Appearing in "Those Who Hunt Monsters!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Ashley Kafka-Jameson (First appearance)
- John Jameson (First appearance)
- The Buzz (Jack "JJ" Jameson)
- Brad Miller
- J. Jonah Jameson (First appearance)
- Marla Madison-Jameson (First appearance)
- Peter Parker
- Mary Jane Watson-Parker
- Benjy Parker
- Courtney Duran
- Moose Mansfield
- Darkdevil (Reilly Tyne)
- Chesbro
Antagonists:
- Dr. Jade (Sonja Jade)
- Lady Octopus (Carolyn Trainer) (First appearance)
Other Characters:
- Chris Jarkoer (First appearance)
- Tony (First appearance)
- Richie Robertson (Cameo)
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for "Those Who Hunt Monsters!"
John and Ashley Jameson - parents of JJ Jameson, AKA the Buzz - arrive at JFK airport in Queens, unaware that they are being tailed by agents of Dr. Jade and her mysterious octopus ally. Special interest seems to be given to the Jamesons' luggage. After talking to her agent on the phone, Dr. Jade says she knows where the Jamesons are headed.
Meanwhile, at Midtown High, May witnesses yet another altercation between JJ and Brad Miller by the lockers, stemming from Brad's anti-mutant sentiment causing JJ's friend Nancy Lu to leave Midtown. May has been secretly tracking JJ, whom she knows is the Buzz, because she has been afraid he was heading for trouble with Dr. Jade. May gets in between the two men, both of whom have been former love interests for her. When Brad tries to flirt with May, she ducks out by pretending she has special plans with JJ, instead. She leaves with JJ, thinking being close to him might give her a chance to recover her spider-tracer.
May walks JJ home to his grandfather's place, trying to impress upon him the need to restrain his urge to pick fights with Brad. JJ seems to agree, but the mood shifts when JJ comes home to find his grandfather J. Jonah Jameson arguing against his parents about them wanting to take JJ with them on their travels. The family spat puts Mayday in an awkward spot.
Later, at home, May recounts to her parents what happened, and explains she left quickly. Her parents explain that the Jamesons have a 'complicated history'. Peter's inquiries to May about how John and Ashley's Europe trip went make May think there's more that Peter knows about what they've really been up to.
In parallel, JJ asks his parents about the argument. They explain that they were thinking of bringing JJ with them on their next trip to Europe, which they say could last more than a year. JJ is upset that they were discussing his future without him, but they assure him that if he wishes to stay with his grandparents in New York, he can. John leaves when he learns that his 'equipment' has passed customs, declining an offer from Jonah to come with him. JJ is left feeling like he has to make a choice between his parents, or the life he has with his friends - and as the Buzz.
Two hours and forty-seven minutes later, John Jameson is ambushed at the airport while a container of his is being loaded into a truck. Agents of Dr. Jade in combat gear attempt to overtake him, but require an assist from the mysterious octopus villain to take him down. Jameson and the crate are captured.
The next morning, Courtney and Moose show May a newspaper front page reporting that John Jameson has been kidnapped. May's instinct is to ditch school and try to find him as Spider-Girl, but she knows she isn't a detective - but she knows someone who can help: Darkdevil.
Darkdevil is aware he owes Spider-Girl for saving him during the Marked for Death arc. He says he can track Jameson, but she may not like his methods. May tells him over the phone: "Sometimes the ends justify the means," in a voice she realizes doesn't sound like her own.
Back at the Jameson penthouse, JJ gets his mother to explain what the 'lecture tour' was really about. She reveals that she and JJ's father had once been on the trail of a rogue geneticist who would kidnap homeless individuals and experiment on them, turning them into monsters. Though they never caught the rogue scientist, they did find a warehouse of equipment they were able to use to help treat their victims. They have a secret clinic in Europe for this purpose. Ashley fears someone has learned of their work and will try to exploit it; JJ, channelling the Buzz alter ego, swears this will not happen.
May talks to Darkdevil by phone as she changes into Spider-Girl attire on the school roof. Darkevil has her meet him at a seedy tavern where Darkdevil stands amongs a large number of bodies of people he thrashed for answers. He learned that Dr. Jade is the captor, but may be answering to someone higher. He will continue to investigate. Spider-Girl is alarmed at the harm dealt to the tavern dwellers, but Darkdevil is unconcerned about their medical needs, and walks out.
Spider-Girl narrates that she calls 9-1-1. As she swings through the city, she wonders why she did not call Darkdevil off after what he did. She realizes her level of concern for JJ may be clouding her judgement.
A great fire-ring in the sky draws Spider-Girl's attention. She wonders if someone is trying to draw her attention, and goes to it. On a rooftop, Spider-Girl meets Chesbro, an agent of the Black Tarantula, who has come with information that his master wanted Spider-Girl to have. Spider-Girl is suspicious of the Black Tarantula's motives, and Chesbro says he cannot fathom his master's purpose, but he offers a folded note from Black Tarantula to Spider-Girl - in exchange for a favor.
Again, Spider-Girl questions if the ends justify the means, as she acts on the intel that she received from Black Tarantula. It leads her to the secret lab of Dr. Jade, where Jade is preparing to activate a 'mutate chamber' and create the 'first monster.' Jameson, contained within a high tech chamber, pleads with them not to do this, but Dr. Jade says they will proceed with Jameson as a test subject because if anything goes wrong, they can force his wife to help him.
Spider-Girl is about to intervene when the Buzz crashes through a window and attacks. While Buzz handles Dr. Jade, Spider-Girl heads to the chamber controls to try to free Jameson. She is intercepted by Carolyn Trainer, who has taken up the name of her mentor, Dr. Octopus.
Buzz calls Richie Robertson, his tech guy, for help getting his dad free from the machine. Richie directs Buzz to turn his eyepieces onto the controls so he can see it, then tells him to make a direct interface with the controls with his battlesuit. The distraction gives Dr. Jade a chance to blast Buzz, and Buzz reports to Richie that he's losing power.
The fight between Spider-Girl and Lady Octopus continues apace. Spider-Girl teases Trainer about her relationship to the original Doc Ock. Dr. Jade's agents try to coordinate with Lady Octopus to corral Spider-Girl to them, but she escapes the trap they're setting. A fast hit from Lady Octopus knocks Spider-Girl down, though. Nearby, Buzz is desperate to get moving, but Richie is having difficulty - it seems Dr. Jade, who designed the Buzz suit, knew its weaknesses. Just in time, Richie gets the suit to power up, and Buzz delivers a decisive hit to Dr. Jade.
Buzz tries to access the chamber with his father, but again distracted, he misses Dr. Jade aiming and firing an energy rifle at him. Nearby, Spider-Girl gets overwhelmed by Lady Octopus's metal tantacles. Once Spider-Girl is wrapped up, Lady Octopus defeats her with built-in electro-shockers.
Later, Spider-Girl and Buzz wake up, captured. They get on their knees, arms bound by thick high-tech restraints behind their backs. The issues ends on a death trap cliffhanger, as Lady Octopus lets a ravenous, wolf-mutated John Jameson loose to attack the heroes...
Notes
- Chris Jarkoer makes his first appearance as a cameo in the title panel while Brad and JJ are having their fight. He will be a new potential companion for May, sharing a panel with two of her previous dates.