The Web of Spider-Man (AKA TASM 2):
The NYPD and Spider-Man have been trying to suppress gangland violence near some harbours. The gangsters at war are Black Tarantula and Tombstone.
Eddie Brock is an idealistic photojournalist who has gained some renown for exposing corruption within the local governments of small foreign countries. He stumbled onto one of Black Tarantula's human trafficking operations and followed a lead to New York. No one except the Bugle will hire him, as the higher ups are in Black Tarantula's pocket.
Peter Parker does freelance work for the Bugle, providing pictures of Spider-Man and the NYPD's attempts to quell the turf war between Tombstone and Black Tarantula. He also gets a job at OsCorp in an attempt to learn more about his parents.
At the Bugle, Peter and Eddie meet. They like each other and decide to use Peter's connection with OsCorp to help Eddie get inside to figure out the Black Tarantula's relationship to OsCorp. However, Eddie has some reservations about Peter, in spite of his story. He wonders if Peter might not be one of OsCorp's agents, sent to gain his trust then make him disappear.
Dr. Ratha is overseeing the development of a machine meant to refine an old project of OsCorp's, a cure for cancer. A team brought in to wire it up is led by Max Dillon. During the work, a corporate spy from Octavius Industries sabotages the work. In the accident, Max Dillon gains his powers.
In a dark dream, Dillon returns to his childhood and we learn about his overbearing mother. He snaps under her constant dottage, but instead of hitting her, he electrocutes her. The horror of it snaps him back to conciousness. He's in a morgue. Electro frees himself. He then sets out on a vendetta against the social tyrants, whose grip on New York he likens to his overbearing mother.
Working late at OsCorp, Peter sees one of Black Tarantula's lieutenants, Herman Schultz, making a delivery to Ratha: humans from one of the third world countries the Tarantula operated in. The operation is interrupted by Electro, who frees the human cargo and sends Schultz fleeing.
Eddie Brock is sleuthing around the docks when Schultz arrives and begins shouting for his men to mobilize.
Peter suits up and follows Electro to the docks, where Schultz has just arrived and began mobilizing his thugs and hoods. Soon the NYPD arrives and along with Spider-Man engage in a firefight against Electro and the scared hoods. Eddie gets some great pictures and makes off with them.
The next day a weary Peter presents his pictures, which are nowhere near as good as the ones Eddie got. Some of his implicate OsCorp; Peter warns Eddie against directly calling out OsCorp. This makes Eddie slightly angry, so Peter drops the matter.
Norman Osborn calls a meeting of his closest people, including the man who spoke to Connors. He tasks this man, Chameleon, with checking up on their Norweigan facility. The other, Allistair Smythe, is appraised of the progress on their new security system. Smythe reports it is nearing completion.
In a public event, OsCorp presents the NYPD with proto Spider-Slayers to help them combat the threat of Electro. Electro learns of this, and launches an attack on the NYPD headquarters. In the battle, Electro uses his powers to split himself and enter the proto Spider-Slayers, turning them on the NYPD.
Peter is forced to seek out Gwen at Octavius Industries. She left OsCorp after the events of TASM and began studying technical engineering and got an internship at Octavius Industries. With her help, Peter manages to defeat Electro. Since Electro's rampage, the gangland violence between Black Tarantula and Tombstone had died down. Thus he considers persuing a relationship with her.
Eddie returns to his apartment and finds Herman Schultz waiting for him. Schultz roughs Eddie up pretty badly, before abducting him.
In Norway, Chameleon comes upon what appears to be the ruins of an old laboratory in the middle of a snowy wasteland. He enters a section of the lab sequestered from the rest of it. An OsCorp agent there remarks that the Cure has been fairly docile. Chameleon enters the shadows of the ruined facility. Later, at night, he emerges with a cargo vessel containing a writhing black substance.
The Spectacular Spider-Man (AKA TASM 3), Acts I and II
Spider-Man has been working hard after TASM-2 to quell rivalries between individual members of Black Tarantula and Tombstones gangs. The violence isnt as bad as it was in the war during TASM-2. The civilian casualties hes been seeing have motivated him to become a tad harsher. A desire for a life with Gwen has prompted him to become bolder in his investigations into OsCorp.
At OsCorp, Norman Osborn is personally overseeing tests of the cancer suit. To his delight, the aggression that was intended for cancerous cells has made a more outward manifestation. Human subjects brought in courtesy of Black Tarantula have turned violent. Lots of gory discretion shots to hide whats happened. Chameleon mentions a treatment for his brother (payment for his services). Norman tells him the endgame is nearing; he just needs Chameleon to carry out one last job.
Chameleon is tasked with infiltrating Toomes Industries and investigating reports of a new drug, gathered Black Tarantulas lackeys. The drug is one being worked on by Tombstone. Chameleon runs into Spider-Man. Since hooking back up with Gwen, Peter has spent more time watching the streets around Toomes Industries. Hes determined to make their relationship work in spite of Captain Staceys wishes. He spots Chameleon-disguised as the crime boss Tombstoneheisting some goods. In the fight Spider-Man loses the Chameleon and the goods he was stealing. The next day, Peter and Gwen are discussing the next steps in their relationship. Gwen suggests that Peter look for a more permanent career than freelance photography. She also mentions the massive hit Toomes Industries took from the heist. Lots of dangerous weapons were stolen. This mortifies Peter. Hes afraid that Tombstone is looking for revenge after the hit his operations took in TASM 2.
Norman Osborn is looking through the gear lifted from Toomes Industries; vibration gauntlets. From Tombstones warehouses; a potent hallucinogen that was being worked on by one of Toomes Industries lower level employees, Otto Octavius. He glances over at security reports about Spider-Man sightings on OsCorp grounds. He needs to cut his ties to Black Tarantula.
Eddie Brock is locked in an old movie theatre deep in Black Tarantulas territory. Hes tied with rusted chains to an old chair and a film is rolling. It is very grainy footage that shows leaders of various third-world villages belittling and humiliating their rivals before brutally murdering them. Its a testament to Eddies blind idealism, says Black Tarantula. After the reel ends, a couple of city officials are shown in. To Eddies horror, they try to broker a deal with Black Tarantula to keep his thugs off the streets. They fear a power struggle after Electros rampage in TASM-2. As Eddie tries to look away, his head is jerked back toward the screen as another grisly film begins.
Norman Osborn goes to a private chamber in OsCorp. Here is a fresco of a Red Cap (mythological goblin) triumphant in the ruins of a castle while knights and peasants clash outside. We learn that Norman thought the devious Red Caps he heard about in his bedtime fables were geniuses. The room includes an elaborate lab set up, as well as the preserved bodies of the rooms architects and immediate family. Norman brings in a sample of the cancer-suit, as well as some of Connors serum, and combines the two. He injects a bit of it into one of the bodies. The sentient properties of the cancer-suit somewhat reanimate the body, and its skin hardens over into a natural armor. Norman disposes of the body and turns to the aeronautic body armor Chameleon acquired from Toomes Industries and injects the next body with a concentration containing less of Connors serum. The mutation effect is a bit reduced.
Norman turns his attention to the Mindrender drug. He manages to extract a bit of it that would give him control over his mind, to prevent the suits aggression from overriding good sense. Norman doses himself. The drug is overpowering at first; he relives his return to the men whod enslaved his father. He recalls playing them against one another, creating chaos that wiped them out. His father was ungrateful; he viewed his son a possessed monster for taking glee in the bloodshed. Before Norman could stop him, his father committed suicide. The manto Normans disbeliefthought that his spirit would be taken to the Otherworld in the Great Hunt. Disgusted, Norman left to start is corporate empire, OsCorp.
Spider-Man is stealthily dealing with Proto Spider-Slayers set loose to patrol OsCorp grounds afterhours. During his fighting he sees a figure departing OsCorp. Suddenly it stops and circles back around. A stream of dark orange bombs starts the fight between Spider-Man and the Goblin. He gains the upper hand on Spider-Man due to his glider. Spider-Man is incapacitated and Goblin has him locked up in his private chambers in OsCorp. Thanks to the Mindrender drug, the Goblin is able to control the cancer-suit-infected architects and their families. He sets them as guards around Spider-Man.
Goblin finds Herman Schultz and offers him a chance to rise to power by giving him the vibro gauntlets/suit. He does the same thing with Beck. The Goblin plans to bring down his corporate rivals and use Schultz and Beck to seize control of the underworld. He returns to OsCorp, to find Chameleon is waiting. Goblin gives him the serum; Chameleon exits the film.
Peter is disgusted by Osborns guards; he can scarcely belief a human could be so cruel. The Goblin returns and unmasks Peter. He thanks Peter for his contribution; but Peter attacks him before he can continue. In midst of the fight, the Goblin hurls Peter into the container with the cancer-suit. As Peter struggles against it, the Goblin teases Peter with the fate of his comrade against OsCorp, Eddie. He invites Peter to check out the old theatre before escaping into the night.
Norman Osborn visits Black Tarantula, who has finished dealing with more city officials. He takes a shocked Eddie with him. Soon after, Quentin Beck as Mysterio attacks. He causes the individuals inside the theatre to think theyre the subjects of snuff-esque executions. Peter is forced to see Ben and May being killed by the Goblin. He also has a vision brought on by the suits reaction to the Mindrender-based gas Mysterio uses. It shows him an old lab in Norway, and quick flashes of his parents. Peter flees the scene, determined to see if Gwen can pull strings with Captain Staceys friends in the NYPD to see Connors.
The NYPD has its hands full with violence spilling into the better neighborhoods and streets; bank and weapons store robberies by Shocker and his men, who are launching attacks against other businesses rivaling OsCorp. Meanwhile a string of abductions crops up; Mysterios men are abducting targets from Toomes Industries for Mysterio to use as subjects while he refines his gas/costume.
Norman learns of all of this via papers, newsreports, etc. Hes in a luxurious penthouse suite, looking out over New York. Ultimately Shocker and Mysterio are his pawns. Meanwhile, Eddie is reliving his past. We learn that he came from a bad neighborhood in New York.
The people were essentially serfs to the criminals that operated from the neighborhood. Fear and a fierce sense of territoriality by the poor civilians kept them from fleeing, for fear of being killed by civilians in a rival criminals turf. He comes to and sees Norman Osborn. He congratulates Eddie on his accomplishments. He treats Eddie to wine and a fine dinner as a reward for his valiant efforts; its something Norman can appreciate. He offers Eddie any escorts hed like, any smokes hed like.
Eddie and Peters snooping was the catalyst that pushed Norman to make his power play (becoming the Goblin). Eddie, thoroughly broken by the gruesome executions he was forced to watch, feels as if everything he worked for was for naught. Broken, he allows Norman to set him up with a nice escort. She sees him out; theyre heading for Eddies old neighborhood.
Gwen is worried about Peter; she thinks they should leave New York. With her degree it shouldnt be hard for her to find employment. She could afford to leave. Peter wont; he cant bear having the blood of the city on his hands. The news reports have high body counts now; thats not counting the people whore being abducted. Frusrtated, Gwen leaves Peter and goes to their bedroom. She notices the cancer suit moving and quickly takes a sample of it. Later when Peter suits up and heads out, Gwen goes to speak with one of her fathers friends, to get permission to see Dr. Connors. Connors calls the suit the Parker-Brock Legacy.
Black Suit Spider-Man is gone for three days and nights fighting. Eddie, still numb to the world has his way with the escort; as she leaves she gives the instruction to a couple of thugs to kill him. They attempt to do so and Eddie snaps, pent-up anger helping him kill them. He then sets out to find his old apartment. Spider-Man nabs Mysterio and tracks Shocker to a bad neighborhood. In a devastating battle he manages to subdue him. The cancer suit leaves Spider-Man, slinking off. The shock of losing the suitit had been sapping him of his energyand the exhaustion of his 3-day spree leaves Peter unconscious.
Gwen, disheveled and with rings under her eyes, is riding with her fathers acquaintance from the NYPD, looking for Peter. Shes worried about him and about the suit hes been wearing. Peter comes to in the wreck of an old house. A redhead has been tending to his wounds. Peter is at first embarrassed, then notices a couple of bodies with dusty, threadbare blankets over them. Mary Jane tells him that theyre her parents. They were killed by collateral damage from Shockers fight with Spider-Man. Peter dresses and helps her bury them. Mary Jane playfully tells him where she saw his black suit slithering off to.
Suddenly the ground begins shaking as more refined versions of the Spider-Slayers, controlled by the NYPD begin picking through the wreckage, flushing out suspects etc. Peter overhears that theyre looking for him. Thus when Gwen finds him, he leaves with her. She tells him that the suit is dangerousand thus they decide to head to the Norway facility to learn as much as possible about it.
TO BE CONCLUDED IN ACT III
Love the reference.
