Superior Foes of Spider-Man #14
Clean Getaway!
The Sinister Six has successfully made off with the Owl’s stolen painting of Doctor Doom. Boomerang, however, knows it was fake and used it to get what he was really after: the contents of the Chameleon’s safe. He understands that there are a lot of holes in his story and promises to tie up all the loose ends.
As Beetle finds a bathroom, Speed Demon and Overdrive ask why they weren’t told about this safe house. Boomerang explains that the head of a gang needs to keep certain things to himself, however he admits he also told the Shocker about the place. What is unaware of is that the Shocker is in the safehouse and is hiding in the bathtub with the head of Silvermane.
When Overdrive asks about the guy who Boomerang is going to get to appraise the painting, Fred changes the subject and asks him to explain how he and the Beetle had a school bus when they found him earlier. This prompts Overdrive to start telling them about his origins. He tells Boomerang and Speed Demon that, since he was a kid, he was good with cars. This skill was encouraged by his father, who was a mechanic. However, the kid that would become Overdrive fantasized about being a super-hero and would day dream about meeting heroes like the Avengers and his favorite hero, Spider-Man. He wanted to be part of that world so badly and the only thing he thought keeping him away from this was the lack of powers.
The future Overdrive tried everything from spider-bites to serum, to gamma ray exposure, to try and get powers. Unfortuantely, the only thing he succeeded in doing was landing himself in the hospital. He next tried honing his body and learn martial arts but wasn’t good at it. Eventually, he resigned to becoming a race car drive until one day he got in an accident. When he woke up in the hospital again he was visited by Mister Negative and his gang of Inner Demons. He needed a drive of some skill and offered to give the man an injection of nano-bacteria that would allow him to modify vehicles by touch. He accepted this offer because some of his favorite super-heroes got their start as villains.[1] He then accepted this and so Overdrive was born. He figured that he would start off by being a villain until he landed in jail and did an about face and become a hero.
Both Speed Demon and Boomerang find this hillarious and point out that this doesn’t answer any questions. Override continues by explaining that his plan was to reform afer Mister Negative got caught. However, when he eventually did, bill collectors came after him because the nano-bacteria technology wasn’t totally paid for.[2] Since then, Overdrive had to continue his life of crime in order to earn enough money to pay off these creditors.
He then explains that when he and the Beetle were out looking for Fred they were suddenly attacked by some of the Inner Demons. This led them on a chase all over the city. They managed to shake off the Inner Demons and the chase got Beetle so turned on she had sex with Overdrive right then and there. Speed Demon is jealous that Beetle chose Overdrive over him. That’s when Beetle comes back from the bathroom and assures them that the sex with Overdrive was terrible. She then forces him to change the subject. After they finished having sex, the Inner Demons caught up and the Beetle quickly discovered that the souped up car reverted back to normal while they were screwing. Worse, Overdrive needs a few minutes to recharge the nano-bacteria after busting a nut.
The pair are forced to run for their lives. Needing a getaway vehicle their only option was a school bus full of children. Stealing the vehicle, Overdrive still was unable to soup up the vehicle until the Beetle started whispering erotically in his ear. This causes the bus to become rocket powered so they could escape from the Inner Demons. Hearing this gives both Speed Demon and Boomerang a good laugh until the Beetle threatens them with violence.
This then prompts Boomerang to ask where Speed Demon was while this was all going on. Speed Demon becomes sad and tells him that he had to take care of some buisness. At the time he was in Steven Partridge’s office to try and file a lawsuit against Luke Cage and Iron Fist after they broke his ankle.[3] Partridge couldn’t do so but instead handing him a reward poster for Inspector, the dog that Speed Demon stole some time ago.[4] James couldn’t bring himself to give up the dog until he discovered that Inspector caught flees. He then ran the dog back to its rightful owners, giving the little girl dog food and flea treatment before taking the reward money and running. Surprisingly, the rest of the Sinister Six are uncharacteristically sympathetic for Speed Demon because they knew how attached he was to do the dog.
This leads them to talk about the Shocker, whom the Beetle thinks is good for a situation like this. This leads to Boomerang mocking their teammate, saying his inclusion on the team was a mistake. They are unaware that the Shocker and the disembodied head of Silvermane are heading the whole thing. Silvermane tells Herman not to take this shittalk. Angered by his friends mockary, the Shocker ambushes the rest of the Sinister Six and blasts them with his vibro-gauntlets. Holding up Silvermane’s head he tells his defeated teammates that there is a new crime boss in town.
Recurring Characters
Sinister Six (Boomerang, the Beetle, Overdrive, Shocker, Speed Demon), Silvermane, (in flashback) Mister Negative, Inspector
Continuity Notes
Overdrive mentions a number of heroes who started their careers as villains. These characters were:
The Black Widow who was a Russian spy when she first appeared in Tales of Suspense #52. She later reformed in Avengers #30 after shaking off her government brainwashing.
In Tales of Suspense #57, Hawkeye was tricked into helping the Black Widow when she was still was a spy for Russia. He later reformed after being invited to join the Avengers in Avengers #16.
Lastly, there are the siblings Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch. Led to believe they were mutants, the pair joined Magneto’s Brotherhood of Evil Mutants in X-Men #4. However, they too reformed when invited to join the Avengers in Avengers #16 as well.
He also mentions the Sub-Mariner who has had a divisive opinion with the surface world since he first appeared in Marvel Comics #1 and has often been the villain as much as he was a hero. A great example of Namor’s duality was seen in Fantastic Four #4.
Lastly he mentions Emma Forst, who was the Hellfire Club’s White Queen when she first appeared in X-Men #129. She eventually reformed in circa Uncanny X-Men #316 she reformed later became the headmistress of Generation X in Generation X #1. She later became a long running member of the X-Men in New X-Men #116.
Mister Negative was eventually outed as philanthropist Martin Li and was arrested in Amazing Spider-Man #663-664.
That happened in Superior Foes of Spider-Man #4.
Speed Demon stole Inspector from a little girl back in Superior Foes of Spider-Man #1
Topical References
Out-dated pop-culture references: Rush
