Ultimate Spider-Man: Hero
Issue: #49
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Pencils: Mark Bagley
Inker: Art Thibert
Colors: Transparency Digital

On his way to his car in the Daily Bugle’s basement parking lot, J. Jonah Jameson is confronted by the Enforcers. They’ve chosen an out-of-the-way place with no witnesses to talk to Jameson about his retraction of the newspaper’s endorsement of Sam Bullit. In the middle of their threat session, Spider-Man appears on the scene and takes on all three at once. He dodges Fancy Dan’s bullets, Montana Stern’s whip, and Ox’s fists, sometimes using their abilities against their own teammates. Finally Ox gets the better of him. As they debate killing Spider-Man or just taking him to the Kingpin, Jameson steps in; he identifies each of them by name and asks how long have they worked for the Kingpin, as he records the conversation with his cell phone. Distracted, they turn their attention away from Spider-Man, who takes the opportunity to free himself (giving Ox a wedgie in the process), and knock all three out.

Jameson tries questioning Spider-Man, too. Spider-Man demands a “thank you” (which he gets), but doesn’t answer Jameson’s questions. As building security appears in response to the shots that were fired during the fight, Spider-Man disappears.

Peter makes his way home and gets a surprise: Jameson is sitting on his front steps. He’s come to talk to Peter, and reveals part of his problem with Spider-Man. Jameson’s son had died in a space shuttle accident a year previously. The accident was attributed to “technical malfunction”, but all other details were classified. Jameson considers his son a hero, but in his mind, Spider-Man is not because he hides behind a mask. But Jameson agrees that he let his grief over his son’s death cloud his judgment on Spider-Man and Peter, and offers Peter his job back. In addition, Peter will be following Ben Urich around on assignments occasionally, which is what Jameson’s editor did for him as a young man.

In a New York restaurant, Wilson Fisk is eating dinner. His table companion, wearing a blue and red outfit with spider webs on it, comments about the headline stating that Fisk’s associates are again implicating Fisk in criminal activity. Spider-Man still wonders why Fisk can walk around the city as a free man. Fisk responds by telling Spider-Man that someday he’ll find Spider-Man’s real identity and come after him. Spider-Man’s parting shot is that he’s webbed Fisk’s feet to the floor.

Submitted By: Seldes Katne