Web of Spider-Man Annual #10
Shriek, Rattle and Roll
The Ravencroft Institute has re-opened after extensive repairs following Carnage's escape from the facility.[1] The newest addition to the prisoners of Ravencroft is the woman known as Shriek. One of the guards warns the others not to let their guard down around her, as Shriek was one of the super-criminals involved in the Maximum Carnage massacre. Witnessing this prisoner transfer is Spider-Man and Doctor Ashley Kafka. The wall-crawler is concerned about Shriek being brought to the facility, especially since it is not fully operational yet.[2] Ashley assures Spider-Man that they will do the best they can, telling him that they just hired John Jameson to be head of security at the facility. This does little to ease his mind. Seeing Spider-Man in the crowd, Shriek is furious because he was the reason why her lover, Carnage, as sent away.[3] As John Jameson and his crew escort her inside, she begins plotting of a way of breaking free so she can kill the web-slinger.
Shriek is brought down to the infirmary for her admittance exam. His orders earn the ire of another guard named Baker. As the doctors prepare Shriek for a magnetic resonance imaging scan, Baker introduces himself to her, telling her that he is her new friend. Unknown to everyone, Baker is a spy for Mister Reynard who set up Warrant, Inc. in the hopes that the ill-prepared Ravencroft Institute will fail at containing their mentally ill super-humans so that he and his partner Warrant can reap the benefits. Warrant is unhappy with the situation, but Reynard assures him that any bounties will be passed on to Warrant and they can make a fortune while also making Ashley Kafka look bad in the eyes of the federal government. Back at Ravencroft, Spider-Man continues to express his concerns to Ashley, hoping that she isn't setting herself up for a fall. Unfortunately, Kafka has no choice because results are expected, and she wants to prove Reynard wrong. She then takes the web-head to the security room where John Jameson is busy monitoring the security systems. There he is shown the line-up of criminals that have just been transferred to the facility. They include the pyrokinetic known as Pyromania, the super-strong Gale, the toxic excreting Mayhem, and a master escape artist known as Webber. When Spider-Man expresses his misgivings, yet again, John begins showing him the security systems to try and set the wall-crawler's mind at ease.
Back down in the infirmary, Shriek's power dampener is deactivated to her body can be scanned. She uses this opportunity to goad Baker into getting upset. Not only does he get angry with her, and he also gets close enough for her to absorb his negative emotional energy to jump-start her powers. As she breaks free and subdues the guards and doctors, the security cameras suddenly go out. John calls a red alert but is worried that there is only a skeleton crew and they won't be able to handle a mass break out. As Spider-Man and John rush off to contain Shriek, Edward Wheland checks on Ashley, who assures him the situation is under control.[4] Back in the infirmary, Shirek has finished taking down the guards and fees Webber, who is also being held there. The pair agrees to work together to free the others. However, Webber isn't entirely sold on Shriek getting them out after her defeat during the Maximum Carnage massacre. However, Shriek assures him that this time she will succeed because she will be in charge.
From the security monitors, Ashley and Edward watch in horror as Shriek frees the rest of the prisoners. They warn Spider-Man and Jameson so they are prepared when they seal the door to the cell block before Shriek and the other prisoners can get free. However, not all of the prisoners are willing participants, as Mayhem tries to use her poison gas to force her cellmates back into the block. Loyal to Shriek, Webber leaps between Mayhem and Shriek, taking the toxic gas for his leader. That's when Gale and Pyromania knock Mayhem out and then begin helping Shriek to smash through the cell block door. Spider-Man John barely get out of the way before the convicts smash the door down. As the battle begins, Mayhem decides to side with her fellow prisoners only until they escape, so she can use her powers to kill them. While Mayhem, Shriek, and Webber deal with Spider-Man, Gale, and Pyromania disarm John Jameson. Ultimately, John manages to get enough tranquilizer darts in Gale to cause her to pass out, trapping Webber underneath her massive body. Meanwhile, Spider-Man webs Mayhem into one of the cells, blocking her poison gas, he then kicks Pyromania in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him.
This all plays into Shriek's hand as she had been soaking up all the negative energy to boost her powers. With John out of tranquilizer darts, Spider-Man tells him to flee. She manages to stun Spider-Man with a bolt, allowing Gale, Webber, and Pyromania to recover and renew their attack. However, Shriek has decided that her allies are failed to pass her test to see if they could be a replacement for the "family" she had with Carnage and unleashes her powers on them. Spider-Man then keeps Shriek occupied until John Jameson can return with more tranquilizer and knock her out. With the battle over, Spider-Man and John return to the security room where Ashley and Edward as waiting. At first, Edward thinks it is the prisoners coming up to attack, but thankfully Spider-Man's spider-sense prevents the hero from taking a hit to the face. Once they realize who it is, Ashley and Edward are surprised when John reactivates the security monitors to show Shriek and the other prisoners are back in their cells. With the crisis over, Kafka thanks Spider-Man for his help, as she will be able to downplay this issue. Spider-Man hopes that Ashley can prove that her method of dealing with the criminally insane is a better approach than repeat incarceration and wishes her luck, as with people like Reynard on her case, she does not have an easy job ahead of her.
Meanwhile, John Jameson decides to investigate Baker further and learn how deep his connections to Reynard are. While in her cell, Shriek marvels at how her powers have increased and vows to break free and manipulate her new boy-toy, Spider-Man again in the near future.
Recurring Characters
Spider-Man, Ashley Kafka, John Jameson, Shriek, Mayhem, Pyromania, Edward Whelan, Warrant
Continuity Notes
Carnage escaped from the institute in Spider-Man Unlimited #1 during the Maximum Carnage event.
Ravencroft was forced into opening early by Mister Reynard as seen in Web of Spider-Man #110.
Shriek is referring to the time that Spider-Man defeated Carnage in Spider-Man Unlimited #2 at the end of the Maximum Carnage event.
The narrative notes that Edward Wheland used to be the creature known as Vermin. Edward was transformed into Vermin by Baron Zemo in Captain America #272. He was later cured during the events of The Spectacular Spider-Man #194-196.
Daze and Confusion
The terrorist known as Daze has managed to force himself into the office of a United States Senator Gaines using his hypnotic powers. Outside the office, the authorities are joined by Warrant who has come to see what he can do. Finding the dead guards outside, Warrant remembers working with them when he was a government agent. That's when Warrant is attacked by guards who are under Daze's thrall.
While Warrant is busily incapacitating the guards, Daze has the Senator to write a suicide note. Once it is finished, Daze then orders Gaines to leap out of the nearby window. However, before the Senator can jump, Warrant comes smashing through the door and snares Gaines before he can jump. When Daze orders the other men in the room to attack Warrant, he easily fights past them.
When Daze tries to hypnotize Warrant, it doesn't work thanks to his infrared goggles. After Daze has been subdued, Mister Reynard joins them and injects Daze with sodium pentothal in order to learn who hired him to try and assassinate the Senator. Daze tells them that he was hired by an organization calling itself the Fold. However, before he can say anymore, Daze begins resisting the drug and goes into convulsions. With the danger over, Warrant and Reynard gloat over the money they have made on this job. Reynard hopes that this leads to a bounty on the head of every member of the Fold so they can make even more money.[1]
Recurring Characters
Warrant
Continuity Notes
Although Warrant is interested in taking down the Fold, he never does. This plot line is explored further in Nightwatch #9-10.
Tabula Rasa
The Black Cat is returning home to her apartment, looking forward to getting out of the winter cold and snowfall. However, upon returning home, she discovers that her apartment is in the process of being burgled by the Black Fox. She tries to accost the Fox and demands to know what he is doing in her home. He explains that he has been hired by a client who wishes to reclaim something that Felicia stole from him when during her days as a thief.[1] While the Cat is listening to this, the Black Fox manages to spray her in the face with a can of mace.
The Fox then grabs a necklace from Felicia's jewelry box and leaps out the window. Recovering from the blast of mace, the Cat follows after him. She manages to tackle him from behind, forcing the Fox to drop the necklace. As she is about to rough him up, he points out that someone else, another would-be thief, has grabbed the necklace and is making a run for it. She lets go of the Fox so she can chase after the other man. She manages to trip him up by tossing a garbage can lid at the man. This allows the Black Fox to try and get to get away by rooftop. The Cat follows after him, and admits that she forgot to give this necklace back, she should be the one to return it. The Black Fox gloats that he is a better thief, pointing out that he has gone up against Spider-Man and Doctor Doom.[2]
When she leaps at the Black Fox, he feigns an injury, fooling her into letting her guard down. This allows the Black Fox to escape with the necklace. The Black Cat decides to let him go, as with that last piece of stolen goods is being returned to its proper owner, she can now consider herself a blank slate.
Recurring Characters
Black Cat, Black FOx
The Power of Resistance
Investigating a series of truck hijackings, the Prowler finally hits paydirt one night, catching members of the Broken Skulls gang holding up a truck. He leaps down, his primary task is freeing the drivers who have been tied up. As he incapacitates the gang members with a gas blast. That's when he sees a young child among the gang members. He recognizes him as one of the students at his brother's Sons of the Tiger Martial Arts Studio. He asks the boy why he would join with a gang. The child explains that martial arts teach him nothing about the real world as he has bills that need to pay. While he is distracted by the boy, the Prowler leaves him open for one of the gang members to shoot him with a scrambler weapon that distabilizes his balance and he passes out.
When he wakes up, the Prowler finds himself in chains before the leader of the Broken Skulls gang's leader, a cyborg calling himself the Resistor. Resistor explains that he used to work for Advanced Idea Mechanics, which allowed him to get hold of all this technology. The Prowler then breaks free and easily incapacitates the members of the gang. This prompts the Resistor to flee the scene, but the Prowler easily captures him. He takes the villain back to the little boy and tells him that this is what a life of crime gets him. The next day, the Prowler watches as the boy goes to his brother's dojo. He is satisfied that he steered the boy on the right path, but wonders how long it will last.
Recurring Characters
Prowler, Abe Brown
Continuity Notes
The Black Cat was a burglar until she agreed to go straight when she started dating Spider-Man in Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #73.
The Black Fox fought Spider-Man in Amazing Spider-Man #255, 265, Web of Spider-Man #14-15, Amazing Spider-Man #304-305, 348-350. He later went up against Doctor Doom in Silver Sable and the Wild Pack #20.
