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…

Monday, November 5, 2012

Scarlet Spider Issue 9

Two months. It's been two months since our last update, and I know what you're thinking: "How can it take two months to write a comic plot!?". Well, I'll explain the long and extremely complex process of--
LOOK! A PURPLE MONKEY!!












-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 9
To Be Taken With a Grain of Sand
Part 4
The Beach in Manhattan

By: Tim Ruppenthal and Richard Wilson III


Times Square, 10:10 AM

Connor: MY TURN!
(Connor leaps at Sandman, while Ben’s head erupts in pain)
Ben: KID STOP!
(The cameras, as well as the Parkers, continue to watch as Connor leaps at Sandman, who turns his body into a wall of spikes)
Connor: OH CRAP!!!
(Ben shoots a web at Connor and swings him like a ragdoll into the toy store’s stuffed animal section)
Connor: OOF!
Sandman: What? The kid too young to play with the big boys?
Ben: Relatively speaking and I don’t think he’s a big fan of your type of game
Sandman: Pity, I’ll have to settle with you then!
(Sandman launches the spikes towards Ben, who dodges them all and flips onto a building, and onto an oncoming news helicopter)
Ben: HEY! STOP PANICING! I’M TRYING TO SAVE THE CITY HERE!
Pilot: Then what’re you doing up here!?
Ben: Can you get low enough to spread him out?
Newscaster: That’s your big plan!? Spread him out MORE!?
Ben: Would you like him here!?
Pilot: What about your friend?
(Ben looks down and sees Connor attacking Sandman with various items from the toy store, like some baseball bats and a giant model of the A-Next Quinjet MK. 20)
Ben: When I get him clear, get low!
(Ben jumps off of the helicopter and kicks Sandman’s head off as he grabs Connor and pulls him away)
Connor: What the hell!?
Ben: The helicopter’s gonna get low enough to spread him out! We’re going to break some fire hydrants open and douse the sand; It might not stop him, but it’ll slow him down!

Parker Family Apartment, 10:19 AM

Mayday: That’s it! I’ve had enough of your little “social project” dad! I’m doing something about this!
Peter: This isn’t a “social experiment” May, it’s a test, and in any case SHIELD is right there, right Wes?
Wes: They’re 5 minutes out, Helicarrier 4 is on its way…
Peter: See? Besides, it looks like they have a plan anyway
(As everyone looks to the TV screen, Mary Jane leans towards Peter)
Mary Jane (whispering): Are you sure this is a good idea?
Peter: Connor chose to do this. SHIELD is on its way and will save him if things go bad. And besides, I want to see what this “Scarlet Spider” can do…

Times Square, 10:21 AM

(Ben and Connor leap away as Sandman flails a hammer towards them. The News Helicopter descends as they leap)
Ben: THERE IT IS! GET READY!
Sandman: What the he—
(Sandman begins to disintegrate as the helicopter creates an updraft, scattering him across the Square)
Connor: ONE PILE OF WET SAND COMING UP!
(Both Ben and Connor break open fire hydrants and send the jets into the streets, dousing the sand, and sending the excess into the sewers)
Connor: You’ve gotta be freaking kidding me!
Ben: SERIOUSLY!?
(Sandman begins to reform from the wet sand as a large energy beam comes from the sky and turns him into a statue)
Connor: SHIELD’s here!
Ben: SHIELD? Shit… We gotta go!
Connor: Fine, let’s go to my place; It’s only a few blocks from here
Ben: Oy… Looks like I don’t have a choice…Lead the way 

Parker Family Apartment, 11:02 AM

Mayday: Where could he’ve gone!? He’s been missing for almost an hour!
Peter: He’s fine, he’ll probably be here soon--
(All turn towards the hall as they hear a ruckus coming from Connor’s room)
Peter: SEE!
(Everyone makes their way to Connor’s door, when they hear voices from inside)
Ben: YOUR ENTIRE FAMILY!? I thought you said you were the only one HOME!
Connor: NO, I said I was the only one NOT home; You must’ve misheard me when you decided to dodge that second SHIELD Tactical Team…
Ben: DON’T PIN THIS ON ME! I’M GOING TO KILL YOU!!!
(Mayday opens the door to find Ben holding Connor by the front of his costume, which is falling apart at the seams)
Connor: Uh, hey there Mom, Dad, Grandma and Grandpa; This is my friend Ben. Ben, this is my family…
Ben: Uh… (Lets go of Connor) Hi, it’s a pleasure to meet you?


To Be Continued…