peter as he closed the distance between the two of them in three giant steps. Before Jill could react, Peter swept her into his arms and kissed her deeply. Jill resisted slightly but Peter pressed his lips firmly to hers and didn't relinquish the hold he had on her. After a few long moments Jill responded with her own passion and then finally Peter broke the kiss. Peter clamped a hand to his head and groaned as Jill stood looking at him.
What was that all about, Peter?" said Jill. She felt as if she were standing on legs that might buckle at the knees at any moment. Her thoughts were all jumbled inside her head. Images of the day Peter had held her in his arms after Smoke had brushed her leg filled her senses.* She had fallen into his strong arms and felt safe that day. It had felt right. Peter jolted her from her thoughts with a groan of dismay.
( *Again, in issue #14 - Dino )
"I'm so sorry, Jill. I never meant for this to happen," said Peter as he began to back away from Jill and retreat down the length of the hall. "I don't know what came over me.
"Peter… where are you going? You didn't do anything wrong!" said Jill as she watched Peter rush away. Peter didn't respond as he opened the door to the stairwell of the hospital and disappeared again. Jill pressed her face to the glass window of Eugene's hospital room and sighed. She never saw her brother Paul come out of a hospital room a few doors down and watch as she and Peter talked. She never saw him tuck the bottle of pills into the pocket of his jacket. She never saw as he watched her kiss the one person he blamed for his cousin's death. She never saw his face darken. She never saw him walk away.
Next Issue: Things sure are getting complicated in Peter's love life. Unfortunately he won't have much time to sort through his problems after the Enforcers come calling. They're back and tougher than ever. Will Spidey be able to stop them from completing their mission? And who is the mysterious man they work for? Plus: The aftermath of the bombing perpetrated by the Brotherhood of Mutants finally comes to a head… and the city cries out for Spider-blood!!!