The Sensational Spider-Man - Volume Four: Enter Sandman

Chapter One: Enter Sandman Pt. 1

In a secret underground testing facility, below the prison, Ryker's Island, a scientist approaches a chamber that a failed experiment just took place in. "What happened to him?" The scientist named Bernstein, shouts. "Marko, are you ok?"

Flint Marko, a common criminal that volunteered for this experiment to get a reduced jail sentence, is now nowhere to be seen in the chamber. In his place, is a large pile of sand. A gasp is heard from the chamber and the sand starts shifting together, to form a shape. The shape eventually turns into a person; Flint Marko. "What the hell...?" Marko asks. "I-I'm sand?"

"Marko, stay where you are," Bernstein tells Flint, as Flint discovers he can make shapes from the sand making up his body.

"Thanks for the powers, Doc, but screw you!" Flint shouts, turning his fist into a hammer. Flint takes a few swings at the glass window that's meant for observation until the window shatters. He turns his full body into sand, again and drifts out from the chamber before vanishing from Ryker's Island, altogether.

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It's Wednesday; Gwen and I have just finished our school day. We're on our way to a diner, for our first official date. "So, how was your day?" I ask Gwen, trying to make conversation.

Gwen shrugs. "Not bad; I got my geography test back," Gwen answers.

"That's cool. What'd you get?"

"Uh...73%," She answers, with a slight tone of disappointment.

"You sound disappointed, Gwen," I state. "That's pretty good!"

"Yeah, I guess," Gwen tells me. "I just think I could've done better."

"Don't beat yourself up, you did fine! It's better than I would've done...Geography definitely isn't my strong suit."

"Ha. Well, thanks, Peter," Gwen cheers up, as we arrive at the diner. We enter and Gwen motions to a corner booth. "Let's sit here."

"Sure," I tell her, as we approach the booth and sit down in it. A polite waitress comes to give us menus and take our drink orders. I get a Sprite and Gwen gets an iced tea. "So, Gwen..."

"Yes, Pete?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"Of course, Pete," Gwen smiles, playfully.

Just then, I hear the volume of a TV in the corner be turned up. "Breaking news!" The newscaster, Ned Leeds, says. "A hostage situation has broken out at New York National Bank, during a robbery! The police have surrounded the bank, but refuse to negotiate with the perpetrator who's believed to be the escaped convict, Flint Marko!"

Marko's gotten out? This isn't good. "Uh...C-Could you excuse me? I just remembered that Aunt May needed me to help her renovate our living room..." I lie, standing up and grabbing my bag.

"P-Pete!" Gwen shouts as I dash out. "Wait!"

"I'll explain later!" I say as a feeling of guilt fills my gut. I run into an alley and suit up, before shooting a web towards the location of the bank.