Amazing Spider-Man Annual #26

Issue Details

Synopsis

FORTUNE AND STEEL A group of techno-thieves have attempted to rob a cargo shipment at LaGuardia Airport only to be interrupted in the act by Spider-Man. The wall-crawler had originally come as Peter Parker to photograph the arrival of new computer processors that were being shipped in from California when he stumbled upon the theft. The wall-crawler makes short work of the armed thieves. However, one of the thugs begs to be let go because he is a three-time loser who will go to jail for life if he is convicted again. In exchange for his freedom, the man offers to tell Spider-Man where a number of people are scheduled to be killed. Not willing to let anyone die, Spider-Man agrees and learns that the hit is going to happen in Fortune, New Jersey. Spider-Man then lets the man go, briefly considering going against his word, but recalled how bad he felt betraying Venom recently. Meanwhile, Dwayne Taylor spends his day scans the records for the Taylor Foundation for anomalies as there is something strange going on. Suddenly, he gets a phone call from his fellow New Warrior, Speedball. He has called to see what Dwayne is up to since he has been spending time away from the New Warriors. Speedball is unaware that he has been followed by a gang of armed soldiers in a surveillance van. Seeking to capture themselves a super-hero, the armed thugs use a dampening field to trap Speedball and prevent him from using his kinetic powers to fight back. That capture abruptly ends Speedball's phone call, leaving Dwayne Taylor wondering what happened to his teammate. At that moment, Spider-Man laments the idea of web-slinging all the way to New Jersey as it will take him all day. His thoughts are interrupted when he spots a purse snatching in process. The web-slinger briefly considers leaving it for the police to handle, but can't shirk his responsibility. After webbing up the purse snatcher, Spider-Man swings away. With the wall-crawler gone, the woman walks off without calling the police, having decided that it is not her responsibility. While back at Dwayne Taylor's penthouse, Dwayne worries about Speedball. He recalls having heard that someone has been snatching superheroes recently. Suddenly, his computer search hits pay dirt, when he finds a memo advising all Taylor Foundation employees to stay away from Fortune, New Jersey, as it may prove fatal. Taylor decides that this deserves looking into and decides to call his allies in the New Warriors. While in Vancouver, British Columbia, the Chinese heroes known as Auric and Silver are attempting flee armed soldiers who have ambushed them. Despite their attempts to escape, they too are contained in stasis fields that negate their powers. By this point, Spider-Man has arrived in Fortune, New Jersey, but is left wondering where this attack is going to happen. Elsewhere in town, a number of moving trucks pass through the streets. Inside a scientist named Schott is about to test a wave generator that will destroy all life in the area while keeping the structures intact. When his technicians worry about the loss of life attracting attention, Schott assures them that the bomb they set at the nearby dam will help cover up their involvement. By this point, Spider-Man has been drawn to the vans by his spider-sense. Ripping the doors off one of the vans reveals Schott and his weapon. He orders his armed guards. As Spider-Man fights off the guards, a local police officer decides to help the wall-crawler out. In response, Schott has his technicians blast the police officer with their weapon, scorching him to death. Seeing what the weapon can do, and hear they intend to unleash it on the whole town horrifies Spider-Man. Just as Schott begins activating the device to eliminate the whole town, Night Thrasher, Nova, and Namorita arrive to lend Spider-Man a hand. While the three members of the New Warriors handle the guards, Spider-Man destroys the weapon, prompting Schott and his minions to flee the scene in order to evade capture. When Spider-Man and the others try to follow, Schott tosses phony concussion bombs to distract the heroes. In the aftermath of the battle, one of the technicians willingly surrenders, having a change of heart. He warns the heroes about the device that is going to be used to destroy the nearby dam. Nova and Namorita rush to the scene and destroy the device before it can go off. In the aftermath of the crisis, the technician says he was working for Target Technicians, a company that operates outside of Rutherford. Night Thrasher has some personal matters to deal with, and asks the others to look into Target Technologies. As he parts company, he wonders if he should have told them what he knows about Speedball. While back in Manhattan, a group of powerful businessmen meets in a boardroom. Among those gathered is Justin Hammer of Hammer Industries, Carleton Drake of the Life Foundation, Jonas Hale of Roxxon Oil, plus representatives for Stane International, the Brand Corporation, and many others. The chairmen of this conspiratorial group is told informed that Speedball is now one of their prisoners. This is a delight to this man, who tells his allies that soon the whole world will know about them. That evening, Spider-Man, Nova and Namorita arrive at the headquarters of Target Technologies. With the help of his spider-sense, the wall-crawler is able to lead his allies past the security systems and get into the building. However, their presence was already prepared for as the security doors shut close once they are inside. Suddenly, they are attacked by three Dreadnaught robots. The trio are forced into a weapon's testing room, where they struggle to destroy the three robots. However, Nova manages to destroy one using bullet proof plastic as a shield, while Namorita finds a blaster that can destroy another. While in New York City, Night Thrasher has traced Speedball's phone call to the payphone where he was captured. Detecting a number of energy residual energy sources, makes Night Thrasher realize that he might be dealing with some serious trouble and will need to call on some more friends. While back in New Jersey, Spider-Man, Nova, and Namorita destroy the last of the Dreadnaughts. That's when they are informed that those were the previous models. Suddenly, a wall panel opens up and an army of the latest models of Dreadnaughts emerge to face the exhausted heroes. This story is continued in Spectacular Spider-Man Annual #12... FIRST KILL After losing his job, Eddie Brock is at the end of his rope and has come to St. Mary's Church to commit suicide. He prays to God for forgiveness when suddenly he is swarmed by enveloped by a strange black fluid like substance. The symbiote turns into clothing and assures Eddie that it means it no harm. Confused about this recent development, Eddie Brock returns to his apartment building to think about what to do next. There, his neighbor, Ernesto Mendez leans out the window of his apartment to tell Eddie that he has finally completed his recent invention. Intending to go to the patent office the following day, Mendez invites Eddie up to celebrate. Brock turns down the offer, telling Ernesto that he has a lot on his mind. Inside, the apartment Ernesto's son Pablo can't wait to sell the plans for his father's new valve to the Markham Machine Company for a fortune. However, Ernesto does not want to sell the design as he intends to make it his gift to the world as it will save money on energy waste and cut down on pollution. Meanwhile, Eddie Brock returns to his apartment and discovers that the symbiote has boosted his strength considerably. Seeing the newspaper articles about Spider-Man pegged on Brock's bulletin board upsets the symbiote. Eddie soon learns that the creature also has a hatred for the wall-crawler. Suddenly, he hears cries for help from across the street. Looking out his window, Brock sees a chair fly out of Ernesto's window. Rushing to Ernesto's aid, Eddie walks in on thugs hired by the Markham Machine Company who have come to strong arm Ernesto into giving them the design for his new valve. Eddie is able to stop these brutes thanks to the augmented strength given to him by the symbiote. He even manages to strike one with enough force to send him smashing through a wall. Rushing to Ernesto's side, he learns that the men were from the Markham Machine Company and that they kidnapped his son Pablo. Ernesto's dying words are a plea to Eddie to save Pablo. That's when two police officers arrive on the scene. Seeing Brock with Ernesto's body, they assume he was involved in the man's murder and order him to surrender. Suddenly, the symbiote covers Brock's entire body, transforming him into Venom for the first time... This story is continued in Spectacular Spider-Man Annual #12... THE WRONGED MAN Terrorists have just launched an attack on the Da Vinci Airport in Italy, mowing people down in a hail of bullets. As the survivors begin to panic, the killers locate their target John Green and shoot him dead. That's when the anti-terror mercenary known as Solo teleports onto the scene and begins gunning down the terrorists. Among the victims is a man named Bullard whose girlfriend Heather was killed in the terrorist's initial attack. He spots businessman Giancarlo Gelberto, and recognizes him immediately. Gelberto then shoots Bullard in the stomach and leaves him for dead. Solo assures the man he will get help, but goes after Gelberto first. Three months later, at Flemming-Memorial Hostpial, Bullard is being released from the hospital. As he packs his bags, he watches a news report about how Giancarlo Gelberto had escaped Solo's vengeance and was acquitted of any involvement in the massacre at the Da Vinci Airport. The nurse seeing to his discharge suggests that Bullard take a vacation. He tells her he intends to make a trip to Italy. While at his secret headquarters, Solo also watches this recent development. Without saying a word, Solo teleports away. That evening outside a bar in Rome, Gelberto gloats over his legal victory. That's when Bullard shows up and pulls a gun on the crooked businessman. He intends to kill Giancarlo out of revenge for the murder of his girlfriend. That's when Solo appears and tells Bullard to drop the gun, warning him that he will lose it all if he pulls the trigger. Still furious of the death of his beloved Heather, Bullard refuses to stop. However, when he tries to shoot Gelberto, he discovers that he cannot bring himself to do it. That's when Solo finishes the job, shooting Giancarlo while shouting him slogan, "While I live, terror dies!" Bullard is surprised by the show of violence, but Solo explains it was necessary to ensure terror doesn't harm innocent people. He then tells Bullard to stop pretending he is innocent, revealing that he knows the man was the one responsible for the murder of John Greene and how he attempted to frame it on Gelberto. Seeing Bullard as a terrorist as well, he shoots the man dead and walks away from the scene. MAKING THE GRADE Web-Slinging across the city, Spider-Man spots the Looter trying to break into a building using a massive laser cannon. Spotting the wall-crawler, the Looter tries to blast the hero but misses. Spider-Man finds the Looter a joke compared to some of the other foes he has faced over his career. Leaping around the Looter, Spider-Man recounts his worst foes which include Demogoblin, the Lizard, the recently deceased Kraven the Hunter, and Carnage. Saying these villains are more dangerous since they don't use such a ridiculous weapon being used by the Looter, Spider-Man incapacitates the weapon with his webbing. He then suggests that he take notes from Spider-Man's other foes like the Punisher, the Hobgoblin, and the Kingpin. Knocking out the Looter with a single blow, Spider-Man points out that it takes more than a flashy costume to intimidate him. He rounds off his list of deadly villains with the Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus, and Venom. Webbing the Looter up to a wall for the authorities, Spider-Man tells the Looter to stick with fighting with someone more his level, like Frog Man. NOW STRIKES THE LIGHTMASTER Cloak and Dagger ambush a pair of drug dealers in an alleyway. They make quick work of the crooks, with Cloak taking them into the Dark Dimension. After a period, Dagger tells him to let the crooks go. They then leave the horrified crooks for the police who are arriving on the scene. Meanwhile, at the Long Island facility of Genetech, Edward Lansky has broken into the facility to use their equipment to revive his lost light powers that he lost during his last battle against Spider-Man and Quasar. The devices restore his powers and the Lightmaster then starts going through Genetech's database to find other light users to boost his powers. He first tries looking for information on the mutant known as Dazzler but finds nothing on her. Looking for a suitable replacement, he finds data on Dagger and decides that she is a worthwhile target. That's when guards come upon Lightmaster, but the villain easily dispatches them. Lightmaster then goes to the Holy Ghost Church, headquarters of Cloak and Dagger. He quickly incapacitates Dagger and absconds with her. When Cloak tries to stop him, he is blasted aside. Recovering from the blast, Cloak vows to rescue his teammate no matter what. This story is continued in Spectacular Spider-Man Annual #12...