Spider-Man/Doctor Octopus: Negative Exposure #5

Aug 3

Aug 3 Spider-Man/Doctor Octopus: Negative Exposure #5

Negative Exposure Part Five

Jeffrey Haight, a photographer for the Daily Bugle, has risked everything in order to get photos of Spider-Man and Doctor Octopus in battle in the hopes of finally getting photos of the front page. Now he waits for Doctor Octopus to arrive at the Unisphere in Flushing Medows Park after he helped the supervillain free his mechanical arms from police lock-up. When Otto arrives, Jeff is relieved and asks that he take off his sunglasses. Otto reminds Jeff that the explosion that gave him his abilities also made his eyes sensitive to light and needs to wear sunglasses at all times. Jef admits that he is just nervous about getting this right. That’s when he learns that Otto’s mechanical arms already fought Spider-Man, but Octavius assures the photographer that Spider-Man is still alive and will come as he left a trail of bodies for the web-slinger to find. Jeff is upset to hear that Otto killed people along the way, but Doctor Octopus reminds Jeff that he knew what he was getting into when he suggested that they work together. Still, this doesn’t sit right with Jeff, who was okay with Otto hurting Spider-Man, inferring that the web-slinger is a criminal just like Doctor Octopus. This angers Otto who begins threatening Haight when Spider-Man arrives on the scene.

However, despite his daring entrance, Spider-Man is still in rough shape and Doctor Octopus begins beating him senseless. At his enemy’s mercy, Spider-Man begins begging for his life, offering Octavius one of his web-shooters in exchange for his life. Thinking this to be some kind of cheap bracelet, Otto takes it with one of his mechanical arms and crushes it, causing himself to get covered in webbing. Getting up, Spider-Man tells Jeff to get to safety, but he refuses to leave as he is determined to make the front page this time no matter what. Spider-Man decides to leave him be and begins beating on Doctor Octopus while trying to come up with witty headlines that can go along with Haight’s photos. However, Doctor Octopus recovers enough to grab Jeff and use him as a hostage. Then, within earshot of Spider-Man, Doctor Octopus tells Jeff that he was just a means to an end in order to destroy Spider-Man and has no intention of letting him live either. Not wishing anyone else to get hurt, Spider-Man then surrenders in exchange for Otto letting Jeff go. However, Otto makes the error of holding Jeff to close to him. The photographer then knocks off the sunglasses Doctor Octopus is wearing and blinds him with a flash from his camera. This allows Spider-Man to get free and finally knock out Doctor Octopus.

In the aftermath of the battle, Spider-Man webs up Haight. Knowing that he willingly helped Doctor Octopus escape from prison, the web-slinger intends to make him face justice for what happened today. Since Spider-Man owes him his life, Jeff pleads with him to get his photos to the Daily Bugle at least. Spider-Man then takes his camera and swings off just as police arrive on the scene.

The following day at the Tombs detention center, Jeff is visited in his cell by his girlfriend Anna Krefkin. He is less interested in seeing her or giving an explanation for what happened than he is to see that she has today’s edition of the Daily Bugle. When he won’t answer her, Anna figures it answers enough and leaves, dropping the paper on the ground. Unconcerned, Jeff grabs the paper and looks at the front page. He is pleased to see that his photo — the one taken when he blinded Doctor Octopus — was on the front page of the Daily Bugle and that his name was credited in the byline. His pide suddenly melts away when he realizes that this photo was taken completely by accident. He suddenly realizes why Peter Parker’s photos were always picked over his. Despite the fact that they weren’t always professional they were always raw, honest, and completely devoid of pretense, and most importantly of all, it is the truth. At that same moment, Doctor Octopus is back at his cell at Ryker’s Island and is also looking at the photo in the paper. After a moments consideration, he gives off a tiny chuckle before deeming the picture to be lovely.