Marvel Database
Register
Advertisement

Appearing in "Then Came...Elektra"

Reprint of the 1st story from
Amazing Spider-Man #424

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

Antagonists:

Other Characters:

Races and Species:

Locations:

Items:

Synopsis for "Then Came...Elektra"

Reprint of the 1st story from
Amazing Spider-Man #424

Elektra clashes with two members of the Hand, demanding to know why the ninja cult has returned to New York City. One of them tells her that they have come to eliminate the True Believers, a spin-off of the Hand that is viewed as betrayers to their order. Elektra decides to spare the ninja in order for him to send back a message to his masters. Elektra doesn't care if the Hand and the True Believers eliminate each other, but warns them against harming innocent people. Thinking to herself, Elektra figures that only a fool would put himself between two warring cults.

At that moment, Spider-Man loses his grip on his webbing as a pounding headache sets in. Cursing himself for being so stupid, the wall-crawler scrambles to break his fall and lands on a nearby rooftop. There he thinks about how he has been having these headaches ever since Morbius the Living Vampire bit him recently and how it has been affecting his performance recently.[Continuity 1] He thinks how this led to his recent and humiliating defeat at the hands of Electro. Thinking about how he was forced to beg for his life and how Electro must be laughing at him now, Peter angrily punches a chimney, turning it to rubble. While at the Daily Bugle, J. Jonah Jameson is delighted by the current front page story about the True Believer's recent attempt on Joe's life. The only thing he is upset about is how there was no way to connect Spider-Man to the mysterious Black Tarantula. That's when Joe reminds Jonah that Spider-Man was actually responsible for saving his life. When Jonah tries to get Ben Urich's thought on the story, Ben points out that the ninjas might come back and target them and their families for publishing this story.

At that same moment, Madame Qwa -- the leader of the True Believers -- is furious to read the story in the paper and fears the Black Tarantula will punish them for their failure. Yano points out that the failure falls on Meiko Yin -- the Believer's Dragonfly -- as she was the one who provided Joe Robertson with the information for the newspaper story when she was supposed to assassinate the newspaper man. Despite Yano's demands that Meiko to eliminated, Madame Qwa believes that -- despite Yin's failure -- she is destined to be a great assassin. As penance for her failure, Meiko is ordered to murder her cousin Angela Yin. Meiko is shocked to be ordered to do this, but in order to save her own life and get back into the good graces of her master, Meiko agrees to carry out this order. As the Dragonfly leaves, Madame Qwa warns Meiko that another failure will not be tolerated. Meanwhile, Spider-Man returns to his home in Queens and feels awful and needs time to rest even though he needs to track down Electro and also learn what he can about Meiko Yin from her cousin Angela. That's when Anna Watson comes barging into Peter's room to learn what is making noise upstairs. In order to protect his double identity, Peter quickly leaps into bed and uses the blanket to cover up his costume. After explaining that he hasn't been feeling well, Peter asks Anna not to come barging into their bedroom without knocking first in the future. Because he was short with her, Peter apologizes, saying that his migraines have been really affecting his moods. Hearing that Peter isn't fell, Anna promises that she help Peter get well again.

At that moment, the Rose is visited by Elektra, and her sudden arrival is anticipated by the mobster as he has heard about her attacks on members of the True Believers. Although the Rose invites her in to have some tea, Delilah is quickly at the defense of her employer. Although the Rose applauds Delilah's loyalty, he tells her to stand down as he is certain Elektra will eliminate the ninja problem they have been having lately. Later that day, Peter Parker finally manages to get Anna to leave him to "rest" so he can slip as Spider-Man and try to make up for lost ground. Meanwhile, Meiko has paid a visit to her cousin Angela, who tells her that Peter Parker has been calling for her for more information about the True Believers.[Continuity 2] While Angela is busy preparing a meal, Meiko grabs a knife off the counter and prepares to kill her cousin, but can't bring herself to do it and flees the apartment, unaware that she is being observed by Yano. At that same time, Elektra is traveling across the city, questioning her decision to ally herself with the Rose, even if it is temporary. While simultaneously, a mysterious being approaches Spider-Man and tips him off of an upcoming battle between Elektra and the True Believers that is about to go down at the west side train yards.

A short time later, Meiko arrives at the train yards and begins to wonder what she will do next after failing to follow through on Madame Qwa's orders. That's when Yano and an army of ninjas ambush her intent on eliminating her life. Not far away, Elektra is rushing to the scene of the battle when she runs into Spider-Man. After some rather embarrassing exchanges on Spider-Man's part, he admits that he has been having a bad day and the pair agree to work together. While at the Daily Bugle, J. Jonah Jameson decides to take the potential threat from the Black Tarantula seriously and abruptly leaves the office so he and his wife can leave town. That's when Joe Robertson gets a phone call from his wife, Martha. When he tells Martha about what's going on, she points out that Jameson has the right idea and tells Joe to come home, but he still can't bring himself to abandon the Daily Bugle. Back at the train yards, Meiko surrenders to Yano who tells her that she will die for her failure, and they will also kill her cousin Angela. Before the True Believers can kill the disgraced warrior, Spider-Man and Elektra arrive on the scene, battling the ninjas and giving Meiko a chance to defend herself against Yano.

As the battle rages, Spider-Man begins losing his temper and fighting more savagely as the True Believers are keeping him from doing what he really wants -- to get revenge against Electro. As Elektra takes down her own attackers, she stops Spider-Man before his anger allows him to crush one of the True Believers with a train car. Realizing that he almost crossed the line, Spider-Man stops himself. With the ninjas all defeated, Elektra tells Meiko that she has a long path to redeeming herself for her past crimes. Meanwhile, Elektra has also discovered that she can't just stand by on the sidelines while the Hand and the True Believers go to war. All of this resonates with Spider-Man who realizes that he too is allowing his emotions to get the better of him. After the two women depart, Spider-Man realizes that perhaps he needs to find the correct path, just as Meiko and Elektra need to. While at the moment, in South America, Chesbro brings his master the latest edition of the Daily Bugle. Learning about how the True Believers have been exposed, he realizes the Hand will track them down to New York. Not wanting to be involved in an expensive war against the Hand, he tells Chesbro to have Madame Qwa and her warriors return home. Having grown tired of the constant set backs, the Black Tarantula decides that it is time that he goes to New York and carve out his stake there personally.

Appearing in "The Return"

Reprint of the 1st story from
Sensational Spider-Man #19

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

Antagonists:

Other Characters:

Races and Species:

Locations:

Items:

Vehicles:

  • Bikes

Synopsis for "The Return"

Reprint of the 1st story from
Sensational Spider-Man #19

In the Canyonlands of Southern Utah, Akasha Martinez is out biking with her friends. Getting a huge lead ahead of the others, she stops to drink some water when she spots an object fall from the sky and crash nearby. With the object giving of an eerie blue glow, Akasha decides to check it out and ends up wiping out on her bike, sending her falling into the crater where the object now rests. Recovering from the fall, Martinez gets a closer look at the glowing object and sees something inside, something that scares her. Pleading for the entity to keep away everything disappears in a flash of life, leaving the young woman unconscious on the ground to be found by her friends. While in New York, Spider-Man is swinging back to Queens after a grocery run for his wife, Mary Jane.[Continuity 3] On the way, he happens upon a mugging in progress. Although the woman who is about to be mugged is able to defend her with pepper spray, she is grateful for Spider-Man's assistance, as she didn't know what she would have done if he hadn't arrived. At that same moment, Akasha Martinez wakes up in the hospital after a strange dream. In it, she was an ancient Egyptian Pharaoh who managed to survive the ages until recently he gained great power and size only to be thrown into space by those who would oppose him.[Continuity 4] When she awakens, she overhears her mother talking to doctors about her current state. Although Akasha is perfectly healthy, they are concerned about some strange brain anomalies. However, Mrs. Martinez is certain her daughter will be fine because she is a fighter.

Later, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, Peter Paker complains to his wife Mary Jane about being assigned to photograph the Horus exhibit because it is not one of his usual assignments. Mary Jane doesn't understand why Peter is so upset since he gets to spend time with his wife and get some culture. Also present is Akasha Martinez who has come to New York to spend time with her father, who is in charge of the exhibit, in order to get some time away from her mother who has been smothering her since her accident. While walking through the Horus exhibit, Akasha discovers that the ancient Egyptian art really speaks to her. Suddenly presence calls her to a display where the Staff of Horus is being kept on display. As she approaches the object, an alien presence in her mind moves forward and takes control of her body. Not far away, Peter Parker and Mary Jane are examining some stone carvings when suddenly, the eyes of a bird statue being to glow. Suddenly, Peter's spider-sense begins going off followed by a sudden earthquake. With the mock temple around them begins to come crashing down, Peter pulls Mary Jane to safety. With people starting to panic, the couple knows what Peter needs to do.

Quickly changing into Spider-Man, the wall-crawler arrives outside the mock temple where the Staff is being held where light is pouring out from within. There he runs into Mr. Martinez who tells the hero that his daughter was inside the temple. Spider-Man swings in and finds Akasha holding the Staff of Horus. Both Spider-Man and Mr. Martinez watch as Akasha's clothing is transformed into ancient Egyptian attire as the presence inside her takes full control of her and the power of the staff. Once this transformation is complete, the presence announces that the Living Pharaoh is reborn. When the Pharaoh attacks both Spider-Man and Akasha's father, the wall-crawler attempts to pull the staff from her hands. Unfortunately, the Living Pharaoh commands too much power for the weapon to be simply pulled from her grasp.

Realizing that the Living Pharaoh is channeling cosmic power, Spider-Man lures her into the basement of the museum where there is a massive vault. Trapping her inside, Spider-Man hopes the shielding from the vault will cut her off from the source of her powers. Unfortunately, the Living Pharaoh blasts free, stunning Spider-Man and leaving her at her mercy.

Appearing in "Akasha Triumphant"

Reprint of the 1st story from
Sensational Spider-Man #20

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

Antagonists:

Other Characters:

Races and Species:

Locations:

Items:

Synopsis for "Akasha Triumphant"

Reprint of the 1st story from
Sensational Spider-Man #20

Possessed by the Living Monolith, Akasha Martinez has just been transformed into the new Living Pharaoh by the Staff or Horus and the only person standing in her way is Spider-Man. After a failed attempt to contain her in a vault at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. At the Pharaoh's mercy, Spider-Man is inspired about her speech about the ancient sands of Egypt and tosses sand in her face, temporarily blinding her long enough to make a run for it. Despite his attempts to hide, the Living Pharaoh spots the wall-crawler and blasts him outside of the museum. As he falls to the ground, Spider-Man's wife Mary Jane fears for his safety, but the wall-crawler manages to save himself with a web-line.[Continuity 5] The Pharaoh still manages to strike Spider-Man with enough force to daze him. Seeing her husband in trouble, Mary Jane shouts at the wall-crawler to get up. Struggling to find a way to get through to him, Mary Jane tells Spider-Man that if he doesn't wake up he will be late for school. This statement actually cuts through to Akasha Martinez's consciousness who retakes control from Ahmet Abdol. Realizing that she was just about to kill Spider-Man, the young woman stops herself and teleports away.

Akasha appears in Midtown where she begins to make sense of what happened to her. As she notices that people are looking at her strangely, a voice in her mind tells her that she can change her appearance as she now has the power to do whatever she wants. Deciding to go to one of the high-end clothing stores, Akasha tests this theory when she takes clothes straight off the rack and uses her power to let the clerk allow her to take them. The employee comes to his senses as Akasha is changing into her new outfit, and tries to stop her from walking out of the store in the new outfit, but she gives him a look of death, causing the man to cower in abject fear. That evening, Peter and Mary Jane are crawling into bed, but Peter is beating himself up over being so easily defeated -- telling his wife that he was able to defeat the original Living Pharaoh in the past.[Continuity 6] To make matters worse, he didn't end up taking the photos he was assigned to take at the museum. Mary Jane decides that a little romance will take Peter's mind off his troubles, and the couple turn off the lights.

By this time, Akasha is dancing at the Mercury Lounge in Soho, finally feeling free for the first time in her life. However, the mind of Ahmet Abdol has grown impatient and demands to know what she is doing. Making it appear that he is in the DJ booth, Ahmet tells her that she has been given the power of the gods and that she needs to use this power to conquer all. Wanting the man out of her head, she tries blasting Ahmet with the Staff of Horus, but it turns out that this was all happening in her mind and she caused no harm to the invader in her mind. The next day, Peter Parker is at the Daily Bugle and overhears Mr. Martinez asking Betty Brant for help trying to find his daughter. Overhearing how Akasha loved hanging out in the Village, Peter decides that this is a good place to start looking. Going to that part of the city, Peter begins looking for Akasha and spots her thanks to his spider-sense. Unfortunately, Akasha notices that he has sensed her true nature. Summoning the Staff of Horus, Akasha she blasts Peter and then flees the scene. Recovering from the atter, Peter slips away and changes into Spider-Man and follows after her.

This time, Spider-Man manages to snatch the Staff from Akasha's hands. However, he quickly realizes that she only needs it to focus her power and she begins unleashing her energy blasts on the people around. Leaping back down to the street, Spider-Man tries to stop her with a blow to the face, but this only stuns her briefly. He then tries to strike her with the staff, but Akasha leaps out of the way. Realizing that the staff is the key, the wall-crawler snaps it in half. There is a sudden flash of light and Akasha is seemingly stripped of her power. She then struggles to force the consciousness of Ahmet from her mind.[Continuity 7] She succeeds but suddenly the Staff of Horus begins to glow and Akasha suddenly sprouts mystical wings and take to the air. Arriving on the scene, Akasha's father witnesses his daughter flying and finds it beautiful as his daughter finally seems happy. When she lands, Akasha explains to her father that she has more than just new powers to sort out and that she will need time to figure out where she is going in life. After telling her father that she loves him, Akasha flies off to start the newest chapter in her life.

Notes

Continuity Notes[]


Chronology Notes[]

See Also

Links and References

References


Cite error: <ref> tags exist for a group named "Continuity", but no corresponding <references group="Continuity"/> tag was found
Cite error: <ref> tags exist for a group named "Chronology", but no corresponding <references group="Chronology"/> tag was found

Advertisement