ISSUE 2
A DAY WITH THE GATORS
Two armed police guards escorted Doctor Curt Connors to a large, glass room inside the police station, where he was made to sit down. Sitting in front of him was a middle-aged woman, complete with black hair, a business suit, and at least fifty pounds worth of papers, most likely about Curt's past. After his latest run-in with Spider-Man, Curt was caught by the police and taken in for the destruction he caused as the Lizard. He had spent three days in jail, but they still had to send him to court and deal with all the technical stuff and blah blah blah, but Curt knew he would be guilty. Whenever a crocodile ate a child, people would kill about twenty crocodiles just to find the one crocodile that ate the damn kid, who probably deserved what he/she got for swimming in a gator infested river.
"So your name is Curtis Connors", said the woman. "And you're a doctor?"
"Call me Curt", said Curt. "And yes, I am a doctor."
"But you're one of the world's best herpetologist", said the woman. "Don't tell me you have a clinic just for lizards."
"I was a surgeon", said Curt. "But I lost my arm in the Korean War. Maybe you can start by telling me your name?"
"I am Councilor Angela Baxter", said the woman, "and I am you're only hope for returning to your normal life. I love to hunt."
"Do you?"
"Yes. Especially Gators. I wouldn't mind having the head of a large, humanoid gator hanging on my wall, so if you don't behave that will be your fate". Curt grimaced at her comment. So a woman who loved to destroy his kind for no apparent reason was either trying to get Curt out of jail or into jail. And Curt thought the Santa Claus legend was outrageous.
"Fine with me".
"So, Connors, did you continue to be a surgeon after you lost your arm?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because it was so damn difficult!" The remark generated some chuckles, but Angela remained as cold as a stone.
"What did you do once you quit your job?"
"I didn't quit. The military forced me out".
"I see". Angela then took out a piece of paper and began to scribble down some notes, which seemed suspicious to Curt. "So what was your next occupation?"
"I earned a degree in science and began to study herpetology."
"So you leaped from the science of medicine to the science of Lizards. What changed your mind? They are so very different."
"I noticed how some lizards are able to regenerate limbs that they have lost. I thought I might be able to develop a serum that allowed humans to do the same".
"Starfish have been known to do the same. Why lizards?"
"When starfish loose limbs, Angela, their lost limb creates a whole starfish. I didn't want another me walking around the earth!" There were some chuckles in the background, but Angela looked really angry.
"Okay, that's a point off".
"I thought this was a psyche evaluation. I didn't know this was Jeopardy!"
"Enough. So you wanted to make a serum based on reptilian DNA so that you can grow your arm back, correct?"
"Partly. Not only did I want my arm to grow back, but also I thought that I might be able to generate a brain or a heard or something like that for medicinal purposes. It would've been a medical marvel."
"And did it work?" There was silence for several seconds. Curt had never told anyone, except Spider-Man, of his alter ego. Somehow these policemen knew, so he would have to tell the councilor.
"I took the prototype serum. I was fine for several days, until my skin started to harden and scales broke out all over my body like hives. Before I knew it was a massive, green Lizard. I told my wife and kid to leave but they didn't listen. I tried to develop a counter to the serum but my brain was too dulled for me to do anything. I wrote my family a note, telling them goodbye, and I went off into the everglades."
"And what did you do there?"
"I acted like a crocodile, killing animals for food and thrashing at people whenever they walked into my territory."
"Did you kill any people who crossed into your territory?"
"I don't remember".
"Were any of the animals you killed endangered?
"I don't remember".
"How did you get out of this mess? You're human now, are you not?"
"Yes."
"So how did you get that way?"
"On a dare from John Jonah Jameson, the editor of the Daily Bugle, Spider-Man traveled to Florida and battled me. I nearly killed him, but he escaped to my old home."
"Why did you try to kill him?"
"For one thing he was in my territory. My son, Billy, tried to find my, but Spider-Man took him away from me, since he thought I would kill my son."
"Would you?"
"If my brain is dulled enough, maybe".
"What happened when your brain was dulled the most? Or do you not remember?"
"This may seem silly to you, but I tried to pour my serum into the Everglades to make all the Lizards there look like me". No one in the room chuckled, which surprised Curt. Angela even opened her mouth in an 'o' shape.
"This is serious. This is almost a matter of national security".
"Well, Spider-Man developed a counter serum which turned me back, so that never happened."
"But what if it happens again?"
"I moved to New York so it wouldn't".
"But what about the alligators in the sewers?"
"That's a myth".
"That's what many people think about the Lizard. So, Curt, how did you turn into the Lizard this time? Did you take the serum again?"
"No. Whenever I get stressed, I turn into him. That one time was like any other time- work was bad, traffic was horrible, my son got some awful cold, and my wife had to go to some club meeting, so I had to make dinner and take care of the house. Thus I turned into him, ravaged a few buildings, and was saved by Spider-Man."
"How many times has this happened?" Curt was silent. "Hello?"
"At least fifty".
"That was all I needed to hear". Angela then turned to the policemen and began to talk about the session, when all of a sudden Curt saw Peter standing right next to him.
"You shouldn't be here", said Curt. "They might see you".
"All I have to do is jump on the wall and get out the way I came in", said Peter. "How do you know of my other identity? The one who crawls walls."
"One time", said Curt, "When I was fighting you, I ripped up your costume- especially the mask. I didn't see all of your face, but I knew it looked a lot like someone in 10:30 science". Peter snickered. Curt guessed he never knew how Curt knew that he was also Spider-Man.
"What are they doing to you?" asked Peter.
"Some bitch of a councilor is asking questions", said Curt. "She told me she wanted to hang my lizard head on her wall. Some councilor she is."
"Yup", said Peter. "Sorry about all this. I know it's my..."
"No", said Curt. "It's my fault. It's my fault that I took that serum all those years ago."
"Technically, it's the government's fault for sending you to Korea..."
"I volunteered, Peter".
"Oh. Well, it's the Korean Army's fault for blowing your arm off."
"I don't blame them. They were just defending their country."
"Well, it's..."
"Quit blaming people. I have no one to blame but myself". Suddenly, Angela whipped her body around, but before Curt could blink an eye Peter was on the ceiling and probably already out of the building.
"The court will decide your fate in a couple of days", said Angela. "I already have a guess what they're going to say".
A DAY WITH THE GATORS
Two armed police guards escorted Doctor Curt Connors to a large, glass room inside the police station, where he was made to sit down. Sitting in front of him was a middle-aged woman, complete with black hair, a business suit, and at least fifty pounds worth of papers, most likely about Curt's past. After his latest run-in with Spider-Man, Curt was caught by the police and taken in for the destruction he caused as the Lizard. He had spent three days in jail, but they still had to send him to court and deal with all the technical stuff and blah blah blah, but Curt knew he would be guilty. Whenever a crocodile ate a child, people would kill about twenty crocodiles just to find the one crocodile that ate the damn kid, who probably deserved what he/she got for swimming in a gator infested river.
"So your name is Curtis Connors", said the woman. "And you're a doctor?"
"Call me Curt", said Curt. "And yes, I am a doctor."
"But you're one of the world's best herpetologist", said the woman. "Don't tell me you have a clinic just for lizards."
"I was a surgeon", said Curt. "But I lost my arm in the Korean War. Maybe you can start by telling me your name?"
"I am Councilor Angela Baxter", said the woman, "and I am you're only hope for returning to your normal life. I love to hunt."
"Do you?"
"Yes. Especially Gators. I wouldn't mind having the head of a large, humanoid gator hanging on my wall, so if you don't behave that will be your fate". Curt grimaced at her comment. So a woman who loved to destroy his kind for no apparent reason was either trying to get Curt out of jail or into jail. And Curt thought the Santa Claus legend was outrageous.
"Fine with me".
"So, Connors, did you continue to be a surgeon after you lost your arm?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because it was so damn difficult!" The remark generated some chuckles, but Angela remained as cold as a stone.
"What did you do once you quit your job?"
"I didn't quit. The military forced me out".
"I see". Angela then took out a piece of paper and began to scribble down some notes, which seemed suspicious to Curt. "So what was your next occupation?"
"I earned a degree in science and began to study herpetology."
"So you leaped from the science of medicine to the science of Lizards. What changed your mind? They are so very different."
"I noticed how some lizards are able to regenerate limbs that they have lost. I thought I might be able to develop a serum that allowed humans to do the same".
"Starfish have been known to do the same. Why lizards?"
"When starfish loose limbs, Angela, their lost limb creates a whole starfish. I didn't want another me walking around the earth!" There were some chuckles in the background, but Angela looked really angry.
"Okay, that's a point off".
"I thought this was a psyche evaluation. I didn't know this was Jeopardy!"
"Enough. So you wanted to make a serum based on reptilian DNA so that you can grow your arm back, correct?"
"Partly. Not only did I want my arm to grow back, but also I thought that I might be able to generate a brain or a heard or something like that for medicinal purposes. It would've been a medical marvel."
"And did it work?" There was silence for several seconds. Curt had never told anyone, except Spider-Man, of his alter ego. Somehow these policemen knew, so he would have to tell the councilor.
"I took the prototype serum. I was fine for several days, until my skin started to harden and scales broke out all over my body like hives. Before I knew it was a massive, green Lizard. I told my wife and kid to leave but they didn't listen. I tried to develop a counter to the serum but my brain was too dulled for me to do anything. I wrote my family a note, telling them goodbye, and I went off into the everglades."
"And what did you do there?"
"I acted like a crocodile, killing animals for food and thrashing at people whenever they walked into my territory."
"Did you kill any people who crossed into your territory?"
"I don't remember".
"Were any of the animals you killed endangered?
"I don't remember".
"How did you get out of this mess? You're human now, are you not?"
"Yes."
"So how did you get that way?"
"On a dare from John Jonah Jameson, the editor of the Daily Bugle, Spider-Man traveled to Florida and battled me. I nearly killed him, but he escaped to my old home."
"Why did you try to kill him?"
"For one thing he was in my territory. My son, Billy, tried to find my, but Spider-Man took him away from me, since he thought I would kill my son."
"Would you?"
"If my brain is dulled enough, maybe".
"What happened when your brain was dulled the most? Or do you not remember?"
"This may seem silly to you, but I tried to pour my serum into the Everglades to make all the Lizards there look like me". No one in the room chuckled, which surprised Curt. Angela even opened her mouth in an 'o' shape.
"This is serious. This is almost a matter of national security".
"Well, Spider-Man developed a counter serum which turned me back, so that never happened."
"But what if it happens again?"
"I moved to New York so it wouldn't".
"But what about the alligators in the sewers?"
"That's a myth".
"That's what many people think about the Lizard. So, Curt, how did you turn into the Lizard this time? Did you take the serum again?"
"No. Whenever I get stressed, I turn into him. That one time was like any other time- work was bad, traffic was horrible, my son got some awful cold, and my wife had to go to some club meeting, so I had to make dinner and take care of the house. Thus I turned into him, ravaged a few buildings, and was saved by Spider-Man."
"How many times has this happened?" Curt was silent. "Hello?"
"At least fifty".
"That was all I needed to hear". Angela then turned to the policemen and began to talk about the session, when all of a sudden Curt saw Peter standing right next to him.
"You shouldn't be here", said Curt. "They might see you".
"All I have to do is jump on the wall and get out the way I came in", said Peter. "How do you know of my other identity? The one who crawls walls."
"One time", said Curt, "When I was fighting you, I ripped up your costume- especially the mask. I didn't see all of your face, but I knew it looked a lot like someone in 10:30 science". Peter snickered. Curt guessed he never knew how Curt knew that he was also Spider-Man.
"What are they doing to you?" asked Peter.
"Some bitch of a councilor is asking questions", said Curt. "She told me she wanted to hang my lizard head on her wall. Some councilor she is."
"Yup", said Peter. "Sorry about all this. I know it's my..."
"No", said Curt. "It's my fault. It's my fault that I took that serum all those years ago."
"Technically, it's the government's fault for sending you to Korea..."
"I volunteered, Peter".
"Oh. Well, it's the Korean Army's fault for blowing your arm off."
"I don't blame them. They were just defending their country."
"Well, it's..."
"Quit blaming people. I have no one to blame but myself". Suddenly, Angela whipped her body around, but before Curt could blink an eye Peter was on the ceiling and probably already out of the building.
"The court will decide your fate in a couple of days", said Angela. "I already have a guess what they're going to say".