Spider-Man 2099 (vol. 2) #3
Miguel O’Hara reports for work at Alchemax in his guise of “Miguel O’Mara” and finds nothing amiss. He is concerned if telling his boss, Liz Allan, that he is from the future was the right idea. That’s when she comes into his office and tells him that he will be accompanying Tiberius Stone to the nation of Trans-Sabal to oversee the sale of their Spider-Slayer robots. Miguel thinks this is a bad idea because of Trans-Sabal’s poor human rights record.
She reminds him that although she knows the truth about him being from the future, she is still his boss and expects him to follow orders. When she asks him if she is understood, he reluctantly agrees to her request.
Soon, Miguel is on a private jet en route to Trans-Sabal. He tries to convince his grandfather, Tiberius Stone, that selling these robots to the dictator of the country is a bad idea because he will use them to deal with a growing uprise in the country. However, Tiberius Stone is unconcerned about local affairs and is convinced that the Spider-Slayers will prevent casualties on both sides of the conflict. Unsure how he can convince Tiberius that this is a bad idea, Miguel is silent for the rest of the flight.
When they arrive in Trans-Sabal they are greeted by its ruler, Jalfaha Dahn. Miguel is not happy to hear that the robots have arrived as well as an unknown overseer who will help in their use. That’s when Miguel’s enhanced vision spots some dissidents about to open fire on them and pushes Tiberius out of the line of fire. As Dahn and his men exchange gunfire with the rebels, Miguel hurries his grandfather to a nearby hanger for cover. However, as they arrive, a bullet creases Miguel’s head, knocking him out. That’s when a jeep full of rebels pulls up and takes Tiberius as a hostage. They leave one of their men behind to eliminate Miguel, but he has recovered enough to fight back. Although he knocks out the shooters, he is unable to stop the others from absconding with Stone.
As Jalfaha and his men arrive to take control of the situation, Miguel rushes for a jeep to follow after Tiberius. This is an easier job than it appears since Miguel planted Tiberius with a subcutaneous tracker when they first met.[1] He then calls up Lyla, his holographic assistant to help him track Tiberius. The trail leads him to a nearby village and the impoverished conditions the locals have to live in deeply concern Miguel. It leaves him to wonder what will happen to these people if Alchemax completes the sale of the Spider-Slayers.
Meanwhile, Tiberius Stone has been tied up at the rebel’s hideout. There, their leader, Mussaret, confirms that Tiberius is there to sell his robots to the Dahn regime. He is surprised to see that a woman is leading the rebels. This angers Mussaret who lost her family in the conflict but quickly gets her anger under control. She then tells Tiberius that they are going to record a video of him canceling the sale of the robots, promising to spare his life if he agrees to take the Spider-Slayers and leave Trans-Sabal.
By this time, Miguel has arrived at the hideout and change into Spider-Man. As he scales the walls, Mussaret continues to question Tiberius. She is surprised to see that he is willing to do anything to spare his own life. She decides to ask him what he wanted out of life and he tells her, honestly, that he’s always wanted to be in charge, a goal that has seen better days. She begins getting through to him when something crashes through the building with enough force to knock Spider-Man off the side of it. A falling piece of debris also knocks out Tiberius inside. The object that just came crashing through is the Scorpion. As he stands before the rebels, the super-villains asks which one of them wants to die first.
Recurring Characters
Spider-Man 2099, Scorpion, Tiberius Stone, Liz Allan, Jalfaha Dahn
Continuity Notes
The reason why Miguel is concerned about the well-being of Tiberius Stone is that he is his grandfather and his premature death could cause Miguel to cease to exist. For more on this, and when Miguel and Tiberius first met see Superior Spider-Man #17-19.
