Some quick stuff before I begin.
First, this is based on the 1990s TV series of Spider-Man, also known as Spider-Man TAS. It is basically a made-up sixth season in which Spidey and Madame Web look for Mary Jane Watson while, back at home, the Clone Saga takes place!
This is done in the format of the TV show. First is the "Previously", then the theme song (represented by "(theme song plays)"), then the episode title, and then the "show" begins. Each chapter will be another episode. Dashed breaks in the story represent commercials.
Feel free to review! I might answer a few questions before my next episode.
Anyway, enjoy!
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Disclaimer: I can only hope to own Spider-Man in the future, but for now, I do not.
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Previously on Spider-Man:
The Green Goblin sees Spidey take off his mask and says "What? The Green Goblin's greatest foe is a mere boy?" He now changes to Norman and declares, "That's my son's friend, Peter Parker." Green Goblin laughs! "He must've been using Harry to…. get to you!
Not much later, the Green Goblin kidnaps Mary Jane Watson and brings to a bridge. Spidey finds her just as she's awakening. "Peter? Is that you? Spider-Man! I thought I heard Peter's voice!" But just then, Green Goblin throws a pumpkin, destroying part of the bridge. MJ, losing her balance, falls, just as GG drops his Time Dilation Accelerator (TDA), which opens up a portal into limbo. Mary Jane's fall ends through the portal!
"Osborn! That was the woman I loved! You'll pay Osborn, you'll pay!" Spidey shouts. After an epic battle, Spidey is proven to be correct as Green Goblin, half in limbo, half out, uses a remote to hurl his glider at Spidey, who jumps out of the way! The glider pushes Green Goblin all the way into Limbo.
Much later, Madame Web is bringing Spider-Man through limbo. "Where to now, Madame Web?" he asks. "It's been a long journey, Spider-Man, and I believe it time you were entitled to some happiness. We're going to find the real Mary Jane Watson," she replies. "Amen to that, Madame Web, Amen to that."
(Theme song music plays)
Spider-Man
The Clone Saga, Chapter 1: The Murder of Mary Jane
"Where do we start, Madame Web?" Spider-Man asks Madame Web, as she shows him through limbo.
"Limbo is a vast place, Spider-Man. We'll need some way of locating Mary Jane in limbo."
"So, what, do we need coordinates?"
"Everyone has a distinct aura," explains Madame Web. "It is hard to sense the presence of these, and even harder to separate them, but I'm afraid that's our only hope other than major coincidence."
"Right…." Spidey says. "So, what do I need to do?"
"For now," she replies, "we should merely focus upon finding an object which will reveal Mary Jane's aura. This will be difficult, as well, for if anyone else has ever even touched it within the last five years, then their aura will hover along with Mary Jane's and it will not be unique."
"OK, so I need to find an item which no one other than MJ has touched in the past five years. Gotcha!"
"Good luck, Spider-Man!" Madame Web says as Spider-Man is returned to limbo. He reappears on building in Times Square.
This is gonna take a while…. He thinks, but is interrupted by a sudden claw reaching out of nowhere! Both with his human instinct and with his spider sense, he dives out the way and lands on a neon sign. Spidey quickly glances up to see his attacker, but no one is there. Just then his spider sense goes off and Spider-Man leaps off the sign, again looking behind him. Bad move.
Just as Spidey looks, a huge bright white light goes off – the neon sign must've exploded! The blast of light, taking Spidey by surprise, temporarily blinds him, for just enough time for Spidey to fall to the ground.
Now, a feminine shadow lurks over him.
Great! Spidey thinks. Perhaps this won't take all too long after all!
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As the shadow gets closer, white gloves, owned by black arms, pick Spider-Man off the ground. The mysterious figure then uses some sort grapple to cling on to a nearby building and swing away, revealing a neon sign behind her, reading "WANTED: SPIDER-MAN".
Later, in a high-tech complex, the same figure, now revealed to be mostly black, with white gloves, boots, and belt, appears, holding Spider-Man.
"I got him," says a feminine voice coming from Spider-Man's attacker, "now what?"
"Spider-Man is a murderer," replies another voice, which would sound vaguely familiar to fans. It comes from another man, standing in the shadows. Only his gray suit can be seen. "He will be sent to court. But first, remove the mask!"
The strange woman is about to do just that, when another man shows up. This one wears an outfit, white head-to-toe, with a glowing tiger-shaped amulet 'round his neck.
"Hola, amigos!" He declares.
"White Tiger," says the man who seems to be in charge, "do you bring news?"
"It is hard, Miles, to speak with a hombre who has security forces surrounding him on all sides. Needless to say, I failed. I am sorry."
"Curses!" shouts Miles. "We need him in order to properly arrest Spider-Man! Why can't he just make appointments like any normal man?"
"Some assistance may help."
"Fine! Cat, you go with him!"
"Sure, Miles. Although I am honestly disappointed that we must arrest Spider, I know it is necessary." At this, the mystery woman reveals herself to be Black Cat. Her and the one named White Tiger exit through a window, both using grappling hooks.
"Now, then," Miles says, "I suppose I should unmask you. You look better that way anyhow."
Miles now reaches his hand over and grabs Spider-Man's mask. Peter Parker is underneath, but Miles, whose face is still obscured, doesn't seem surprised. Instead, he simply pushes a button, making a miniature cage rise around Peter until it reaches the ceiling.
Later, Peter awakens. He immediately catches sight of mask a few feet away and jumps back, realizing he is unmasked.
"Ah, Spider-Man," says Miles, "you are awake. So, how do you feel?"
"Wh-what?"
"How do you feel?"
"H-how do you mean?"
"I mean, how do you feel?" Miles explains.
"You first."
"Very funny, Peter." At this, Peter almost faints again. But no, that would give whoever this a chance to reveal his identity. "Seriously, how do you feel?"
"And s-seriously, you first, Suity."
Miles sighs. "I'm just fine."
"Oh, well in that case, I feel worse than any other spider-man on the planet," Peter declares and Miles giggles.
"Good one," he jokes.
Now, Peter grabs some of the bars, hoping to bend them and break free, but as soon as he touches them, a jolt of electricity shocks him into retreat.
"That was the worst direct attempt I've ever seen," Miles declares. "My Spider-Man is much smarter." And on this note, he gets up and leaves the room, his head still in shadows.
It is only now that Peter uses his webbing to grab his mask and put it on.
I could escape something like this easily, he thinks, but it's probably a better idea to recuperate first. And so, Spidey takes a rest for a few hours.
He is soon awoken by a familiar voice. He looks up to see Black Cat, Miles (still obscured face!), and the White Tiger, but only recognizes Cat.
"Hey Cat. Hey Suity. Hey Some-Guy-Who-I-Don't-Know."
"Spider," Black Cat begins, "why did you do it?"
"Do what?"
"Murder her, what else, el hombre araña?" states the White Tiger.
"Who?"
"You have to be kidding me!" Miles laughs.
"What are you talking about?" Spider-Man screams his question. But at the same time, no one notices as he adds webbing tips to his fingers….
"You killed someone, amigo! A beautiful one, too, I hear."
"And there's evidence, Spider. The police have a video!"
"Don't act like nobody knows!"
"Oh, so I killed someone. Now I remember. But anyway, I prefer to continue this lovely discussion from outside of electrified steel bars, so if you'll excuse me a sec…." At this time, Spidey, pries open a hole in between the bars and squeezes through. "Thank you, webbing fingertips!" he says to himself, just as the Cat lunges towards him.
After his spider sense warning, Spidey jumps out of the way and Cat rams into the cage, which is still electrified, and faints!
"Sorry 'bout that, Cat."
"Carajo! You have killed your last victim, el hombre araña!"
Killed? Oh no! Ignoring his spider sense, Spidey leaps to the side of the Black Cat and feels her pulse. Whew! Still alive! Whitey had me worried – OOF!
By now, Tiger's blow had reached its target – Spider-Man! Spidey flew across the room and slammed into another wall – and Tiger was already getting for the next blow! Thinking fast, Spidey dived forward, did a couple of somersaults, and hit the White Tiger first!
"Now," he said, "who did I kill again?"
"Why, el hombre araña! You should know!"
"You, Spider-Man," continued Miles, "are responsible for the death of Mary Jane Watson!"
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"What?" Spider-Man screamed. "I would never harm a soul! Especially not Mary Jane! And wasn't I cleared of that ages ago?"
"We are talking of her more recent disappearance, Spider-Man!" Miles explained. "The one where you kidnapped her, and then killed her. We have proof as well!"
"I wanna see that proof, Suity!"
"Please, Spider-Man, call me Miles."
Miles? Spidey thought. Where have I heard that name before? Who is this guy, anyway?
"Tiger, show him our evidence." Miles ordered.
"Si, Miles. El hombre araña, come." Spider-Man follows Tiger to another room with a big TV screen. "Sit."
"Hey, you don't need to be so pushy!" Spidey complains, but sits anyway. After the White Tiger pushes a button, a film begins on the screen. But nothing happens. It just sits there. An empty room is on the screen. It looks like a warehouse.
"Say, do you have the popcorn?" Spider-Man asks after a while.
"Shush, amigo." Eventually, two people arrive on the screen. One is, indeed, Spider-Man. The other is Peter's love, Mary Jane Watson. She is, however, currently handcuffed, with a blindfold over her face. Aside from this, Spider-Man is towing her, but MJ clearly is trying to resist. Spider-Man's eyes narrow. He doesn't remember this at all.
"I'll put on the speakers, amigo." After a few seconds, voices can be heard from the video.
"- me go!" This was MJ. Assumedly, she was in the middle of a sentence.
"No! I can't stand it anymore!" This is Spider-Man's voice. "The public has ignored me for too long! They have called me everything from a dim-wit to a menace. And I've finally decided that if they're going to treat me that way, I'll act that way! Starting with the murder of you, my dear!" And with this, he .
"Why? Why me?"
"Why you? Who else? Just look at me!" As MJ is collapsing on the floor, Spidey begins to take off his mask, and MJ, whose blindfold was removed in the censored struggle, seems shocked.
What is this? Spidey thinks. Who is this guy? And how'd he mimic everything about me? But before his questions are answered, the screen goes black.
"That is where the batteries died, amigo. However, the woman's body was found there the very next day."
"Who would tape this?"
"A film crew was working in the warehouse. They left their equipment there, but forgot to turn off the cameras."
"How do you know it wasn't an imposter?"
"The voice matches exactly. And only two men on the face of the earth can imitate voices. One's dead and the other's rotting in jail."
Oh great, the voice. This kind of stuff never happened to Clark Kent! Why me? Spidey thinks.
"And now, el hombre araña, I wish you luck."
"Luck, in what?" Spidey asks, half knowing the answer thanks to his spider sense….
"In not touching these lasers, which kill on touch, amigo!" Even as the White Tiger said this, he pushed a button which made lasers appear all over the room! Spidey barely dodged one which materialized right next to him. Now stuck in a standstill, Spidey knew he was a sitting duck!
"Nice light show, Whitey. Ever consider Vegas?"
"Your witty remarks will not help you here, amigo! I suggest coming along calmly, or else risking your life on the lasers!"
"Who are you, my coach? 'Cause honestly, I never knew he liked parading around in a lame outfit! Seriously, it's so bland!" Spidey joked.
"I am the White Tiger, el tigre blanche! I have mastered a hundred different martial arts styles, including your own!"
"I follow a martial arts style? Gee, you learn something new every day, huh?" But Spider-Man knew that the White Tiger was going to be a pretty tough opponent, as would Black Cat.
Why are these guys after me? He wonders. I didn't kill MJ! And Black Cat should know, too, considering the fact that she even helped me defeat Hydro-Man, her real kidnapper….
As Spidey thinks of this, he recalls exactly how it happened. How Mary Jane fell into limbo, but mysteriously reappeared with no memory of what happened just a few weeks later. How Peter had even married her when Hydro-Man returned and kidnapped her. How Black Cat helped Peter defeat him at first, but how he got away and soon returned for Mary Jane. How Peter, as Spider-Man, confronted Hydro-Man for a final time. How he then learned a man named Professor Warren had actually cloned Mary Jane and Hydro-Man. How they were unstable and both disappeared right before his eyes. He never thought that he would be blamed for it! Well, he did consider it, but not like this! He never thought Black Cat, of all people, would side against him….
And then, he somehow links the cloning incident with this, in a different way than Mary Jane disappearing. He begins to think that somehow, they're connected – and he thinks he knows how, but just can't quite put his finger on it….
Either way, he has definitely been framed – big time. But even as he thinks, a bubble grows around him, just as the lasers are turned off.
"Well, el hombre araña, you are once again in containment. Miles didn't wish to resort to this bubble, for it may be opened by anyone rather than him alone. However, the electric cage was clearly unable to contain you, amigo. But alas, enjoy your stay. It won't be very long before we manage to contact SHIELD…." And on this note, Tiger exits, leaving a very confused Spider-Man to himself.
A few hours later, Spidey begins to feel unsafe. Not just in the "Help, they're gonna arrest me! I'm innocent!" sort of way, but also in the "My spider sense is tingling!" sort of way. He suddenly begins to feel light-headed and realizes that the air is being drained from the bubble! Already, Spidey is beginning to weaken, so if he couldn't break out easily before, now it's impossible!
But just then, Black Cat comes in.
"Spider," she whispers, "Are you OK?" Spidey doesn't answer.
I need to hold my breath, Cat! These people are trying to kill me! he thinks, as if the Black Cat could read his mind.
"Fine, don't answer me," she whispers, now a little annoyed, "I'll just explain. You see, I originally joined this group shortly after Morbius and I heard that you were wanted for charges of murder. I wanted to help you out, because I just knew you were innocent! Then, I heard of Professor Miles and the White Tiger. "There was now no air in the bubble at all. Spidey had to hold his breath as long as he could! "I felt as if Miles was a little suspicious. I don't know exactly why, though. His name just sounded so familiar. I joined the group to see if my suspicions were true and, though I don't have any proof yet, found some strange things around the place, like caskets which seemed to have something growing in them. I also found a Spider-Slayer or two! Miles tries to hide them, but I came looking for this kind of stuff!" Honestly, Spider-Man wasn't even listening. "I decided that this was probably too much for me to take on by myself, so I thought that you might help. Besides, you had a personal stake in this. But I wanted to keep my resources around here, so I decided that if we were able to capture you, I could set you free and you could help me out!" Spidey couldn't help but release his breath. He could no longer breathe! It was only a matter of time, now! "Hello? Spider? Is this thing sound-proof or something? Oh, here." And then, Cat presses the button so casually, it almost seemed as if it was accident! And Spider-Man thought it was….
Spidey immediately darted at the Black Cat and got her in headlock! "Now," he said, "Do you remember the Hydro-Man thing?"
But before Cat can answer, someone knew appears on the screen.
"I heard there was an unauthorized visitor. Professor Miles Warren sent me to check it out. I guess I got a traitor to deal with."
All that Spidey and Cat can do is gape as they stare at – another Spider-Man!
To Be Continued….