Amazing Spider-Man #559
The Money $hot
Spider-Man is chasing after Screwball, a new super-villain who live streams her robberies. As Spider-Man tries to keep up, Screwball throws insults while her camera crew films every moment for the online community watching from their computers and smartphones.[1] Despite Spider-Man’s enhanced speed and agility, Screwball manages to keep ahead of the wall-crawler with her Parkour skills. As Screwball tries to escape on the roof of a bus, Spider-Man manages to tag her with a spider-tracer. Seeing this, Screwball panics and turns herself over to two beat cops, saying that Spider-Man has marked her for death with one of his spider-tracers.[2] Between the police and angry pedestrians, Spider-Man is forced to flee. Once he has gotten to safety, Spider-Man considers the conundrum, if he sells his photos to Dexter Bennett, he’ll just use them to make Spider-Man look bad. On the other hand, the money that Bennett will pay for good photos are too good to pass up.
However, when Peter Parker arrives at the DB, Dexter Bennett says he’s too late because of anyone else who got photos of the Spider-Man/Screwball battle e-mailed them to the DB. However, Bennett has an idea on how to make the best use out of Peter’s skills as a photographer. Noticing how Peter’s photos are all from high places and decides to put him on the paparazzi beat.[3] He assigns Peter to follow Hollywood bad boy Bobby Carr and find out who he’s secretly been dating, saying the photos would be worth a fortune. Overhearing this is Joe Robertson, who is upset because J. Jonah Jameson would never have stopped to these kinds of lows when he ran the Daily Bugle and hopes that Jameson is coming up with a way of getting back control of the paper.[4] At that moment, Jameson is participating in a Tai Chi exercise in Central Park. However, Jonah’s calm is upset when he sees a billboard for the DB! which includes a photo of Dexter Bennett and Spider-Man. Jonah’s aggressive behavior attracts the attention of Officers Vin Gonzales and Alan O’Neil. When Vin recognizes who Jonah was, he tells the former newspaper publisher that he is all right in his book. As they leave, Al asks Vin if he wants to go for a beer, but Gonzalez has to clean his apartment in time for the arrival of Peter Parker his new roommate.[5]
That evening, Peter Parker is trying to get photos of Bobby Carr at the Deep End Club, but between security and the other photographers he has a hard time getting a shot. Getting fed up, Peter goes into the alley and uses his spider-powers to sneak inside and get into the VIP area in the back of the bar.[6] However, Peter spends hours in his hiding place waiting for something to happen. Thankfully he hits pay dirt when Bobby Carr freaks out at a server who asks for his autograph. However, Peter gives himself away thanks to the flash on his camera. As security tries to stop him, Peter uses his spider- agility to evade capture. Running out to the dance floor, Peter is distracted when he runs into Harry Osborn and his girlfriend Lily Hollister, allowing security to catch him. However, Harry is willing to try to help Peter out of trouble until he hears that Peter was taking candid photos of Bobby Carr. Peter is thrown in the dumpster out back and while his camera is smashed in the process, the memory card inside is intact. As Peter heads for the DB! to sell the photos he doesn’t notice when a pair of eyes suddenly open on the wall. This section of wall suddenly takes on the form of a young woman who then rounds the corner and watches as Bobby Carr leaves in anger. Talking to herself, this woman says she understands that nobody understands what Bobby goes through but her.
When Peter brings the photos to Dexter Bennett, he happily buys them. Joe Robertson tries to convince Peter that he’s better than this, by reminding Peter that Bennett is acting just the way Jonah did whenever Peter brought him photos of Spider-Man. However, Peter refuses to listen, as he is enjoying the money he is making from these photos.[7] Peter then uses his abilities as Spider-Man to get candid photos of celebrities all over the city. Joe Robertson isn’t the only one who isn’t concerned about Peter’s current career choices. As he packs up his things, Aunt May asks Peter if this is really where he wanted to go with his life, saying that she and Uncle Ben had such high hopes for Peter. However, Peter thinks this is just a victimless crime saying that the public gets everything they want. As Peter is justifying his new role as a paparazzi, the young woman who was spying on Bobby Carr earlier buys ever issue of the DB! and returns to her apartment. There she has photos of Bobby Carr plastered all over the walls. Pressing herself up against these photos this woman begins flattening and taking on the appearance of these photos. She tells a photo of Bobby Carr that soon the two of them will be together like they’re supposed to.
Recurring Characters
Spider-Man, Screwball, Dexter Bennett, Joe Robertson, Bobby Carr, J. Jonah Jameson, Vin Gonzalez, Alan O’Neil, Lily Hollister, Harry Osborn, Paper Doll, Aunt May, Edith Harper
Continuity Notes
Spider-Man thinks to himself how he still lives with his Aunt May. Peter was forced to move back in with May after he and Mary Jane broke up in Amazing Spider-Man #545. Mention is made of all the snow around the city, this was form a mystical blizzard that occurred in Amazing Spider-Man #555-557.
Spider-Man is believed to be the perpetrator of the so-called spider-tracer killings in Amazing Spider-Man #548.
Dexter mentions the photos Peter took of the Parfrey funeral. That was in Amazing Spider-Man #552.
After J. Jonah Jameson suffered a heart attack in Amazing Spider-Man #546 and his wife, Marla Madison, sold the newspaper in Amazing Spider-Man #547.
Needing a roommate, Vin Gonzales agreed to take in Peter Parker after he was suggested by Carlie Cooper in Amazing Spider-Man #555.
Peter recalls the layout of the bar because he has been here previously in Amazing Spider-Man #546.
Peter first started selling Spider-Man photos to the Daily Bugle in Amazing Spider-Man #2. Joe mentions that Peter and Spider-Man have some kind of arrangement. Peter convinced the staff at the Daily Bugle that he and Spider-Man have a working relationship in Amazing Spider-Man #46.
