Spider-Man: Friends and Enemies #2
Targets
Lost in thought, Spider-Man begins dreaming up a morbid fantasy. In it, he was bitten by a radioactive spider as he was in real life and gained spider powers. He immediately decided to use his powers to get into show business to make money.[1] That's where the fantasy takes a different turn. In it, Spider-Man was approached by Doctor Octopus who hired him along with Nova, Speedball, and Darkhawk. They all attacked Otto Octavius' workplace at the Atomic Research Center. There the wall-crawler watches in horror as the other superhumans slaughter the staff. Although Spider-Man is reluctant to follow suit, he is forced to do so by Doctor Octopus who holds his Aunt May hostage. With no other choice, he uses a web line to snap the neck of one of the workers. The wall-crawler is then surprised that he enjoyed the sensation and joins his allies with a newfound joy for mayhem and destruction.[2]
Spider-Man is snapped out of this fantasy by Darkhawk, Speedball, and Nova of the New Warriors..[3] They have been discussing Darkhawk's fears that a group of newly empowered teenagers could be lured into committing crimes with their powers. Unable to locate the crystals -- the source of the teen's powers -- with the New Warrior's computers, the quartet of heroes. As they go, each hero thinks about how they got their powers and what motivated their becoming heroes.[4] Unfortunately, the heroes’ worst fears are true, as these teenagers -- calling themselves the Metahumes -- have been mind-controlled by a petty crook named Elias Flynn. Decked out in costumes and given codenames, they are set to attack a bank at Rockafeller Plaza. Blazeye uses her heat vision to melt the guard’s guns, Diamond Hammer then rips the safe off its hinges. While Assault incapacitates the staff with mental jolts, Hypera blasts open the locks allowing Makina to enter the vault and begin looting it. Once they have cleaned out all the money, Hardnose uses his powers to create a crystal slide to facilitate their escape. They then get aboard the helicopter that Flynn had rented so they can make their getaway.
Back in the Bronx, Flynn is impressed by their haul that was taken from the bank. As he counts the money he takes a phone call and realizes that it is a struggle to maintain his mental control over the Metahumes and do other things. Unfortunately for Elias, his control slips enough for Assault to regain some of his wits. Knowing that Blazeye was the most suspicious of Flynn when they first met, he tries to use his powers to snap her out of his control. However, she isn't aware of this and tries to fight off the attack, crying out. The ploy works and when Blazeye and Assault try to escape they are subdued by Diamond Hammer until Flynn to reassert his control. Meanwhile, Spider-Man and his allies have returned to the New Warrior's Crash Pad where they try scanning for any more sightings of the superpowered teens. Unfortunately, they are having no trouble finding any clues. Darkhawk is the most focused on finding them, fearing that they may hurt or kill someone if they are not found soon, remembering how he almost killed the Hobgoblin early on in his career as a superhero.[5] If Spider-Man hadn't stopped him from crossing that line, Darkhawk would never have become the hero he is today. These sentiments are mirrored by Nova and Speedball, but this does little to end Darkhawk's frustration, as he still blames himself for losing the crystals in the first place.[6] That's when the Crash Pad's computers pick up a report about the Metahumans selling their services to the criminal underworld and a meeting has been arranged between a potential client and the Metahumes in Brooklyn later that evening.
Later, the Metahumes and Elias Flynn arrive at a plastics factory to meet with their potential employer, a man named Leonard Carlson. Carlson refuses to give Flynn the money until after the Metahumes can prove they can do their job. Elias tries to use his mind control technique on Carlson, but it doesn't work, making him realize that his powers only work on the other Metahumes. However, this is all a trap as they have Carlson has brought the Seekers to deal with the Methahumes as they are seen as a threat to a group of west coast power brokers.[7] While the team deals with the Seekers, Mekina uses her powers to jam the guns carried by Carlson and his bodyguard and they are knocked out by Assault. Flynn then orders the Metahumes to kill them all, but that's when Spider-Man and his allies arrive on the scene. The wall-crawler tries to talk sense into the youths, telling them that they can have bright futures as heroes as long as they don't cross that line and kill. Unaware that they are under Flynn's control, Spider-Man and the others are ambushed when Elias orders the Metahumes to attack. As they attack Spider-Man and his allies, the Metahumes explains that they are being forced to comply by Elias. However, the inexperienced youngsters are no match for the seasoned heroes.
Seeing the situation deteriorating, Elias orders Diamond Hammer to take some hostages and they manage force Spider-Man to let them go. As the Metahumes escape in a van, the wall-crawler attempts to tag it with one of his spider-tracers, but this is spotted by Crystal Hammer, who crushes. With the Metahumans making a clean getaway, Spider-Man vow to his allies that they will track them down and stop them. Meanwhile, at an office building in midtown, a group calling themselves the Hostiles have finished watching the battle via spy drones. Seeking to claim the powers of the Metahumes, their leader -- Honcho -- orders the group to suit up and go after the new group of superpowered teens.
Recurring Characters
Spider-Man, New Warriors (Speedball, Nova, Darkhawk), Metahumes (Elias Flynn, Hardnose, Assault, Blazeye, Hyperia, Makina, Diamond Hammer, Honcho), Seekers (Chain Lightning, Sonic, Grasp, Fireball, Laserworks)
Continuity Notes
Spider-Man's origins were first explored in Amazing Fantasy #15.
Although this is a fantasy created by the mind of Peter Parker, this actually happened in another reality, designated Earth-95022 as referenced in Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z #5.
Everyone thinks that Speedball is Robbie Baldwin, however, this is an impostor taking his place as revealed in New Warriors #68-69. He took Speedball's place in New Warriors #50.
The narrative details the origins of each hero: Darkhawk finding the amulet that gave him his powers in Darkhawk #1, Nova getting his powers from an alien in Nova #1, and Spider-Man's murder of his Uncle Ben in Amazing Fantasy #15. In the case of Speedball, it recounts how Robbie Baldwin obtained his powers in Speedball #1. However, as explained above, this is not Robbie Baldwin but an impostor named Darrion Grobe. As explained in New Warriors #68-69, Darrion turned himself into an identical duplicate of Speedball, including his memories.
Darkhawk battled the Hobgoblin in Darkhawk #2-3.
Darkhawk left the crystals in Madison Square Park in Darkhawk #47, and were later found by the Metahums in the last issue.
The Seekers make mention of how they battled Venom recently, which was in Darkhawk #35-37.
