Spider-Man: The Arachnis Project #5
Hittin' The Fan!
Spider-Man and Toshiro Mikashi have been taken prisoner by Orwell Taylor and some Life Foundation guards. As they are led through the secret facility beneath in Washington D.C., when suddenly Homo Arachnis comes crashing through the wall fighting Spoiler. Having totally embraced his horrific transformation, the creature that used to be Carleton Drake consumes one of his own guards for sustenance. Needing to get Professor Mikashi to safety, Spider-Man flees the scene. Bleeding from a gunshot wound to the shoulder, Toshiro is told to hold on if only for his daughter's sake. That's when the Jury arrives in the hallway and begin opening fire on Homo Arachnis, causing the ceiling to collapse on the man-monster. Orwell Taylor tries to flee the scene but is stopped by Life Foundation guards. Thankfully, he is rescued by his son Screech, much to his relief. By this point, Spider-Man has gotten Toshiro to the surface. When Spider-Man remarks how the bunker is fortified enough to handle a nuclear blast, Toshiro muses that it could also contain a nuclear blast within it. When Spider-Man goes back down to find Toshiro's daughter. However, the scientist doesn't want to just sit by and do nothing while the Life Foundation could mass-produce his formula.
Back down below, the Jury and Spoiler try to contain Homo Arachnis. While Orwell Taylor and his son in his office destroying documents that can tie them to this debacle. When the rest of the Jury calls for assistance, Orwell tells them that they are all fired and leaves them to their fate, much to the horror of Screech. However, Orwell assures his son that they can rebuild the Jury. Elsewhere in the facility, Spider-Man stops some Life Foundation employees from fleeing with all their stolen articles. While at that moment Sneak Thief and Miho Mikashi have found the armory and begin arming up so they have a better chance of getting out alive. After putting on some armor and weapons, Miho insists that Sneak Thief start calling her Gunplay. Meanwhile, Spider-Man joins the Jury in their battle with Homo Arachnis, giving them a much-needed hand. While at that moment, Orwell, Screech, and Roland Treece have fled to the hanger to escape in one of the Life Foundation ships. Watching his former teammates on the security monitors, Screech finally realizes that his father has become totally warped by greed. Elsewhere in the facility, Toshiro climbs back into the lab so he can start destroying his work so it doesn't fall into the wrong hands.
To this end, Toshiro sets the nuclear reactor to explode, exposing him to a lethal dose of radiation. With a meltdown imminent, alarms begin going off, prompting Homo Arachnis to flee and try and save the facility. With the facility at risk of destruction, Spider-Man and the Jury decided to go looking for Sneak Thief and Miho instead. Learning about her father's sacrifice, Gunplay manages to contact his father through the com-system. He tells her to keep on fighting and move on without him before dying of radiation poisoning. Hearing this tearful moment, Sneak Thief tells Gunplay that they are sisters now and suggests that they get out before her father's sacrifice ends up being in vain. They end up running into Spider-Man and the Jury and they begin planning their escape. On their way out of the facility, they end up running into Venom, who is looking to get revenge against the Jury.[1]
Recurring Characters
Spider-Man, The Jury (Sentry, Firearm, Ramshot, Bomblast, Screech) Sneak Thief, Gunplay, Life Foundation (Carleton Drake, Roland Treece, Spoiler), Orwell Taylor, Toshiro Mikashi, Venom
Continuity Notes
The Jury was formed by Orwell Taylor to hunt down and eliminate Venom. This is because Venom murdered Orwell's son during an escape from the Vault in Amazing Spider-Man #375. He formed the Jury in Venom Lethal Protector #2 to capture him.
