SPLASH:
Spider-Man fighting the Halloween Gang...We're on the street of NYC where portions of the Bugle sign crashed at end of last ish.

In the BG are MJ and Aunt Anna.

SFX: THWIP! THWIP!
(clearly, Spidey's using his webbing – and his good ol' web shooters, as established last ish)

3 Insets at bottom of page:
Inset 1:
SHOT of a partially dug grave

Inset 2:
Shot of a shovel digging further into the grave

Inset 3:
Shot of fully dug grave, someone jumping into it...we can only discern that it's a small, brunette man, perhaps holding a stick or something. His back is to us, and he's in motion (jumping in).

Page Two:
1: Same shot of the grave

2: Same shot, only an axe has been swung up.

3. The axe has been swung down.

SFX: SCHUKK!

4-7.
Axe going up and down in these panels...with the "SCHUKK!" repeating every time the axe is down.

8.
Inside the grave, we see our old friend Ernest T. Wretched, smiling gravely. (sorry)

9. Over the shoulder of Wretched, we see he's looking into the now-opened casket of Harry Osborn.  The corpse looks just hours old.

SFX WRETCHED: HEH-HEH...HEEHEEHEE!

Page Three:

CAPTION: Persistence can grind an iron beam down into a needle.

1. Spider-Man's tackled from behind by Blue.  

SPIDER-MAN (thought): Okay. Getting nowhere fast.  Too many people...

2. As Spidey webs him and kicks Treat, Harvest slices at Spidey.

SFX: THWIP!

SPIDER-MAN: AWWFGHH!

3. Although Spidey's grabbed hold of Harvest's scythe, we see his leg's got a big gash in it.  Treat approaches fast, a fist pulled back ready for a punch...

SPIDER-MAN (TO TREAT): If you're going for the 1 Ugly Prize -- you win, pussycat!

4. Treat gets close to Spider-Man and has swung, but Spidey's caught his fist here.

SPIDER-MAN (THOUGHT): Did I just call him "pussycat"?

5. Close on Spidey's gloved hand around Treat's fist...we can see discoloring around the glove.

6. Shreds of the glove are flittering to the ground – the fabric is "dying" before our eyes. Spidey's eyes wide here.

SPIDER-MAN (O.S.?): What the-- ?!

7. Spidey's flipped and landed on Treat's back as the others close in again. Spidey's still holding the scythe.

Page Four:
1. Spider-man's looking at his hand. The glove has a hole in it the shape of Treat's fist, and his skin is raw – several layers of skin have been eaten away.  We can see the web shooter on his hand too. It's damaged and discolored (rusty?).

SPIDER-MAN: Okay...several expletives occur to me just now.

2-4.
In quick succession, Spider-Man flips off of Treat and ducks further attacks.

SPIDER-MAN: I Just got those web shooters back!...

SPIDER-MAN: ...and you gotta go and ruin 'em?!

5. Trick flies at Spidey on his glider...

SPIDER-MAN (THOUGHT): Great.  This one's back on his—

6. Blue gets Spidey in a full nelson as Trick comes in fast.

SPIDER-MAN: *SIGH!*...Still haven't had time to recover fully from that experiment by the crazy doctor dude...

Page Five:
1. Trick flies on, leaving some kind of black sack over Spidey's head.

2. Spidey flips Blue over his head.

3. Spidey spins around, pulling off the sack, finding himself face-to-face with Eve.

SPIDER-MAN: Uh-oh.

4. He webs up her face-mask.

SFX: THWIP!

5. Close on Spidey.
SPIDER-MAN (THOUGHT): Woh.  Suddenly dizzy...wh—the black sack!  Did something to my equilib—

Page Six:
1. Eve has swung her mask, using both her hands, across Spidey's face.

2. Spider-Man's down.

O.S.: SPIDER-MAN!!

SPIDER-MAN (THOUGHT): M...J?...I...Can't...can't...

3. Blackness.

4. Blackness opening up...

5. Blackness still opening up...

SFX: KSSH!  KSSH!  FKK-OOOM!!  FKK-OOOM!  

6. Blackness opening up in the shape of Spidey's eyes.  We can see, in squiggles and/or blurriness, the city coming into view.  Some kind of battle going on around Spider-Man.

Page Seven:
1. ½ or ⅓ Page: Over-lay of Spider-Man's eyes, open as they normally are on his mask.  Behind them (as in, In Front of Spider-Man) is the big, scary, grinning face of...

TERROR GOBLIN*: 'Bout time you woke up, Pete.  we gotta talk!

CAPTION (somewhere below TG's word balloon):

When all is over and you march for home 

The spoils of war are easily disposed of 

Standards, weapons of combat, helmets, drums...

The spoils of love present a different case.

                                         - paraphrased from Robert Graves' "Spoils"

*Intro'd last ish!

2. Shot of Goblin yelling at Spider-Man.

Goblin's glider circles around them.

TERROR GOBLIN: Stand up, Spider-Man!  

3. Long shot of the street:

Police on one end, in riot gear, guns aimed;  S.H.I.E.L.D. floating above.  Behind Spider-Man, the crowd is being held hostage, the Halloween Gang standing guard (or perhaps being a little more threatening to some of those in the crowd – you know, Harvest has his scythe at the neck of two, Blue holds two or three up against a wall, etc.).

MJ and Anna are not seen.

SPIDER-MAN: W—What do you want? What's happened here?

Page Eight:
1.
TERROR GOBLIN: It's a stand-off I'm afraid.  Their tear gas and their guns have only put the crowd at risk.

2.
SPIDER-MAN: Wh-- Who are you?!

2.
TERROR GOBLIN: Oh, Pete.  Come on, surely you recognize my voice.

SPIDER-MAN: No, ..I...  No!  H-- ...Harry?

TERROR GOBLIN: Good ol' Pete.  

3. Spider-Man's collapsed.

TERROR GOBLIN: Oh, don't fall apart on me now, Peter Parker!

S.H.I.E.L.D. HELICARRIER (ELECTRIC):  YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE TO COMPLY WITH PREVIOUSLY STATED ORDERS.  WE DO NOT BARGAIN WITH TERRORISTS!

4.
Spidey on ground, groggy.

SPIDER-MAN: Wh--  what's going on?!

TERROR GOBLIN: Well, it seems my timing was pretty bad, Pete.  See, I'd like to destroy the city's crimeworld, take it over, kill you, and also get Liz and little Harry to come with me.  But nothing's ever as easy as it seems.  

TERROR GOBLIN: And who knew S.H.I.E.L.D.'s HQ was hovering just downtown? Guess I need to work on my recon.

5.

SPIDER-MAN: Wh-- H--  I-- HOLY !%$! !@%, Harry!  What are you doing?  How are you here?  I-- I don't understand this!

6. Spidey looking over the held-hostage crowd.

SPIDER-MAN:  MJ was here...with Anna.  Where is she?!  Where are they?

7. Spidey' grabbed Goblin by the shirt, holding him up.

SPIDER-MAN: WHERE ARE THEY, HARRY?!

8. Close on Terror Goblin.

TERROR GOBLIN (small): Dead.

PAGE TWENTY-NINE:
Panel 1:
We're looking at a monitor of a DNA strand – let's make it similar to the one seen in the films if possible.

CAPTION: ESU SCIENCE LAB 3, UPTOWN...

Panel 2 (combine this panel w/above if nec.):
We've pulled out a little – revealing a keyboard, with Spidey typing on it (ungloved, but the costume begins mid-forearm, which is visible).  Same DNA strand is on the monitor, but we can see a slight change from the previous panel...A red circle in the upper corner with some sort of dot encircling it is also now visible. In the center of the circle is: DIAG.

Panel 3:
Angle on Peter, unmasked, but still in costume...he's cradling a phone; it's connected to a base which is on a nearby wall.

PETER 1: IT'S THE THIRD DIAGNOSTIC CHECK. I'M NEARLY CERTAIN THERE'S NO ERROR --

PETER 2: -- MY DNA'S BEING ALTERED WITH EVERY PASSING SECOND!

PETER 3: I'VE DONE ENOUGH BLOOD TESTING ON MYSELF TO KNOW WHAT I'M SEEING, MJ, AND IT LOOKS LIKE I REALLY AM...

Panel 4:
Larger panel.  A classic half Peter/half Spider-Man face shot....

PETER 4: ...I'M LOSING MY POWERS!

Panel 5:
He's putting his gloves, back, having shut down the computer....

PETER 5: ...THE ONLY POSITIVE OUTCOME IS THAT JUST MAYBE THE LAW WILL BE LENIENT AT MY TRIAL* -- THE FACT I'M NO LONGER SPIDER-MAN COULD HELP.

PETER 6: YEAH. WISHFUL THINKING. WHAT?...NO...NO...I HAVEN'T SEEN THE— 'SUPERVILLAINS'? GREAT.   

CAPTION AT BOTTOM: * Peter made a few stupid mistakes when trying to save his Aunt several issues back.

Panel 6:
Back in full costume:
PETER 7:  LISTEN, HON, I'M HEADING BACK DOWNTOWN – SEE YOU THERE?

PETER 8: GOOD...GIVE ANNA A KISS FOR ME. AND BE CAREFUL.

PAGE THIRTY:
Panel 1-2:
Small panels, horizontal along top of page...

1: Spidey is leaping out of the building...

PETER 1: OKAY, PARKER...THINK....MAYBE IT'S TEMPORARY. YOU INTERRUPTED THE process...THE ONE THAT DROVE RHINO MAD, MADE GARGAN MORE VENOM AND LESS SCORPION...BUT BOTH REMAINED STRONG—

2: On an empty street, Spidey's lifted a grating out of the sidewalk.

PETER 2: --THEY WERE JUST LESS...ANIMAL. THAT'S IT!  IT WAS SAPPING THE SPIDER IN ME!

PETER 3: I DON'T KNOW IF I SHOULD BE ELATED -- OR WORRIED.   

Panel 3:
Long vertical panel down full side of page...Spidey falling, having jumped down (the grating back in place)...

PETER 4: NOW I GOTTA FIND OUT WHO THAT WAS THE THUNDERBOLTS HANDED ME OFF TO--

Panel 4:
Large Panel:
Rest of page – Spider-Man's landed atop a downtown 2 or 3 train....which speeds along the underground track...

PETER 5: AND MEET MJ BACK AT THE BUGLE AND HOPE THAT...

PAGE  THIRTY-ONE:
Panel 1:
J.J.J. is on his cell phone, cradling it on his shoulder uncomfortably:

PETER CAPTION: ...JOLLY JONAH'S IN A BETTER MOOD THAN USUAL.  

J.J.J.: ARE YOU !%@!$@ KIDDING ME, MARLA? NOT ONLY IS A GIGANTIC NEWS STORY BREAKING OUT ALL OVER THIS CITY...

Panel 2:
We see now that J.J.'s in an empty, old store room.  Some dilapidated desks and metal shelving  are in a corner.  J.J.'s got a hammer in hand; it seems he's just put a curtain up over grime-covered window.  

A cot w/some pillows is also nearby if you can fit it.

J.J.J. 2: BUT THOSE KIDS NEED A PLACE TO STAY, DANG IT!...I AM NOT YELLING!...I'LL BE HOME...SOON!  

Panel 3:
JJ's wiped his fingers along the glass of a window he's looking out of – we see the streaks through the grime...

J.J.J. 3: YES. I'M SORRY. NO.  NO, PLEASE DON'T BE ANGRY, MARLA, I THINK I'VE...

Panel 4:
JJ's noticed something out the window, he's squinting through the grimy pane...

J.J.J. 4: ...MADE enough...

Panel 5:
JJ's eyes are wide now...

J.J.J. 5 (small): ...ENEMIES.

J.J.J. 6: MARLA. I HAVE TO GO!

PAGE THIRTY-TWO:
Panel 1:
Large panel:
Harvest, on his "glider," has crashed through the window, swinging his scythe!

JJ's run for cover...

Panel 2:
Harvest crashes out another window on the adjacent wall!

J.J.J. 1: WHAT THE--?!

Panel 3:
Spidey's leapt through the first window.

SPIDER-MAN: WELL, HIYA, J.J.!  HOW'S THINGS?

J.J.J.: COULD BE BETTER -- GO GET THEM!

SPIDER-MAN: I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHO 'THEM' ARE!  I WAS JUMPED COMING OUT OF THE—

Panel 4:
Close on Spidey, spider-sense ringing!

Spider-man 2: --WHOOPS!  HOLD THAT THOUGHT!

Panel 5:
Blue Eclipse has jumped through one of the windows—

Panel 6:
Spidey's ducked under him, fallen either onto his back or backwards onto his hands....

PAGE THIRTY-THREE:
Panel 1:
Spidey's used his feet to toss Blue out the other window – let's get part of the DAILY BUGLE sign – the one with the big red letters sitting on the outside of the building -- in this shot of Blue falling out the window...

Panel 2:
Back inside: Spidey's turned to JJ...

SPIDER-MAN 1: FRIENDS OF YOURS, JONAH?

J.J.J. 1: THESE THINGS HAVE BEEN TEARING UP THE CITY ALL NIGHT!  WHERE THE HECK HAVE YOU BEEN?!  LAST WE HEARD, THE THUNDERBOLTS HANDED YOU OVER TO SOME SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH FACILITY, PROMISED TO STRIP YOU OF YOUR—

Panel 3:  

SPIDER-MAN: POWERS...yeah. THANKS FOR THE UPDATE.

J.J.J. 2: WAIT. YOU HAVE NO SUPER SPIDER POWERS OR WHATEVER YOU CALL 'EM?

Panel 4:
SPIDER-MAN: WHEN HAVE YOU EVER HEARD ME USE THE PHRASE 'SUPER SPIDER POWERS'? AND, NO, I'VE GOT 'EM, BUT THEY MAY BE DETERIORATING. BUT MY STRENGTH, AGILITY, AND MY SPIDER-SENSE—

Panel 5:
Trick, sans glider, has tackled Spider-Man.

SPIDER-MAN: --IS APPARENTLY...A BIT...WONKY!

Panel 6:
Hallow's Eve diving at Jonah... Spider-Man grappling with Trick...

PAGE THIRTY-FOUR:
First several panels:
Spider-Man and Trick trading blows.

Hallow's Eve has pinned JJ against a wall somewhere in the milieu...

SFX (around Trick): HEH-HA! HEH HA-HAHA HEH HA-HAHAHAHA!

SPIDER-MAN: SO, WHAT'RE YOU, THE BEIGE GOBLIN?

SPIDER-MAN 2: J.J., ANY IDEA WHAT THEY WANT?

Next Panel:
SPIDER-MAN 3: J.J.?

Next Panel:
Eve is right up in J.J.'s face.

Next Panel:
Close on J.J.'s wide, bloodshot eyes...a tear coming from an eye.

Final Panel:
J.J.'s doubled-over, crying...Spidey in BG or foreground.

J.J.J. (small): HALLOWEEN GANG?  NO...

J.J.J. 2: NO!! I'M SORRY, JOHN, FOR EVERYTHING THAT'S HAPPENED!  NOOO!

SPIDER-MAN 4: OK...THAT'S SO NOT GOOD.

PAGE THIRTY-FIVE:
Spidey's got a hold of Trick....

Eve jumps at Spidey...

Harvest and Treat come in on Gliders...

Spidey's tossed Eve into Blue who's re-entered.

Spidey's surrounded...

SPIDER-MAN: SO. YOU GUYS IN TOWN TO CATCH A BROADWAY SHOW? MAYBE DO the CIRCLE LINE THING?   

Trick's tossed a pumpkin at Spidey – Spidey jumps to the ceiling.

SPIDER-MAN (thought) 2: PUMPKIN BOMB!  SO They are related to the GREEN Goblin!

The "Pumpkin Bomb" has opened...

PUMPKIN BOMB (electric): SPIDER-MAN...IF YOU'RE HEARING THIS, THEN MY FRIENDS HAVE FOUND YOU. FORMAL INTRODUCTIONS WILL COME LATER...FOR NOW, KNOW THAT THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING...

PUMPKIN BOMB (electric) 2: ...BUT FOR YOU— IT'S SIMPLY THE END!

PAGE THIRTY-SIX:
Panel 1:
Close on Spidey...

SPIDER-MAN (thought): I KNEW IT – THAT'S THE GOBLIN'S VOICE.  AND UNLESS SOMEONE'S IMPERSONATING HIM...NORMAN OSBORN'S BACK IN RARE FORM!...

Panel 2:
Close on Spidey...

SPIDER-MAN 2 (thought) 2: AND IF I KNOW THE GREEN GOBLIN...

Panels 3-5:
Quick succession: Spidey's scooped-up the open Pumpkin Device, bounced off of one of the Halloween Gang and tossed the Pumpkin Device out the window...

Panel 6:
The device explodes.

Panel 7:
Spidey outside – taunting the Halloween gang.

SPIDER-MAN 3: OKAY, KIDS! YOU'VE DELIVERED THE MESSAGE...SHAME YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO REPORT BACK TO GOBBY – 'CAUSE I'M GONNA WIPE THE STREET WITH YOU MUGS!  

SPIDER-MAN 4: CATCH ME IF YOU CAN!

PAGE THIRTY-SIX:  [NOTE TO ME: um...do I have TWO page 36s? uh-oh!]
Spider-Man battles the Halloween Gang!...with no webbing, he's doing this while either sticking to The Daily Bugle building or jumping onto the individual gliders of The Gang...

SPIDER-MAN (thought): WHAT ARE THESE GUYS MADE OF – EACH ONE'S STRONGER THAN THE NEXT!

SPIDER-MAN (thought) 2: WHAT I NEED IS MY WEBBING...AND WHILE MY STRENGTH EBBS AND FLOWS...IT LOOKS LIKE THOSE ARE GONE—

SPIDER-MAN (thought) 3: --FOREVER!

He's able to keep them at bay—until...

Treat grabs  him from behind!  Gets him in a bear hug!

PAGE THIRTY-SEVEN:
Panel 1:
They're in mid-air.  Spider-Man being squeezed tight; his costume shredding where Treat has him. Harvest is approaching with his scythe...

SPIDER-MAN (thought): GREAT. SPIDER-SENSE IS STILL ON THE FRITZ!

SFX (from O.P.): CLANG!  CLANG!!

Panel 2:
Harvest has the point of his scythe right at Spidey's neck...Hallow's Eve approaches....

SPIDER-MAN 2: YOU FUN FELLAS DON'T SEEM TO CHAT MUCH – MAYBE WE CAN JUST GO BOWLING?

SFX (from O.P.): CLANG!  CLANG!!!

Panel 3:
Angle on Spidey's reflective lenses – Hallow's Eve visible in them.

SFX (from O.P.): CLANG!!!

Panel 4:
Spidey freaking-out.

SPIDER-MAN 3: The Halloween Gang!  What're you—what... NOOOOO!!

SFX (from O.P.):  CLANG!!!!

Panel 5:
Spider-Man is still trying to get a hold of himself...

J.J.J. (OP): SPIDER-MAN!  Parker! Snap the !%! Out of it!

SFX (from O.P.): CLANG!!!!

PAGE THIRTY-EIGHT:
Inset/Panel 1-2:
J.J. is swinging the hammer at some kind of metal attachment, knocking the crap out of it...

SFX: CLANGT!!!

SFX: CLANGT!!!

Inset Panel 3:
J.J.J. (sfx): Ti-i-i-i-i-i-mber-r-r-r!

SFX: CREE-RRRRNNNG

Splash Panel 4:
The "L" and the "E" from the word "BUGLE" are falling onto The Halloween Gang—Spidey's diving out of the way, toward the Bugle building...

A crowd below is being held back by police.

PAGE THIRTY-EIGHT:  [NOTE TO ME: and TWO 38s? AAGHH! Note to reader: This means some cuttin' an' fixin' will be happening on this post. ]
Panel 1:
J.J. looking down off the ledge at the good work he's done...

J.J.J.: 'BUGLE PUBLISHER SAVES SPIDER-MAN'...NOT BAD...

Panel 2:
Spidey's crawled up, joining him...

SPIDER-MAN: I WAS JUST ABOUT TO MAKE MY...

Panel 3:
Spidey slips!
SPIDER-MAN 2: ...MOO-O-V-WHOH!

Panel 4:
J.J.'s grabbed Peter's wrist.

Panel 5:
Pulls him up. Spidey's looking down over his shoulder...

SPIDER-MAN 3: GREAT, NOW I'M SLIPPING OFF WALLS!
.. -->[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]-->
.. -->[endif]-->J.J.J. 2: 'BUGLE PUBLISHER SAVES SPIDER-MAN – TWICE!' HMPH. THAT HALLOW'S EVE. SHE LOOKED INTO YOUR EYES TOO, PETER. I—I KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT THEM.  AND SHE SAW MY – OUR – DEEPEST FEARS.

SPIDER-MAN 4: NO, IT CAN'T BE...

Panel 6:
J.J.J. 3: PLEASE, PARKER, DON'T BE SO PROUD, IT-- 

SPIDER-MAN 5: NO, JONAH....NOT THAT...

Panel 7:
Horizontal panel across page:
The Halloween Gang is pulling itself out of the wreckage!!

SPIDER-MAN 6 (O.P.): ...That!

PAGE THIRTY-NINE:
Panel 1:
Spider-Man about to leap off...

SPIDER-MAN 1: GOTTA GO, J.J.

J.J.J. 1: PARKER, THEY'RE TOO--

Panel 2:
He's jumped.

J.J.J.:  --WELL TRY TO GET A FEW PUNCHES IN THIS TIME, WOULDJA!?

Panel 3:
Horizontal panel across page.  Long shot of J.J. on the ledge.

WE SEE that the Bugle's sign now reads: THE DAILY BUG

J.J.J. (small): GET 'EM, SPIDEY!

Panel 4:
Spidey's bounding from building to building to reach the street...

Panel 5:
On the street, amongst the mess, the police, and the crowd (behind wooden police barriers), we see The Halloween Gang is not in great shape: the crash has town off limbs and/or severely dislocated their limbs...one or two of them might even have pieces of street or metal piercing straight through their body or head.

SPIDER-MAN 2: WELL NOW, THIS IS JUST DISGUSTING! YOU GUYS...AREN'T GUYS AT ALL!...YOU'RE SOME KIND OF...CREATURES! 

VOICE (O.P.): TIGER!...

SPIDER-MAN (thought) 3: MJ?

PAGE FORTY:
Panel 1:
Spidey's spun, and a Tiger's jumped at him!

Lady: A TIGER!!

SPIDER-MAN: NOT...EXACTLY...WHAT I WAS...HOPING FOR!

Panel 2:
Spidey's quickly gotten the upper-hand...

SPIDER-MAN 2: HM. YOU'RE PRETTY SMALL FOR A--

M.J. (O.P.): TIGER!

Panel 3:
ANGLE ON MJ, Aunt Anna nearby in BG.  MJ's tossed Spider-Man something metallic but indiscernible in this shot...

M.J.: THOUGHT YOU COULD USE A LITTLE SOMETHING, LOVE O' MY LIFE!

Panel 4:
Spidey's leapt towards the objects, avoiding a swing by the Tiger's paw and a swing by the scythe of Harvest. (I really like that Harvest guy!)

Panel 5:
Medium-close on Spidey, one hand grasping his opposite wrist...(ARTIST: do we get a peek at what she's tossed to him? [see next page])

SPIDER-MAN 3: ALL RIGHT, EVERYBODY— AS AUNT PETUNIA'S NEPHEW LIKES TO SAY...

PAGE FORTY-ONE:
SPLASH PAGE:
SPIDER-MAN: IT'S CLOBBERIN' TIIIIME!!

Shot of Spider-Man in mid-air, sleeves rolled up: his old WEB SHOOTERS very visible and webbing up the Tiger and Harvest – let's have Blue Eclipse wrapped-up as well.  One of Spidey's feet kicking Trick back toward the reader?  Treat and Hallow's Eve coming from other directions at Spider-Man!

PAGE FORTY-TWO:
Panel 1:
J.J.'s making his way though the newsroom...Robbie's nearby...

ROBBIE 1: FROM BAD TO WORSE, JONAH...

J.J.J. 1: WHAT NOW?

Panel 2:
ANGLE ON: Robbie, turning up the volume on a nearby TV where we see Norman Osborn. The BG behind Norman should be what we saw in Harry Osborn's big, dark room earlier – in other words, this is the shape-shifter as Norman. And should thus be dressed as he was earlier.

Oh, and Norman is not of a calm demeanor as he's been seen lately...this Norman that we're seeing is in the middle of an angry, loud, rant....

ROBBIE 1: PLAYING IT OVER AND OVER...S.H.I.E.L.D.'S HAD NO RESPONSE SO FAR...HE'S LOST IT, J.J.

J.J.J. 2: OSBORN.

OSBORN/SHAPE-SHIFTER (electric, from TV): ...S.H.I.E.L.D. HAS PROVEN THEMSELVES UNABLE AND UNWORTHY TO THE TASK! 

Panel 3:
OSBORN/SHAPE-SHIFTER (electric, from TV) 2: SPIDER-MAN ESCAPED THE GRASP OF MY SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH GROUP AND THAT OF THE THUNDERBOLTS...HE IS THE BIN LADEN OF NEW YORK.  AND I AM THE IRON FIST OF THE WEST, SURROUNDING HIM FAST!

OSBORN/SHAPE-SHIFTER (electric, from TV) 3: MY MERCENARIES ARE OUT THERE RIGHT NOW, ATTEMPTING TO APPREHEND HIM! THE SPIDER MUST DIE!  BUT WE MUST ALL JOIN IN THE FIGHT...

J.J.J. 3: MY GOD, ROBBIE...HE IS TRULY  A LUNATIC.

Panel 4:
OSBORN/SHAPE-SHIFTER (electric, from TV) 4: FIGHT OR FRIGHT I ALWAYS SAY!!  WHILE S.H.I.E.L.D. LAY DORMANT, I BUILT GGI INDUSTRIES UP SECRETLY WITH MY MANY PARTNERS DOING MY BIDDING. THE PAPER TRAIL EXISTS -- I CRIED FOR ATTENTION – 'SOMEONE COME FOR ME, SOMEONE NOTICE ME!'  FOR WHAT ELSE COULD GGI STAND FOR?

Panel 5:
OSBORN/SHAPE-SHIFTER (electric, from TV) 5: PREPARE NEW YORK – PREPARE WORLD -- THE GREEN GOBLIN IS COMING!! AND I MAKE THIS PROMISE TO MY OLD FRIENDS, TO SPIDER-MAN, AND TO ALL WHO WATCH THESE WORDS COME FROM MY GRINNING MAW.

OSBORN/SHAPE-SHIFTER (electric, from TV) 6: MY REIGN WILL BE PAINFUL...BUT IT WILL BE FRUITFUL!

Panel 6:
The TV's been shut off.

J.J.J. 4: FORGET LOOSE SCREWS, THE WHOLE CONTRAPTION'S BUSTED IN THIS GUY'S HEAD.

ROBBIE 2: THIS RANT LASTS FOR THREE MINUTES... HE'S APPARENTLY HOLED UP IN THUNDERBOLTS MOUNTAIN NOW...BUT HE'S CLAIMED RESPONSIBILITY FOR ALL THE DESTRUCTION OF THE LAST 48 HOURS -- AND THESE TERRORISTS, WHOEVER THEY ARE.

J.J.J. 5: THE HALLOWEEN GANG...

Panel 7:
Make this panel very soap opera-y, John Romita style.  Robbie in BG, J.J.J. extreme close in foreground and shadowy...

ROBBIE 3: HOW DO YOU—

J.J.J. 6: I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT IT. JUST TRUST ME. THAT'S WHO THEY ARE...IT'S A BUGLE EXCLUSIVE.  AND...THEY'RE THE UNDEAD.

PAGE FORTY-THREE:
Six-panel layout – Spidey on the left, Harry Osborn on the right-side panels...

Panel 1:
The Tiger has turned into an orangey snake...the webbing slipping off of it...

Spider-Man is giving Blue a wallop...

SPIDER-MAN (thought): MY PUNCHES BARELY GET A REACTION FROM THESE THINGS!

SPIDER-MAN (thought) 2: AND THIS SHAPE-SHIFTING ANIMAL IS JUST BIZARRE!  RHINO'S DE-RHINO'D, VENOM'S LOST HIS STING...AND THIS THING COMES OUT OF NOWHERE!

Panel 2:
Harry talking to his Lawyer (shape-shifter) and to the PR Guy outside the damaged GGI building.  There's some kind of panel on the wall nearby...

HARRY 1: ...YOU BOTH WILL DISAPPEAR UNTIL NEEDED AGAIN.  YOUR PROMISED REWARDS AWAIT YOU...

PR GUY: THEY NEVER...FOUND HER, SIR.

HARRY 2: IT'S...IT'S FINE. IT JUST MEANS SHE'S LEFT THE CITY.  SO HARD TO KEEP TRACK OF EVERYONE...

Panel 3:
Spidey's webbing the snake (which sounds like it should be a euphemism for something – but it's not!)...and swinging at Trick!

SPIDER-MAN (thought) 3: I'M NOT SURE HOW MUCH LONGER I CAN HOLD THEM OFF...I'M STARTING TO FEEL WEAK AGAIN...AND MY SPIDER SENSE HASN'T GONE OFF THIS WHOLE TIME...

Panel 4:
The PR Guy is taking off.  Shape-shifter is changing....

HARRY 2: DON'T FORGET A THING THAT HAS HAPPENED HERE, BEAST!  YOUR... 'PEOPLE' LEFT YOU FOR DEAD...I BROUGHT YOU BACK. GO...JOIN THEM.  BUT REMEMBER YOUR DEBT!

SHAPE-SHIFTER: INDEED I WILL, OSBORN....BUT I AM NO BEAST, I AM MERELY WHAT HE MADE ME TO BE.

Panel 5:
Harvest is seen, his hands holding his scythe...but both hands and scythe have been webbed to his head – his eyes are also covered with webbing.  Spidey is swinging from the staff of the scythe, kicking Trick into Treat, both have tumbled over the orange snake. (Whew!)

SPIDER-MAN (thought) 4: ONLY GOOD THING IS THAT THE VILLAIN BEHIND THIS MAY NOT HAVE SHOWN HIMSELF YET...BUT AT LEAST HE CAN'T HAVE MUCH ELSE UP HIS SLEEVE!

Panel 6:
The Shape Shifter has changed into a Skrull (for those not in the know: in the Marvel Universe, Skrulls are an alien race who can shape-shift and are currently trying to take over the Earth!)...

SHAPE-SHIFTER 2: ...YOU, HOWEVER, ARE SOMETHING...TERRIBLE AND UNGODLY!

Harry, is facing the audience here – the panel on the wall behind him is opening...

HARRY 3: HEHEH...YES...YES, I JUST MIGHT BE!  AND I THINK IT'S TIME FOR ME TO BRING MY HORROR UPON THE MASSES...OH, YES...HEEHEE...IT IS TIME FOR THE RISE OF...

Page forty-four:
SPlash:
Harry, fully transformed here – he is a grotesque monster...his white eyes are framed by black bursts of pain, his forehead is pocked and decayed, his mouth is formed into a horrible scream....

ARTIST: Has he torn off his suit to reveal a costume? If so: it'd be a mangle of torn clothes, armor, and chain mail... He has a hood that lay upon his chest (that is, NOT behind his head as hoods normally do)...we're seeing his face, he has no mask!

And that face is most definitely of the Marvel GOBLIN variety!

He has jumped atop a Goblin Glider – this one has a flat round base with swept-back wings, serrated edges on the front.  It's come out of the panel from the wall – and the building it came out of is now in flames...

HARRY (SFX): ...THE TERROR GOBLIN!

SFX: WAHH HA HA HA HA HA AHHH-HA HA HA HAAA!!

NEXT:
HARRY OSBORN LIVES! The TERROR GOBLIN Causes Mayhem! And, Speaking Of 'May,' How Is She Doing These Days?  And Where's Flash?  Who's Genus?  And Can Spidey Defeat The Goblin's Halloween Gang?

FIND OUT NEXT ISSUE, EVERYBODY!!

Hiya! If you'd like to get right to the script for My Part 4 of One More Day, just scroll down a bit -- the first few lines are in bold below!

              As a one-time comics writer (just a few stories published, including a Spider-Man piece),a script doctor for a bunch of indie films, and a writer who's got an Off-Broadway play in development -- as well as someone who's worked as an editor for more than 15 years -- I thought, Heck I could take a crack at Spider-Man!
          See, Marvel's Spider-Man has recently accepted a deal from the devil. Not terribly heroic. He did it to save his dying Aunt...who it seems may or may not have been able to be saved in other ways (more details w/in the story). This altered Spidey's world radically, b/c not only was his aunt saved, but his marriage, and lots of other stuff were -- somewhat randomly -- erased.
          I am all for up-ending the status quo, and I like Peter's life filled with friends who have troubles of their own that always become Pete's problems too. However, I am of the belief these things could've been achieved within the confines of the world of Peter Parker as it was, reflecting the intense state of the MU as it has been (and is), and keeping him with his wife, MJ, who, again, is no longer his wife in the re-vamped books.
        Peter Parker's like now exists in a vacuum and many plots were left dangling...
     I try to fill in and fix the plot-holes and character problems of the last few issues in this story (issue 545).  So, take a look, and have fun as I bring you...

MEPHISTO 1: OUR BARGAIN IS SIMPLE...  YOU GIVE UP YOUR LOVE, YOUR FAITH IN EACH OTHER, YOUR MARRIAGE.  LET A PIECE OF YOUR SOULS SCREAM FOR THE LOSS, LET THEM SCREAM IN ETERNITY...

MEPHISTO 2: AND THAT IS WHAT I GET IN TURN.  A TORMENT WHICH WILL FEED ME FOR A LONG TIME.  FEED ME GREAT SOLACE...EVEN CONTENTMENT.

CREDITS:
Keith Planit - Writer
Artist - ?
Letters - ?
Dedicated To: Stan "the Man" Lee, Daring Steve Ditko, Jovial JMS, Dandy Mike DeoDato Jr., Rockin' Ron Garney, Joshin' JRJR, J.M. "De-lovely" DeMatteis, Dandy Danny Fingeroth, Totally Todd DeZago, Mark "BooYah" Bagley, David "Meshuggeneh" Michelinie.

PAGE TWO:
Panel 1:
Close on Mephisto...he's laughing to himself.

MEPHISTO 1 (SMALL): SO MUCH GOOD TORMENT...FOR YEARS TO COME.
SFX (on edge of balloon): HRM.

Panel 2:
Mephisto is, in some regard, the panel (his outline is the shape of the panel, the smoke around him w/his face as the BG,  whatever you want) but we're looking at Peter...

MEPHISTO 2: BUT YOU WILL HAVE YOUR LIFE.  NO MORE HIDING, FEARING...STRAINING.  NO MORE LOOKING OVER YOUR SHOULDER AND WONDERING WHO'S GOING TO GET YOU...

MEPHISTO 3: ...OR YOUR WIFE.

Panel 3:
Again, Mephisto is the dominant force of this panel...or IS the panel in some manner.

We're looking at MJ now.

MEPHISTO 4: YOU WILL NOT HAVE TO PRETEND YOU'VE THE STOMACH FOR THINGS YOU HAVE NOT, YOU WILL NOT HAVE TO SHOVE DOWN THE FEAR GNAWING AT EVERY BREATH.  THERE IS NO MORE RUNNING, THERE IS NO MORE DEATH. 

Panel 4:
Mephisto has now brought in a view of the hospital room where Aunt May lay dying...

MEPHISTO 5:  AND THE DEAR LADY GETS TO KEEP THE LIFE YOUR SELFISH CHOICES HAVE TAKEN AWAY.

PAGE  THREE:
Panel 1:
Peter's pissed, wants to grab Mephisto around the neck. MJ's holding him back.

PETER: YOU DON'T NEED TO REMIND ME WHAT I'VE DONE!  I KNOW WHAT MY CHOICES HAVE-- HAVE CAUSED!  I GET IT!

Panel 2
Still angry, but calming...MJ uncertain what to do

PETER 2: I WANT TO BE UNSELFISH.  I WANT TO BE THE CAUSE FOR A GREAT LIFE, NOT AN AWFUL DEATH!  EVERY CHOICE I'VE MADE...EVERYTHING I DO...IT JUST ALL TURNS TO....

Panel 3:
Peter's turned away. MJ's tearing.

MJ 1: PETER. DOES THIS MEAN YOUR ANSWER...OUR ANSWER...

Panel 4
Another shot of Mephisto, perhaps partially hidden by his cape, looking back at them...

MJ (cont'd) 2: ...IS YES?

Panel 5:
PETER 3: MEPHISTO, YOU'RE GOING TO GET WHAT YOU WANT.  AND MJ'S GOING TO GET HER LIFE BACK, AND AUNT MAY'S GOING TO LIVE...AND EVERYTHING'S GOING TO BE AS IT SHOULD BE.

PETER 4: YOU KNEW MY ANSWER FROM THE START.  OR YOU WOULDN'T HAVE COME HERE.  THE ANSWER IS...

PAGE FOUR:
Panel 1: a sad Peter and MJ, clutching one another, looking up.

PETER 1: [BLANK]

Panel 2:
MJ's turned to Peter, Pete's got his hand at his mouth. A tiny amount of mist can be seen at the panel's edges.

Panel 3:
That mist seems to have spread and can be seen more clearly...
MJ's clearly talking to Peter, but again...

MJ 1: [BLANK]

Panel 4
A powerful CLOSE on Mephisto...fire and brimstone around him and so forth...He's looking off to one side...

MEPHISTO: AWFULLY STRANGE....

PAGE FIVE:
HALF-PAGE SPLASH 1:
And indeed it is: it's Dr. Strange.  Wielding magic, glowing, doing crazy gestures with his hands...you know, the usual.  A white mist accompanies him!  Mephisto is shielding himself.

DR. STRANGE: [magical symbols/glyphs]

Panel 2:
Strange is approaching the couple. Mephisto can be in the BG or nearby in some manner if you like (but not nec.).

STRANGE 2: Peter, this is not the choice you want to make.  A bargain with this creature is no bargain at all.

PETER 1: [BLANK]

Panel 3:
Closer on Doc, Mephisto right at his back...angry, but unable to touch him.

STRANGE 3: I've taken away your power of speech, both of you.  I will return it to you, but as you begged me to help you,* I now must beg you to only address me.

CAPTION 1 (at bottom of panel): * One More Day Part 2

Panel 4: (small inset)
Peter gives a tentative thumbs-up.

PAGE SIX:
Panel 1:
Peter, MJ, and Doc...

PETER 1: I CAN'T DO IT, DOC...I CREATED THIS, I MADE THIS MESS, AND I'VE KILLED A WOMAN WHO HAS DONE NOTHING BUT SACRIFICE FOR ME SINCE I WAS SIX YEARS OLD.

Panel 2:
PETER 2: I TOOK AWAY HER HUSBAND, I TOOK MYSELF AWAY BY SHOULDERING THIS...RESPONSIBILITY OF SPIDER-MAN...NOW I'VE TAKEN HER LIFE.

Panel 3
A beaten Peter.

PETER 3: WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE ME DO?

Panel 4:
STRANGE 1: MARYJANE, WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE HIM DO?

MJ: WHATEVER HE NEEDS TO DO.  BUT HE'S EXHAUSTED HIS OPTIONS...HASN'T HE?

Panel 5:
STRANGE 2: ...

STRANGE 3: PETER, MEPHISTO SHOWED YOU SOME OF THE MANY PERMUTATIONS OF LIFE YOUR CHOICES COULD HAVE BROUGHT YOU TO*...

CAPTION (at bottom of panel): * One More Day Part 3

PETER 4: H-HOW DO YOU KN-

Panel 6:
STRANGE 3: WHY, MR. PARKER, I TOLD YOU I COULD DETECT YOU SIX BLOCKS AWAY*,  YOU THINK I COULD NOT DETECT A PRESENCE AS POWERFUL AS MEPHISTO NEARLY UPON MY DOORSTEP?

CAPTION 1 (at bottom of panel): * AGAIN, ONE MORE DAY PART 2

STRANGE: WHAT ABOUT THE PERMUTATIONS YOU'VE YET TO EXPLORE?

PAGE SEVEN:
Panel 1:
Peter, clutching the Spider-Man mask clearly...MJ nearby.  Doc backing off...

STRANGE 1: I AM MERELY SAYING, GIVE THE WORLD A CHANCE... I DON'T BELIEVE YOU'D DISAGREE THAT MEPHISTO MOST CERTAINLY DOES NOT DESERVE ONE. 

STRANGE 2: AND I AM CERTAIN, NO MATTER HOW STRONGLY YOU FEEL HER PAIN IS YOUR FAULT, YOUR AUNT TOO WOULD NOT WANT YOU TO FIX THINGS...THIS WAY.

Panel 2:
Strange has turned his attention to Mephisto...

STRANGE: YES, CREATURE, I FEEL YOU COMING FOR ME IN MY REALM -- YOU OR YOUR MINIONS.  LET THEM COME...YOU WILL BE WEAKENED BY YOUR FAILURE HERE AND SPREAD THIN IN A REALM IN WHICH I AM MOST POWERFUL...

Panel 2:
Doc's disappeared into some other realm through some sort of hole he's created...

MEPHISTO: THINK WHAT YOU WISH, SORCERER...
MEPHISTO (small) 2: I AM NOT THROUGH WITH YOU BY FAR!

Panel 3:
Mephisto seems to have sent something into the realm to which Doc Strange has disappeared...

Panel 4
Mephisto's attention is back on Peter and MJ.

MEPHISTO: THE ANSWER, O' DESPERATE PARKERS?  THE ANSWER!

PETER: IT'S THE HARDEST DECISION I'VE EVER MADE. 

MJ: I-- I THINK WE BOTH AGREE, PETER.  WE DO WHAT HAS TO BE DONE.

PETER 2: I HEARD WHAT STRANGE HAD TO SAY....AND I MAY REGRET THIS FOR...FOR ETERNITY I GUESS...BUT MY ANSWER, MEPHISTO--

PAGE EIGHT:
SPLASH PANEL

PETER 1: --IS THIS!

Peter and MJ in the center of the room, surrounded by Mephisto's red glow, his cape, his evil mist.  The two of them hold tight to one another, smiling for the first time in quite a while. Peter's got one arm up towards Mephisto, the Spidey mask resting on his hand, which is up towards Mephisto... the eyes and mask are clearly resting on a point which is hidden beneath the cloth Spidey mask. Yes, although hidden by the draped cloth of the mask, Peter is giving Big M the bird!

(If necessary, that is, if the mask isn't enough, we can even have some of the mist disrupt the image a bit more to make this even less offensive.)

PAGE NINE:
Panel 1:
Bolts of lightning and trunks of lava shoot from the floor around Pete and MJ, who scramble.  Pete's weaving a shield of a sort with his webbing, blocking debris.

Panel 2:
Mephisto's clearly pissed (as in angry, not drunk and wetting himself).

Panel 3:
Peter's already got MJ protected with his webbing

Panel 4:
A pile of lava is pressing against Pete, who's pushing back with all his might, but it's winning and trapping him against a wall.  MJ's safe nearby.

MEPHISTO: The insolence was unnecessary, welp.  But while the small victory goes to you, the battle itself may still fall in my favor....

PETER: I'd tell to go you-know-where, but I'm almost certain you'd think I was being funny.

PAGE TEN:
Panel 1:
The lava, the destruction created on the last page, even the webbing protecting MJ is all dissipating in this panel.

MEPHISTO 1: I am not without a sense of humor, Peter Parker--

Panel 2:
Close on Mephisto.

MEPHISTO 2: I can be quite humorous.

Panel 3:
Same angle, Mephisto's face is now that of the little girl Peter saw in the last chapter (his mane of hair and the mist remain)

MEPHISTO 3: Is this little girl the daughter you will have now that you've chosen your fate, or the one you would have inevitably had in spite of the bargain we'd have struck?

Panel 4:
Close on Peter, punching wall!...very visibly upset. MJ nearby.

MJ: He's just trying to rattle you...us.  Don't let him! 

MJ 2 (smaller): Don't let him, Peter!

Panel 5:
Mephisto's face again changes, this time the adult woman-in-red from the last chapter (his mane of hair and the mist remain once again).

MEPHISTO 4: Ah, Mrs. Parker, and what of the lady in crimson?  Is she your undoing in the life you've chosen or your savior in the life you let get away.

MEPHISTO 5: You've made your choice, both of you, but I will see to it that you not make any choice again without the pain of regret, the fear of going down the wrong path...Why, even now, there is one more image that may forever haunt you...

PAGE ELEVEN:
½-page SPLASH:
Mephisto has his arm outstretched, presenting an image of May in her hospital bed -- a man holding a gun on a nurse inside the room. Just outside the open door, a guard lay on the floor.  Three others are in the room heading toward her bed – these are clearly NOT good guys.

Panel 2:
Worried Peter...

PETER: No!

PETER 2: GOD NO!!

Panel 3:
Peter lunges toward Mephisto who has already partially faded away.
MJ: Peter!

Panel 4:
Peter's crashed through the window, heading up into the city...Mephisto is gone.

PETER (calling back): Those have to be Fisk's men, MJ...I can't let it happen!!

MJ: Peter! What about—
Panel 5:
Angle on MJ, bird's eye view?

MJ 2 (small): Me?

PAGE TWELVE:
This page is three (or four if nec.) panels of Spidey swinging aggressively through the city...

 Panel 1
SPIDEY 1 (THOUGHT): Gotta move!  Gotta move!  Has to be Fisk's men.

Panel 2
SPIDEY 2 (THOUGHT): After all this, there's no way— I won't let it!...

Panel 3
SPIDEY 3 (THOUGHT): Thought Fisk understood.  Thought I made my point VERY clear*

CAPTION 1 (AT BOTTOM): * Amazing Spider-Man 542

Panel 4 (or 5 if necessary):
Peter's got a firm grip on a web behind him. Far in front of him we can see he's webbed up the window -- and the concrete around it -- of May's hospital room!  That webbing is still shooting from his wrist here.

SPIDEY 4 (THOUGHT): If anyone's going to be in charge of Aunt May's fate, it's going to be me!  It's not going to be some devil-creature, some criminal, his goons— nobody gets near my aunt! NOBODY—

PAGE THIRTEEN:
SPLASH
Spidey's pulled the window off, taking bricks and concrete with it; he's swinging through the hole in the wall headed right towards some very nervous Kingpin heavies.

SPIDER-MAN 1: --BUT ME!!

PAGE FOURTEEN:
Panel 1
Spider-Man webs the guy w/the gun near the nurse.

Panel 2:
He swings the fella w/the gun into two others.

SPIDEY 1: Oopsie-daYzee!

GOON-A 1: HEY!

GOON-B 2: WOHH!

Panel 3:
Another goon is trying to tell Spidey to hang on a second.

GOON-C 1: No, wait, WAIT!

Panel 4:
Spidey's got one hand facing one way, webbing Goon-C, he's looking over at Aunt May, while his other hand webs the other goons on the floor.

SPIDEY 2: Fellas, you just made the biggest mistake of your lives!

MAN (O.P.): Actually, Mr. Parker, I believe—

PAGE FIFTEEN:
Panel 1:
MAN 1: --YOU HAVE.

The man standing there is another big tough-guy, bigger than any of the Goons. He's in a dark 3-piece suit on, wears bi-focals (Ben Franklin style).  He's Latino, very dapper. Who is he? I'll let him tell you...

Panel 2:
Shot of a Spidey not about to take any crap from anyone.  The towering Man is calm.

SPIDEY 3: Listen, junior, it's been a rough couple of weeks!  And the Kingpin's already been warned—

MAN 2: Yes.  And now he would like--

Panel 3:
Larger shot now.  Several doctors are walking in.

MAN 3: --to help.

MAN 4: These doctors have come from the world over at Mr. Fisk's request.

Panel 4:
SPIDEY 4: Wha--?!

Panel 5:
Spidey 5: Who are you?  Why would Fisk do this?

MAN 5: Mr. Fisk said you would know why.

MAN 6: As to who I am, I'm the man who will ensure that no one gets to your aunt or to you, I will be guarding her, your wife if necessary, and I will be on call to you any time.  You may call me...

Panel 6:
Close on Man...

MAN 7 (SFX): ...The Watcher!

Panel 7:
The Watcher has tossed Spidey a pager.

SPIDEY 6: ...

SPIDEY 7: Uh...I hate to break it to you...but that name's been taken...and he's a lot bigger than you.

(MAN) WATCHER 8: Really?  I've never heard of—

PAGE SIXTEEN:
Panel 1:
Angle on the Doctors around May, examining her chart, checking her eyes, etc.  Watcher and Spidey in foreground.

WATCHER 1: Nevertheless, the fact is we're here to help.  HIT A BUTTON ON THAT PAGER, I'LL FIND YOU.

Panel 2:
Spider-Man gets up in his face...

SPIDEY 1: FISK'S BEEN DEMEANED, BEATEN, AND EMBARRASSED – HURT TO HIS CORE.  BY ME.  and I just turned down a deal WITH a devil...WHY WOULD I GO ALONG WITH THIS?

WATCHER 2: I've no idea what devil you mean, AND, YES, WE'VE ALL HEARD WHAT HAPPENED.  WORD ON THE STREET, FISK'S GOT NO CHOICE BUT TO SHOW YOU SOME RESPECT.  I assure you, Mr. Fisk was very clear about thAT...THAT, AND THE FACT YOUR AUNT HAD BETTER LIVE. 

Panel 3:
Eerie shot of The Watcher.

WATCHER 3: ...But he promises HE WILL NOT FORGET WHAT BROUGHT HIM TO THIS. 

WATCHER 4: Apparently you've..."earned it"

Panel 4:
Spidey looking over Aunt May, mulling this over...

SPIDEY 2 (THOUGHT): I GUESS IT'S POSSIBLE... I'VE BEEN TAKING WHAT I WANT WHEN I WANT IT...EVEN IF IT MEANS THREATENING LIVES.  I'VE BECOME LITTLE MORE THAN A DESPERATE THIEF...AND I GUESS KINGPIN WOULD HONOR SOMEONE LIKE THAT...

SPIDEY 3 (THOUGHT): ...SOMEONE LIKE HIM!

Panel 5:
Spidey and The Watcher...

SPIDEY 5: I DON'T WANT FISK'S MONEY...OR HIS POWER ON MY SIDE!

WATCHER: POWER? ALL HE DID WAS MAKE CALLS.  AS FOR THE money, YOU'VE RECENTLY COME INTO SOME EXCESS FUNDS*?  THESE MEN ARE ON YOUR PAYROLL.

caption 1 (at bottom of panel): *asm 544

PAGE SEVENTEEN:
Panel 1:
Spidey approaches Aunt May. 

Panel 2:
Spidey sits on the edge of the bed.  The Docs have backed-off a bit.

Panel 3:
Close on Spidey, we can see Peter's eyes through the white "mirrored lenses."

SPIDER-MAN: Aunt May?  Things are really desperate now...doctors here said you can't be saved...

Panel 4:
spider-man 2: every one from reed richards to otto octavius said to trust thOSE DOCTORS...wouldn't even come look at you, see if they were wrong by some miniscule chance. 

spider-man 3: they all just assumed the worst.

panel 5:
SPIDER-MAN 4: MAYBE THEY KNOW BETTER.  I NEARLY SOLD MY SOUL TO SAVE YOU....HEH.  YOU WOULD HAVE BEEN SO ANGRY.  I'M NOT CERTAIN IF THIS IS BETTER.  DO THESE MEN SOMEHOW OWE KINGPIN A FAVOR?  DID HE THREATEN THEM? 

WATCHER (IN BG): I PROMISE YOU, MR. PARKER. THIS IS ALL ABOVE BOARD.  KINGPIN ORDERED US TO KEEP IT HONEST.

Panel 6:
Spidey's pulled his mask up to look her for a moment.

Panel 7:
Looking at May...

SPIDER-MAN/PETE 5: OKAY.  OKAY, WATCHER...

PAGE EIGHTEEN:
Panel 1:
Focusing on Spider-Man, his mask pulled back down. He's standing, pointing toward The Watcher.

Spidey 1: I'm going to trust you...you and the Kingpin...with my aunt's life!

Panel 2:
Spider-Man's in The Watcher's face.

spidey 2: But I'm telling you right now, one false move, one guy gets rough with another nurse, one person does anything that puts my aunt or any innocent in harm's way, you'll be the first person to pay--

Panel 3:
Large panel.  May is being wheeled out.  The Watcher has his eye on an exiting Spider-Man. The goons are trying to untangle themselves from the webbing.

SPIDEY 3: -- AND FISK WILL BE THE LAST!

Panel 4 (possible inset to panel 3):
Closer on The Watcher...

WATCHER 1 (THOUGHT): YES, MR. PARKER, I'M CERTAIN HE WILL.  AND YOU'LL BE MY COMRADE-IN-ARMS WHEN IT HAPPENS!

PAGE NINETEEN:
Panel 1:
Watcher has turned to the others and is walking out, following the doctors.

WATCHER 1: WHEN YOU GENTLEMAN HAVE FREED YOURSELVES, GET WORD BACK TO MR. FISK.  I WILL BE ENSURING OUR PATIENT AND HER PHYSICIANS GET TO OUR FACILITY SAFELY.

GOONS A, B, & C: Y-YESSIR!

Panel 2:
Hallway of hospital. Physicians and May with Watcher following...

WATCHER 2: OUT OF OUR WAY, PLEASE.  WE MUST SAVE THIS WOMAN'S LIFE...

Panel 3:
The Dr. from issue 544 gets in front of the Watcher.

DOCTOR 1: Sir, you can't just take a patient out of this hospital.

WATCHER 3: Yes, you're correct, I believe you've been put on some kind of retainer?  We'll need to get that money back.  That way we can be certain she gets better.  Fast.

DOCTOR 2: That's out of—

Panel 4:
The Goons exit the room, still with webbing on them. The Dr. has seen them however.
DOCTOR 3: Uh...yes...i'll make certain THEY get back every remaining penny.

panel 5:
Watcher is walking off, the Goons following.  The Doc stands nervously.  A patient who should've been in the background somewhere PREVIOUSLY on this page is saying to someone nearby...

PATIENT: I wonder who her provider is.

PAGE TWenTY and TWENTY-ONE:
Spidey's swinging through the city on these two pages...we can have a collage of images around him in any way you like...he's summing-up what's happened and giving clues to what's coming...
NOTE TO LETTERER: split the word balloons from one page to the next as needed.

SPIDER-MAN (THOUGHT): GOTTA GET BACK TO MJ AT THE MOTEL.  I RUSHED OUT OF THERE, LEAVING HER BEHIND WHEN, THROUGH ALL OF THIS, SHE STAYED BY MY – AND MAY'S – SIDE.

SPIDER-MAN (THOUGHT) 2: I'M NOT SURE HOW GOOD OF A HUSBAND I'VE BEEN.  I LET BEING SPIDER-MAN CONTROL NOT JUST MY LIFE, BUT OUR MARRIAGE. 

SPIDER-MAN (THOUGHT) 3: OF COURSE, BETWEEN fighting WITH THE AVENGERS, RUNNING FROM IRON MAN AND SHIELD, SKRULLS, MEPHISTO, AND NOW TRUSTING DOCTORS HIRED BY WILSON FISK TO SAVE AUNT MAY...

SPIDER-MAN (THOUGHT) 4: ...IT'S NO WONDER I'M A LITTLE DISTRACTED FROM FRIENDS AND FAMILY.  AND SPEAKING OF...I HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO'RE GOING TO WANT WORDS WITH ME.

SPIDER-MAN (THOUGHT) 5: FLASH THOMPSON PROBABLY BURST A VEIN, OLD FRIENDS LIKE DEB WHITMAN AND HOBIE BROWN MUST BE FREAKING!  MJ'S AUNT ANNA IS DUE A PHONE CALL...NOT TO MENTION ROBBIE, BETTY BRANT, AND—

SPIDER-MAN (THOUGHT) 6: THE POLICE.  I NEARLY FORGOT...HOW MANY CRIMES DID I COMMIT TO SAVE MAY?  TOO MANY.  IS THERE ANY DELIVERANCE FROM SUCH bad CHOICES?...WHO CAN I GO TO NOW?

PAGE TWENTY-TWO:
SPLASH PAGE
It's dawn.  Spidey's swinging towards the window of the hotel room; MJ curled up on the bed (curled-up or watchign TV, she should look sad); a large portion of the page should be a ghostly image of Aunt May in her hospital bed, physicians from earlier looking over her or even operating...

SPIDER-MAN (THOUGHT) 1: IT'S JUST ONE MORE DAY...AND THINGS ARE EXACTLY THE SAME, PETER OL' BUDDY.  THE SAME...YET DIFFERENT...

SPIDER-MAN 2: !

SPIDER-MAN (THOUGHT) 3: ...BUT I KNOW EXACTLY WHO TO GO TO!

That last thought balloon should be toward the bottom of the page and near a Daily Bugle Page 1 that's floating in the breeze.  JJJ's face is on the front, he's looking like Uncle Sam, finger pointed at the reader.

An image of Spider-Man is behind him (it's w/in a red circle w/a crossbar).  The headline reads: "WE WON'T BE FOOLED AGAIN!"

CAPTION: STAY TUNED, TRUE BELIEVERS!

Amazing Spider-Man 550:
SPECIAL DOUBLE-SIZED ANNIVERSARY ISSUE!! THIS IS THE ISSUE YOU'VE BEEN WAITING FOR!
NOTE: I started rewriting w/issue 545 -- SCROLL DOWN (or search this page with ctrl + F) to see it...and see the set-up for the NEW ENEMIES, old friends, the fight w/The Thunderbolts, The Rhino, a confrontation w/J. Jonah Jameson, plus a battle with SHIELD and a face-to-face with Iron Man!

Amazing Spider-Man 550:
SPECIAL DOUBLE-SIZED ANNIVERSARY ISSUE!! STUNNERS & SHOCKERS THROUGHOUT!  THE MIDDLE WILL BLOW YOU AWAY! THE ENDING WILL MAKE YOU PEE YOUR PANTS!!!

Please note: I post ALL drafts as I finish them. This is a 3rd draft which does need some tweaking...

It's a Jungle in Here Part 3 (aka, "No More Day!" [heh-heh]):
PAGE ONE:
SPLASH:
Extreme close of a manic, horrific face with round, bulging eyes, pointy nose...and wide, deranged grin.

It looks like Green Goblin...but the color's a little off...

SFX: HEH...HEH-HA! HEH HA-HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAA-AHAH!

TAN CAPTION: IN LIFE, ONE NEVER REMOVES HIS MASK – AT LEAST, NOT UNTIL LIFE HAS ALL BUT PASSED ONE BY.

That's our narrator from Part 1 -- revealed to be our ever-silhouetted mysterious bad guy -- returning here (again, captions do not have to be colored TAN, it's just a way to differentiate from regular captions without stating a name...a better color can be determined later):

TITLES/CREDITS:
IT'S A JUNGLE IN HERE! PART 3
Writer: Keith Planit
Artist: ?
Letters: ?
Dedicated to: Lee, Ditko, Roger Stern, David Michelinie, Ron Frenz, Peter David, Bob Layton, JRJR, Klaus Janson, Josef Rubenstein, Jim "Priest" Owsley, Todd McFarlane, and Bill Mantlo. (And a special thanks to all the folks who put Marvel Comics history up on Wikipedia!)

PAGE TWO:
Half-Splash:

Nighttime...

We get a better look at this creepy fella. He is NOT The Green Goblin. He's dressed like what can only be described as a dapper zombie in crumbling clothes, and he's flying on a mechanical apparatus which is most decidedly NOT a Goblin Glider. But it's powerful and creepy nonetheless.

Behind him, two other people follow (on their flying machines of some sort), but at a distance – they're in silhouette.

All three are causing havoc above the NYC streets!

CAPTION 1: IN THE NEW YORK CITY SKIES...

TAN CAPTION: WE TELL OURSELVES, WE MUST PUT ON A FACE, PUT UP A FRONT...

TAN CAPTION 2: IT'S ALL JUST A TRICK OF THE MIND...

CAPTION (next to the Goblin-like character) 2: TRICK.

Panel 2:
We've panned down here. The three from the panel above, are passing over the "camera." On the street, decomposing fingers are seen coming through a loosened manhole cover. NOTE: the metal of the cover, near the fingers, should appear rusted and crumbling.

TAN CAPTION 3: AND WE CAN ONLY DO THE BEST WE CAN DO. EXISTENCE IS CRUEL.

Panel 3:
CAPTION 3: ON THE NEW YORK CITY STREETS.

TAN CAPTION 4: YOU MUST ALWAYS BE SEARCHING FOR THE GOOD IN LIFE. BECAUSE LIFE GIVES YOU NOTHING.

Here, we reveal what's coming through the manhole: another masked madman...this mask looks like a frowning decomposing pumpkin – with grubs crawling out of the oozing holes all around it.

CAPTION 4: TREAT.

In this panel, he's tossed the manhole into a store-front. Someone is ducking out of the way of crumbling glass.

Panel 4:
Running along the rooftop is another guy. Simple, burly. A hazy blue moon, with craters (part of his face or the mask?...), covers half his face. He is in a complete face/body mask that is otherwise white.

CAPTION 5: ATOP NEW YORK CITY ROOFTOPS.

TAN CAPTION 5: BUT FINDING THE GOOD ISN'T ALWAYS SO EASY. LIFE'S DARK TURNS TEND TO SHROUD THOSE DAYS WHICH SHINE BRIGHT...

CAPTION 6: BLUE ECLIPSE.

Panel 5:
The five new villains are converging, coming together....people in the street are running...

TAN CAPTION 6: BUT, THEY SAY, WHEN IT RAINS IT POURS...

PAGE THREE:
SPLASH:
We now see the entire group.

TAN CAPTION 1: AND WHEN ONE THING GOES YOUR WAY...IT OFTEN SEEMS LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE WILL FOLLOW...

The other vile foes who were silhouetted before are: a female with a metallic mask which looks like it is in a tearful, perpetual scream....

CAPTION 1: HALLOW'S EVE.

...And another of this team, whose face is hidden by what looks like the dying leaves of a corn stalk. For the rest of the costume, he's somewhere between The Green Goblin and DC's The Scarecrow...He carries a decaying, but still useful, scythe.

CAPTION 2: HARVEST.



TAN CAPTION 2: AND, OH, WILL IT EVER!

PAGE FOUR:
Panel 1:
Large panel (Vertical 1/3-page panel?):
Spider-Man screaming, captured, clearly in torment!

CAPTION: A LAB – WEST SIDE, NYC.

SPIDER-MAN 1: AAAIGGEEAHH!!

Panel 2:
Unless you reveal it in panel 1, we should see here that Spidey is:
1. In the lab of Dr. Ernest T. Wretched (from previous issues).
2. In the same machine Rhino and Gargan were strapped to in previous issues.
3. Finding himself not just strapped-in at his wrists, legs, and waist, but his Spider-spikes should be sticking out of his wrists, and those are nailed down as well...

Panel 3:
We see Venom overseeing the goings-on. He's wearing a headset. (Yup! He's trying [pretending] to be part of the establishment now -- so he's gotta answer to folks...)

Panel 4:
Dr. Wretched is very pleased, he's moving a lever or turning a dial of some sort....
(ARTIST: split this into 2 panels, if panel 1 shows all the things listed for panel 2).

PAGE FIVE:
Panel 1-2:
Small panels – large needles from over-sized syringes, slide into Spidey's neck.

Panel 3:
Angle on a computer monitor showing Spidey's raising heart-rate.

Panel 4/5:
Angle on a computer monitor displaying a clear decline in "Superhuman Levels" (bleh -- need a better name [working on it])

Panel 6:
VENOM: WRETCHED, EXPLAIN THIS 'SUPERHUMAN' MONITOR.

WRETCHED 1: OH, IT'S SO SIMPLE, TRULY. SEE, THAT IS MEASURING HIS STRENGTH ABOVE AND BEYOND THOSE OF A NORMAL MAN OF HIS SIZE AND WEIGHT. IT'S A TEMPORARY DETERIORATION MOSTLY...

Panel 7:
Venom has his finger pressed to the earphone of his headset.

WRETCHED 2: ...MERELY A SYMPTOM OF THE ALTERATIONS BEING MADE TO HIS ACTUAL DNA.

VENOM (small; into headset): YESSS, OSBORN, HE'S EXPLAINING IT ALL TO US NOW.

PANEL 8:
Close on Dr. Wretched...

WRETCHED 3: THE STRESS ON THE BODY IS GREAT. YOU, GARGAN, DID NOT FEEL IT, BECAUSE OF THE SYMBIOTE'S INFLUENCE. BUT YOU, LIKE RHINO –

VENOM (small): WE ARE VENOM.

PANEL 9:
Closer on Dr. Wretched...

WRETCHED 4: -- HAVE FOUND YOUR ANIMALISTIC SIDES COMPLETELY REMOVED. HEH-EH.

PAGE SIX:
Panels: ARTIST: lay out as you see fit.

CAPTION: RENTED WAREHOUSE – 1 CITY BLOCK FROM THE LAB:

In a dark room, PR Guy, the shape-shifter we've seen previously, and our mysterious villain are gathered....

TAN CAPTION: TAKING CONTROL OF ONE'S LIFE IS OFTEN THE HARDEST THING TO DO.

SILHOUETTE 1: THE HALLOWEEN GANG?

LAWYER (SHAPE-SHIFTER) 1: SCOURING THE CITY FOR HER.

SILHOUETTE 2: THE NEW ONE – WHAT'RE WE CALLING IT?

PR GUY 1: WE'RE LOOKING AT 'GENUS.' AND WRETCHED FEELS VERY CONFIDENT THE SUBJECT WILL TAKE TO THE DNA-JUSTMENT.

TAN CAPTION 2: IT IS A STRUGGLE WE ALL FACE – DO WE CONTROL LIFE VS. LIFE CONTROLING US.

SILHOUETTE 3: HM. I NEED AN ETA.

PR GUY 2: IT'S ALREADY IN THE PROCESS...BUT HE'S CONCENTRATING ON THE SPIDER-MAN AT THE MOMENT, SIR.

TAN CAPTION 3: THE ANSWER IS NEVER CLEAR. SO ONE'S ACTIONS MUST MAKE IT CLEAR.

SILHOUETTE 4: BE THOROUGH WITH SPIDER-MAN. I'M NOT TERRIBLY CONCERNED WITH THE SUCCESS OR FAILURE OF GENUS...MERELY AN INTERESTING EXPERIMENT.

TAN CAPTION 4: SOMETIMES, THE ONLY WAY TO FIND THAT ANSWER, IS TO STARE DEATH SQUARE IN THE FACE.

LAWYER & PR GUY: NOTED, SIR.

TAN CAPTION 5: AND THOUGH DEATH MAY WIN, SOMETIMES, YOU CAN CRAWL OUT OF THE MUCK AND STRETCH STRIATED FINGERS TOWARDS THE HAND OF FATE.

SILHOUETTE 5: AND BE CERTAIN IT LOOKS LIKE THE THUNDERBOLTS WERE DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN THIS GENUS EXPERIMENT.

LAWYER: OF COURSE.

PR GUY: ON IT, SIR.

SILHOUETTE 6: AND, ON OCCASION, FATE MAY GIVE YOU A GOOD OL' SHOVE IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

Right here let's give him a wide Green Goblin-like grin in the darkness (he's otherwise still unrecognizable):

SILHOUETTE 7: AHH. ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER DEMISE.
SILHOUETTE 8 (connected): OFF WITH YOU ALL.

PAGE SEVEN-EIGHT:
Artist: lay out as nec.
EST. SHOT: hallway of a small motel. One door is open; a powder-blue piece of luggage outside the door.

CAPTION: IRT MOTEL – MID-TOWN WEST NYC:

AUNT ANNA (O.P.) 1 : I'M OKAY, MJ, YOU SHOULD PROBABLY GO.

MJ (O.P.) 1 :AUNT ANNA, IT'S FINE.


AUNT ANNA 2: I JUST DON'T WANT...TO CAUSE ANY TROUBLE.

MJ 2 : ANNA, REALLY. IT'S FINE...


MJ 3 : ...BESIDES, I NEED SOME FAMILY BY MY SIDE. I- I FEEL LIKE EVERYTHING IS JUST...BARELY HANGING ON.

ANNA 3: EXPLAIN WHAT YOU MEAN, M.J.


MJ 4 : *SIGH* WHERE PETER AND I ARE NOW...IT'S LIKE WE'VE GOT EVERYTHING WE WANT FROM EACH OTHER...AND THAT WE, AS A COUPLE, CAN SURVIVE ANYTHING. AND, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, EVEN AUNT MAY'S CONDITION IS SLOWLY IMPROVING...
MJ 5 (connected): ...BUT, WITH THAT....


MJ 6 : ...WE'VE SUDDENLY BEEN GIVEN SO MANY MORE WORRIES. FROM S.H.I.E.L.D., THIS TRIAL FOR PETER'S CRIMES...WE STILL NEED A PLACE TO LIVE, WE'RE FUGITIVES. AND LET'S NOT FORGET THE DEVIL'S WARNING....

AUNT ANNA 4: THE WHAT'S WHAT?

MJ 7 : NOTHING. I'M JUST GLAD YOU'RE HERE IS ALL I'M TRYING TO SAY.

AUNT ANNA 5: THEN LET ME ASK ONE, LITTLE QUESTION...

AUNT ANNA 6: IF YOU TWO ARE FUGITIVES, WASN'T IT DANGEROUS FOR YOU TO MEET ME AND CHECK ME INTO THE MOTEL?

Artist: Exterior of hotel. (Maybe we see MJ and/or Anna through window?) Outside, strategically placed, we see Luke Cage, Wolverine and Echo....

MJ 8 : OH. WELL-L-L...I'VE HAD A FEW ANGELS WATCHING OVER MY SHOULDER.

PAGE NINE-TEN:
ARTIST: lay out as you see fit.

EST. NYC precinct building.

CAPTION: 1^st PRECINCT – FINANCIAL DISTRICT – DOWNTOWN NYC.

DETECTIVE 1 (O.P.) : WHAT'S THE WORD?

DETECTIVE 2 (O.P.): CAPTAIN SAYS S.H.I.E.L.D. ASKS WE 'RESPECT THE MASK.' %!@$! SO I GUESS IT STAYS ON.

We're in a specialized holding room. A logo on the wall: SuperHuman Objector Task-force – S.H.O.T. (This seemed better than SuperHuman Investigation Task-force).

Angle on The Prowler in an interrogation room; he's restrained in those oversized cuffs villains in The Vault are often seen in; these cuffs are chained to the floor. Two police detectives are around him Det. 1 is very laid-back, a black man; Det. 2 is anxious, a little overbearing (male, female – it doesn't matter. But burly.).

DETECTIVE 1 -Balloon2: ALRIGHT...SO GIVE ON WHAT WAS HAPPENING DOWN THERE.

PROWLER 1: SAW IT ON THE NEWS IS ALL. SPIDER-MAN WAS IN TROUBLE...I CAME DOWN, HELPED.

DETECTIVE 2 -Balloon2: PROBLEM IS, SPIDER-MAN'S A KNOWN FUGITIVE!

DETECTIVE 1 -Balloon3: BUT YOU SEEMED TO BE FLYING UNDER THE RADAR UNTIL YOU JUMPED IN ON THIS MESS.

DETECTIVE 2 - 3: YOU HAD TO KNOW THAT WAS GONNA HAPPEN. THAT YOU'D BE MARKED AFTER THIS.

DETECTIVE 1 - 4: HAD TO KNOW.

PROWLER 2 : HAD A FEELING.

DETECTIVE 2 - 4: LISTEN, S.H.I.E.L.D.'S COMING HERE FOR YOU WHETHER YOU TELL US THE WHOLE STORY OR NOT. IT'D JUST BE EASIER IF YOU GAVE IT TO US...

DETECTIVE 1 - 5: BE A LOT EASIER.

Somewhere in here, we need to see a small tool has popped out from Prowler's boot.

DETECTIVE 2 - 5: WERE YOU TRYING TO AIDE AND ABET THE FUGITIVE?

DETECTIVE 1 - 6: MAYBE HE THOUGHT THE THUNDERBOLTS WERE BAD GUYS.

DETECTIVE 2 - 6: DID YOU RECOGNIZE THE THUNDERBOLTS ON THE SCENE? WERE YOU TRYING TO TAKE DOWN GOVERNMENT AGENTS?

Prowler's working the plate on the floor, the one the chain leads to...the plate's loosening thanks to the tool in his boot...

DETECTIVE 2 - 7: !@$%! YOU TALK TO 'IM – HE SOUNDS LIKE A BROTHER ANYWAYS.

DETECTIVE 1 - 7: I WAS AN ONLY CHILD.

DETECTIVE 2 - 8: YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN!

DETECTIVE 1 - 8: SADLY, I DO.

DETECTIVE 1 - 9: LISTEN, CRAWLER—

PROWLER 3: PROWLER.

DETECTIVE 1 - 10: RIGHT. LISTEN. S.H.I.E.L.D.'LL BE HERE RIGHT QUICK. WE HAVE A CHOICE, TO TELL 'EM YOU'RE COOPERATING OR TELL 'EM YOU'VE BEEN TROUBLE.

DETECTIVE 1 - 10: I'D LIKE TO TELL 'EM YOU'VE BEEN COOPERATING.

DETECTIVE 1: ...

DETECTIVE 2 - 9: AW, F'R CHISSAKES. ALLA THE HEROES BEEN ACTIN' LIKE CRIMINALS LATELY...AND THIS ONE'S NOT GONNA BE ANY DIFFERENT.

Detective 2 storms out.

DETECTIVE 1 (small): FRIEND? I CAN ONLY STALL FOR SO MUCH LONGER HERE WHILE YOU WORK THAT PLATE ON THE FLOOR. SO IF YOU'RE GONNA BOLT, MAKE IT FAST, HM?

Close on Prowler. It's pretty clear he's smiling under that mask.


PAGE ELEVEN-THIRTEEN:
ARTIST: lay out as you see fit

Another Detective. A regular interrogation room. Watcher – the one meant to be looking out for Aunt May per previous issues – sits there, arms cuffed behind his back.

The detective is laying into him, hard...

DETECTIVE 3: I WANT TO KNOW NOW WHO THE !%@ YOU ARE! I WANT TO KNOW WHY THE !@$!H% YOU WERE HELPING SPIDER-MAN, AND WHAT YOU EXPECTED TO GET FROM IT!

DETECTIVE 3: BECAUSE, AT THIS POINT, FELLA, THE ONLY THING YOU'RE GETTING IS TIME IN A HOLDING CELL, A MEETING WITH A JUDGE, AND AS MUCH MORE TIME IN A CELL I CAN GET THEM TO GIVE YOU FOR AIDING AND ABETTING, NEVER MIND ASSAULTING AN OFFICER!

WATCHER: WHUT?! I DI'N'T TOUCH YOU, MAN!

The officer grabs the arm off of a nearby wooden chair and smacks himself right on the side of his head...he's now red and a little bloody. He puts the arm of the chair back.

Detective 2 enters in next panel...

DETECTIVE 3: YOU GOT ANYTHING TO SAY YET, AMIGO?

Next panel:

Detectives 2 and 3 are facing each other...

DETECTIVE 2: AW, WHAT THE !@!$@, DONALD, YOU SMACK YOURSELF WITH THE ARM OF THE CHAIR AGAIN?

DETECTIVE 3: ...
DETECTIVE 3 - 2 (connected/small): HE HIT ME. GUY'S, LIKE, SUPER-STRONG.

DETECTIVE 2 - 2: OUT.

He exits.

DETECTIVE 2 - 3: LISTEN, YOUR FINGERPRINTS, YOUR FACE, NOTHING ABOUT YOU IS IN A COMPUTER OR REGISTERS WITH ANYONE WE KNOW. IF YOU'RE A NEW HERO IN TOWN, REGISTER. MAKE THIS EASY.

DETECTIVE 2 – 4: IF YOU'RE RUNNING SOME OTHER SCAM, WE'RE GONNA GET YOU SHUT DOWN FAST...BECAUSE THE SUPER-FREAKS'LL COME IN, AND WE'LL TURN A BLIND EYE.

Angle on Watcher, silent.

WATCHER: AND IF I REGISTER?

DETECTIVE 2 – 5: YOU MIGHT GET A CALL FROM S.H.I.E.L.D., SOME PROPER TRAINING, AND BE ASSIGNED TO THE INTIATIVE.

WATCHER 2: AND IF I GOT A MISSION OF MERCY HERE IN THE CITY?

DETECTIVE 2 – 6: !H%T! IS THAT SOME SORTA CODE FOR A REVENGE KILL?

WATCHER 3: NO. IT'S WHAT IT IS. I'M LOOKIN' AFTER AN OLD LADY. RELATED TO A 'SUPER.'

DETECTIVE 2 - 7: YOU MESSIN' WITH ME?

WATCHER 4: NOT YET...

WATCHER 5: BY THE WAY, YOUR BUDDY THINKS I'M MEXICAN. AND HE'S NUTS.

DETECTIVE 2 – 8: I KNOW.
DETECTIVE 2 – 9 (connected): ...YOU REGISTERING?

Close on Watcher. Evil grin.

WATCHER 6: HEY, GOT NO REASON NOT TO...AMIGO!

PAGE FOURTEEN:
ARTIST: lay out as you see fit.

We're back in the lab of Dr. Wretched.

Needles from Spidey's neck are being retracted...

The Superhuman Levels are falling slowly on that monitor.

Spidey's struggling, breathing heavy and hard.

The web-spikes coming from his wrists are cracking, crumbling...but the nails holding them to the platform are still holding!

Spider-Man's trying to free his arms...

He makes a fist and shoots webbing from one wrist...

His webbing gums up the mechanical works of the retracting needles...

He continues to shoot webbing from his wrists, but the amount is less...until there's none.

PAGE FIFTEEN:
ARTIST: lay out as you see fit.

Spider-Man is wide-eyed and panicked at the lack of webbing coming from his wrist. In this shot we can see the web-spikes have almost completely deteriorated.

ANGLEON: Dr. Wretched trying to pull the webbing off of the retracting parts which held one needle. The apparatus whirring and stalling...

SFX (by mechanical joint in machinery): wrhhhhh!

WRETCHED: CURSED ARACHNID-MAN!  IT'S NOT YET DONE!
WRETCHED (small): CAN'T SHUT HER DOWN NOW! IT'S NOT YET DONE!  HAVE TO FIX IT...HAVE TO FIX IT!! NOT YET DONE!

Spidey turns his head toward the other wrist.

A shot of webbing shoots out.

This shot gums up the mechanical pieces retracting the other needle.

WRETCHED: NOO!

The web-spikes now dissipate completely...With the spikes no longer there, Spider-Man finally has a little room to maneuver his hands: bending hishand at the wrist, he grabs hold of the restraints over each wrist –

Spidey crumbles them and screams...

SPIDER-MAN: NYAAGRRHHH!!

PAGE SIXTEEN:
Panel 1:
Venom's tossed his headset aside and jumps at Spider-Man...

Panel 2:
Spidey's reached back, yanked the needles off the apparatus which still hover above him.

Panel 3:
Larger panel.
Venom in the air at Spidey, Spidey swinging his fists down as hard as he can, stabbing the needles into Venom's back (or lats)...

Panel 4:
Larger panel.  Spidey hops over Venom, runs to the boarded-up exit Rhino created some issues earlier, kicks it open...

Panel 5:
He's removed his mask, turned toward the Doctor. He's a sweaty, red-faced, clearly exahausted – and unshaven mess...but he still has room for a twinkle-eyed smirk...

PETER: WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO GET TOGETHER AGAIN – REAL SOON!  AND I PROMISE, DOCTOR...

Panel 6:
ANGLE INTO The lab from outside: Spidey's leaping out of sight. Inside, we see a pained Venom doubled-over...and a clearly distraught Dr. Wretched...

PETER 2: WE DEFINITELY WILL!

PAGE SEVENTEEN:

Panel 1-2:
Spidey atop the roofs, running, jumping, etc.

Panel 3:
He comes to a rest, sitting back on a rooftop against the wall. He's still unmasked....

PETER (small): WOO-OOH!

PETER 2 (thought): WHATEVER THAT WAS...IT PACKED A WOLLOP. 

Panel 4:
Peter's looking down at his gloved hands...

PETER 3 (thought): AND I'M NOT SO SURE I LIKED WHAT I SAW....

Panel 5:
He's aimed his hands in web-shooting form...

Panel 6:
Hands still out, wrists aimed...

PETER 4: THWIP?...
PETER 5 (connected): NOTHING... NO WEBBING. 
BUT-- WAITAMINUTE...

PAGE EIGHTEEN:
Panel 1:
He's looking over the edge of the building into a dark alley.

PETER (THOUGHT): THE NIGHT VISION'S GONE TOO.

Panel 2:
He's spun to the metal door which leads to the stairs within the building he's on and has pulled the door off.

PETER 2 (thought): STILL FEEL LIKE I'VE GOT MY STRENGTH...WELL, MOSTLY.

Panel 3:
Peter's trying to put the door back.

PETER 3: HM. TIMES LIKE THESE I COULD USE HEAT VISION...

Panel 4:
PETER4 (thought): OKAY, BACK TO THE TASK AT HAND. I WATCHED MY CRAZYWEB-SPIKES DISSIPATE, MY WEBBING'S GONE, MY STRENGTH SLIGHTLYDEPLETED....

PETER5 (thought): I THINK I KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENED HERE – BUT I CAN'T BE SURE WITHOUT SOME TESTS...AND THERE'S ONLY ONE PLACE I CAN DO THAT WITHOUT DISTRACTION...

Panel 5:
Spidey's taken several big leaps north...

PAGE NINETEEN:
Panel 1:
We're still on the same roof – Spidey's gone (or way off in the background)....

Panel 2:
The Halloween Gang has flown into view...

Panel 3:
We see they're still very happily causing panic...

ARTIST: Rest of page as you see fit:

Amidst the chaos, we see an orangey-colored wolf (yes, I said "orangey"). It jumps at one of the Halloween Gang (either Harvest or Blue Eclipse)...

Harvest (or Blue) yanks the creature off his back and tosses it, and, mid-air, the wolf turns into a hawk of about the same size (and weight), and, again, with orange feathers. Please note: ARTIST: the creature is changing species, but unlike, say, DC's Beast Boy, he does NOT change size and weight. So he will always be the same size/weight (making him a pretty small elephant, but a pretty large mouse should he become those things).

PAGE TWENTY:
Panel 1 (and two?):
The large Hawk flies up and over the city – we see the Daily Bugle/Flatiron building across town....

Panel 2:
Larger panel.

CAPTION: THE DAILY BUGLE OFFICES – FLATIRON DISTRICT, NYC.

Inside the Bugle, everyone's running around like maniacs...

J.J.J.: BETTY, WHAT'VE YOU GOT?

BETTY:MORE REPORTS...THEY'RE JUST SOUTH OF US, DESTROYING EVERYTHING THEY CAN. ESU STUDENTS ARE E-MAILING US THEIR PICTURES AND VIDEOS FROM THEIR PHONES.

ROBBIE: JONAH, I SENT STERN OUT TO COVER IT – IF THIS IS ANOTHER GOBLIN, HE'S GOT THE BEST EXPERIENCE AFTER URICH.

Panel 3:
J.J.J.: AND WHO DO WE BELIEVE IS UNDER THE MASK? OSBORN? F'R GOD'S SAKE, IT BETTER NOT BE NED LEEDS!

ROBBIE: NOBODY'S GOT ANY ANSWERS YET, J.J.!

Panel 4:

BETTY2: POLICE SEEM TO BE ABOUT A MINUTE BEHIND THESE MASKED CREEPS. EVERYWHERE THEY GO, THEY CREATE HAVOC, THE POLICE SHOW, BUT THEY'RE GONE BY THEN.

J.J.J.: I WANT EVERYONE OUT THERE! GET STREET BEAT ON THE KIDS, SHOP OWNERS, AND THE POLICE. GET THE POLITICOS TO THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, AND GET SOMEONE ON CAPES TO SEE WHAT STARK'S GOING TO DO ABOUT THIS.

ROBBIE: ALREADY WORKING ON IT.

Panel 5:
Close on J.J.J.:
J.J.J.: AND WHERE IN THE WILD WORLD OF !!$K*! IS SPIDER-MAN?!  STILL IN CUSTODY? IS S.H.I.E.L.D. GONNA STOP THESE FREAKS? OR ARE THEY JUST GONNA BRING THIS CITY TO ITS KNEES?

PAGE TWENTY-ONE:
Large panel:
We're in a vast room. The only brightly lit area reveals a TV camera and a podium in front of a wall with the Thunderbolts logo...

Our evil friend, the mysterious Silhouette, is sitting at a small table with a laptop. The PR Guy is and Shape-Shifter are present....

TAN CAPTION: FATE. SHE CAN BE A CRUEL AND HARSH LOVER.

TAN CAPTION 2: BUT SHE RESPECTS STRENGTH.  SHE BOWS TO POWER.  AND SHE KNEELS TO DOMINANCE.

TAN CAPTION 3: MY FATHER TAUGHT ME THAT.

SILHOUETTE: GENTLEMAN, I AM ABOUT READY TO CONNECT...ARE YOU SET?

Panel 2-4:
The Lawyer/Shape-Shifter changes his form – from Average Joe-Lawyer to Norman Osborn.

SHAPE-SHIFTER: READY, SIR.

Panel 5:
SILHOUETTE2: UNDERSTAND...NORMAN WILL ATTEMPT TO TRACK THE SIGNAL. AS CLEVER AS THIS TEAM OF MINE IS...HE HAS MORE RESOURCES THAN WE DO. WE ENGAGE, RECORD YOUR CONFERENCE, UPLOAD TO ALL LOCAL NEWS ORGANIZATIONS...

SILHOUETTE 3: ...THEN WE'RE OUT!

PAGE TWENTY-TWO:
Panel 1:
Est. Thunderbolts Mountain.

CAPTION: THUNDERBOLTS MOUNTAIN – HOME TO THE HEROIC TEAM OF SUPER-VILLAINS WORKING FOR S.H.I.E.L.D....AND TO NORMAN OSBORN, FORMER GREEN GOBLIN AND TEAM LEADER....

NORMAN OSBORN (o.p.): I AM NOT CONCERNED WITH YOUR PROBLEMS! I WANT THE SOLUTIONS, GARGAN!!

Panel 2:
We're inside the mountain now, in Osborn's office. He's talking on a headset, looking out a window, railing at Venom/Gargan on the other end.

NORMAN OSBORN 2: FINE. 'VENOM'!  AND, NO, YOU'RE DONE!  I'M PULLING YOU OUT!  THE THUNDERBOLTS VERSUS SPIDER-MAN – THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN EASY!

NORMAN OSBORN 3: THE OTHERS GET THEIR BUTTS HANDED TO THEM, AND YOU BARELY ESCAPE WITH YOUR SKINS!  NOW I'VE GOT TO ANSWER TO STARK BEFORE WE MAKE EVEN ONE MORE M—

SFX: DEET-DEET! DEET-DEET!

Panel 3:

SFX: DEET-DEET! DEET-DEET! DEET-DEET!

NORMAN OSBORN 4: VENOM, THE OTHERS ARE ALL EN ROUTE?...HM.  THEN WHO'D BE CONTACTING ME ON THE SECURE FREQUENCY?

NORMAN OSBORN 5: GOTTA GO. OSBORN OUT.

Panel 4:
Small panel.

Angle on Norman bending toward his laptop computer, which sits on his desk.On the screen we see a window with a button reading: INCOMING CALL – VISUAL

Panel 5:
Small panel.

Normy's got an apparatus on his finger – an infrared light points at the screen. He clicks the button.

Panel 6:
Angle on computer: a new window has opened. A message reads:
DECRYPTION IN PROGRESS
BUFFERING IN PROGRESS
ATTAINING VISUAL CONTACT. . .

PAGE TWENTY-THREE:
Panel 1:
Angle on terribly stunned and shocked Norman Osborn...

TAN CAPTION: YES, THE ONLY WAY TO CONTROL FATE, IS TO MAKE THAT WITCH YOURS!...

NORMAN OSBORN 1: WH- WHAT IS--?!

SILHOUETTE (O.P./ELECTRIC FROM COMPUTER): QUITE A SHOCK THIS MUST BE....

Panel 2:
Normy's looking at the computer – more like he's examining it, to see if the image is real...

NORMAN OSBORN 2: WHAT KIND OF SICK JOKE--?!

SILHOUETTE (O.P./ELECTRIC FROM COMPUTER): NO JOKE...JUST WANTED TO CHECK IN, SEE HOW THINGS WERE GOING...

Panel 3:
Much Larger panel here (3/4-page splash?).  Nice shot of the computer – on it is the face (and that wacky wavy hair) of smilin' HARRY OSBORN!

Maybe the shadows from the darkness around him, give him a Green Goblin shape to his head...He is grinning quite happily.

HARRY: ...DAD!

HARRY 2 (SFX): HEHEHEHEHEHEH!

PAGE TWENTY-FOUR:
A furious Norman Osborn has swept his fist at something on his desk (lamp, phone, Goblin Bobblehead, whatever...), sending it across the room!

Panel 1:
NORMAN 1: WHOEVER YOU ARE, YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GETTING YOURSELF INTO, WHO YOU'RE DEALING WITH, OR WHAT KIND OF AWFUL AGONIZING DEATH YOU'VE JUST WISHED UPON YOURSELF!...

Panel 2:
He's pointing at the computer – the infrared beam from his finger-mouse doohickey should be visible...

HARRY 1: WHATCHA GONNA DO, POP? TOSS ME OFF A BRIDGE?

NORMAN 2: LISTEN, YOU WRETCHED PILE OF FILTH...I'VE THE KIND OF POWER AND RESOURCES OUR PRESIDENT AND HIS CRONIES DREAM OF HAVING! THIS IS NOT A GAME YOU WANT TO BE PLAYING!

Panel 3 (and 4?):
Inset: The infrared beam has directed the cursor, and a window's popped-up which reads:
TRACE INITIATED. . .

Panel 4:
HARRY 2: OH, NORMAN...DEAR FATHER...I PROMISE YOU, THIS IS A GAME I WANT TO BE PLAYING. MATTER OF FACT, YOU'RE ABOUT TO GET CHECKED. I SHOULD BE CAREFUL – I KNOW IT'S NOT YET MATE.

Panel 5:
Angle on Harry now...Norman on his computer...
Teeth grit, sweat pouring off his brow...Norman's biting back the anger to try and hear Harry out...

NORMAN 3: MEANING WHAT?

HARRY 3: MEANING THAT HERE YOU ARE TALKING TO YOUR LONG-DEAD SON, ON A SECURE LINE THAT WILL READ NO INCOMING CALLS...

Panel 6:
Inset:
The TRACE window results:
TRACE SCAN: INCONCLUSIVE.
. . .INTIATING ADDITIONAL SECURITY PROTOCOLS. . .

PAGE TWENTY-FIVE:
Panel 1:
Angle on Harry in the large, dark room. In the BG is the Shape-Shifter posing as Norman, standing at the podium.

LETTERER: A small word balloon should be coming from phony Norman in this shot, the words illegible (b/c he's far away).

HARRY:...YOUR TEAM IS ELSEWHERE...YOU'RE ALONE IN THE HQ...WHICH IS WHY EVERYONE IS GOING TO BE SO, SO STUNNED...WHEN THEY TURN ON THE NEWS. AND, GRACIOUS, WHAT WILL YOU TELL THEM? WHAT'S YOUR ALIBI? WHAT'S YOUR EXCUSE?

Panel 2:
NORMAN: WHAT ARE YOU--?! EXCUSE?...ALIBI FOR WHAT?!

HARRY(electric, from computer): GUESS YOU'LL HAVE TO WATCH IT WITH THE REST OF AMERICA. AND, OH, THEY WILL CERTAINLY BE WATCHING!  I SHOULD GO NOW, DAD. SO MUCH TIME TO MAKE UP F--

Panel 3:
Desperate Norman...

NORMAN: HARRY.  HARRY...WAIT!  IS-- IS THAT REALLY YOU?  TH- THIS ISN'T POSSIBLE!  YOU WERE BURIED...KILLED BY THE FORMULA!

Panel 4:
Harry's leaned into the camera, close...

HARRY: OH, FATHER, THE GOBLIN FORMULA DOESN'T LIKE TO STAY DEAD AND BURIED...YOU, ABOVE ANYONE, KNOW THAT!

Panel 5:
Harry's gone from the screen.

NORMAN: HARRY?...HARRY!

PAGE TWENTY-SIX:
Panel 1:
Norman's wide-eyed, still sweating...

NORMAN (small): HARRY...

Panel 2:
A faded image outside the window of the Green Goblin on his glider appears...

SFX: AH-HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAA!!

Panel 3:
Norman spins

Panel 4:
Nothing behind him but a window and a beautiful mountainous view.

NORMAN (small): OH GOD NO. 


PAGE TWENTY-SEVEN:
artist: Lay-out as you see fit...

Various shots of S.H.I.E.L.D. troops: stomping around outside of precinct, marching into precinct, aiming weapons around corners...
(Can Detectives 1 and 2 from earlier be in the BG of one of the above?)

S.H.I.E.L.D. TROOP 1 (electric): FIRST PRECINCT SECURED. SEARCHING PERIMITER NOW, DIRECTOR HILL.

Larger panel: revealing the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier above lower Manhattan (Financial District as mentioned earlier).  S.H.I.E.L.D. troops flying down and around the precinct.  Search lights are aimed at various nooks and crannies nearby.

DIRECTOR HILL (ELECTRIC): ACKNOWLEDGED, SERGEANT. ADDITIONAL SUPPORT DEPLOYED – I WANT TO MAKE AN EXAMPLE OF THIS PROWLER. NOBODY ESCAPES, NOBODY HELPS A FUGITIVE OF S.H.I.E.L.D.

On an adjacent building, visible in the previous panel, on the underside of a ledge, The Prowler hangs, claws and the tool (seen earlier) from each boot, holding him tightly to his spot.

PROWLER (thought): Okay. they're stronger, got more weapons, more men, and more training...but what can prowler do that they can't?

A phalanx of S.H.I.E.L.D. troops flies by several stories above him...

PROWLER 2 (thought): ...

Using a laser from his wrist gauntlet, Prowler slices a hole in a window...and swings in...

PAGE TWENTY-EIGHT:
Panel 1:
Full horizontal panel:
bird's Eye View: the entrance/sidewalk of the building Prowler was hanging from... S.H.I.E.L.D. agents everywhere...

Panel 2:
Still bird's eye view, but tighter shot:
A black man is seen exiting the building...

Panel 3:
At street level:
Toby, looking like anyone else on the street, is walking past the S.H.I.E.L.D. troops, who take no notice of him.  A little ahead of him, off the sidewalk, is an alleyway...

PROWLER: LOOKS LIKE THE PROWLER CAN DO ONE THING...AND THAT'S TURN INVISIBLE. AND I THINK THIS TIME IT'S FOR THE BEST. IT'S NOT EVEN A HARD DECISION...

Panel 4:
Large panel w/inset:
PROWLER 2: THE WAY THINGS ARE THESE DAYS – S.H.I.E.L.D., THE REGISTRATION ACT -- I MAY BE ABLE TO DO MORE GOOD...

Inset (at upper right): Over-the-shoulder shot of Toby looking down alleyway...

Main image:
He's walking away from the alley in plain clothes, head down.  S.H.I.E.L.D. troops moving past him. A la the famous Spider-Man 50 Splash page of "Spider-Man No More!," we see the Prowler outfit hanging out of a trash can as he continues away!

So Hallee and Geeter sat quietly in their room thinking and thinking how to give their mom the biggest hug in the world.

Suddenly Geeter's eyes grew wide, and his tail shot straight up! He quickly grabbed the scissors and folded, several times, the biggest piece of construction paper they had.

Hallee watched, curious, and thought for a moment that her brother had forgotten why they were sitting there in the first place.

Snip, snip, snip. Cut, cut, cut. Clip, clip, clip. Geeter soon unfolded the paper which now looked like a long line of alligators holding hands.

"See?" Geeter yelled proudly.

"All I see is that you've learned the scissors aren't for eating, but I don't know what that is!"

"You take one end, and I take one end." Hallee did as her brother suggested. "And now we have a hug that's bigger than us both!"

Hallee looked doubtful. "I don't think this is the biggest hug in the world, Geeter."
Geeter frowned. "Is too."

"No-o-o. Remember grandma Oola? She was much bigger than that!"
Both Hallee and Geeter sighed and sat back down.

Then Hallee jumped up, excited by an idea she had. It was wacky, it was crazy but not, she thought, all that bad!

Hallee ran over to hug her pillow. Then she ran across and hugged a bigger thing, the bureau! Hallee careened over to the toy chest and hugged each toy, then she hugged her brother (who cringed like a typical boy). She gave the door, the wall, and even the radio a hug. Then it was her snow shoes, the wall clock, and even the rug. Out the window she grabbed a tree, and before they could help it, she hugged a few salamanders -- specifically, three. Her brother watched in confusion and awe, as Hallee hugged a log and then hugged a hawk. She ran back and forth, inside and out...hugging everything, including a mouse.

"Stop it! Stop it, sis! Stop it, I say! You can hug it all, but it's not the biggest hug in the world in any way!"

Hallee scrunched up her alligator face in disappointment and then slouched back down into her chair. "You know what?" She asked. "It's just not fair!"

And the twins continued to think....

"What if we got a hose and stretched it around her?"

"No," said Geeter.

"I know," Hallee shouted, "we can grow our nails real long!"

"Ew. Double no." Then after a moment of scratching his nose, Geeter's eyes grew wide, "What if we tied an octopus to--"

Hallee put her hand up to stop Geeter in mid-sentence. "No, Geeter, even a big octopus isn't that big."

Geeter was determined now. He was going to come up with the answer. He paced back and forth, and he jumped on the bed, then he jumped down and paced some more. He bit his lip as he thought and then finally it burst out of him. "I got it! I have so got it! I can eat a whole lot and grow and grow and grow some more. And then you'll do the same, and we'll be as big as the world and we can hug mom then!"

Hallee smiled. This seemed like a great idea. Why, this even seemed brilliant. She couldn't believe her brother thought of it. "But there's one problem," she quickly came to realize, "We need to do this by the end of the night. And even if we eat a million worm puffs in the next hour, it won't be enough."

Geeter snapped his tail in frustration -- his sister was right. "What if we just hugged her from now until the next birthday?" He thought.

"We'd miss school," Hallee explained simply.

"What about blowing up a ball really big?" Geeter asked.

"I'm not really sure how that could help."

Geeter sighed but then jumped to his feet. "We could scream and yell while we hug her!"

Hallee nodded, "That would be the loudest hug in the world, but not the biggest." Then she offered to her twin brother what would become their last hope. "I think we have only one choice, brother. We need to travel to the other side of the world and ask an old wise man how to give the biggest hug in the world. Old wise men always know this stuff."

Geeter bit the inside of his cheek thinking about this. "We have to go all the way to the other side of the world?"

"Yup!" Hallee told Geeter quite sure of herself.

"So when you say the other side of the world, do you mean all the way to the end of that big amusement park? The one with the really big mice?"

Hallee nodded.

"That's far," said Geeter.

"But it's for mom," offered Hallee.

So, in agreement, Hallee and Geeter began packing their things.

Hallee and Geeter didn't say anything as they walked past their parents to the front door. They had made their decision and figured since they knew where the other side of the world was, it wouldn't take them too long to get there and make their return. But suddenly they were tumbling back on a long tail, and their amused mother was looking at the twins with a smile. "Where are you two going?"

Geeter started to sniffle. Hallee started to whiffle.

Mommy gator looked at both and each started to cry. The twins teared up in unison, and, mom, she knew why.

She picked the two up into her gator arms of scales and green. And she looked at Hallee. And she looked at Geeter. And she said, "You silly lizards, this is what I mean!"

Mom, she hugged both, both of her little gators. Like it was them, her twins, doing her the favor. She pulled them both near, and pulled them in hard, you could feel it at the South Pole, you could feel it on the North Star. She hugged them tight, she hugged them best -- yes, you could feel the hug east and you could feel it west. With her Mom-love she hugged her boy and she hugged her girl, and both knew right then it was, without a doubt, most certainly the biggest hug in the world!

Then Momma gator put her twins down and looked at them silent and pleasant. Till she said, "This was the best birthday, and that was the best present!"

Hallee and Geeter were both very proud! They pulled it through, got out from under the dark cloud. And after some more hugs and of course the cake to be had, Hallee and Geeter started thinking about a new problem....

"What're we gonna get dad?"

THE END.

this story and all characters copyright 2008 Keith Planit ... that means if you steal it, you'll get a beatin' from Uncle Sam.

To HEAR the story, click PLAY on the player below!

I made this music player at THIS SITE.

NOTE: comments in parentheticals below are not part of the actual text,
they are picture descriptions or names of characters who are talking

About the Author: Keith Planit is a writer of more than just a Xmas tale, he's a screenwriter, a playwright, and a really swell guy. He's also terribly funny. Whilst your instinct may be to send him money for this great story, he'll gladly accept an apple-type dessert. You know, apple cake, apple pie, or even an apple cake. (Yes, I said it twice.)

*The music in The Great Big Santa Story MP3 is copyrighted as follows:
CSR Raritys (Sleigh Bells)
Mountain Gypsy Project (We Wish You A Merry...)
Patricia's Chistmas Carols (Silent Night Latin Beat; Jingle Bell Polka)

Efforts have been made to contact the copyright holders of this usage,
if you are the copyright holder and do not want your music used, please let me know
Via any of the links at this site.