Tag Archives: Spider-Man

90s Comics, 90s Marvel, Uncategorized

Ghost in the Machine (part 4 of 4)

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Apologies for the tardiness on this last part of my Death’s Head II series. I’ve been spending some time with my son and his daughter as of late, doing my fatherly/grandfatherly duties. The visit lasted around four days, and I can tell you Unspokenites one thing about my granddaughter…..Banshee and Black Canary have nothing on a pissed off one year old! Damn! That girl has some pipes! (The only difference is a slight height difference and a pee-soaked diaper!) Anyway, explanations aside, let us return to our favorite cyborg, already in action…..

It is the year 2020 AD and the world is a war-torn, desolate place. Only a very small group of freedom fighters stand in the path of the one who corrupted this planet to the state it’s currently in. The Punisher leads the charge with Daredevil, Spider-Man and Doctor Strange following. In the past, this unlikely team would be more than enough to best any evil foe. Now? The odds don’t look very good. Charnel’s demonic drones surrounded the heroes! But twenty years of constant fighting had taught them how to hit back even harder. Back-to-back, the heroes fired at the creatures. The fight was going well until Spider-Man’s spider-sense went wild, warning him of danger! The evil warlord, Charnel, now stood before them! The monster began by taunting the heroes. But this meant nothing to the Sorcerer Supreme as he hit the creature with magic blast after blast! Charnel laughed as he used his own magic power to meet this mighty attack! Daredevil orders Spider-Man to swing off, following their plan! The wall-crawler does so with zero hesitation! That’s when a an energy blast of epic proportions hit the ground surrounding them! The Punisher turned to see his once-rival, Daredevil, drop and breathe no more! (Damn! Bleak much? Let’s stop here to sing a rousing battle song for our brave, fighting heroes. Who knows the words to Hansen’s “MmmBop”? Don’t lie.)

Enraged, the Punisher pulled Daredevil’s corpse to him and fired straight at the enemy as he roared in defiance! The next to fall was Doctor Strange. Charnel pushed his own powers back at him along with his own, atomizing the mage! The Punisher looked defeated. That was until he saw Spider-Man swinging up behind the villain! He carried a small, metallic disc with him. Spidey threw it to Punisher just before Charnel murdered him too! The beast demanded that Frank Castle give the device to him immediately! Instead, he threw the disc some distance where it was out of the madmans’ reach! The Punisher pulled a blade and charged Charnel! That was his last stand. (Poor Punisher. He died like he wanted to, though. Trying to knife a dude that just shrugged off the strongest attacks from the godlike Doctor Strange…..Duh, Frank!) Charnel takes his leave of the massacre minutes later. A large hand uncovers the disc minutes after that and takes it to his heroic friends and fellow soldiers. He was once a supervillain called the Rhino. But war makes for strange bedfellows and he was now an Avenger. Rhino waited to be let into the secret bunker of what remained of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. Wolverine let the hulking man in, asking if he had the device. Rhino assured the mutant that it was right where they he was told to find it. Wolverine asked about the other heroes. The Rhino looked down, giving his reply without words.

Rhino came to stand with his arm around She-Hulk. The others surrounding the meeting table were the Scarlet Witch, Captain America, and an orb that held a fleshy blob that was once the leader of the Fantastic Four, Mr. Fantastic. That was before Charnel punished the scientist with his dark sorcery! Wolverine came to a halt to stand by the others as the meeting began. The plan was a simple one as plans went. The disc was a time travel device. Using it, some of them would travel to 1992, the time that Charnel was born, and end him. If all went well, this nightmarish time period would cease to exist! Mr. Fantastic wished the superheroes his best as the battle cry was given, “Avengers, assemble.” And with those rousing words, (Much better than “MmmBop.”) the group teleported backwards through time! Meanwhile, in 1992, Death’s Head stood with Dr. Evelyn Necker and Tuck as they scanned their surroundings. Once, this was a busy shopping mall. That was before a mysterious fire burned it to the ground and A.I.M. purchased the land dirt cheap. They were currently looking for the creature that had already converted one A.I.M. headquarters into a place of literal nightmares. But before they could get much of a feel for the barren area, Death’s Head was suddenly jumped from behind by the Wolverine of 2020! The mutant sliced through the cyborg’s back and out of his stomach area with his razor-sharp, unbreakable claws!

Death’s Head formed a high-tech cannon out of his liquid metal arm to retaliate, but Logan rammed his claws to a space by the barrel to stop it from firing! The result was one of Wolverine’s adamantium claws snapping completely off! (Unbreakable metal my amazing butt! What? I’ll have you know that I used to have quite the tight little derriere back in the day. Umm…..moving on whilst blushing profusely……) Logan stalled only momentarily before moving to strike once more! That was when Captain America’s commanding voice rang out to halt his attack. This creature wasn’t Charnel. The Avengers and Death’s Head’s group spend the next few minutes explaining who they are and describing their missions. As it seems that both teams want this Charnel creature dead, an alliance is formed. Good thing too. Because that was when Charnel chose to arrive! The first thing he did was take down the Scarlet Witch. She-Hulk leaped to attack next! She was caught in massive hands, her powerful neck broken quickly! Rhino charged the monstrous Charnel next! But the brute was only backhanded away like he was no more than a mere insect! Captain America’s body broke the titan’s fall! Death’s Head ran towards his enemy with a charging weapon/arm, but the cyborg missed his energy shot only to be hit by dark magical energies!

Wolverine leaped into Charnel’s waiting, clawed hands, slashing wildly as Captain America threw his iconic shield! The weapon cut off the villain’s arm, forcing him to drop Wolverine! Death’s Head then reemerged on the battlefield and joined Wolverine and Captain America in their brutal fight! Rhino shook what remained of the cobwebs from his head and charged Charnel once again! That’s when Tuck noticed someone else trying to stand in the rubble! Dodging the fight, she found the very much alive form of the Scarlet Witch! Tuck helped her stand as she hit the madman with everything she had! But big mistake! Charnel absorbed her strange, magical energies and merged them with his own!He then unleashed a wave of power that incinerated Cap, Logan, and Rhino as he grew to the size of a true titan! As the beast cackled, Death’s Head whispered a battle plan into the Witch’s ear. He then roared for Charnel to face him! The villain, amused, complied. Death’s Head leaped onto Charnel’s large form and yelled down that the moment was now! The Scarlet Witch blasted the time disc within Death’s Head’s hands, duplicating it! The cyborg then placed a device on either side of the monster’s body, activating both discs simultaneously! Charnel quite literally ripped in half as the cybernetic hero fell to the rubble beneath! (Yeah. I’m as confused as you are. But that action scene…..shall we say…..excited me?)

When questioned by Dr. Necker, Death’s Head answered that he had sent both halves of Charnel to completely different time periods! The result was an agonizing death! The Scarlet Witch merely smiled as she simply ceased to be. The cyborg then continued that Charnel was Necker’s fault in a way. Perhaps she should think better of it before acting like God in the future. As for the money she had promised him? He doubted she’d ever have payed it. He then turned to leave, the loyal Tuck beside him. Moments later, the superheroes from this period in time arrived to see what was causing their advanced instruments to go haywire as they registered the recent, epic battle. They only found reports of a stolen semi truck speeding from the area. Death’s Head and Tuck raced away in the large vehicle, ready for whatever adventure might find them next!

End.

90s Comics, 90s Marvel, Uncategorized

Worthy of the Webs (part 4 of 4)

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Well, here we are! The epic finale in the slugfest between the fledgling hero, now known as the Scarlet Spider, and the veteran villain, Venom! Will Ben Reilly succeed where so many other heroes have failed? Will he defeat the Lethal Protector once and for all? (And will I finish this article in or out of the bathroom due to stomach issues? Stay tuned!)

Venom stood atop the skyscraper, lifting the broken and battered hero one handed by his neck! The Scarlet Spider’s feet dangled over the edge as Venom mocked him. Ben couldn’t help but wonder if he deserved this. He was nothing more than a clone after all. (Ugh! Stop with the pity party already and kick his ass, Benny-boy! Jeez! Am I right, folks?) That’s when the Scarlet Spider looked over to Scream. The woman within the symbiote was unconscious and barely breathing. That’s when rage overtook him! No! He wouldn’t surrender! Not when another human life was depending on him! Using all of his advanced strength, the Scarlet Spider balled up his fist and struck behind himself! The blow connected with Venom’s jaw, stunning him long enough for Ben to turn and deliver yet another powerful blow! This one sent Venom soaring across the rooftops, crashing straight through a billboard!

Venom doesn’t stay down for long though! As the Scarlet Spider swings towards his foe, Venom has already shot up a webline of their own, swiping at the hero with razor-sharp claws! Ben barely dodges! He’ll have to slow the villain down. He raises his web-shooter and fires countless orbs that explode upon impact into quick growing webbing! Soon, the symbiotic duo are completely encased, not unlike a deranged mummy! The hero attempts to take a breath and rest his open wound. He needs to plan. But an enraged Venom bursts through the several layers of ultra-strong webbing with an unearthly roar! Wasting no time, Venom pounces at Ben like a panther, sending them both over the building’s edge! (Damn, I nearly spit out my popcorn as I read the exciting words I just wrote! Damn, I’m good!)

The two trade blows back and forth in the small crater they’ve created in the street below! Finally, Venom seems to prepare for a killing strike! But too late! As the monster taunts him, Ben fires even more impact webbing balls into the symbiote’s open, fanged mouth! As they explode, the force begins to pull the Venom creature from it’s human host! As this transpires below, a lone figure dressed in a ragged cape watches from a rooftop with keen interest! The Spider then finishes his attack by firing a stinger bolt from his web-shooter! It hits Eddie Brock’s exposed skin, causing immense pain! While he’s stunned, the Scarlet Spider delivers blow after powerful blow to the villain! They connect with devastating results until, at long last, Venom drops! The mystery man from the rooftop stands, shocked. He will make his presence known soon. Ben Reilly will soon feel the mark of Kaine! (So cool! I have literal goosebumps! Who is this mystetious Kaine? Use Google. Who am I, your living encyclopedia? Presume much?)

Now separated from it’s unconscious and beaten human host, the symbiote lunges towards Reilly! It senses something familiar about him and longs for symbiosis! (What a cheating whore!) But Ben forces it away striking the already wounded alien creature until it drops. The Scarlet Spider then collapses, exhausted beyond words. Later, armored Guardsmen take Eddie Brock and the symbiote in to custody in separate containment chambers. Scream seems to have disappeared completely. The Guardsman takes the Scarlet Spider’s hand and thanks him as he shakes it. The Scarlet Spider then fires a webline upwards and swings away in deep thought. He just defeated Venom! Maybe he’s worth more than he originally thought. Maybe he can be a superhero after all!

End.

(P.S. I made it without running to the bathroom once! Yay, me!)

90s Comics, 90s Marvel, Uncategorized

Worthy of the Webs (part 3 of 4)

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Here we are, Unspokenites! Its part three of my look back at not only the Scarlet Spider’s first night out as a hero, but his first battle as well! And what a first battle too! I mean, who goes and picks a fight with Venom when they’re just a rookie? (I’d be searching for someone wussy like Egghead or something.) Anyway, I present to you the story from “Web of Spider-Man” #119…..

The Scarlet Spider clings to the wall of a building, holding pressure to the webbing that’s holding his insides in place. Venom almost gutted him just moments ago. He needs to get home. Find a way to treat his wounds. Somehow, he manages to return to his apartment. Using his hooded sweatshirt, he ties pressure over the deep gashes on his side just as his webbing finally dissolves. He dresses in his civilian clothes and attempts a call on the telephone for help. But the blood loss is too great. He passes out in the building’s hallway. A neighbor discovers him and, despite her distrust, decides to get him to the hospital ASAP. (Man, I know this is a serious moment in the story, but who else would become a peeping tom if they were granted spider powers? Well? A show of hands? Liars!)

Elsewhere, Venom swings toward the apartment of one Peter Parker in search of answers about this fake Spider-Man that they’ve just battled. The symbiotic duo crash through a window and examine the dwelling. Empty. Annoyed, they look elsewhere. (The subtlety of a triggered Gilbert Gottfried-sounding burglar alarm. Rest in peace, dude.) Their search next take them to the home of Parker’s Aunt May. Nothing. What’s been going on in their absence? Where is Spider-Man? At that moment, as Ben Reilly receives the last of his stitches at the hospital, a nurse casually leaves the room and searches out a phone. Finding one, she makes a hurried call to reporter, Ken Ellis, of the Daily Bugle. He had called earlier, offering cash to anyone who had news of a young man with a specific, serious injury that should arrive this night. Hanging up quickly, he rushes out the double doors and into a passing cab.

Ellis’ sudden departure does not go unnoticed. A being atop a building across the street uncloaks herself, becoming visible. (It’s a Disney-owned Predator! Run! Run before it forces you into it’s inevitably crappy movie!) It’s the female symbiote, Scream. She will follow this reporter. He will lead her to this new Spider. And through him, Venom. Then she will have hope again. Hope of controlling her alien “other”. She cloaks herself once again and follows the cab from the rooftops. Meanwhile, a room of gangsters speak to a shadowed man as he reads the newspaper. They demand he do what they hired him to do, murder the head of another crime family for them. This is his specialty after all. The mysterious man is called Kaine and he doesn’t like taking orders. Kaine ignores them and continues reading in silence. Now angered, guns are drawn and held on him. But Kaine merely knocks the large chandelier down onto many of the criminals with the throw of an unseen weapon, disarms two more men with ease, and finishes by burning the face of the most outspoken one with his mere touch. He dies in anguish! Kaine leaves the paper behind with the headline announcing the Scarlet Spider. Kaine whispers to no-one that he’s found something else more interesting to do.

Back at the hospital, as Ben lowers his shirt over his bandaged midsection, he overhears a commotion from behind his curtain. Peering out, he spies Ken Ellis pushing his way through the nurses. Frantic to conceal his identity, Ben leaps onto the ceiling and pulls the casing off of the overhead vent. He crawls through hastily, making his way to the roof in hardly any time. When Ellis bursts in, he’s met with an empty room. (I know I’ve felt like crawling to freedom exactly like Ben did to escape the utter boredom of the emergency room where I live! You need how much blood? How long does this test’s results take? Madness!) But when the Scarlet Spider reaches the rooftop, he finds he isn’t alone! Scream’s waiting for him! Good thing he thought to pull his mask on! She demands his aid in finding Venom. But Ben has had enough of this situation. He swings off quickly, leaving her to rage alone! Or did he?

Scream tears the rooftop to pieces in her anger, sending pieces of debris flying downwards to the people in the busy streets below! But the Scarlet Spider hasn’t left the scene quite yet. Half expecting this, he hid and waited. He catches and crushes as much of the falling pieces as he can before she swings away. Ben begins to think, what if he hadn’t been here to rescue these people below tonight? What if he’d ignored them and left them to save themselves? It reminded him of Peter’s Uncle Ben and how his murder could have been prevented should Peter have stopped a certain thief earlier that fateful night. Perhaps he’d forgotten Spider-Man’s lesson: “With great power comes great responsibility.” (Is anyone else sick of this constantly repeated credo? Ugh! It’s like the Spider-Man origin story in general. I consider leaping from a high window whenever it’s retold. Maybe it’s just me…..Nah.)

Later, the woman who saved Ben Reilly’s life knocks on his apartment door. She’s been wondering if he’s okay since his sudden disappearance at the hospital. (Yeah. And she saw his muscles while he was unconscious too. I bet that played no part. Women. What a bunch of perverts.) Ben answers but doesn’t remove the chain from his door. He apologies and tells her that he’s busy. She looks taken aback at his rudeness but nods and leaves. He closes the door all of the way and continues suiting up. He’s going to war against Venom! He may still leave this city, but it’ll be with a clean conscience because he’s stopped that creature! Elsewhere, Scream has absolutely lost it! She throws even more heavy objects from the great height of another skyscraper, putting countless more innocent people in harms way! She’s stopped rather quickly, though, as two feet hit her at great speed and with superhuman force! She turns. Venom has arrived and they’ve had enough! Venom knocks Scream down with a powerful punch to the face! They then pin her down and begin to literally tear the bonded symbiote from the human host’s very flesh!

Just then, small orbs are fired upon Venom from behind! Venom turns, confused. The Scarlet Spider stands where the tiny balls were shot from. The pellets suddenly explode with webbing and it covers Venom’s face so quickly and completely, that even they must struggle to tear it off! The hero states that he calls his new invention impact webbing, and he’s brought plenty to end this fight! The two square off. The final battle is here at last!

To be concluded…..