Spider-Man. The House Of Venom

Peter lifted the morning paper from the small table in front of him, shaking his head as he read,

Rise of the Vigilante

By J. Johan Jameson.

Today New Yorks wakes to find itself in a dilemma people. Not just your ordinary run-of-the-mill dilemma either.

We have a pest problem. And it's not giant rats living in the sewers. And it's not some green-headed idiots pranking pizza delivery drivers with strange addresses to manholes either.

Superpowered criminals and their dangerous opposers.

Three costumed vigilantes have taken up residence in our fair city, and they are menaces.

Three dangerous individuals have taken to our streets.

I feel it is my duty to expose them for the frauds they are and to make sure that the public knows they are dangerous. So that the public can recognise and defend themselves against these criminals.

First, we have the aptly named sexual deviant, Black-Cat

Not content to stay at home, or find satisfaction within the workplace. A new woman warrior has emerged.

Her victims, all white men, aged twenty to fifty are left traumatised. All while wearing what some would consider a provocative outfit. Some of her pictures we can’t even print in this family-friendly newspaper.

I, J.J. Jameson, am no mysogenist. I say every woman should have her own power, her own freedom, and the choice to make whatever life choices she wants.

But it is not dressing up in some kinky sexually-charged outfit. It is not attacking men and leaving them traumatised. Those are not the way to express women's rights.

While dangerous, she seems content to simply scare away would-be criminals. It is her methods that are questionable.

She is formidable but much less so than the other two so-called heroes

Spider-Man can be found rescuing little old ladies and stopping muggers. Trying so very hard to let us know that he is, as one witness put it, The Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-Man.

Would a hero make sure his criminal friends were free the same day, sometimes within the same hours?

No, they would not. They would make sure everything they did was within the law. They wouldn’t be swinging around in tights. They would do their proper civic duty and join the police force.

He destroys vital evidence. Hinders our good police officers in their duty and has the audacity to call himself a hero.

Now, I know a hero. My son.

He risked his life in the Gulf War. He risked his life by going into space. He risked his life to save those other poor astronauts when the shuttle disaster struck.

My son is a hero.

A hero doesn't wear tight spandex and swing around the city

A hero doesn't spray caustic silly string over criminals. Blinding them and costing our city hard-earned taxpayer dollars in medical bills.

A hero doesn't call himself a hero.

Spider-Man is a menace, hindering the important work that goes on in the city,

Which leads me to another costumed menace. A dangerous one.

Tarantula hunts and takes revenge on criminals. He doesn’t tie them up for the police, No, he brutally assaults them. He leaves them crippled and injured on the streets. He is less than a hero than Spider-Man, and more a criminal than the people he says he defends us from.

Tarantula is a criminal and a violent one at that.

He is dangerous and sends the wrong message to our impressionable youth.

Criminals should be locked away, they should be treated as criminals, by the law. Not by private citizens with no training, and not by costumed freaks who have supposed powers.

We have all seen the damage one of the powered individuals can do. We all watched in horror as the giant green Hulk smashed up a campus of Culver University. And we all watched as he made a mockery of our brave men and women, who decided to take a stand against such monsters.

Is he part of the new group that has been terrorising the streets? The so-called Fearsome Four. Four more powered individuals using their abilities not to protect us,

Now we have Sandman, The Octopus, Electro and Rhino. All powered and all dangerous. Criminals through and through with no shame in using their powers for ill-gotten gain.

Are we seeing the rise of a new breed of vigilante to combat these powered idiots? Criminals that rob banks, steal important research and overpower our police forces?

And what are the police going to do? The army failed against Hulk, and we have seven more in the city. A city that will soon be overrun by these costumed criminals and their nefarious deeds.

I for one will take a stand against these costumed menaces and report everything they do to you, good people.

It is my civic duty and it is my privilege to keep the public safe and informed.

J. Jonah Jameson.

(Turn to page three for a full spread. Featuring exclusive pictures of Black Cat, Spider-Man and Tarantula.)

Peter groaned and sighed. He flipped to page three to find the collection of pictures.

The top one was of a buxom young woman dressed completely in tight black latex. She had apparently whipped and clawed a young would-be rapist scarred.

Surprisingly the pictures of Spider-Man were remarkable. Action poses. Shots of him webbing and taking out some would-be mugger were all in high definition. Peter was impressed. Until he got to the pictures of Tarantula.

They were grainy and out of focus and while there were three. Only one, where Tarantula was standing under a street light, was actually clear enough to see him.

Peter snorted, “Tarantula?” And checked the byline,

Pictures by Eddie Brock

Who thought of Tarantula, that's a stupid name.

But it also worried Peter. Someone had gotten close enough to shoot his activities. Someone was following him. That would need to stop.

“Hey kid,” he heard someone call, and as Peter looked up a police officer was standing over him. “Yeah, Captain wants to see you.”

Peter folded the paper once more. He left it on the table and followed the policeman to Captain Stacy’s office.

George Stacy, to Peter at least, always looked angry at something. Today it was the unfolded paper in front of him and as he gazed up at Peter coming into his office, Peter as well.

“Take a seat.” he motioned and he scratched his eyebrow.

When Peter first saw the hook-nosed and rough-looking tough-guy cop. He didn't believe it was Gwen's father and he almost laughed. But Gwen herself showed him pictures of her mother and he knew where she got her looks from.

The blonde hair and the attitude were all she inherited from her father.

“So. You and Gwen?” was all he said as he leant back.

“Me and Gwen?” Peter asked, he thought he was here because of the fight.

“Don’t act dumb Peter. I know you asked Gwen to prom, and I know you spent last Sunday together. And I saw you give her a not-so-friendly kiss on the cheek. So, are you or are you not dating my daughter.”

Oh damn, Peter thought. Did Gwen not say anything, or is this just the overprotective father thing?

“I uh, Yes Sir. I am.” Peter stuttered, “I mean, Yes. Gwen and I are dating.”

Captain Stacy stood and moved around to the front of the desk, sitting on its edge.

“Peter. I will admit I am very protective of Gwen, and under normal circumstances, I would be happy to hear that.” he crossed his arms, “but these aren't normal circumstances.”

He learn back and moved the paper to one side, taking out a sheet.

“I received this report. Harrison Thompson put a complaint in with the department. A complaint asking for your arrest over the attack on his son. Now, I looked over the evidence and it's nonsense. Normal teenage boy stuff.”

He lay it back down,

“Captain Stacy Sir. I,”

But George raised a hand, “Honestly Peter. I don’t care. What I do care about though is Gwen. I care about her grades, her choice of University, how much it will cost, and her internship. Her choice in friends, while I might not agree, is her choice.”

Captain Stacy stood and returned to his seat.

“But what I do care about is that a normally bright and quiet student was filmed fighting in an alleyway. I also know video editing software exists. But what doesn't exist is a program good enough to fake you throwing that punch. You did hit him, and then the only thing saving you is the bad editing and the fact that there were four of them. It was a setup and I know it.”

Peter sat uncomfortably in his chair, while George Stacy lectured him,

“You threw that punch. And that I care about. Because I won't have Gwen dragged into whatever feud you and Eugene Thompson have. I won't have Gwen lose her place at university because of you. I won't let her future be ruined by someone becoming a delinquent. Do you understand Peter?”

He did. But it didn’t stop him from hating George Stacy at that moment. Flash had gone too far. Gwen and Peter had only been on one date. For George to be suddenly talking as if Peter would ruin Gwen's life was ridiculous.

Captain Stacy raised an eyebrow, “do you?”

Peter stood, and grabbed his bag, “I understand Sir. I also understand that dragging me in here without asking Gwen won’t make her happy. And I understand that taking Flash’s side shows just how much money his dad has to throw around.”

George hadn’t expected Peter to stand up for himself. And definitely not for him to throw an accusation like that. Any hint of bribery or corruption in the department would be taken seriously, and he could lose his job. But he couldn’t say a word.

Yelling at a kid in his office sent the wrong message, but it didn’t mean he wouldn't be keeping an eye on Peter.

He was well aware that delinquency started with rebellion against authority figures. He figured with his attitude right now, no wonder he had been suspended.

“Then, if you understand, you know what you need to do. Gwen can choose her friends, but her boyfriend is another matter. I will be talking to her about this.” He motioned at the door, “now get out.”

Peter stared at Captain Stacy for a moment, slung his bag over his shoulder and stormed from the room. The cops outside suddenly looked busy as they had tried their best to listen in.

He stomped down the stairs, clenching his fists.

Dammit, he thought to himself. Flash was now weaselling his way into Peter's personal life.

He had one saving grace. He unzipped the front pocket of his school bag and switched off the tape recorder. He had a great lawyer giving him very good advice.

It did give him one reason to smile though,

‘Hey Gwen’

‘Uh hey Pete, not at work?’

‘Not today. Want to guess where I am?’

‘No idea Pete, the warehouse, busy making sure my home is perfect?’ and she had added a winky face after it.

‘Nope, at the police station,’ and he added an innocent whistling emoji.

‘What the hell? What did Flash do now?”

‘Oh not Flash, someone a little higher up, with a nice shiny badge and a big really well-polished desk.’

There was a long pause,

‘Pete, sorry.’

‘It was traumatising, so, uh, how are you going to make it up to me?’

‘I’ll talk to him, make sure he never does it again, look, I'm really sorry.’

Peter rolled his eyes. Either he was really bad at this, or she was.

‘No Gwen. How are YOU going to make it up to me?’

She must have finally realised what he meant, as the next message was a picture.

It started at her belly button and showed the top of her black underwear, but the picture then went higher. Brazenly it was the gentle curve of the bottom of her breasts. No bra, nothing in the way, just the small curve of pale skin.

It was just the smallest of hints. Not even enough you could see anything. It was a tease at most.

‘Next time, you get to see the rest’

Peter still almost dropped his phone, quickly trying out his message.

‘I’m free Saturday night’