Spider-Man Unlimited (vol. 3) #10

Jun 22

Jun 22 Spider-Man Unlimited (vol. 3) #10

Banner Weblines

Tyler Crane is in an interview with J. Jonah Jameson to get a job at the Daily Bugle. Jonah looks over Crane’s interview and is unimpressed with the previous newspapers he worked for. However, since Tyler is applying for a job as an intern, Jonah decides that he’ll put the kid through the ropes. The final test to see if Crane will fit in, Jonah asks Tyler what he thinks about Spider-Man. Tyler gives the right answer, saying he doesn’t trust the web-slinger and thinks he must have something to hide if he wears a mask all the time. As Tyler is given as desk, the staff begin placing bets to see how long this new recruit will last. Ben Urich figures that Tyler Crane won’t last more than two weeks.

Days later, Tyler Crane is delivering coffee to Jonah while he is arguing with Joe Robertson over the details of a story about a bank robbery involving the Chameleon that was thwarted by Spider-Man. As usual, Jameson thinks Spider-Man was in on the crime. When Joe asks Tyler what he thinks about Spider-Man, Crane sides with Jameson, saying Spider-Man is definitely a menace. A few days later, Jonah decides to let Tyler call him “Mister Jameson” instead of sir when Crane comes up with the perfect headline for Jonah’s newest anti-Spider-Man editorial.

One day, Peter Parker comes into Jonah’s office, apologizing for being late. However, instead of Jonah, he finds Tyler Crane sitting in Jonah’s desk. He tells Peter that Jonah left for the day and ordered him to wait for Peter to arrive with the photo. Tyler is impressed with the photo and Peter wonders how Jonah is going to spin this one. That’s when Crane shows him the mock-up for the next edition of the Daily Bugle. Peter still can’t believe that Jonah has an ax to grind against Spider-Man, but quickly realizes that Tyler agrees with Jonah’s point of view.

Peter figures that either Jonah is working some kind of voodoo, or Tyler has some kind of personal grudge against the web-head. Tyler doesn’t want to talk about it at first, but Peter convinces him to tell his story. Tyler says that his brother was cop who was murdered by a masked criminal and wonders where the superheroes were when he needed them. Peter says he is sorry to hear it, and admits that many people have lost loved ones due to someone not using their powers responsibly.[1] He then promises Tyler that there are good guys out there and not to let the few bad ones out there sour his belief that there are good people out there.

Later that night, Tyler Crane is heading home in a taxi and telling Jonah about Parker’s photo on the phone. That’s when his cab gets caught in the middle of the Rhino going on a rampage. As Tyler tries to flee from the stranded vehicle, the Rhino comes charging through and is about to trampled Crane when Spider-Man webs him up, the worst thing the Rhino ends up impaling is the proof sheet for the next edition of the Bugle. In the aftermath of the battle, Tyler Crane thanks Spider-Man for saving his life. The web-slinger says that’s his job, despite what some people think of him. Picking up the torn mock-up of the Bugle’s front page, Spider-Man says he can’t disagree with this headline and hands it back to Tyler before he swings away. Looking at it, Tyler sees that the Rhino’s horn ripped the headline so that instead of it reading “Spider-Man: Vigilante or Hero” it reads “Spider-Man: Vigilant Hero” instead, something that Crane can’t argue with anymore.

Recurring Characters

J. Jonah Jameson, Ben Urich, Joe Robertson, Spider-Man, Rhino

Continuity Notes

1. Yes, that’s a reference to the murder of poor dead Uncle Ben. Amazing Fantasy #15.

Love Cycle (Obsess, Distress, Repeat)

A young woman named Maya Rider is listening to a radio report about Spider-Man’s latest exploits. Upon hearing how the web-slinger saved a woman from a mugging, Maya thinks this is exactly the type of thing that makes Spider-Man such a great hero. Thinking that most guys don’t even hear you no matter how loudly you scream for help. As she puts the finishing touches on a bomb, she thinks that despite this it’s not like Spider-Man ever pays any attention to her. However, she figures that a broken heart doesn’t necessarily count as an emergency. As she arms the bomb, she figures that even superheroes make mistakes.

As Maya walks through the city, she thinks how it’ll all be over soon and she won’t have to live with the pain of being surrounded by people that are happier than her all the time. That’s when a man comes up behind her and snatches Maya’s purse. The purse snatcher just happens to pass by Peter Parker as he is on his way to teach class and hearing Maya calling for help chases after the purse snatcher.[1] The thief gives Peter a good chase, but he eventually tackles him. After the police take the purse snatcher away, Peter returns the purse to Maya and recognizes her as she was in his science class the previous semester. He remembers how she was away from class a lot and she tells Mister Parker that she was sick a lot. When he asks her if she’s better, she dismisses his concern. But Peter insists that he cares about all of his students, remembering that Maya was very good in science. Maya says that her skills in science haven’t made her many friends. Before she can go, Peter tells her that he can relate, saying he was quite the geek in high school but his Aunt May and Uncle Ben were always proud of his talents and taught him to believe that he had the power to change the way he lived, and they turned out to be right in the end. He assures her that he knows what it is like to feel like you’re surrounded by enemies all the time. He tells her to hold on to those she loves, her natural skils and instincts. He then drops his Uncle Ben’s old truism: With great power comes great responsibility.

This gets through to Maya who thanks Peter for his advice and goes home. She takes the bomb out of her bag and goes rummaging through her old books and finds a photo of Spider-Man. She thinks about how she took the photo herself as Spider-Man had busted a gang of crooks. When the web-slinger saw her with her camera, he flashed her the peace sign as she took the picture. She regrets that she won’t be dying with Spider-Man tonight, but someone showed her a different way. Crumpling up the photo of Spider-Man and throwing it out, she then cuts out a photo of Peter Parker from her yearbook. As she turns off the countdown timer on the bomb, she learns that as long as there is still time that can be counted down then there’s still hope.that you can change your life and find yourself a happy ending.