Total War

Spider-Man is at a standstill with Dragon Man, Super-Adaptoid, and Dreadnought when Vanisher, Eel, and Blitz appear, trying to blast Spider-Man he dodges and deals with the androids. While riding Dragon Man, Spider-Man places a spider-tracer on him and tries to get back to the Foreigner's office. Elsewhere, Richard Fisk is in his Rose Garden recounting how hard he has fought to keep others from inheriting his father's empire. Cutting through waves on a speedboat, Alfredo Morelli, now calling himself the Gauntlet, swears his vengeance on former friend Richard Fisk. Meanwhile, on a darkened street, a carjacker tries to get a lady's car. Nightwatch comes out of the shadows and takes care of the carjacker, then mentions that his animate clock can sense the energy surges of his stolen glove. Later, at Empire State University, Peter Parker is working in the science lab trying to make up some of his lab work, when, being stressed he breaks a test tube and calls it a night.[1] He then returns later that night when everyone has gone home and designs some new webbing and something that will help protect him against the New Enforcers.

Nightwatch visits the dock that Gauntlet destroyed, while Gauntlet breaks into Richard Fisk's base and lastly, Blood Rose arrives at the New Enforcers mansion. Blood Rose is ambushed by Dragon Man, Super-Adaptoid, and Dreadnought but sets off an interface signal jammer that causes the androids to fight among themselves. Continuing forward, Blood Rose is then stopped by the New Enforcers' Outer Circle and bound by Plant-Man's vines. Spider-Man swings into the rescue wearing a new pseudo-metallic composite armored suit. Unfortunately, with each consecutive encounter with a member of the Outer Circle the armor grows weaker, until Spider-Man is one-on-one with Thermite. Spider-Man is caught by Thermite's cold blast, and as Spider-Man breaks free, the armor shatters. As Spider-Man fights for his life, Gauntlet arrives to challenge Blood Rose. Gauntlet is no longer clinging to his "Richard Fisk" identity. As the old friends fight, Blood Rose recounts how he had his friend Alfredo Morelli to undergo plastic surgery to look like Richard Fisk as part of their plan to shut down the Kingpin's empire.[2]

Suddenly, Nightwatch arrives on the scene to recover his power glove from Gauntlet. Blood Rose has Gauntlet in his sights but shoots Nightwatch instead. Knowing that Blood Rose would try and escape via the trees on the property, Spider-Man rigs spiderwebs to slow down Blood Rose. Nightwatch takes care of Gauntlet, as Spider-Man handles Blood Rose and unmasks him, only to find out he's Richard Fisk. The cops come and take care of Gauntlet and Richard Risk. They apologize to Mr. Graycrest for the trouble on his property, he dismisses the cops and returns to his mansion, where the New Enforcers are gathered.

Recurring Characters

Spider-Man, Blood Rose, Gauntlet, New Enforcers (Dragon Man, Super-Adaptoid, Dreadnaught, Vanisher, Blitz, Eel, Plantman, Mentallo, Mr. Fear, Fixer, Madame Menace), Nightwatch

Continuity Notes

1. Peter mentions the damage done to Empire State University by the Human Torch. That happened in Fantastic Four #373.

2. Richard and Alfredo's plot spiraled out of control in Web of Spider-Man #84-89.

The Origin of Nightwatch

Empire State University is having a Graduation Ceremony, where Mrs. Ashley Croix is introducing the youngest department head at E.S.U., Doctor Kevin Trench. He gives a brief speech and after the ceremony, they walk off together and talk about the future. Ashley tells Kevin that this time next week she'll be in Paris working for Morelli Pharmaceuticals then the two share a kiss. We are taken to a week later where they're at the airport saying their goodbyes. As Kevin is walking away a portal opens and he is assaulted by an invisible fist, then another portal opens up and Nightwatch comes out from it and uses his vision to see the assailants. One escapes back into the portal.

Nightwatch then dies and Kevin removes the Nightwatch mask and sees himself from the future, and in his hand a newspaper clip from a future event. Cops breeze past him and he questions what's going on. He put on the suit and finds out that Ashley's plane has been hijacked. Nightwatch tries to save the day but fails when an altercation in the cargo room leads the hijackers to shoot the fuselage, making the plane explode in mid-air. With the loss of his love and not knowing how to handle the costume, he moves to a deserted island and lives there in peace until Alfredo Morelli, who would become Gauntlet, washes up on the shore, which made him return to New York and protect the city as Nightwatch.[1]

Recurring Characters

Nightwatch, Ashley Croix, AIM

Continuity Notes

1. It is later revealed in She-Hulk Vol 3 #12, that Nightwatch used to be a villain called Nighteater. He later cast a spell to change history so that he is known as a hero, Nightwatch. To date, how this affects the history of Nightwatch is unexplained. However, given the characters in this story who appear in the Nightwatch series, the events of the She-Hulk story occurred after Trench got his costume, and before he ended up on the deserted island.