Tangled Web of Venom #1

Tangled Web Of Venom #1 Mania

-Jaremy H Bill 2016-

I do not own the rights to any of the characters found below, all rights are owned by Marvel comics. I would also like to give credit to each writer that inspired the idea for this script: Brian Michal Bendis, Zeb Wells, Dan Slott, Cullen Bunn, Rick Remender, Rob Williams, Jeff Parker, and Dan Way.

Panel 1.

(We see the skyline of Philadelphia during the sunset, larger buildings casting shadows on the smaller ones)

Mania:(vo) Welcome to Philadelphia, The City of Brotherly Love. Nice, right?

P2

(we see a man walking down a dark street, with three other thugs following not far behind, he is obviously worried about them)

Mania:(vo) Too bad that's only skin deep now days. Last year, some bad people showed up and started causing a lot of trouble for the city.

P3

(the man has arrived at his car and is beginning to open the door, from over his shoulder we see the reflection of one of the thugs the moment before he strikes the man's head)

Mania:(vo) But we took that guy down, so crime should have gone down with him, right?

P4

(the man has been knocked to the ground, Thug 1 is kicking him while he's down, Thug 2 is kneeling down robbing him, and Thug 3 is off to one side, just watching it it happen)

Thug1: Get his keys!

Thug2: I got his wallet too! Let's go!

Thug3: Holy crap, guys, is he okay?

P5

(Thug1 and Thug3 argue while Thug2 climbs into the man's car)

Thug1: who cares?! We got his stuff, let's go!

Thug3: Dude, he's not moving!

Thug 1: So what,. We have his crap, we need to leave!

P6

(Thug1 shoves Thug 3 back over the man, causing Thug 3 to fall)

Thug1: Then stay here with him, dumbass!

Mania: (vo) But it didn't, in fact more guys like him showed up.

P7

(Thug two has picked himself up, he speaks into his cellphone as he watches the taillight of the car off in the distance)

Thug3: Hey, a guy got robbed on Quezon and he ain't moving man! I-I think he needs an ambulance!

Mania:(vo) More of them everyday.

P8

(inside the car Thug2 is driving while speaking into his cell, Thug1 is digging through the stolen wallet, neither of them notice a Thump on the roof above them)

Thug 1: Dude, this guy is loaded! He has like three different platinum cards in here and almost two hundred in cash!

Thug2: Shut up, I'm calling the shop, letting them know we're on our way.

P9

(profile shot of thug 2 while he speaks on the phone, Mania's head hangs upside down in the driver window unnoticed)

Thug2: hey, do you guys have any room tonight?. . . I don't know, 2011?

P10

(from the same angle as in P9 we see Thug2 has turned his head while still speaking into his phone, Mania greets him with a large upside down Venom-smile)

Thug2: It's got all the bells and whistles. . . No it's nice man

P11

(the profile shot has become expanded enough to show Thug 1, who remains oblivious to Mania, who has gripped Thug2 by his face)

Thug1: So how much we getting?

Thug2: what the fu-!

Thug1: Oh man, this dude's wife is kind of a babe. Dude, check her -

P12

(Thug1 holds the picture up in time to watch as Thug2's feet are pulled out the window)

Thug1: -Out?

P13

(Mania stands on top of the speeding car and casually tosses Thug2 into the empty street)

Mania: (vo) We don't mind though, we never really get bored

P14

(The car swerved and crashed i parks and traffic, Mania just effortlessly leaps away from the danger)

Mania: (vo) We are Mania, Philly's brand new Super Hero

P15

(cheesecake shot as we see the car wreck from around Mania's hips as she approaches the crash)

Mania: (vo) It all started when a new PE teacher was hired by my school.

P16

(We see Flash sitting in his wheelchair blowing a whistle)

Mania: (vo) Coach Thompson, he was an army vet who lost his legs over seas, reduced to a P.E teacher. It was a tragic irony that made it hard not to pity him.

P17

(same shot as P16, only Flash is silhouetted and his shadow forms Agent Venom on the wall beside him)

Mania: (vo) Then I found out who he really was, Venom, or the latest person to host the alien.

P18

(Mania looks down at her reflection in the passenger door window)

Mania: (vo) Long story, what you should know is a psychopath calling himself Jack O Lantern killed my dad.

P19

(same shot as p18, only Mania's reflection has changed so that she looks more monstrous, with a large Venom mouth)

Mania: (vo) He tried to kill me too, but Coach stopped him. He tore off some of his symbiote and used it to protect me.

P20

(Mania tears off the car door, a man with glowing eyes can been seen grinning in the reflection of the backseat window)

Mania: (vo) He never even tried to save my dad, just let him burn and bleed to death! He never-

P21

(we see Thug1 from over Mania's shoulder, aiming a sawed off shotgun at her)

Mania: (vo) No wait...that's not right

P22

(From outside the car we see Mania take the full force of the shotgun blast which has launched her off her feet)

P23

(Thug1 runs away in a panic while Mania lays motionless on the ground)

Thug1: Holy crap! Oh god oh god, what the hell was that!?

P24

(Mania groans as she sits back up)

Mania: (vo) That was a shot gun! Even with the symbiote protecting me I still felt that, like my chest just caved in.

P25

(from over Mania's shoulder we see Thug1, a good distance away, still running for his life.)

Mania: (vo) We should have listened more when Coach was training us.

P26

(Close up shot of Mania's face, her eyes have narrowed and her face has split into a monstrous snarl)

P27

(we see Thug1 running toward us, with Mania swinging after him)

Mania: (vo) He should have been a better teacher.

P28

(Mania pounces onto Thug1 knocking him to the ground)

Mania: (vo) Burned our life to the ground

P29

(profile shot of Mania as she pounds her fist down onto Thug1 whose hands can be seen trying to defend himself)

Mania: (vo) Abandoned us!

P30

(same shot as p29, only Mania has pulled her fist back, it has blood on it, and struck with her other fist, Thug1's hands go rigid)

Mania: (vo) Left me alone with a demon!!

P31

(Same shot as p29 and p30, only Mania's expression has changed, she is now wide eyed with shock as she strikes with her fist again, Thug1's hands have fallen and can no longer be seen)

Mania: (vo) A demon...inside of us

P32

(from Mania's point of view we can see her bloody fist and half of Thug1's badly damaged face as he makes choking sounds)

Mania: Oh God!!

P33

(Mania swings swings away from Thug1 in a sudden panic)

Mania: (vo) I wasn't going to stop...we were going to beat him to death

P34

(closer to Thug1, we watch Mania swing off as a man steps into view beside Thug1, all we can see is his fancy shoe)

Man: She's coming along nicely, still a frightened little bunny, but she'll get there.

Thug1: Hnn, ghk!

P35

(from Thug1's point of view we see the Man looking down at him, his face is upside down and his eyes and mouth glow like fire, he has a wide smile on his face)

Man: I can help you if you'd like, Jason, if you're willing to make a deal.

P36

(we see a well kept, bright kitchen, Aunt Katt is making breakfast and yelling over her shoulder. Aunt Katt is a woman in her 30s with long brown hair, she's pretty and never married)

Katt: Andrea! It's almost time to get up!!

P37

(inside Andi's room, it's unkept and dark with her curtains drawn in, a stark contrast to the kitchen. On her bed we can see Andi's head and foot sticking out from under her covers)

Andi: (vo) ohhh, man, I really don't want to get up today..

P38

(Andi sits up, her hair all a mess on one side of her head, her eyes half open, we can hear Aunt Katt shouting from downstairs)

Katt: Andrea, are you getting up!?

Andi: Yeah yeah, I'll be down in a few minutes! (Vo) That's my Aunt Katt, she's my mom's younger sister, she's great, helped dad and me a lot when we lost mom, and even gave me a place to live after dad was killed. If there were more people like her I honestly believe the world would be a better place.

P39

(Andi pushes herself out of bed and winces holding her chest)

Andi: Ow! What the hell?!

P40

(And stands I front of an large full body mirror and pulls her pj shirt down enough to examine a large bruise on her chest)

Andi: Oh damn, look at that.

P41

(Andi has her symbiote transform into some clothing, typical goth/punk attire that Andi is usually dressed in)

Andi: We need to be more careful out there.

P42

(back in the kitchen, Aunt Katt has set the table for two, she calls up to Andi once more as she sits down, and Andi answers off panel)

Katt: Andrea, hurry up or its going to get cold!

Andi: I'm coming!

P43

(Andi comes walking into the kitchen, she pauses in the door way with a wide eyed surprised look on her face)

Andi: Oh my god, I could smell that upstairs, are you making what I think you're making?

P44

(Andi sits at the table with Katt, Andi looks down at her plate and all but drools over it)

Katt: That's right, Zuccini Cakes

Andi: Oh my god, Squash Cakes! (Vo) I always loved Aunt Katt's squash cakes, and she's the only person I know who makes them.

P45

(As they eat, Andi pulls out her cellphone and focus on something on her screen she doesn't notice that Aunt Katt has a disapproving look on her face)

P46

(same shot as p45, only this time Andi noticed how Katt was looking at her)

Andi: What?

P47

(Katt smiles and answers, Andi reacts holding her hands up in reaction to what is being said)

Katt: Nothing, it's just, black again today?

Andi: Wow, really Aunt Katt? We look good in black

Katt: Yes, but, everyday?

P48

(Andi scowls at Katt and speaks through a mouthful of pancake)

Andi: So, we look good everyday then, what's the problem?

Katt: Andrea-

Andi: Can we not do this this morning?

P49

(Andi sighs down at her half eaten pancake)

Andi: Sorry, I didn't get a lot of sleep again last night.

Katt: More nightmares?

Andi: Yeah...(vo) we can't just tell her that we're a superhero who has been fighting crime every night since we moved into her home.

P50

(Katt nods, extending a hand towards Andi as she takes another bite of food)

Katt: you should come to the daycare with me today, it's parachute day today, the kids might help you get your mind off-

P51

(Andi pulls out her cellphone and waves off Katt's suggestion, showing more interest in her screen than Katt)

Andi: No thanks, we already have plans for after school today.

P52

(Andi listens to a video on her phone, the man in the video is a reporter dressed in a suit)

Reporter: Good morning Philadelphia, this is Super Watch, last night fifty eight year old Michel Doder was attacked by a group of men all identified through their criminal records. They stole Mr Doder's car after giving the father of two a sever concussion. Thankfully Mr Doder was saved by EMTs who were alerted to the scene by an anonymous 911 call, the assailants, however, were not so lucky. Mr Doder's car was found five miles away from the scene of the attack, one of the suspects were found in the street with a fractured spine and rushed to the ER for treatment, the other was found was to be no so lucky.

P53

(front shot of Katt sitting at the table, she obviously doesn't like what she is hearing, the video keeps playing as Katt and Andi, off panel, speak over it)

Katt:Do we really have to listen to that while we're eating?

Reporter: -found not far from the crash, beaten to death.

Andi: What are you talking about?

P54

(front shot of Andi sitting at the table, the phone is next to her plate, still running while Andi and Katt speak over it, Andi looks almost offended by what Katt is saying to her)

Reporter: -as twenty five year old Jason McKarthy. It's no secret that Mr McKarthy was-

Katt: Andi, they were talking about a man who was beaten-

Andi: Oh come on!...Did you not hear the part about how they robbed some guy, put him in the hospital and stole his car? Are you going to tell me that they didn't deserve it?

P55 (Andi pauses her video as Katt picks up her coffee)

Katt: I didn't say that, but one of those men were killed Andi, beaten to death.

P56

(upclose shot of Andi, her face takes up half of the panel, the other half shows a flashback to last night, her, looking down at Thug1 and his bloodied beaten face)

Andi: We...didn't know that guy died.

57

(Same upclose shot of Andi's face as in p56, but she has her eyes closed like she is trying to not look at her memory, Katt speaks off panel)

Katt: That's what the video said. If this Mania person you're following videos of is really a hero, then they should show a little restraint

P58

(Andi shoves her chair away from the table and glares at Katt with a very angry look on her face)

Andi: Well at least they are trying! No one tried to save dad! (vo) I know that's a lie, but at the moment I don't care, we just want to lash out.

P59

(Andi storms out of the kitchen before Katt was even able to rise up out of her chair, she is left seated calling to Andi)

Katt: Andrea, wait-

P60

(off panel there is the sound of a door being slammed, we see Katt, looking down at her plate of food, across from her is Andi's plated and her half eaten squash cake)

Katt: Damnit Katherine...

P61

(Our scene shifts to a shady looking office, a man dressed in a expensive suit, his name is Gabe McKarthy, he is sitting behind his desk watching a video on his phone, the same video that Andi was watching in the scene before)

Reporter: -seems like Philly's heroes play for keeps. Now we'll pass it off to James Ambroes on sports.

Gabe: I hate heroes...

P62

(up close shot of Gabe's face, he looks tired, a henchmen speaks to him from off panel)

Gabe: They run around in tights like fetish freaks and ruin everything they come across. I got out of New York to get away from them, now I have to deal with this crap here too? Sucks.

Henchmen: What do you want to do about Jordan boss? News said he was laid up in the hospital with a busted back.

Gabe: Cut him loose.

P63

(from over Gabe's shoulder we see two Henchmen, both are dressed like bouncers , they react to what Gabe had just told them, one looks at the other who speaks to Gabe)

Hench1: are you okay with that boss? I mean, you and him are-

Gabe: Jordan knows what happens to anyone dumb enough to get pinched while on the job. If he wants money, or legal help, he'll have to suck it up and ask dad, I'm not putting myself on that line.

Hench2: What about the costume, boss?

P64

(upfront shot of Gabe as he considers this as he strokes his goatee/beard)

Gabe: Tell the shops that we're slowing production down, let the street gangs get the costume's attention and have our boys keep their eyes out, but keep their distance, find out what the hell we're dealing with.

P65

(We see Gabe's cellphone screen, it has a few names on it, but the one highlighted reads Heartly, B)

Gabe: I got a guy back in New York who likes to deal with hero types

P66

(we see Andi walking through the school halls with a few of her classmates, Tina a fashionable annoying girl, Josh a wealthy sharp young man, and Chelsa a smart well adjusted girl)

Tina: -and I was like, 'there is like noooooo way!' But I'm still going to be there Josh! You guys will too, right?

Chelsa: End of the year bash at the McKarthy House? No way I'd miss it, everyone is going, even you Andi.

P67

(Andi waves the idea off with a raised hand and a smile as she sarcastically denies the invitation)

Andi: This going to be anything like last year's party? Because we have better things to do.

Chelsa: No way, this time we'll have the whole house! Josh's parents are going out of town to New York.

Josh: Well, maybe, I'm not sure about this year actually.

Tina: So, yeah, you're going honey.

P68

(we see Andi from behind, still waving off the invitation, only Tina has jumped into her path and barred her way)

Andi: Yeeah, no thanks.

Tina: No, Andrea you need to go, we never get to see you since your dad died. Just because he is a ghost doesn't mean you should be too.

P69

(front shot of Andi who has dropped her bag, she has a disbelieving, open mouth expression while her VO boxes are broken up all around her like scattered thoughts)

Andi:What?

Andi: Dad. Our father. I miss him... He was murdered. She's talking about our father. She doesn't know. She should pay.

P70

(Andi goes to take a swing at Tina, only she looks surprised by the action, Chelsa is gripping Andi's arm and Josh is jumping to tackle her)

Andi: What the-

Tina: Ahhh!!

Josh: Whoa Andi, calm down!

Chelsa: Andi!!

P71

(Andi shoves Chelsa away while Josh takes hold of the arm that has Andi's fist at the end of it)

Andi: (vo) it's the symbiote, controlling my body, making me stronger than I should be. My friends can get seriously hurt here, unless...

Tina: Chelsa!

Josh: Hey!

P72

(Andi backhands Josh into the lockers he hits hard and loud, Tina reacts by covering her mouth, Chelsa, still down, reaches out)

Andi: GET OFF ME!!!

Tina: Oh My God!

Chelsa: Josh!!

Andi: (vo) I'm not talking to them, to be honest I've forgotten about them right now, but my outburst works, the symbiote goes still, shocked.

P73

(Andi leaves her bag on the ground and hurries out of the hall, keeping her head down as onlooking students she passes stare at her)

Andi: (vo) I can see them talking as we passby, but I can't hear them, have you ever seen a child in the supermarket, crying at its parent who refuses to acknowledge it at the time? It tells me that we're family, I need to explain what families are, and what they don't do.

P75

(Chelsa has picked herself up and started after Andi with her school bag, Tina is seeing if Josh is okay who is sitting upright)

Chelsa: Andi wait!

Tina: Oh my god, Josh,are you okay?

Josh: Why the hell did you talk about her dad Tina?

Tina: Wow, he died like, what a year ago?

P76

(Chelsa catches up to Andi, who has begun to walk away from the school and down the street)

Chelsa: Andi, stop!

Andi: (vo) We want to go web swinging, I focus on Chelsa's voice and stay on the ground, I don't give it what it wants, it gives in, but let's me know it's not happy.

Andi: Go away Chelsa, I'm really not in the mood right now.

Chelsa: Tina was way out of line-

Andi: She's a bitch, that's what she is.

Chelsa: Well, yes, but she's always been that way, but she is also right.

P77

(Andi turns around with her arms open wide, Chelsa holds her hands up defensively while Andi yells at her)

Andi: What the hell is that supposed to mean!?

Chelsa: We just worried about you Andi, we never see you any more, and at school you hardly talk, you never want to do anything with us, we just want to make sure that you're okay.

P78

(Andi sighs, finally dropping her hostile attitude as she takes her bag and walks side by side with Chelsa down the street, a cop car without its lights on can been seen passing by)

Andi: I'm fine, honest.

Chelsa: I believe you Andi, but you should still come to the party, I lost my mom when I was nine, trust me, you should be with your friends.

79

(Upclose shot of Andi's face while Chelsa speaks off panel, Andi grins despite herself)

Chelsa: If Tiny starts running her mouth you can throw her in the pool, I'll make sure no one stops you.

Andi: Promise?

Chelsa: Cross my heart.

P80

(Both girls laugh and continue on down sidewalk)

Andi: Alright alright, fine, I'll try to show up.

Chelsa: Yes!

Andi: Not promising, but we'll try.

P81

(while they continue to walk Chelsa pulls her phone out of her purse/pocket, another cop car goes by with its lights off.)

Chelsa: Did you see the news report I put up on the school's spacebook page this morning?

Andi: I don't really follow the school's page

Chelsa: Here, look

P82

(Andi looks down at Chelsa's phone and sees a blurry photo of herself and a headlined that reads "Phillies Lethal Protector Strikes Again)

Andi: Actually we did see this, this morning during breakfast.

Chelsa: She's pretty badass, got to be like Punisher's daughter or something like a sidekick.

Aadi: Why Punisher?

P83

(Andi hands the phone back to Chelsa, another cop car goes by, this time with its lights on)

Chelsa: She dresses in black, beats the hell out of criminals, and she has a huge skull on her costume. It's pretty obvious if you think about it.

Andi: We think it looks more like a bug. Not a skull.

Chelsa: What, like Spider-Girl? Oh, do you think Spider-Girl is undercover in Philly!?

Andi: Ther is a spider-girl?

Chelsa: Yeah! Don't you watch Super Powers anymore?

P84

(Andi makes a No Thank You pose with a smile)

Andi: Nope, not since Bruce Campbell stopped hosting.

Chelsa: Oh my god whatever! Haha.

P85

(Andi and Chelsa stand together at a street corner waiting for the walk sign as three more cop cars, all with their lights and sirens on.)

Andi: Wonder what's going on?

Chelsa: that's, six cops that have driven by in the last ten minutes, something has to be really bad up there.

P86

(Chelsa turns to Andi, wide eyed with excitement)

Chelsa: Do you think it's Spider-Girl??

Andi: No

Chelsa: C'mon, let's go check it out!

Andi: No.

P87

(They stand at the corner arguing for a moment while the sirens get further and further away. Andi's thought box is inverted like Mania's)

Chelsa: Come on, why not? How often do you get to see a super hero?

Andi: Because we have better things to do than chase cop cars Chel, I don't really care about heroes anymore.

Andi: (vo) Not since one killed our father.

Chelsa: Alright, fine, later then Andi.

P88

(Andi watches Chelsa run off across the street towards the sound of the sirens)

Andi: (vo) Whatever it is I'm sure the cops can handle it, the really bad stuff doesn't usually happen until the sun goes down, but there is a part kof us that thinks 'What If'.

P89

(Andi has turned down a alleyway, half of her body is in the shadow cast by the buildings, on her shadowed half we see the large white eye and half of Mania's spider emblem)

Andi: (vo) We'll make sure nothing happens to her, shouldn't be to hard to catch up to her.

P90

(We see down below Mania as she's web swinging high above Chelsa who looks very small below her)

Andi: (vo) We give her a few blocks before she gets winded and can't follow the sirens any more.

P91

(upward shot of Chelsa as she keeps on running, in the distance over her shoulder we can see Mania web swinging after her)

Andi: (vo) But she doesn't, she keeps pressing forward, cutting corners and taking so many shortcuts that I lose count of how many blocks she's run, but she stays just within ear shot of the sirens.

P92

(wide open shot of the crime scene, there is a police line, as well as news vans all surrounding a large garage, Chesla has joined a group of onlookers, fatigued and stopping to catch her breath.)

Andi: (vo) We're actually kind of impressed, all her years of Track must have paid off.

P93

(Mania drops down into a nearby ally's shadows)

Andi: (vo) we can't just perch ourselves on a wall to see what's going on, people would spot us, but we have a trick to hide ourselves.

P94

(Mania, in disguise as a tall blonde woman in a smart black and white dress and coat, steps out of the ally)

Andi: (vo) Coach didn't stick around long enough to teach me a lot about the symbiote, that's fine though, we learned this little trick ourselves, and a few other handy skills.

P95

(Mania, still hidden finds Chelsa and stands close behind her, beyond the police line we see the cops approaching the building)

Andi: (vo) I hate gawkers like these people, on the night dad was killed and our apartment burnt down everyone gather up to watch. To watch our whole life go up in smoke.

P96

(Upclose shot of the garage as bullets and gunfire erupt from within scattering the approaching cops)

P97

(Mania ducks for cover as the crowd roars up in a panic, a few people talk about someone who was shot and needs help)

Andi: (vo) We don't even feel bad for these people. They should be a sacred, they shouldn't find something like this to be a show. And then, we hear it.

Voice: Call an ambulance I think she's been shot!!

Mania: (vo) We know what happened even before we look.

P98

(We see Chelsa on the ground, clutching her shoulder which is bleeding badly, there are a few random people around her trying to help, we see Mania in the crowd looking down at her wide eyed with shock)

Andi: Chelsa?

P99 (Mania turns her attention towards the garage with a sharp, angry glare)

Andi: (vo) We don't even think about what we do next, it all just happens so fast.

P100

(Our scene changes to a dimly lit morgue, the foot of a body laying under a sheet, the toetag reads Jason McKarthy, a pair of workers speak off panel)

Worker1: Is the grill clean?

Worker2: Should be, whose turn is it?

Worker1: ummmmm, the boxer.

P101

(we see the inside of a hospital room, a man lays motionless in the bed, he's hooked up to a respirator as well as an EKG machine beeping beside him)

P102

(Back inside the morgue, one of the workers is pushing the uncovered body into the "grill")

Worker: Goddamn champ, I hope you gave the other guy his money's worth.

P103

(Back in the hospital we see an upclose shot of the man's medical chart where we can read the name McKarthy, Jordan, the ekg machine still steadily beeping)

P104

(we see the body in the oven, surrounded by fire)

P105

(we see the ekg machine flatline)

P106

(The body inside the oven slams its hands up against the top of the oven and screams with two voices)

To be continued in Tangled Web of Venom #2 coming soon.

Let me know what you think, or submit doodles and sketch work Jaremy008@gmai.com