Amazing Spider-Man Presents: Jackpot #2
Jackpot is continuing her fact-finding mission to find out what criminals are smuggling sweat glands into the city. Tonight she has skipped a PTA meeting to follow another lead that has led to a clash with the White Rabbit and her gang. Spider-Man is also there and he is glad to see that she is living up to her responsibility, and likes her new costume.[1]
Jackpot is not happy to be in a fight since she was only looking for information. Spider-Man decides to help by webbing up White Rabbit. Although she doesn’t have much information, all White Rabbit can tell them is that the glands are an ingredient in a new type of designer drug called Ebony. After they call the cops and retreat to the rooftops, Jackpot complains about not getting the information she needed. Spider-Man then suggests that she get in touch with Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four. As he web-slings away, Spider-Man tells her how great it is to see her being a hero, saying it’s a good look on her.
Meanwhile, in Park Slope, Brooklyn, the Boomerang is outside of the Ehret household. He calls his boss, the Rose, and tells him how Jackpot is getting close to figuring out what they are up to. The Rose wants to avoid this because it will draw unwanted attention to himself and green lights Boomerang doing what needs to be done, and tells him to make it messy.
The following morning, Sara Ehret goes to the Baxter Building to try and get a meeting with Mister Fantastic. However, the robotic secretary tells her that he won’t be able to see her for at least six weeks. However, Sara manages to get a meeting right away when she dangles the opportunity to examine a unique sweat gland. In Reed’s lab, Sara learns that she is not the only person who brought the sample, as Daredevil brought in one after a fight with the Owl. An examination of the glads reveals that it belonged to Jackson Day, aka the Corruptor who has the ability to excrete a chemical that eliminates a person’s inhibitions. This puts it all together and Sara realizes that this is the key component in Ebony.
That night, Jackpot goes out on patrol trying to find more information. Unfortunately, the Corruptor is out of reach in Europe and she still can’t figure out who is in charge of the manufacturing of Ebony. When she returns home for dinner, she tries to strategically talk about her super-heroic activities in front of her daughter so she doesn’t figure out her mother is a superhero. That’s when there is a knock at the door, Sara’s husband Scott goes to answer the door. It’s Boomerang and when Scott asks what he wants, he buries one of his trademark weapons into Scott’s chest.
Sara quickly rushes toward Boomerang and tries to fight him but he stuns her with one of her weapons. He then debates which would be a better way of finishing this: by killing Sara or her daughter Mattie. He decides to kill the little girl and tosses a boomerang at her as Sara watches in horror.
Recurring Characters
Jackpot, Boomerang, the Rose, Spider-Woman, Mister Fantastic, White Rabbit, Scott Ehret, Maddie Ehret, Armadillo, Hammerhead (flashback)
Continuity Notes
Sara Ehret didn’t always want to be a super-hero. After registering with the Super-Human Registration Act she sold her costume identity to Alana Jobson, a normal person with delusions of being a superhero. Jobson used a cocktail of drugs to imitate super-human powers until she died of an overdose. Learning the truth, Spider-Man guilted Sara into getting back into costume. See Amazing Spider-Man Annual #35.
Topical References
Real-world businesses: Macy’s
