Alpha Sigma Lambda
Empire State University

Harry looked up at the lights in his room as the began to flicker on and off. “That’s odd, what’s going on?”

Peter felt that familiar buzz in the back of his head. Harry stood on a chair, tapping the lightbulb in the fixture. It did nothing. Just as he was about to unscrew the light, Peter knocked him down.

“What the hell, Pete?” asked Harry.

“Sorry, I must’ve tripped,” said Peter. Just then, the light exploded and Peter shielded both himself and Harry from the flying glass.

“Forget apologizing, I should be thanking you,” said Harry. The two young men got back to their feet and Harry stared up at the remains of the light. “That was really strange.

Peter opened the door and looked out into the hallway. Just like they had been in the bedroom, the lights were all flickering on and off. “Umm Harry? I think we’ve got a problem…”

Harry came to the door and looked out as well. Just like the had in his room, the lights blew out one by one and the house quickly grew dark. Harry moved down the hall. The first room closest to him was the bathroom. He tried the door and it was open.

Inside, he saw Max Dillon laying in the tub, the small stereo floating by his feet. “Holy shit!” Harry ran to the tub but Peter grabbed him before he could touch Max.

“Wait, there may still be some current,” he said. Peter lightly touched Max’s body and nothing happened. “Okay.”

He and Harry pulled Max’s limp body from the tub and laid him out on the floor. Peter looked down at him then up at Harry. “You know CPR?”

Harry shook his head and Peter sighed. “Okay then, get your phone, call for an ambulance.”

“Right, I’m on it,” said Harry. He got up and ran from the bathroom, leaving Peter alone with the body.

“Dammit, I have no idea what to do here,” said Peter. He rubbed his head. “C’mon, Mr. Science Whiz, you gotta think here…”

Peter tried to remember the CPR class he had to take in high school. Of course, that had been about three years ago and he wasn’t sure how much of it he remembered. He had to try, though. Had to do something. He pinched Max’s nose and then looked with shock as the young man’s eyes snapped open just as his spider sense began to blare.

Electricity burst into Peter’s body, the force throwing him off. Max slowly rose to his feet, his eyes crackling with the power that surged through every inch of his body. Smoke rose from his head as his hair burned off. His eyes were so bright, Peter couldn’t even make out the details in his face.

Max looked down at his hands in surprise and then he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror and smiled. “Well…didn’t expect this. Looks like I’m an all new Max.”

He paused, thinking over those words for a moment then shook his head. “Nah, not Max, not anymore. I think it’s time for a new name, something that’s a bit more fitting. How does Electro strike you?”

Peter’s jaw hung open and Max could see he was getting no response.

“Everyone’s a critic, I guess. Hmm… I know. Let’s ask that piece of shit Randy what he thinks!”

Electro shot off like a bolt of lightning into the wall socket. Peter shook off the surprise and went to the window, crawling out. He went to the roof and changed into his costume. With any luck, Randy had left the house, gone out to get some food or something.

But as Peter had been learning, the Parker Luck was anything but.

LIVEWIRE

Part II

By Dino Pollard

Randy Robertson had dozed off in front of the television set. The screen began to get snowy and the volume cranked itself all the way up. This caused Randy’s eyes to open and look at the screen with tired confusion.

“The hell is goin’ on?” he asked, picking up the remote and pressing the buttons. Nothing happened. He flipped the remote over and removed the battery cover. There were batteries in there, maybe they were just dead?

Randy stood and walked to the set, bending down to turn down the volume manually. Once he did, he got a shock. “Ow! Dammit…” He shook his hand and tried again, this time getting a bigger shock. “What the fuck?”

The snow stopped and the screen went black. Then it flashed on brightly and a man who appeared to be made out of electricity appeared on the screen. He seemed to…smile at Randy.

“Hey there, Randy? Remember me? That ‘loser’ you never wanted in this frat?”

“What the…Dillon?”

Harry came into the room on his cell phone. “What did you sa—?”

The phone fell from his grip as he caught sight of the television screen. It suddenly exploded and Randy jumped back, covering his face with his arms. In the remains of the television screen, sparks shot forth, forming into a figure they both recognized.

“Gone through a bit of a change now, big guy,” said Electro. He raised his hand, which crackled with electricity. “And now, it’s my turn to get revenge on all the assholes who treated me like a waste of skin!”

Electro threw his hand forward and the energy surged at his fingertips. Just as he fired it, a webline wrapped around his arm and yanked it up, throwing off his aim and the bolt of lightning flew over Randy’s head.

Electro spun in anger, seeing Spider-Man standing by an open patio door. “Now I’m not too big on frat boys myself, but that’s no excuse for going all Colonel Sanders on them.”

“STAY OUT OF THIS!” shouted Electro, raising both hands and letting loose with a surge of electricity. Spider-Man leapt from the path, his spider sense keeping him on the defensive. He grabbed the ceiling fan from above and swung from it briefly before sticking to the ceiling.

“C’mon, Colonel Sanders…KFC…extra crispy…get it?”

Electro said nothing, just hurled another bolt and Spider-Man dropped to the ground an instant before it struck the spot he was on. “No one ever gets my jokes…” he muttered. He shot a webline that snagged Electro’s chest and Spider-Man pulled on it. As Electro came flying by him, Spider-Man jumped in the air and delivered a roundhouse kick.

Electro landed against the wall and Spider-Man leapt at him. The young villain turned suddenly and let loose with another burst that struck Spider-Man and left him motionless on the ground.

“Okay, where is he?” asked Electro, looking around for Randy.

“He’s gone,” said Harry, slowly stepping forward. “Jesus Max, what happened to you?”

“Harry…” said Electro, lowering his hands, his power dimming. “You were always good to me. So let me just give you a piece of advice—stay out of my way.”

Harry raised his hands and slowly backed up. “I’m not gonna try to stop you, man. Just listen…maybe we can find a way to fix this or something. My dad, he’s got his company and all these scientists, maybe—”

“Heh, you think I’m an idiot?” asked Electro. “Look at me, Harry! I’m invincible! I kicked Spider-Man’s ass! Why would I wanna give this up?”

“Okay, fair points,” said Harry. “Just…think about it, okay?”

“Yeah, sure, I’ll think about it,” said Electro, his eyes beginning to spark. “Once I get back at that bitch and her freshman football fuck buddy!”

Electro transformed into electricity again and shot straight into a wall socket. Once he was gone, Harry went over to Spider-Man’s side, trying to check for his pulse. Slowly, the web-slinger began to stir.

“Mmmm…just five more minutes…”

“Spidey, hey Spidey, you alive?”

“Wha-?” Spider-Man’s eyes opened behind his opaque lenses and he saw Harry looking down at him. “Whoa!” He jumped and moved away from Harry, looking around. “Where’d Sparky go?”

“Said something about getting back at some girl and her freshman football fuck buddy,” said Harry.

“Wow, that’s a mouthful,” said Spider-Man. The reality of those words suddenly struck him. “Oh crap…you’ve gotta be kidding me…”

“What?” asked Harry.

“Nothing, forget it. Listen, you know who this girl he was talking about might be?”

“He’s got a girlfriend, she lives in Lieber Towers. That’s the only one I can think of.”

Spider-Man smacked his forehead. “Great…this is just great…”

He ran from the frat house and jumped into the air, snagging a lamp post with his webbing and using it to swing towards the freshmen and sophomore dormitories. All the while, he kept muttering the same words to himself.

“Please don’t be Flash…please don’t be Flash…please don’t be Fl—” He stopped himself and shook his head. “Who are you kidding, Spidey? You know it’s Flash. Stupid Parker Luck…”

Queens

May Parker sat in silence, watching with rapt attention as the banker went over her paperwork, flipping it with one hand as his other rapidly punched something into his keyboard. After what seemed like an eternity, he folded his hands together and offered her a slight smile. May tried to return it, but she knew what that smile meant.

“Mrs. Parker, first allow me to tell you how sorry I am for your loss. And I also want to let you know that this bank appreciates your business.”

May’s eyes dropped, but the smile remained on her face. “You don’t have to sugarcoat, Mr. Jenkins. Just tell me. I’m not getting the loan, am I?”

Jenkins sighed. “I’m afraid not, Mrs. Parker. You’ve got a second mortgage on your house and you’re still paying off the loan for your car. I understand your husband had a life insurance policy…”

“They’re trying to say that he was reckless in confronting the burglar and that’s what led to his death,” said May. “Damn insurance companies… Do you believe that? Reckless? The man burst into the front room where Ben was reading a book! How is that confronting him?”

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Parker, I know how difficult this must be for you.”

“Ben was pretty much supporting us, with the housing market being what it is right now,” said May. “I haven’t had much luck making any sales.”

Jenkins looked at his watched. “Mrs. Parker, I’m terribly sorry, but I do have another appointment.”

May nodded, gathered her purse and paperwork and left the bank. Outside, she reached inside her purse, fumbling for her keys. She felt tired and feint and she placed her hand against the building for balance.

“Thank god for Peter’s scholarship…at least he’ll be taken care of.”

Lieber Towers
Empire State University

“I should go talk to him,” said Katie.

“What? Why?” asked Flash.

Katie climbed out of bed, beginning to get dressed. Flash remained where he lay, the sheet draped over his legs. “C’mon babe, just let him deal with it. Come back to bed.”

“Max may be a bore, but I should say something to him,” said Katie. “Y’know, before he does something stupi—”

The stereo had been playing music from Katie’s iPod and now it suddenly overloaded. The shockwave knocked Katie off her feet and Flash sat upright immediately. Electricity arced from the stereo and began to form into a person, his features coming into shape. Despite the lack of hair and the glowing eyes, Katie could recognize him as her previous boyfriend.

“…Max?”

“Nah, Max is dead. You saw to that, didn’t you?” he said. Electricity began to surround his entire body as he raised his hands up, fingers outstretched. “Now it’s payback time. And Electro plays for keeps.”

Flash scoffed. “Electro? Damn Dillon, Randy said you were a tool, but never knew how—”

Electro sent a jolt through Flash’s body, like a taser. “Shut up, meathead. I’ll deal with you when I’m good and ready.” He took a menacing step towards Katie, smiling down at her. “But first, I think it’s time me and my lady had a little chat.”

Flash sat up fully in bed as the feeling came back into his body, seeing a figure rapidly approaching the window. He put his head under the pillow just as the glass shattered and Spider-Man’s feet drove into Electro’s body, knocking him through Katie’s front door.

Spider-Man looked down at Flash and then over at Katie and his shoulders drooped. “Lady, you’ve really gotta work on your taste in men.”

Flash removed the pillow and jumped up. “Spidey! Dude, it’s me, Flash!”

“I know,” said Spider-Man. He saw Electro getting to his feet and quickly unleashed a burst of webbing, covering the door completely. “That won’t hold him for long, let’s go!”

“I gotta get my pants on first!” said Flash.

“No time,” said Spider-Man. “You’re about to live up to your name, Flash.” He shot a webline at his roommate and threw him out the window, following it up with a giant web between the towers to catch him. He turned to Katie. “You’re next.”

She nodded and Spider-Man lowered her down on a webline to join Flash. Just as he finished, the webbing over the door shredded and Electro stood there, almost snarling at his new foe.

“You’ve gotten mixed up in my business for the last time!” he shouted, unloading on Spider-Man with electricity. In response, the wall-crawler formed a shield with his webbing and it seemed to absorb the brunt of the blast.

“Need more room to maneuver…” he said to himself, running to the window and jumping out. As he began to fall, Spider-Man swung away from the Lieber Towers, towards a popular gathering area for students around a pond. “Just gotta hope he’s so pissed that he comes straight for me instead of bothering to go after Flash and that girl.”

Spider-Man’s spider sense started going off and he flipped around, hanging upside-down from a webline and watching as Electro streaked towards him. “Looks like my plan to piss him off so much that he wants to fry my little Spider-Butt is working,” he said. “In retrospect, this could potentially be a dumb idea.”

He dropped from the line and Electro gave chase to him. Spider-Man tried to move as fast as he can, his arms going quicker than he was used to. All the while, his spider sense would not shut up. “I stand corrected, this is a monumentally stupid idea! This is Glenn Beck-stupid! This is, hands down, the stupidest idea you’ve ever had!”

“GET BACK HERE, YOU LITTLE PEST!”

Spider-Man swung with all his might and as he released the webline, he directed his momentum back, causing him to fly past Electro and start swinging in the direction he came from. Electro turned around with ease and gave chase once more.

The web-slinger dropped from the sky, landing near the pond. As soon as the students saw him and then looked up to see Electro, they scattered. Spider-Man prepared himself for the oncoming attack, however.

“Okay…the webbing seemed to work as an insulator before…” he muttered under his breath. “Pleaseworkpleaseworkpleaseworkpleaseworkpleaseworkpleasework…”

Tiny web pellets flew out from his wrists and when they struck Electro, they exploded, completely engulfing him. Spider-Man sprung up and Electro dove straight into the pond. He thrashed around, his powers overloading in the water before he collapsed on the edge, steam rising from his body.

Spider-Man sighed and collapsed right by him. “Let’s not do that again, ‘kay?”

The relentless banging on the door finally caused Peter to stir from his sleep. “Please no…tell Doc Ock to reschedule…”

He rolled over and fell off his bed, now finally waking up to the continuous knocking. Peter rubbed his head and slowly got to his feet. “Y’know, spider sense, it’d be nice if you could also stop me from looking like an idiot. Y’know, every now and then or something…”

He groggily got to his feet. “I’m coming!” Peter opened the door and found Harry standing there with a newspaper in his hand.

“Check this out!” he said, dropping the Daily Bugle on Peter’s bed. Peter looked down at the headline—SPIDER-MAN AND FRIEND ELECTRIFY ESU

“Friend?” asked Peter, reading the article. “That’s not what happened!” Under the headline was a full-color photo of Electro diving towards Spider-Man at the pond. “Someoneelse got the picture?”

“Did you check out the name under the photo?” asked Harry.

Peter looked down and read the caption. “Photo by Harry Osborn?”

“That’s right!” said Harry. “Gotta tell ya, Pete, you asking me for that camera was the best thing that happened to me! After Spidey and Max left the house, I ran up to check on you and I only saw the camera lying there, so I grabbed it, y’know, to come give it to you. And then when I got here, I saw the scuffle and…bam! Easy grand, in my pocket.”

Peter sighed and fell face-forward on his bed.

“Pete, you okay?” asked Harry. He placed his hand on Peter’s shoulder. “Pete? What’s up?”

“Nothing…forget it…” muttered Peter.

“Well, maybe this paper will cheer you up,” said Harry, dropping a copy of ESU’s student paper on the bed. Peter looked at the cover—FRESHMAN FLASHES CAMPUS—with a photo of a naked Flash struggling to get out of the web.

“Heh…” he chuckled. “Guess there’s always an upside.”

Undisclosed Location

Timothy Dugan watched as his agents carted away Max Dillon, bound completely from head to toe in a rubber suit. He lit a fresh cigar and turned to the Asian man who stood by him.

“Someone explain this to me, Woo,” he said. “Now in my day, when a guy took a bath with his stereo, that was it—game over. He didn’t end up a walking lightning bolt.”

“There are some tests we have to run to be sure, but as of right now, the likely explanation seems to be that the electrocution triggered a latent x-gene,” said Jimmy Woo.

“When I was asked to come onboard this unit, I was surprised,” said Dugan. “Figured there’s no real justification for this agency. Now though, these freaks are popping up outta the woodwork.”

“That’s why the Super-Human Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Directorate was formed, Colonel Dugan,” said Woo. “It’s a dangerous new world out there.”

“I’ll drink to that,” said Dugan. “First this Lizard character and Spider-Man, then one of Osborn’s former employees becomes a freak and kidnaps his kid and now one of his kid’s frat brothers tries to electrocute his ex. My question is, how does this all tie together with Osborn and ESU?”

“I’ll get right on it, sir,” said Woo.

“Good, see that you do.”

NEXT: Sandstorm