20 Years From Now

“It could have all been so simple,” Green Goblin said with a heavy sigh. His green mask was no longer an actual mask; it was now his permanent face with a hideous grin that would now last forever. “If you’d only continued to do as I ask, we wouldn’t be here now. You’d be at home, relaxing and I wouldn’t be standing here, ready to kill you.”

The Green Goblin’s spiked black boot found itself placed on the neck of Drew Michaels, who was now in his late 30’s. Behind Green Goblin stood several people in different variations of the Spider-Man costume, with one of them in the Scarlet Spider costume.

“You killed my father,” Drew choked. “And everyone else I cared about.”

“No, you killed your father with your own two hands,” Green Goblin told him. “Besides, without me, you’d still be that weak little boy sleeping in a ratty apartment and working for peanuts from old man Jameson.”

Drew stared up at the catwalk above everyone where a young man with shaggy reddish brown hair hid in the shadows, wanting to help him. Drew just slightly nodded his head ‘no’, knowing this where his journey ended.

“May, would you like to do the honors?” Green Goblin asked as a woman in a blue and pink costume stepped forward. The costume featured a bomber jacket and half of a mask, revealing the lower half of her face.

“Don’t do this, May, we’re family.” Drew said as May picked him up by the collar. A long sharp blade protruded from her right sleeve as she rammed it through Drew’s lower stomach.

“Actually, you’re only a half-sibling.” May said with a sharp cut, slicing Drew’s body in half, letting his bottom half land on the floor.

The young man on the catwalk had to keep himself from screaming at the sight of what he’d just seen. Instead he just continued running to his destination.

“The final one is here,” Green Goblin said as he looked at the other spider-clad people. One wore a black and red costume, the other in the Scarlet Spider suit. The others were in different color combinations of the same costume, all of them being Green Goblin’s Spider Armada. “Bring him to me, I want to make him suffer.”

The young man continued to run toward a locked door, but with his enhanced strength, managed to break it down. Immediately the young man saw what he’d come here for. He rushed up to a large computer and start typing in his commands.

“Don’t worry, Drew, I’ll fix this,” the young man said as he pulled his tiger themed mask over his face, just as the other two Spider-Man entered. You guys don’t have to do this.”

“Alpha said the same thing,” the black and red Spider-Man said. “And so did Prowler, and Scarlet Spider.”

“And Kane, and Johnny Storm,” the other Spider-Man said. “Every one of Spider-Man’s allies that wouldn’t turn on him are dead, and you’re the last. So just come with us, kid, don’t make it harder than it has to be.”

“There’s nothing hard about what I have to do to stop this.” Tiger said as he pounded a button on a console before pulling out a grenade. A large door of light opened as he fell backwards into it, one hand tossing the grenade and the other flipping them off before he disappeared.

As soon as Tiger was gone, the grenade exploded, taking the machine with it as the two Spider-Men retreated into the hall.

“Where do you think he went?” the black and red Spider-Man asked.

“I don’t know,” the other Spider-Man told him. “But let’s hope he doesn’t make it, or we’re both going to answer to the boss.”

THE DEADLY DOZEN

PART III

By Tobias Christopher

20 Years Previous

“What the hell are you doing?” Tiger asked Spider-Man as the Sinister Six closed in. “Get to the pregnant woman upstairs before something happens to her! I told you that I’ve got this!”

Spider-Man counted the six supervillains in front of him. “Yeah, no, I’m not doing that. There’s six super meanies coming that want to see me dead, I’m not about to leave a kid whose costume looks like mine alone with them.”

“Kid? Today’s my twenti– did you just call them meanies?”

“Well, after so many years of fighting them I’m kind of running out of insulting names,” Spider-Man told him as the two avoided Shocker’s blasts. “You don’t know what these guys are capable of.”

“I know more than you think,” Tiger told him as they started running from the Hobgoblin’s pumpkin bombs. Spider-Man webbed one out of mid-air, tossing it back at the villain just in time for Rhino to charge at them. The two jumped into the air and flipped over him as the villain ran head first through the wall of a parking garage. “Just trust me, she needs a hero right now.”

“This baby’s coming!” Mary Jane shouted as Drew ran a hand through his hair.

“Okay, Drew, stay calm,” the young photographer said. “I’ll just call an ambulance and–” Drew looked out of the window and down at the street where the Sinister Six were tearing everything up. “Shit! There’s no way an ambulance is getting through that!”

“We’ll have to deliver the baby here,” Robbie told them. “I’ll get some blankets to make her comfortable!”

“Oh, no,” Jameson told them. “There is no way that a baby is being delivered in this office! Do you know how expensive dry cleaning these carpets are!?”

“There’s no way we can get her to the hospital!” Drew shouted. “It’s here or in the alley!”

Jameson thought for a moment.

“JONAH!” Robbie shouted.

“Okay, okay!” Jameson told them. “Take her into my office, I was looking for an excuse to redo the carpets anyway.”

“Who is this new player?” Osborn asked as he watched the video feed of the fight. “I thought I knew about all of Mr. Parker’s allies.”

The phone started ringing as Osborn picked up. “This had better be important.”

“Sir, we have a problem at the compound.”

“What kind of problem?”

Spider-Man dodged several blasts from Shocker as Tiger broke open a fire hydrant, sending a blast of water to knock him out into the street, just as Will O’ the Wisp grabbed him from behind.

“Don’t worry, kid, I’m on the way!” Spider-Man shouted as Vulture flew in, grabbing the hero by the shoulders and flying him into the air. “Or I will be when my flight lands! So, what’s the in-flight movie?”

“Watson & Holmes!”

“You… MONSTER!” Spider-Man shouted as he shot webbing into the Vulture’s eyes, causing him to lose control. Spider-Man shot a web to attach to a building and pull himself out of the villain’s grip just as The Vulture crashed through a window.

“Hey!” Nacho Mama shouted as she shot hot cheese at Will’ O the Wisp, forcing him to let Tiger go. “Spider-Man is ours to destroy!”

“And who are you?” Rhino asked.

“We’re… the Sinister Six!” Hypno Hustler shouted. An awkward silence filled the air before Rhino and Mysterio started laughing hysterically. “What’s so funny?”

“WE are the Sinister Six!” Mysterio shouted Shocker, Vulture and Will O’ the Wisp joined them. Meanwhile, Hobgoblin was just observing from his glider high above them.

“You okay, kid?” Spider-Man asked as he helped Tiger up.

“Uh… there’s twelve of them,” Tiger asked. “Should we be worried?”

“You’re worried about those six losers?” Spider-Man asked. “If we can time this just right, we can make them take each other out, then we’ll double team the rest and finish this. You ready for a team-up, kid?”

“You really want to team-up with me?” Tiger asked. “This has actually been my dream since I was a little boy.”

“Then follow my lead,” Spider-Man told him as he got in between the two teams. “Alright, there’s twelve of you and only two of us, not exactly fair, is it?”

“We’re villains, dumbass, it’s not supposed to be fair!” Shocker replied. “Let’s get ’em!”

“You could,” Spider-Man said as he took a step back. “But remember, only one of you gets the honor of taking me out, so who’s it going to be?”

The villains all started arguing at once as Spider-Man slowly made his exit without anyone noticing.

“I should get the honor!” Vulture shouted. “He killed the love of my life!”

“He humiliated me in Vegas!” Hypno Hustler added.

“He ruined my hair!” Maxine Power told them.

Within moments, the eleven villains were attacking each other as Spider-Man just leaned back against the wall. “Now we wait.”

“Mr. Parker’s not answering his phone!” Drew said as the group tried to make Mary Jane comfortable in Jameson’s office. “Where could he be this time of night?”

“He’s probably dealing with the horde of villains still,” Mary Jane thought to herself as another contraction came. “The contractions are getting closer! This baby’s coming!”

“What are we going to do?” Drew asked. “I’ve never delivered a baby before!”

“Relax, Drew,” Robbie told him. “All you have to do is guide the baby out.”

“Wait, you’re a father, why aren’t you doing this?”

“Because I have arthritis these days,” Robbie lied. “Don’t want to risk dropping the baby.”

“Uh huh,” Drew said with a raised eyebrow. Having worked with Robbie for some time now, he knew better. But this wasn’t the time to argue, not when Mary Jane needed someone. “Okay, I got A.J.’s head unstuck from a bannister when he was 6, this can’t be any more difficult, can it?”

Drew kneeled in front of Mary Jane and saw what he was in for. His eyes immediately  rolled into the back of his head as he passed out on the floor.

“Are we really not going to do anything?” Tiger asked.

“We’ll jump in if it gets out of hand or to pull civilians out of the way. Right now we’ll just let them wear themselves out. Save our energy for the fight that’s coming. So, where are you from, kid?” Spider-Man asked as they watched the two teams of Sinister Six fighting themselves in the street.

“Queens,” Tiger told him. “Although we  moved around the country a lot until I was twelve when we moved back. Lost my parents shortly after I was born, so I lived with my uncle for a while until he was murdered. Then my big brother watched after me.”

“I lost my parents and uncle, too,” Spider-Man told him as blast of milk shot past his head. “It’s rough watching the people you care about exit your life. But at least you had a brother, that’s something.”

“He’s a good man,” Tiger told him while dodging an electric blast. “He made… mistakes in his youth but he did everything he could to do right by me. I’m kind of hoping to repay the favor and help him out for once.”

“Is he in trouble?” Spider-Man asked as he ducked a blast of nacho cheese.

“You could say that,” Tiger said. “I just have to get him on the right track.”

“Just don’t give up on your family, kid,” Spider-Man said. “At the end of the day, it’s family that matters most.”

“Hey, I don’t hear fighting,” Tiger said as he turned his attention to the street. “Are they done?”

“You know, we’ve been thinking,” Vulture said as he looked up at Spider-Man. “We all share a common goal, which is your destruction. So we’re putting aside our differences and uniting in our hatred of you.”

“Well, it’s nice that you kids have decided to play nice,” Spider-Man told him as he looked over at Tiger. “Looks like we’re up, kid. You and me.”

“Let’s do this,” Tiger said, smiling under his mask before thinking to himself. “Best day ever.”

“Drew, wake up!” Jameson shouted as he slapped the young man as hard as he could. “You’ve got a job to do!”

“I’ll get your pictures, I promise,” Drew moaned as he sat up and realized where he was. “Did I miss the baby?”

“No, it’s still coming!” Mary Jane shouted as she started breathing heavily. “The contractions are really close now, the baby’s coming!”

“Okay, I’m ready, I can do this,” Drew said as he took his position and stared down at Mary Jane. “I’m starting to understand why A.J. wasn’t into women. Wait, I think I see something! Oh my God, it’s like that scene from Bride of Chucky!”

“Just guide it out!” Robbie shouted. “Be gentle!”

“Be gentle? If I see one sharp tooth on  this thing…”

Outside the door, Jameson paced back forth with a lit cigar in his mouth, hoping Mary Jane and the baby were okay. He didn’t want to show it, but he cared about Peter Parker and his family, although he wasn’t completely thrilled a big moment had chosen to happen in the Bugle office.

The cigar had been smoked down to the halfway point as the doors exploded thanks to a pumpkin bomb. Hobgoblin walked in, tossing several bombs at the office workers who jumped for cover as the bombs went off.

“Where’s the woman?” Hobgoblin asked. “I need a hostage to keep Spider-Man off balance and a pregnant woman will fit the bill nicely.”

“You’re not touching that woman!” Jameson shouted as Hobgoblin just smacked him out of the way before walking through. As Hobgoblin got close to the office door, a chair smashed over his head. Hobgoblin tilted his neck, letting a little crack out as he turned to face Jameson.

“Really?” Hobgoblin asked in a calm tone as he grabbed Jameson around the neck and carried him toward an open elevator shaft. “Didn’t you know, old man? Print is dead.”

“Watch your mouth, boy,” Jameson said as he shoved the rest of his lit cigar into Hobgoblin’s mouth as he far as he could. The villain dropped the older man as he started gagging on the cigar. Jameson took the advantage while he had it and rushed Hobgoblin, shoving him into the elevator shaft, watching him plummet several stories into the darkness. “I’ll be sure to print your obituary.”

The Chairman aimed his transforming gun at Tiger while Maxine Power approached him from the other side. He jumped out of the way as The Chairman’s gun transformed Maxine Powers enormous hairdryer into a bar stool.

“Is that a heated bar stool?” Tiger asked as she smashed it on his back.

Further away, The Rhino grabbed Spider-Man in his rock hard grip and held his arms.

“Keep him still, Rhino!” Shocker said as he charged up his gauntlets. “Let’s watch the spider fry!”

“If you guys give me a few minutes, I can get you a turkey from the store if you’re really that hungry!” Spider-Man shouted as Shocker blasted his gauntlets. Spider-Man ducked his head to the side just as the blast hit Rhino in the eyes. He dropped Spider-Man just as the hero shot two strands of webbing at Shocker, swinging him around and knocking him into Rhino.

The Chairman flew into the wall before falling to the ground unconscious as Spider-Man and Tiger met back up.

“This is ridiculous!” Tiger shouted. “You take one down and three more come at you!”

“Welcome to crimefighting, kid,” Spider-Man told him. “Is superstrength all you got in this fight?”

“Superstrength, enhanced vision and… a special sense,” Tiger told him. “Got most of my powers from my dad, but I never got his main powers. Speaking of senses–”

Both ducked as Vulture flew through, trying to grab them.

“Ever go kite flying?” Spider-Man asked.

“No, but I always wanted to go with my parents,” Tiger told him as Spider-Man shot webbing at Vulture’s wings, attaching strands to both of them. Spider-Man handed him of the strands. “Awesome.”

With double the strength, the two heroes started running while dragging Vulture through the air while he tried to fly away.

“Remember, always keep your kites away from trees!” Spider-Man said as they ran toward a tree in the park, both running in a different direction it as Vulture smashed into the branches, getting tangled.

“So, how many more are left?” Tiger asked.

“I kind of lost track,” Spider-Man told him. “Don’t worry, I’m sure we’ll get them all… unless this turns into the Sinister Eighteen.”

“Nah, that doesn’t happen until 2027,” Tiger said as Spider-Man just stared at him. “I, uh, mean something like that couldn’t happen for a few years. None of your villains are smart enough to try that.”

Before Spider-Man could say something, Mysterio’s voice boomed all around them.

“SPIDER-MAN! Will you face the might and menace of Mysterio?”

“Keep on your toes, kid,” Spider-Man said. “Mysterio likes to play games. He’ll use illusions and tricks to mess with your head.”

“Got it,” Tiger told him as they stepped out from under the tree to dozens of copies of the Sinister Twelve filling the park. “Oh, shit.”

“Relax, kid,” Spider-Man told him. “At worst, only one pack of them is real.”

Various projectiles from each villain came from every which way from the various packs of clones.

“They’re spread out all around us!” Tiger shouted as the two heroes tried to find their way out.

“Going somewhere?” Mysterio asked as a mist started spreading throughout the park, leaving the two lost in a dense fog. “Who’s real? Who isn’t? Let’s find out, shall we?”

“We have to take out Mysterio, then the holograms will disappear, but we have to survive long enough to-” Spider-Man said as TIger took off his mask, letting his shaggy reddish brown hair loose as Peter looked at him. “You… look familiar.”

“I modeled as a kid for clothing magazines to help put food on the table when we lived in L.A.,” Tiger told him. It was the truth, although that was still twelve years away. “I can see better without the mask, but you know, the secret identity thing. I can get us through the fog if you can use your spider-sense to avoid whatever tries to hit us.”

“Let’s move.” Spider-Man told him as they started running.

Mary Jane screamed in pain as Drew delivered the baby. Soon Mary Jane’s cries were replaced with those of a newborn baby.

“Drew? Is the baby okay?” Robbie asked.

“Yeah,” Drew said as he stared down at the baby, amazed at the new life he held in his arms. “Congratulations, Mary Jane. It’s a boy.”

Robbie brought a blanket to wrap the baby in as Drew smiled. Robby looked down at the baby. “He’s perfect.”

As Robbie took the baby to hand it to the Mary Jane, the door flew open as Hobgoblin stood there, dragging an unconscious Jameson by the collar.

“Don’t get too attached to that thing,” Hobgoblin told her. “That’s my key to taking down Spider-Man.”

TO BE CONTINUED…

Note: Due to an admin error, 40 was released before 39. Sorry about that TC!