Spider-Man: Wrath Of The Goblins
Hey everyone. Decided to try my hand at writing a Spidey fic. This story begins during the "Hobgoblin Lives" mini-series. If you haven't read it, it deals with corporate mogul Roderick Kingsley's attempt to takeover Osborn Industries, using his double identity as the Hobgoblin to help. Of course, Spidey thwarts this plan and finally captures him, clearing the name of Ned Leeds who for years had been believed to be the Hobgoblin.
But...what if the Hobgoblin had gotten away with it? And what if Norman Osborn, the Green Goblin and former head of Osborn Industries (and who was still believed to be dead by almost everyone) had found out...?
***
"To whom the goblin, full of wrath, replied. -Milton."
***
Roderick Kingsley was a very shrewd businessman. It was rare that he missed a golden opportunity, and now was not one of those times.
Betty Brant Leeds had just appeared on television, claiming to have rediscovered notes that her late husband, Ned Leeds, had left behind. She claimed that they would exonerate him of being the Hobgoblin. What they contained, Kingsley had no idea, but if they could indeed exonerate Leeds of being the Hobgoblin...then they could possibly implicate him as well.
And that could not be allowed to happen.
He stalked off to the secret back room where he kept his Hobgoblin equipment. He'd suit up, swoop down on his glider, snatch Betty Leeds, and be gone. He began to don the outfit. And paused.
He'd been mind-controlling Leeds at the time of his death. If Leeds had had any other notes, besides the ones Kingsley had seized and destroyed, he would have told him about it. These notes couldn't possibly exist!
The mogul snarled. This was a trap, it had to be. Set by Betty Leeds and the police to lure him out into the open. That infernal Spider-Man probably had a hand in this as well.
He took off what he'd put on of the Hobgoblin costume. He wouldn't fall for it. Subtlety was clearly required here. He had contacts within the police department. If by some chance these notes were real, he could acquire them without needing to resort to such flashy tactics. And if they were indeed fake, then his takeover of Osborn Industries could go off without a hitch. As the Hobgoblin, he'd already murdered rival industrialist George Vandergill, threatened Senator Robert Martin, and destroyed an Osborn refinery to keep it on track; he would not be stopped now.
***
*Looks like the Hobgoblin didn't take the bait,* thought Peter Parker, the amazing Spider-Man. There had been no sign of the maniacial super-villain; the only trouble had been caused by former Daily Bugle reporter Jake Conover, who believed that the notes Betty Leeds had invented where actually the notes that Ned Leeds had borrowed from him years ago and never returned. He had come to demand them back, but after Peter, in costume, had intervened he had cooled off.
*I'm kinda glad that the Hobgoblin didn't show up. Betty's making such a target of herself that it could be difficult to keep her safe. Still, this can't be easy for her. This was her main plan of capturing him. I don't know where to go from here.*
Lieutenant Stone, of the NYPD's elite Code: Blue unit, and Betty Brant Leeds climbed into a police car waiting to escort them away from the press conference where she had made the announcement about her late husband's fake notes. Peter, who was watching from a rooftop, sighed in relief.
*Well, Betty's in safe hands. I think it's time to call it a day on the goblin hunting.*
***
"WHAT?" roared Norman Osborn into the telephone. On the other end, Donald Menken winced. It would take all of his skill in deception and fawning to survive this.
"I said, sir, that Osborn Industries is now owned by Kingsley International."
"Dammit, Menken, how the hell did you let this happen? You were supposed to keep my company safe from takeover bids while I pretended to be dead."
"I know, sir. I did my best, but my financial wizardry is no match for yours, or even for that of Roderick Kingsley. We're holding the official press conference tomorrow."
Osborn growled, and Menken gulped. "I shouldn't have spent so much time over here in Europe, with this damn Scrier cult. I would have been able to prevent this, unlike YOU." There was silence, and the sound of the ruthless tycoon drumming his fingers. "I'll handle this. Just hold the conference tomorrow, and then after it's over, I'll see to Kingsley." Osborn hung up, and Menken sighed in relief. If his boss found out that in his role as executive vice-president of Osborn Industries, he'd secretly been Kingsley's co-conspirator in the takeover bid, his life-span could be measured in seconds.
He supposed he should warn Kingsley of Osborn's plans, but he had no specifics on what they were. No, he decided, let Kingsley fend for himself...
***
After several minutes of fuming and gritting his teeth in the darkness of his opulent office, the one he occupied as a result of leading the Scriers, Norman Osborn came to a decision. His plans against Peter Parker were too important for him to get involved personally at the moment in this Kingsley situation. Fortunately, he had operatives that could handle this. He picked up his telephone and dialed one of them.
"Brito? I have a job for you. His name is Roderick Kingsley."
To be continued...
Hey everyone. Decided to try my hand at writing a Spidey fic. This story begins during the "Hobgoblin Lives" mini-series. If you haven't read it, it deals with corporate mogul Roderick Kingsley's attempt to takeover Osborn Industries, using his double identity as the Hobgoblin to help. Of course, Spidey thwarts this plan and finally captures him, clearing the name of Ned Leeds who for years had been believed to be the Hobgoblin.
But...what if the Hobgoblin had gotten away with it? And what if Norman Osborn, the Green Goblin and former head of Osborn Industries (and who was still believed to be dead by almost everyone) had found out...?
***
"To whom the goblin, full of wrath, replied. -Milton."
***
Roderick Kingsley was a very shrewd businessman. It was rare that he missed a golden opportunity, and now was not one of those times.
Betty Brant Leeds had just appeared on television, claiming to have rediscovered notes that her late husband, Ned Leeds, had left behind. She claimed that they would exonerate him of being the Hobgoblin. What they contained, Kingsley had no idea, but if they could indeed exonerate Leeds of being the Hobgoblin...then they could possibly implicate him as well.
And that could not be allowed to happen.
He stalked off to the secret back room where he kept his Hobgoblin equipment. He'd suit up, swoop down on his glider, snatch Betty Leeds, and be gone. He began to don the outfit. And paused.
He'd been mind-controlling Leeds at the time of his death. If Leeds had had any other notes, besides the ones Kingsley had seized and destroyed, he would have told him about it. These notes couldn't possibly exist!
The mogul snarled. This was a trap, it had to be. Set by Betty Leeds and the police to lure him out into the open. That infernal Spider-Man probably had a hand in this as well.
He took off what he'd put on of the Hobgoblin costume. He wouldn't fall for it. Subtlety was clearly required here. He had contacts within the police department. If by some chance these notes were real, he could acquire them without needing to resort to such flashy tactics. And if they were indeed fake, then his takeover of Osborn Industries could go off without a hitch. As the Hobgoblin, he'd already murdered rival industrialist George Vandergill, threatened Senator Robert Martin, and destroyed an Osborn refinery to keep it on track; he would not be stopped now.
***
*Looks like the Hobgoblin didn't take the bait,* thought Peter Parker, the amazing Spider-Man. There had been no sign of the maniacial super-villain; the only trouble had been caused by former Daily Bugle reporter Jake Conover, who believed that the notes Betty Leeds had invented where actually the notes that Ned Leeds had borrowed from him years ago and never returned. He had come to demand them back, but after Peter, in costume, had intervened he had cooled off.
*I'm kinda glad that the Hobgoblin didn't show up. Betty's making such a target of herself that it could be difficult to keep her safe. Still, this can't be easy for her. This was her main plan of capturing him. I don't know where to go from here.*
Lieutenant Stone, of the NYPD's elite Code: Blue unit, and Betty Brant Leeds climbed into a police car waiting to escort them away from the press conference where she had made the announcement about her late husband's fake notes. Peter, who was watching from a rooftop, sighed in relief.
*Well, Betty's in safe hands. I think it's time to call it a day on the goblin hunting.*
***
"WHAT?" roared Norman Osborn into the telephone. On the other end, Donald Menken winced. It would take all of his skill in deception and fawning to survive this.
"I said, sir, that Osborn Industries is now owned by Kingsley International."
"Dammit, Menken, how the hell did you let this happen? You were supposed to keep my company safe from takeover bids while I pretended to be dead."
"I know, sir. I did my best, but my financial wizardry is no match for yours, or even for that of Roderick Kingsley. We're holding the official press conference tomorrow."
Osborn growled, and Menken gulped. "I shouldn't have spent so much time over here in Europe, with this damn Scrier cult. I would have been able to prevent this, unlike YOU." There was silence, and the sound of the ruthless tycoon drumming his fingers. "I'll handle this. Just hold the conference tomorrow, and then after it's over, I'll see to Kingsley." Osborn hung up, and Menken sighed in relief. If his boss found out that in his role as executive vice-president of Osborn Industries, he'd secretly been Kingsley's co-conspirator in the takeover bid, his life-span could be measured in seconds.
He supposed he should warn Kingsley of Osborn's plans, but he had no specifics on what they were. No, he decided, let Kingsley fend for himself...
***
After several minutes of fuming and gritting his teeth in the darkness of his opulent office, the one he occupied as a result of leading the Scriers, Norman Osborn came to a decision. His plans against Peter Parker were too important for him to get involved personally at the moment in this Kingsley situation. Fortunately, he had operatives that could handle this. He picked up his telephone and dialed one of them.
"Brito? I have a job for you. His name is Roderick Kingsley."
To be continued...