Post by Gordy on Jun 28, 2021 22:25:01 GMT -7
((Context: This is Dean Dallas, AKA Magic Man's, pitch for a play based on Spider-Man. This play has a total runtime of 219 minutes, and re-imagines the titular hero as a tragic figure, haunted by grief and manipulated by a higher power.))
The first act follows two couples; Mabel and Benson, and Richie and Marie. Richie and Benson are brothers. On the surface, they're two ordinary, home-town and traditional couples - heck, Mabel and Benson both just graduated from high school with honors! But in reality, they're hard-drinking, party-going heathens. But none of them can top the loose and lusty Mabel, who cheats on Benson with his brother, nearly destroying both relationships in the process.
Mabel's escapades lead her to become pregnant with Richie's baby. Afraid of what her fundamentalist father's will be to her unwed teenage pregnancy, she panics. Luckily, Richie and Marie agree to raise the baby as their own, pretending to be the baby's biological parents.
Mabel gives birth to a healthy boy, who is then raised by Richie and Marie. But when Richie and Marie die in an accident (because they are super-spies and died on the job), Mabel and Benson step up to raise the boy. Mabel is now an old lady, but she's mature and has put her sordid past behind her.
That boy was Spider-Man. Also, when his powers first manifested, he accidentally killed his uncle Benson. However, he blacked out shortly after this happened. When he woke up, he was told by Mabel that Benson was actually killed by a criminal. Now, Spider-Man fights criminals in the hopes of one day finding the killer, not knowing that the person he's hunting for...….. is himself.
Quentin is dejected and his life is ruined. However, White Rabbit and Green Goblin come to him; they've had their lives ruined by Spider-Man before, and are assembling a team of people to get revenge. Using Green Goblin's science and White Rabbit's resources, they plan on starting the Sinister Six and wreaking havoc on their tormentor.
Meanwhile, Spider-Man (who's civilian identity will be called Ben Reilly, named after his uncle) is dating the police chief's daughter, Gwen Poole. However, the romance is a troubled one; Gwen is in love with her boss and mentor, Dr. Osmond, AKA the Green Goblin. Meanwhile, Arachne has fallen in love with Ben. She's been keeping him out on missions and driving a wedge between him and Gwen, in the hopes of spending more time with him.
The rest of this act follows Spider-Man as he fights crime, while his relationship with Gwen falls apart and she finds herself drawn to her mentor.
Songs: Trapped in a Spider's Web of Lies; Gwen; Going Through the Motions; Lab of Lust; Trapped in a Spider's Web of Lies (Reprise)
Spider-Man deals with two giant monsters, the Scylla and Charybdis, who Ben inadvertently created when he visited his wife's lab and accidentally knocked chemicals onto some lab animals. The fight between the trio tears up much of New York, but Spider-Man is able to save the day thanks to Arachne's advice. He goes to the zoo, grabs the animals and hurls them at the monsters. The monsters eat them and are too full to protect themselves from Spider-Man, who uses his radioactive body fluids (like spit and sweat) to kill them.
However, Gwen is aware that Ben made the monsters. However, since she doesn't know he's Spider-Man, she assumes he just ran out of the lab and abandoned her. She walks out and goes to stay with Osmond, who finally seduces her.
Meanwhile, the destruction on the city is being blamed on Spider-Man. Osmond recruits more people to join him: Carnage, who works at a retirement home that was destroyed by the attack, which also killed his grandmother and his dog; Kraven, who had his zoo animals sacrificed by Spider-Man; Electro, Kraven's pet eagle who escaped the monsters, but was transformed into a human with electric powers by the radiation; and Swiss Miss, who is actually Gwen. Osmond, who is in league with dark forces, forms magical pacts with Mephisto to give them powers. Mephisto promises Osmond three wishes, and empowering them will use up one.
White Rabbit, Electro, Kraven, Swiss Miss, and Carnage work under Mysterio, who leads this Sinister Six against Spider-Man. The rest of the act follows them attacking New York to draw Spider-Man out of hiding and get into a fight. Swiss Miss is seriously hurt, and Ben is able to recognize her. He pulls her out of the fight and runs away. Here, he reveals his identity to her and apologizes for pushing her into villainy.
Gwen is conflicted; she hated Ben, but now she understands that all the reasons she was mad at him for were actually pretty reasonable. He wasn't skipping out on her or abandoning her to monsters, but risking his life to protect her. At the same time, she's still in love with Osmond, who has been falling into darkness because of Spider-Man. To make matters worse, she finds out that she's pregnant with Osmond's children.
When talking Osmond of revenge fails, she decides to quit her villainy and return to Ben. Arachne somehow finds out that she's pregnant and had been with Osmond, so she tells Ben about their affair and manipulates him into hating Gwen. When Gwen rushes to be with him, but he rejects her. At this time, the stress of the situation causes Gwen's water to break, and she gives birth.
Meanwhile, Osmond uses his second wish to ask for revenge against both Spider-Man, and Ben. This causes Mephisto to bring Arachne to him. Arachne tells Osmond the truth about Spider-Man's identity. She convinces Osmond to shoot Ben. However, when he lines up the shot, Arachne tells Ben to duck. He does so, but the bullet flies and hits Aunt Mabel instead. Both she and Gwen are driven to the hospital.
Gwen gives birth to twins, while Mabel dies. However, Arachne takes over Mabel's body, giving her physical form so she can finally be with Ben. The two finally cement their relationship, while a tearful Gwen mourns for what might have been.
Meanwhile, the Green Goblin and the Sinister Six are wreaking havoc across the city. Ben is able to handle them at first, until Osmond uses his third wish: he wants to become strong enough to destroy Spider-Man. Mephisto grants his wish, allowing Norman to fuse with the Sinister Six and become the kaiju-sized Red Goblin. He easily decimates Ben and New York.
With Ben on the verge of dying, Gwen dons her Swiss Miss identity and joins him out on the field. It's a doomed venture, but she's willing to die alongside Ben than have him suffer alone. Arachne is now in human form and can't help, so she can only watch in sadness from the sidelines... or can she?
She summons Mephisto and sells her soul to him, in exchange for the power to help Spider-Man. Arachne gives up her form to become a giant spider-themed mecha, which Ben uses to fight the Red Goblin. Together, they fight off and ultimately defeat the Red Goblin, destroying them. The Arachne mecha is destroyed in the process, and her soul ascends to the heavens. However, a piece of her will always be with him: she appears on his suit as his logo.
Mephisto appears before Spider-Man and offers him the chance to save Aunt Mabel and reset everything back to the way it was, OR he can get revenge on his uncle's killer. Having seen all the damage revenge has done to people, Spider-Man decides to focus on protecting what he has, instead of trying to avenge what he doesn't. He sells his relationship with Gwen, and her kids, to Mephisto to rewind time.
In the last few minutes, Ben is moving back home to stay with his Mabel. He and Gwen are no longer together, but they can't remember why. But he has his aunt, his memories of Arachne, and a reinvigorated mission to protect New York.
Prologue: The Origins of Spider-Man
The first act follows two couples; Mabel and Benson, and Richie and Marie. Richie and Benson are brothers. On the surface, they're two ordinary, home-town and traditional couples - heck, Mabel and Benson both just graduated from high school with honors! But in reality, they're hard-drinking, party-going heathens. But none of them can top the loose and lusty Mabel, who cheats on Benson with his brother, nearly destroying both relationships in the process.
Mabel's escapades lead her to become pregnant with Richie's baby. Afraid of what her fundamentalist father's will be to her unwed teenage pregnancy, she panics. Luckily, Richie and Marie agree to raise the baby as their own, pretending to be the baby's biological parents.
Mabel gives birth to a healthy boy, who is then raised by Richie and Marie. But when Richie and Marie die in an accident (because they are super-spies and died on the job), Mabel and Benson step up to raise the boy. Mabel is now an old lady, but she's mature and has put her sordid past behind her.
That boy was Spider-Man. Also, when his powers first manifested, he accidentally killed his uncle Benson. However, he blacked out shortly after this happened. When he woke up, he was told by Mabel that Benson was actually killed by a criminal. Now, Spider-Man fights criminals in the hopes of one day finding the killer, not knowing that the person he's hunting for...….. is himself.
Act I: Boy Falls from the Sky
Spider-Man fights crime with the assistance of Arachne, of Classical Mythology, as his guide. His search in finding his uncle's killer leads him to Quentin Beck, a talented actor who plays a villain named Mysterio in a movie. With Arachne manipulated him, Spider-Man attacks and maims him, scarring his face and ruining his career.Quentin is dejected and his life is ruined. However, White Rabbit and Green Goblin come to him; they've had their lives ruined by Spider-Man before, and are assembling a team of people to get revenge. Using Green Goblin's science and White Rabbit's resources, they plan on starting the Sinister Six and wreaking havoc on their tormentor.
Meanwhile, Spider-Man (who's civilian identity will be called Ben Reilly, named after his uncle) is dating the police chief's daughter, Gwen Poole. However, the romance is a troubled one; Gwen is in love with her boss and mentor, Dr. Osmond, AKA the Green Goblin. Meanwhile, Arachne has fallen in love with Ben. She's been keeping him out on missions and driving a wedge between him and Gwen, in the hopes of spending more time with him.
The rest of this act follows Spider-Man as he fights crime, while his relationship with Gwen falls apart and she finds herself drawn to her mentor.
Songs: Trapped in a Spider's Web of Lies; Gwen; Going Through the Motions; Lab of Lust; Trapped in a Spider's Web of Lies (Reprise)
Act II: Arachne's Akademos
Spider-Man deals with two giant monsters, the Scylla and Charybdis, who Ben inadvertently created when he visited his wife's lab and accidentally knocked chemicals onto some lab animals. The fight between the trio tears up much of New York, but Spider-Man is able to save the day thanks to Arachne's advice. He goes to the zoo, grabs the animals and hurls them at the monsters. The monsters eat them and are too full to protect themselves from Spider-Man, who uses his radioactive body fluids (like spit and sweat) to kill them.
However, Gwen is aware that Ben made the monsters. However, since she doesn't know he's Spider-Man, she assumes he just ran out of the lab and abandoned her. She walks out and goes to stay with Osmond, who finally seduces her.
Meanwhile, the destruction on the city is being blamed on Spider-Man. Osmond recruits more people to join him: Carnage, who works at a retirement home that was destroyed by the attack, which also killed his grandmother and his dog; Kraven, who had his zoo animals sacrificed by Spider-Man; Electro, Kraven's pet eagle who escaped the monsters, but was transformed into a human with electric powers by the radiation; and Swiss Miss, who is actually Gwen. Osmond, who is in league with dark forces, forms magical pacts with Mephisto to give them powers. Mephisto promises Osmond three wishes, and empowering them will use up one.
White Rabbit, Electro, Kraven, Swiss Miss, and Carnage work under Mysterio, who leads this Sinister Six against Spider-Man. The rest of the act follows them attacking New York to draw Spider-Man out of hiding and get into a fight. Swiss Miss is seriously hurt, and Ben is able to recognize her. He pulls her out of the fight and runs away. Here, he reveals his identity to her and apologizes for pushing her into villainy.
Act III: Yet Another Day
Gwen is conflicted; she hated Ben, but now she understands that all the reasons she was mad at him for were actually pretty reasonable. He wasn't skipping out on her or abandoning her to monsters, but risking his life to protect her. At the same time, she's still in love with Osmond, who has been falling into darkness because of Spider-Man. To make matters worse, she finds out that she's pregnant with Osmond's children.
When talking Osmond of revenge fails, she decides to quit her villainy and return to Ben. Arachne somehow finds out that she's pregnant and had been with Osmond, so she tells Ben about their affair and manipulates him into hating Gwen. When Gwen rushes to be with him, but he rejects her. At this time, the stress of the situation causes Gwen's water to break, and she gives birth.
Meanwhile, Osmond uses his second wish to ask for revenge against both Spider-Man, and Ben. This causes Mephisto to bring Arachne to him. Arachne tells Osmond the truth about Spider-Man's identity. She convinces Osmond to shoot Ben. However, when he lines up the shot, Arachne tells Ben to duck. He does so, but the bullet flies and hits Aunt Mabel instead. Both she and Gwen are driven to the hospital.
Gwen gives birth to twins, while Mabel dies. However, Arachne takes over Mabel's body, giving her physical form so she can finally be with Ben. The two finally cement their relationship, while a tearful Gwen mourns for what might have been.
Meanwhile, the Green Goblin and the Sinister Six are wreaking havoc across the city. Ben is able to handle them at first, until Osmond uses his third wish: he wants to become strong enough to destroy Spider-Man. Mephisto grants his wish, allowing Norman to fuse with the Sinister Six and become the kaiju-sized Red Goblin. He easily decimates Ben and New York.
Act IV: A Wonderful Family Understands Love
With Ben on the verge of dying, Gwen dons her Swiss Miss identity and joins him out on the field. It's a doomed venture, but she's willing to die alongside Ben than have him suffer alone. Arachne is now in human form and can't help, so she can only watch in sadness from the sidelines... or can she?
She summons Mephisto and sells her soul to him, in exchange for the power to help Spider-Man. Arachne gives up her form to become a giant spider-themed mecha, which Ben uses to fight the Red Goblin. Together, they fight off and ultimately defeat the Red Goblin, destroying them. The Arachne mecha is destroyed in the process, and her soul ascends to the heavens. However, a piece of her will always be with him: she appears on his suit as his logo.
Mephisto appears before Spider-Man and offers him the chance to save Aunt Mabel and reset everything back to the way it was, OR he can get revenge on his uncle's killer. Having seen all the damage revenge has done to people, Spider-Man decides to focus on protecting what he has, instead of trying to avenge what he doesn't. He sells his relationship with Gwen, and her kids, to Mephisto to rewind time.
In the last few minutes, Ben is moving back home to stay with his Mabel. He and Gwen are no longer together, but they can't remember why. But he has his aunt, his memories of Arachne, and a reinvigorated mission to protect New York.