Sensational Spider-Man #20
Akasha Triumphant
Possessed by the Living Monolith, Akasha Martinez has just been transformed into the new Living Pharaoh by the Staff or Horus and the only person standing in her way is Spider-Man. After a failed attempt to contain her in a vault at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. At the Pharaoh's mercy, Spider-Man is inspired about her speech about the ancient sands of Egypt and tosses sand in her face, temporarily blinding her long enough to make a run for it. Despite his attempts to hide, the Living Pharaoh spots the wall-crawler and blasts him outside of the museum. As he falls to the ground, Spider-Man's wife Mary Jane fears for his safety, but the wall-crawler manages to save himself with a web-line.[1] The Pharaoh still manages to strike Spider-Man with enough force to daze him. Seeing her husband in trouble, Mary Jane shouts at the wall-crawler to get up. Struggling to find a way to get through to him, Mary Jane tells Spider-Man that if he doesn't wake up he will be late for school. This statement actually cuts through to Akasha Martinez's consciousness who retakes control from Ahmet Abdol. Realizing that she was just about to kill Spider-Man, the young woman stops herself and teleports away.
Akasha appears in Midtown where she begins to make sense of what happened to her. As she notices that people are looking at her strangely, a voice in her mind tells her that she can change her appearance as she now has the power to do whatever she wants. Deciding to go to one of the high-end clothing stores, Akasha tests this theory when she takes clothes straight off the rack and uses her power to let the clerk allow her to take them. The employee comes to his senses as Akasha is changing into her new outfit, and tries to stop her from walking out of the store in the new outfit, but she gives him a look of death, causing the man to cower in abject fear. That evening, Peter and Mary Jane are crawling into bed, but Peter is beating himself up over being so easily defeated -- telling his wife that he was able to defeat the original Living Pharaoh in the past.[2] To make matters worse, he didn't end up taking the photos he was assigned to take at the museum. Mary Jane decides that a little romance will take Peter's mind off his troubles, and the couple turns off the lights.
By this time, Akasha is dancing at the Mercury Lounge in Soho, finally feeling free for the first time in her life. However, the mind of Ahmet Abdol has grown impatient and demands to know what she is doing. Making it appear that he is in the DJ booth, Ahmet tells her that she has been given the power of the gods and that she needs to use this power to conquer all. Wanting the man out of her head, she tries blasting Ahmet with the Staff of Horus, but it turns out that this was all happening in her mind and she caused no harm to the invader in her mind. The next day, Peter Parker is at the Daily Bugle and overhears Mr. Martinez asking Betty Brant for help trying to find his daughter. Overhearing how Akasha loved hanging out in the Village, Peter decides that this is a good place to start looking. Going to that part of the city, Peter begins looking for Akasha and spots her thanks to his spider-sense. Unfortunately, Akasha notices that he has sensed her true nature. Summoning the Staff of Horus, Akasha blasts Peter and then flees the scene. Recovering from the atter, Peter slips away and changes into Spider-Man and follows after her.
This time, Spider-Man manages to snatch the Staff from Akasha's hands. However, he quickly realizes that she only needs it to focus her power and she begins unleashing her energy blasts on the people around. Leaping back down to the street, Spider-Man tries to stop her with a blow to the face, but this only stuns her briefly. He then tries to strike her with the staff, but Akasha leaps out of the way. Realizing that the staff is the key, the wall-crawler snaps it in half. There is a sudden flash of light and Akasha is seemingly stripped of her power. She then struggles to force the consciousness of Ahmet from her mind.[3] She succeeds but suddenly the Staff of Horus begins to glow and Akasha suddenly sprouts mystical wings and takes to the air. Arriving on the scene, Akasha's father witnesses his daughter flying and finds it beautiful as his daughter finally seems happy. When she lands, Akasha explains to her father that she has more than just new powers to sort out and that she will need time to figure out where she is going in life. After telling her father that she loves him, Akasha flies off to start the newest chapter in her life.
Recurring Characters
Spider-Man, Living Pharaoh, Mary Jane Watson, Betty Brant
Continuity Notes
Peter and Mary Jane are referred to as husband and wife here. However, years later, their marriage is erased from existence by Mephisto in Amazing Spider-Man #545. As such they should be considered a common-law couple here.
Spider-Man fought the Living Pharaoh in Marvel Team-Up #69-70. Not mentioned here, Spider-Man also fought the Pharaoh when he turned into the Living Monolith in Marvel Graphic Novel #14.
Although the Living Monolith's mind was driven from Akasha's mind, it eventually returns to his physical body as is evident when Apocalypse revived him in Uncanny X-Men #376.
