Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Scarlet Spider Issue 11


Hey there everyone! It's me, Richard again (not that its a surprise to anyone), bringing you the eleventh issue of our online fan publication. Though this is hailed as a team effort, I hardly see how this could be true, since I had to write this one so--

hold the f up. what is this nonsense? 

Tim!? Is that you!?

YES ASSHAT. WHATS THIS MARTYR NONSENSE?

I'm just surprised is all, as I this is the first time you've EVER contributed to the pre-issue slate!

Kiss my ass..  You dont let me NEAR them half the time. 

Alright, point taken... You may have this one

Oh sure give me the issue i wasnt a part of

You asked to be a part of it!

Yes! For one i had a part in! like 13, (which will be awesome by the way)

Just take what you're given, and describe what you know about the issue I wrote

Blah blah blah. So anyway, This issue has Ben and Connor meeting the-- 

(BAM! Body hits the floor)

WHOO! That was a close one! He almost spoiled the best part!

(Looks over at Focus Character of the Issue)
GAH! FOILED ANYWAY!!!

Just read on to find out who they meet in the first issue with a solo credit !!



-Richard Wilson III and Tim Ruppenthal

Spider-Man and ALL related characters are owned by Marvel Comics and Stan Lee respectively

All original characters were created for the purposes of fan fiction. This is in NO WAY connected to Marvel Comics or the ongoing Scarlet Spider title produced by Marvel.

                                        Scarlet Spider
           Issue 11
        A Smashing Incident
  
By: Richard Wilson III

A Non-Descript Sidewalk in Midtown, 1:14 PM

Ben: Isn’t the fall supposed to be, I don’t know, less cold?
Wilson: I always pegged you more as a winter than a summer person there Ben!
Ben: I like the people more, not the weather and temperature drop--
Wilson: Riiight…
Ben: Don’t give me that crap!
Wilson: Too late!
Ben: You’re happier than usual, find a check for $20,000 in your pants from yesterday?
Wilson: HA! But no, what happened is—
Random Homeless Person: Could you spare some cash? 
Wilson: I can do better than that  
(He takes off his coat and hands it to the homeless person)
Wilson: There’s a couple hundred dollars in the inside pocket; stay warm, I heard this could last the rest of the week
RHP: Thank you sir! Thank you!
(The homeless person runs off as Ben looks at Wilson in awe)
Wilson: What?
Ben: You just handed out your $5000 dollar coat and a couple hundred dollars? What happened to the REAL Wilson Stark!?
Wilson: Relax Ben, I’m still here. It was just a coat; I have dozens more at home. That guy needed it more than I did… (Thinking for a moment) Ben, do you like who I am?
Ben: If that’s a pick up line, I have somewhere else I need to be…
Wilson: Funny, but not where I was going. Yesterday was the anniversary of my mother’s death, and that got me thinking: What have I done with my life? She was a superhero, and my father was, and still kind of is, Iron Man. They’ve done so much and I haven’t really done anything except sit there and react to things! So, I’m going to do more for this city. One random act of kindness at a time…
Ben: You stole that last bit from Evan Almighty…
Wilson: I know, I needed some levity
Ben: Well, breaching copyrights or not, I’ll support you on this. What’re you gonna do first?
Wilson: I was thinking a Free Clinic adjacent to the Stark building, but with all the bells and whistles, not just some beds and used IVs 
Ben: That’s hefty. How’re you gonna manage that?
Wilson: I dunno yet, but that’ll be my project after high school. You doing anything later? We could go to the arcade and see if we can beat all the high scores.
Ben: Well—
(Ben’s cell phone <A gift from Wilson> rings almost on cue, and he see’s Connor calling)
Ben: Hold on a sec Wilson… Connor; What have I told you about calling me?
Connor (from phone): Ben, I think this warrants a phone call! The Hulk’s in Manhattan!
Ben: I’m sorry, but what?
Connor: JUST GET HERE! OH SH—
Ben: Damn it… Sorry Wilson, something important just came up. I’ll let you know if anything changes
Wilson: No worries my lad, just go easy on them!
Ben (Running away towards the bridge): I’m not your ‘lad’ Stark!
Wilson: Sure you’re not…

Somewhere in Manhattan, 1:28 PM

(Ben swings and runs across the rooftops as he looks for Connor in his vague location)
Ben (internal): I swear, if Connor’s only screwing with me, I will kill him…
(Ben’s Spider Sense goes off as he sees Connor’s costumed form ram into him)
Ben and Connor in unison: AAHH!!
(Both land on a rooftop as a large green form lands before them)
Hulk: BUG MAN GET PUNY BANNER OUT OF HULK’S HEAD!! GRAAAHHHH!!!
Ben: OH SHIT!! THE HULK!?
Connor: I TOLD YOU! NOW MOVE!
(Ben and Connor slide out of the way as Hulk punches the roof where they were while holding his head)
Hulk: Hulk don’t want to go back! Hulk want to be left alone!
(Hulk collapses off of the rooftop and into the alleyway below)
Ben: What the hell was that?
Connor: The Hulk has a migraine?
(They both perch in the ledge to see a man laying where the Hulk fell)
Ben: Where’d he go!? Who’s that guy?
Connor: I think he IS the Hulk!
Ben: Not only does that sound stupid, but where’s your evidence that that’s even a remote possibility?
Guy: Uhhhhh……
Connor: Let’s go and ask him
Ben: Do you WANT to get squashed like a real spider!?
(Connor leaps down and near the fallen man as Ben clings to the wall)
Ben: If you die, I want it made clear that it wasn’t my fault!
Connor: I’ll add that to my will jackass!
(Connor turns to the man)
Connor: Hey? Mr. Hulk guy—
Man: Gah! I’m not the Hulk! I am NOT the HULK!
Connor: Okay, sorry, it’s just the Hulk fell down here and all we can find is you…
Man: My name is Bruce! I’m Bruce Banner! Damn it, it’s getting worse! 
Connor: Woah! Calm down man! It was only a mistake!
Banner: No! I mean I can’t remember what he did!
(Ben crawls closer to the two, in case anything goes wrong)
Connor: He who?
Banner: The Hulk! Danny PROMISED me that this would be a better way to control him… That there’d be no side effects like this!
Connor: Uh, sir, I know you’re a bit confused at the moment, but we should leave before the cops or SHIELD get here
Banner (holding his head): That would be a real problem, especially the way things seem to be going… 
Connor: You okay? I think we should get you to the hospital or something—
Banner: NO! Hospitals mean cops, cops mean SHIELD, and SHIELD means- AARG!!!
(Banner falls over about to change back into the Hulk when Ben leaps down from the wall and shoots him with his stingers)
Banner: GRAAA—
(Banner falls over unconscious)
Connor (Picking up one of the fallen stingers): What did you do!? What the hell are these!?
Ben: They’re stingers dipped in a paralyzing solution (Apparently enough of those’ll knock you out), and as for what I did, I think I just stopped a Hulk rampage
Connor: Okay, what do we do now?
Ben: We call your dad and get SHIELD to pick him up
Connor: What!? You saw how he was! He’s not going to hurt anyone!
Ben: You’re right; He’s not going to hurt anyone NOW. He’s too dangerous to be left out here!
Connor: You know, he sounded a lot like you did at dinner the other night
Ben: What?
Connor: He wants to be left alone. He doesn’t want SHIELD to be in his business, just like you don’t
Ben: UGH! Fine! What’re we going to do with him?
Connor: We can’t leave him here… You have any secret hideouts?
Ben: Yeah, I know a place…

Ben’s Dwelling, 1:36 PM

Connor: You live here?
Ben: Yeah, I’m not too proud of it either
Connor: You live HERE?
Ben: Didn’t I just answer that?
Connor: How do you live here?
Ben: Years of practice
Banner: <Groan> So that’s what a hangover feels like… 
Ben: Great. You’re up… Please don’t smash the futon
Banner: What you hit me with?
Ben: A homemade paralyzing solution
Banner: I’m going to have to get some of that; It’s actually keeping the Hulk down
Ben: I have no idea what they could do in the long term, so I wouldn’t recommend it
Banner: I know that, and you’re right… I guess I got addicted to being the only voice in my head…
Ben: Connor, go be a look out, and DON’T be seen
Connor: I’m going, I’ll be back in a few
(Connor leaves as Banner looks around, taking in his surroundings)
Banner: Nothing like the sweet smell of Meth chemicals in the morning eh?
Ben: How do you figure?
Banner: I’ve slept and lived in hovels like this a plenty. You get used to it after a while
Ben: Yeah, but it still sucks
Banner: Oh, I know exactly what that’s like, except I couldn’t stay anywhere for too long, and each one of those abandoned Meth Labs varied in abandonment: Once I got there within a day it was abandoned, that shit was strong there
Ben: I imagine
Banner: I’m surprised you’re not asking about him
Ben: Who?
Banner: The Hulk
Ben: You mean you’re separate people?
Banner: Mostly. We each have our own personalities and feelings, but we share memories, obviously, my body
Ben: Where is he?
Banner: In my head… Gamma radiation has the unique trait of enhancing whatever you are on the inside. I’m intelligent, scrawny and angry on the inside. The Hulk is less intelligent, huge and always angry-
Connor (Slipping into the room): No one’s looking or anything like that, so if you don’t mind I want to be learned!
Ben: Ignore him; he’s a rookie
Connor: I resent that!
Banner: Boys, I need you to stop and I’ll answer any questions you may have
Connor: I’ll go: What happened to you?
Banner: Ah, the pressing question… The quick answer: Danny Rand, the Iron Fist, taught me how to use my chi to suppress the Hulk. Before that I needed to stay angry and always be on the edge of transforming to stay, well, me. I managed to keep Hulk at bay for 15 years, and I was able to build myself a proper life. Unfortunately for me, the Hulk was festering in his anger and pounding at the cage so to speak. He got out. I made my way to New York where I was hoping to find any one of my old colleagues and found you two instead
Connor: Have you ever tried coexisting with him?
Banner: The last time I did that I brought an alien invasion to New York and almost got it sent into the Negative Zone
Connor: Right
Ben: Did you try talking to him?
Banner (smirking): We’re not really the most civil of people, especially right now…
Connor (Looking between the boards on the windows): Ben, I need to talk to you
(Ben and Connor slide off into the corner to converse)
Ben: What?
Connor: I didn’t want to say anything in front of Bruce…
Ben: What?
Connor: There was a drone, robot thing floating outside a few blocks away
Ben: GOD DAMN IT! THAT’S SOMETHING YOU SAY SOMETHING ABOUT WHEN YOU SEE IT!
Banner: What?
Ben: There’s a drone or something looking for you, and we need to leave
Banner: <Sigh> Just like the good old days
Ben: We don’t have time for the ‘good old days’! This is my HOME!
Connor: It’s making its way here…
Banner: Okay, get anything you feel exceptionally sentimental about and get it out of here. Connor, I need you to get closer to that thing and tell me what it’s about
Connor: Alright
(Connor slips outside as Ben goes to the corner to get his school books)
Ben: PLEASE tell me you’re not going to Hulk out in here!
Banner: If that paralytic you hit me with is still working I won’t be
Ben: I definitely gotta give my dad that; He was good with chemistry…

Outside, 1:43 PM

Connor: I can’t believe I’m going to be talking to a robot! I just hope it doesn’t kill me first…
(Connor approaches the drone from the rooftop beneath it)
Connor: Uh, I come in peace?
Drone: Scanning. Identify
Connor: Uh, Spider-Man?
Drone: Scanning. Ambient Gamma Radiation Detected
Connor: Gamma Radiation? What has Gam—Oh!
Drone: Scanning. Located. Proceeding to Target
Connor (Shooting a web onto the drone): Oh no no no! No Gamma Rays over there! Just a meth lab! A very dusty and abandoned meth lab!
Drone: Proceeding to Target
(Connor loses grip on the drone as it makes its way to the window)
Connor: Oh, Ben’s gonna kill me…

Inside Ben’s Hovel, 1:44 PM

Banner: That drone thing’s coming right towards us…
Ben: I’m going to kill him after all of this…


To Be Continued…




Thursday, November 15, 2012

Scarlet Spider Issue 10


For both myself and our American readers, Thanksgiving is but a week away. So, how does one write a story with that being so close? With a Family Dinner issue of course! Ben will now formally meet the family and enjoy his first home cooked meal in a very, very long time.

-Co-creator Richard Wilson III

Spider-Man and ALL related characters are owned by Marvel Comics and Stan Lee respectively
All original characters were created for the purposes of fan fiction. This is in NO WAY connected to Marvel Comics or the ongoing Scarlet Spider title produced by Marvel.

Scarlet Spider

Issue 10

Family Time

By: Tim Ruppenthal and Richard Wilson III


Parker Family Apartment, 4:59 PM

Connor: Is this all really necessary?
(Mayday looks up from setting the table, still setting extra places for their guests)
Mayday: Yes, you invited your friend to have “Dinner with the Family”, so I thought it’d be nice to have your grandparents here too; to let them meet Ben properly.
Connor: Yeah, you have good point there mom… What’s dad doing?
Mayday: Making his Seasoned Chicken Special with “an old family recipe”, or so he says…
Wesley (Coming out of the kitchen): I do say actually, since you loved it when I made it for us on our first date
Connor: Okay, too gross and intimate for me… Can I help you with anything dad?
Wesley: Yeah, could you come inside and peel some potatoes? I’ll get everything else ready
Connor: Sure

Elevator to the Parker Family Apartment, 5:22 PM

Peter: I still say it’s a possibility…
Mary Jane: Peter, I know we lost contact with him a while ago, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s related to him…
Peter: What are the chances that there’s a blonde kid named “Ben” with Spider-Powers and uses the name “Scarlet Spider” and he’s NOT related to him?
Mary Jane: Admittedly slim, but there’s still a chance
Peter: You’ll always be the optimist to my pessimist…
Mary Jane: Of course tiger! It’s been one of my most FABULOUS traits since my College Days!
Peter (As the elevator door opens): That it has, that it has…

Lobby of the Apartment Complex, 5:26 PM

Ben (internal): Damn! I’m gonna be late! Freaking robbery on the way here… People suck these days…
(Ben slides into the elevator and pulls his bag down and off his shoulder)
Ben (internal): Let’s see: Wallet? Check. Mini-Notebook? Check. Box of Brownies? A little squished, but check…
(The elevator opens and Ben makes his way towards the Parker Family Apartment)
Ben: Okay, Level A, Section F, Apt. 15… These new Apartment Designs make no sense…
(Ben approaches a door and is about to knock, when another tenant calls out to him)
Tenant: No point knocking; Steve’s a bit of a recluse!
Ben: Sorry I’m just looking for Apt. 15, Mr…?
Tenant: Just call me Stan! Apt. 15’s down the hall past Jackie K. and the two Johns!
Ben: Thanks!
Stan: Anytime kiddo! Anytime! OH! And welcome to the Amazing Fantasy!
Ben: Right… An “Amazing Fantasy”…

Parker Family Apartment, 5:34 PM

(The doorbell rings as Wesley puts the chicken onto the table)
Wesley: Connor! Door!
Connor: Got it!
(Connor opens the door and lets Ben in)
Ben: Hey there, sorry I’m a bit late…
Connor: Five minutes? That doesn’t really qualify as late in the Parker book…
Mary Jane: Showing up before the end of the function is on time for us! I’m Mary Jane Watson-Parker.
Ben: I’m Ben. It’s nice to meet you Mrs. Parker.
Peter: I’m Peter, and I’m this fine lady’s infamous show dog
Mayday: Dad!
Peter: What? I am!
Wesley: Right, right; I’m of the opinion that we should eat before fowl gets chilly…
Peter: I am in total agreement!  I’m quite famished…
Ben: OH! (Pulls the brownies out his bag) Sorry, they were nicer when I bought them, a couple of robbers decided to hit me in the back with a baseball bat; they hit the bag more than me
Mayday: No worries, we all know the feeling.
     
An Hour and a Half Later

(The group is laughing at a story that Peter’s telling)
Peter: That’s not even the best part!
Ben: It gets worse!?
Peter: Oh yeah! He decides to start speaking in the third person, and my God did he sound stupid! “I am MYSTERIO! MYSTERIO doesn’t dabble in cheap parlor tricks! MYSTERIO is a master of a higher caliber!”
Ben: Really!?
Peter: Like you wouldn’t believe! So in the end, I just tap on his fishbowl and he collapses to the ground yelling “I SURRENDER! MYSTERIO SURRENDERS!” and I could only hold my head in shame…
Ben: I hope my villains don’t act like that
Peter: Your villains? Do you even have any?
Ben: Not really, haven’t been doing this long
Peter: Right, I mean you’re still a youngin’, especially if you’re calling yourself the “Scarlet Spider”… Why’d you use that?
Ben: I don't exactly know, it just sounded like a cool name to a 9 year old
Peter: I see... Where'd you hear it?
Ben: The news; some guy had disappeared in a fire. I saw it on the way to school in the Electronics Store TVs…
(Internal) Time for a little personal jab Mr. 20 Questions over there….
Ben: Besides it sounded better then all the other ones floating around like "The Amazing Bag Man"
Peter: HAHAHA! I almost forgot that one! I was going to kill Johnny for that... (Seeing Ben’s confused look) Johnny's the Human Torch
Ben: Right; anyway, you were asking me something?
Peter: Hm? That was it really…
Ben: Very well then.
MJ: So, how'd you get your powers Ben?
Ben: Just born with 'em to be completely honest Mrs. Parker
Connor: Hey, me too! Maybe we're related!
(With that Peter nearly chokes on his drink and everyone stares)
Peter: Sorry, I had a cough…
Ben: Connor please, that’d be really weird.
(Ben moves weird, hurting his ribs)
Ben: Hmmmmm…!
Peter: That accelerated healing's a real bitch huh?
Ben: You know it
Peter: Like you wouldn't believe, though I suppose that’s why it’s called “Accelerated Healing” instead of “Instantaneous Healing”
Ben: Yeah, I suppose so… Connor what powers do you have?
Connor: Strength, speed, agility, accelerated healing and Spider-Sense. No webs
Ben: Hm, interesting.
Connor: It's dilution over the years
Ben (internal): Why hasn't that happened to me?
Ben: That makes sense, what generation are you anyway?
Peter: He's a third generation webslinger; I'm the first gen, and Mayday's the second
Ben: Wow...a whole family.
Peter: Yeah... I ended up losing touch with my brothers over the years, but that hardly matters now
Ben: Brothers huh? I thought you were bit by a spider, was it a whole nest?
Peter: Did I ever say they had Spider Powers?
Ben: Sorry, I just thought….
Peter: Don't worry about it. Now, how about some of my Aunt May's world famous Cherry Pie?
Ben: I'd love some; you don’t get homemade food very much when you live on your own.
Connor: You live alone? What you do? Run away?
Mayday: Connor, don't ask questions like that!
Ben: No its okay, my parents died when I was young. I've been on my own for most of my life.
Peter (coming in from the kitchen): No other family?
Ben: None that wanted to be around, my grandparents on my mothers side were apparently not thrilled when my mother married my dad.
Peter: Really?
Ben: Yeah, apparently they thought he was going nowhere fast.
Wesley: What did he do exactly?
Ben: He was a stay at home dad, with some tutoring on the side. My dad was all about family
Peter: Hm…
Ben: Yes?
Peter: Oh nothing, I was just enjoying the pie; It's just like how she used to make  it
Ben: Oh, it's quite delicious.
(Internal) Why am I sharing this much with these people? They don’t care, not even Wilson knows this much about my parents…
Wesley: Is it that late already! I’ve got to get going soon!
(See's Ben's confused look)
I'm pulling the Night Shift on the Helicarrier because of the Sandman Incident, just routine work.
Ben: You work for S.H.I.E.L.D.?
(Internal) Shit! I've gotten too close!
Connor: Oh yeah, he heads the Tactical Response Unit, mostly giving orders and plans from the Helicarrier, but does get field work from time to time
Ben: Does you do a lot of the whole capturing super powered beings thing?
Wesley: There haven't been that many lately, Sandman was really the first in several years
Ben: Because of the UAI**?
(Internal) Why hasn’t he arrested ME yet..?
**[Any superpowered being that visits Earth is considered an Avenger, who will thereby help with the capture and rehabilitation of supervillains when they are planet side, explaining their absence at the beginning of this series.]
Peter: Pretty much
Ben: Huh… Mr. Parker, are you part of the UAI?
Peter: Yeah, but I never felt that I was really a team member... Don't get me wrong, I loved working with the Avengers and the Future Foundation, but a part of me was always a loner superhero
Ben: Yeah, that’s why I ran away. I'm not a fan of being labeled as a S.H.I.E.L.D. soldier; being an Avenger just isn't me.
Peter: The thing about the UAI is that you're only called under special circumstances; Omega Level Threats, Global Scale Catastrophes, Dimensional Breaches, anything that would've taken the entire Super Human community anyway
Ben: I don't want people ruffling through my private affairs
Peter: It's just a file on your powers, your contact info and a communication line along with Active Status Updates, sorted by chosen codename; nothing personal at all really, unless your codename is your name… There were a few of those people in my day…
Ben: I'll keep it in mind. I know I sound paranoid
Peter: Not at all, many heroes were skeptical about it, especially with it coming not long after the Registration Act and Civil War… But anyway Connor, your parents, Grandma and I have something for you
Connor: You all got me something?
Peter: Yep, and we think that it’s great that Ben’s here for this
Ben: Oh, uh okay…
(Peter gets up and walks into the living room, returning with a box)
Peter: A long time ago, I decided to hang up my costume and live a normal life with Mary Jane as we expected an expansion to the family. One of my closest allies took up the name of “Spider-Man”. In his memory, your mother wore a suit of similar design while she was Spider-Girl, but we saw it fitting that you were to get the original and its tools.
(Connor opens the box and finds Ben Reilly Sr.’s old Spider-Man Costume and webshooters**)
Peter (Watching Ben closely): Ben, do you have any objections?
Ben: None at all
Wesley: We’re asking you to keep an eye on him; Teach him what you know, and make sure he stays alive
Ben: I’d be honored
Peter: How about you put that on and take it out for a spin?
Connor: YOU BET!

Over the Rooftops of Manhattan, 8:23 PM

Ben: Either you keep up or you’ll get lost behind me!
Connor: I’m still trying to get used to this! Looks like that bank’s gonna get hit!
Ben: Then how about we do something about it?
Connor: Alright! I’ll beat you there!
Ben: Not on your life!
(Ben and Connor swing down and into the bank as Scarlet Spider and Spider-Man, as their adventures truly begin here!)


TO BE CONTINUED…