The King Makers

Richard Fisk, the Hobgoblin and the Praetorian Guard has brought Spider-Man into the ruins of the Kingpin's former office.[1] The leader of the Praetorians is concerned for their safety, fearing that Hydra may come back. The Hobgoblin mirrors this concern, saying they should kill Spider-Man and be done with it. Suddenly, Spider-Man's spider-sense begins going off, just as a military grade gunship flies up to Fisk Tower. When it begins opening fire, the leader of the Praetorian Guard pushes Richard to the ground, but not before he is clipped on the brow with a bullet. As the Hobgoblin battles the soldiers coming out of the chopper, the Guard ushers Richard out of the office.[2] At that moment, Spider-Man breaks free from his bonds and tries to escape when he is hit from behind by the stock of one of the barrels.

While up in the Catskill Mountains, Mary Jane and Aunt May continue to enjoy their time away from the city. When Mary Jane leaves yet another message for her husband Peter, she tries to hide her concern for Peter's safety.[3] While at the Daily Bugle, Joe Robertson calls a meeting to talk about the mistake that was made in a recent byline in the Daily Bugle. As it turns out, the recent crime photos were taken by Nick Katzenberg and not Peter Parker. Joe is furious at Nick for not saying something soon, particularly since Peter's life was threatened as a result. That's when Sgt. Blume of the NYPD comes looking for Peter Parker. When Robertson tells Blume about the misprint in the paper, Nick Katzenberg decides it's time to get out of there. No sooner is Katzenberg gone does Blume gets a message and has to go.[4] Back at Richard Fisk's penthouse apartment, his fiancee Rebecca treats the wound on his head. When she asks how he got it, he tells her it was business. That's when the Praetorian Guard ask to speak with him in private. With the move of his home going along smoothly, Fisk states that he no longer needs their services. He explains that after the death of his friends and siding with his father, he just wants to leave and live a normal life with Rebecca.[5]

Meanwhile, Spider-Man wakes up to discover that the men who attacked Fisk Tower were the Rose's men. The Rose explains that he does not wish innocent people, like the Parkers, endangered by Richard Fisk. He reveals that he knows that Mary Jane and Aunt May are staying in the mountains and that Fisk knows this as well. This makes Spider-Man furious and he demands to do more than just talk about what to do next. While back at Fisk's apartment, gunmen attack him as they see him as the next in line for the Kingpin's criminal empire. As the guards protect Richard, he watches as horror as one of the gunmen head for the bedroom where Rebecca is packing their things. While in the mountains, Mary Jane notices that the phone line is suddenly dead. Deciding to go into town with Aunt May, they discover that the car won't start. Suspecting trouble, Mary Jane suggests they get back into the house. That's when a man appears telling her to give up as they have the building surrounded. As Mary Jane and May rush inside to find cover, she wonders where Peter could be. Not far away, Spider-Man hitches a ride on the Rose's helicopter up into the mountains. He doesn't like the idea of working with the Rose when his family's lives at risk. Back at Fisk's, Richard manages to save Rebecca from the gunman, breaking his arm in the process. Assuring Rebecca that this man is insane, he has her taken out of the room. When he learns on the bounty on his head, Richard insists that nobody threatens his family and stabs the man to death. Fisk then orders the body disposed of and decides that it is time for changes to be made in the city.

At that moment, Spider-Man and the Rose's men arrive just in time to save Mary Jane and Aunt May from Fisk's assassins. Later, at a dockside warehouse, Spider-Man meets with the Rose who asks for Spider-Man's help taking down Richard Fisk as he has gone insane. Unsure he can trust the Rose, Spider-Man expresses these misgivings when suddenly they are ambushed by Fisk and his Preatorian Guard. Spider-Man is stunned with an energy blast and the rest of the guards are quickly taken down. When confronted with Richard Fisk, the Rose attempts to appeal to him through their friendship. Fisk replies by fatally shooting the Rose. By the time Spider-Man revives, Fisk and his men are gone. Seeing that the Rose is dying, Spider-Man removes his mask and recognizes him as Sgt. Blume. As it turns out, Blume wanted to shut down the Kingpin after he killed his brother. As Blume dies, Spider-Man tosses aside the Rose mask and tries to keep him talking, but it is too late.[6] Someone approaches Spider-Man from behind and putting on the Rose mask, assures the wall-crawler that Richard Fisk is going to pay for Blume's death.

While back at Richard Fisk's apartment, Richard has decided to completely embrace his legacy as the next Kingpin of crime. He goes so far as shaving his own head. He asks his minions to see if anyone can locate his father, so he can show him how things have changed.

Recurring Characters

Spider-Man, Mary Jane Watson, Aunt May, Joe Robertson, Kingpin, Hobgoblin, Rose (Blume), Rose (Fisk), Nick Katzenberg

Continuity Notes

1. This story takes place shortly after Daredevil #299 when the Kingpin's office was destroyed by Hydra. Also, this is not Richard Fisk, but his friend Alfredo Morelli. As revealed in Web of Spider-Man #100, Alfredo took Richard's place, undergoing extensive plastic surgery to play the part in this latest scheme to take down the Kingpin. The man who puts on the Rose's mask at the end of this story is the real Richard Fisk.

2. The Hobgoblin mentions how he had recently been exorcised of a demon. He was bonded with a demon in The Spectacular Spider-Man #147. He was recently separated from the demon in Web of Spider-Man #85.

3. Peter and Mary Jane are referred to as husband and wife here. However, years later, their marriage was erased from existence by the demon Mephisto in Amazing Spider-Man #545. As such, they should be considered a common-law couple here.

4. Sgt. Blume is depicted as having a pager. This should be considered a topical reference per the Sliding Timescale of Earth-616 as pagers are an obsolete technology.

5. He refers to his scheme to take down the Kingpin between the Rose, Alfredo and the Hobgoblin that started in Amazing Spider-Man #253. He refers to Ned Leeds at the Hobgoblin who assisted him in this scheme. He was actually deceived, it was actually Roderick Kingsley. As revealed in Spider-Man: Hobgoblin Lives #1-3, Kinglsey brainwashed Leeds into thinking that he was the Hobgoblin. As a result, Ned Leeds was murdered in Spider-Man Versus Wolverine #1, it was revealed to have been paid for by Jason Macendale in Amazing Spider-Man #289. Richard's failed coup ended in Web of Spider-Man #30.

6. Although Blume dies here, he is later resurrected years later, as seen in Clone Conspiracy #2