Spider-Man: At breaking point

Chapter 5: is Jameson The Reaper

The bustling sounds of the city echoed around Peter Parker as he walked through the revolving doors of the Daily Bugle. His hands gripped a small stack of photographs—snapshots of Spider-Man standing among the destruction left in the Reaper's wake. The jagged edges of collapsed buildings, burning cars, and scrawled symbols painted on the walls told a grim story. It was chaos in motion, and Peter had captured every moment.

The usual chaotic energy of the newsroom swirled around him as he made his way through the sea of reporters. Phones were ringing, people were shouting across desks, and the faint sound of computer keyboards clacking filled the air. Peter’s mind wasn’t on the noise, though. It was elsewhere—focused on something that had been gnawing at him ever since his encounter with the Reaper.

He couldn’t shake it. The scythe symbol. The eerie familiarity of the voice that had taunted him from the shadows. There was something about the Reaper that felt personal, something that hit too close to home. And as Peter pushed his way through the newsroom, an unsettling thought began to take root in his mind.

Jameson.

It made no sense. It sounded crazy. But the way the Reaper had spoken—the venom, the obsession with destroying Spider-Man—it wasn’t far off from the way J. Jonah Jameson had ranted and raved about the web-slinger for years. The Reaper’s hatred felt too intense to be just another random villain. And that voice...

Peter reached Jameson’s office and hesitated, standing just outside the door. He glanced down at the photos in his hand. Every instinct he had was telling him to dismiss the thought. Jameson? The Reaper? It was ridiculous.

But Peter couldn’t let it go.

Taking a deep breath, he knocked on the door.

"Come in!" Jameson’s gruff voice barked from inside.

Peter opened the door and stepped in, feeling the familiar rush of nerves that always hit him whenever he faced the Bugle’s editor-in-chief. Jameson was behind his desk, as usual, angrily typing away on his keyboard. He didn’t even look up as Peter entered.

"More pictures of that menace?" Jameson snapped, not taking his eyes off the screen. "Put them on the desk. I’ve got a headline to finish."

Peter swallowed and stepped forward, laying the stack of photographs in front of him. "Yeah... I’ve got some new ones of Spider-Man at the Reaper’s last attack site."

Jameson finally glanced up, his eyes flicking over the photos with his usual disdain for anything involving the wall-crawler. "The Reaper... What kind of nutcase decides to start tagging buildings with a scythe symbol, huh? Sounds like another one of those freaks in a costume. I want a full spread on this guy—him and Spider-Man, ruining the city like the trash they are."

Peter’s stomach twisted. He watched Jameson carefully, waiting for some slip, some hint of recognition. But Jameson was as irritable and blustery as always.

"Think about it," Peter said cautiously, trying to sound casual. "The Reaper hates Spider-Man... kind of like you do. You think he’s just another wannabe trying to make a name for himself?"

Jameson paused, giving Peter a sharp look. "Are you saying I should be flattered that some maniac is running around with a vendetta against Spider-Man? Hell, maybe he’s finally got the right idea!"

Peter chuckled nervously, but there was an edge to his voice. "I don’t know... the guy seems pretty driven. Almost like he’s got something personal against Spider-Man."

Jameson snorted and leaned back in his chair. "Kid, half the city’s got something personal against that wall-crawling menace. This Reaper’s no different. He’ll get what’s coming to him, just like all the others."

Peter nodded, feeling his suspicion deepen despite Jameson’s dismissiveness. Maybe it was a stretch—maybe Jameson wasn’t the Reaper—but there was no denying the intensity of their shared hatred for Spider-Man. It wasn’t just a hunch anymore. Peter knew he had to keep digging.

As he turned to leave, Jameson barked one last command. "Get me more photos of this Reaper character. We need something splashy—something to really make the front page pop. And for once, Parker, try not to make Spider-Man look like the damn hero!"

Peter nodded, slipping out of the office and back into the chaotic newsroom. His mind raced as he considered his next steps. There were symbols all over the city, all pointing to one thing: the Reaper had a plan, and Spider-Man was at the center of it.

But Peter couldn’t shake the feeling that this was bigger than just another villain. He couldn’t shake the feeling that J. Jonah Jameson was somehow involved.

And if he was right, then things were about to get a whole lot more complicated.