Tangled Web of Spider-Man: Unused Circus of Crime Pitch (Patreon)

Background: I don't remember how I ended up in discussions with Axel Alonso about doing a Tangled Web of Spider-Man story. I was super-busy at the time (coming off World's Funnest and still working on Welcome to Eltingville, iirc), despite the fact that I liked this pitch very much, by the time I could push for it to move forward the series was canceled. To the best of my memory Tangled Web was sort of like Marvels in approach, only built around a single character/continuity -- exploring the satellite cast and related characters from the Spider-Man series in more down-to-Earth stories. Or something like that.

I have always had a soft spot for the Circus of Crime, despite their being C-level joke villains and having an incredibly unwieldy modes operandi. After a few performances, it wouldn't be too hard for the authorities to zero in on the fact that entire audiences have been fleeced of money and valuables at their shows. Also, circuses are hard to maintain, and expensive to keep going. But, that's old-timey comics. Fuck logic, get to the fun stuff. It didn't fucking matter. The Ringmaster hypnotized people, and the circus members robbed everyone. Fear the Clown, fear the Gambonno Brothers, fear the dummy who fires himself out of a cannon and very likely leaves the comic right after flying past Spider-Man or Daredevil. Okay. 

Anyway, I liked these idiots. I always have, so sue me (don't sue me). And I came up with a story that tried to kind of sort of logically explain why these performers fell into this life, how they could actually operate a Circus of Crime "realistically", and what would happen if you tossed in elements of the movie Freaks and the noir novel Nightmare Alley (which was adapted into a Tyrone Power film of some repute, which for some reason I've just never gotten around to seeing). I have always been interested in circus and carny life and history, some of you may have read the issue of The Goon I wrote for Eric Powell which took place in a carnival setting. 

The artist I considered approaching for this was Farel Dalrymple. But things never got that far. Axel Alonso was interested, but not enthusiastic enough to push for it. So I let it sit for when I had time in my schedule. Tangled Web was canceled short of a full two-year run.  

One last thought: I always remember reading advice from Stan Lee on how to write for comics, back in the day. One emphasized point that always stayed with me was the idea that you should write a story that would only work with the particular character you're working with. Meaning, a Spider-Man story shouldn't work if you just took him out and plugged in Captain America or Daredevil with (or without) minor tweaks. I took that to heart, and have always tried to write mainstream stuff with that in mind. My Thing script could only work with The Thing. I can't plug Ben Grimm's history, the Ultimate Nullifier, etc, into anything else. Maybe that seems obvious, but it's not true of a ton of scripts. The F.F. could have handled that pulp villain menace to America as well as The Avengers, that sort of thing. So, I've found that none of my unused pitches have been of use to me when I need a story idea for something else. I've never taken an old pitch and wiped the serial numbers off and built another vehicle out of it. Meaning, what the flying fuck am I going to do with an unused Circus of Crime plot that digs deep into the fucking Circus of Crime's backstory? Ha. Ha ha ha. 

Someday I'll learn how to freelance more better.  

Enjoy the awe-inspiring spectacle, the senses-shattering suspense, the cosmic importance of -- a Circus of Crime pitch?!? 

I really do need to learn to fucking freelance more better.

(If you like this stuff I have a backstory I wrote for the Ringmaster and some more notes, Id be happy to post them as well. Didn't want to overload the one post with a lot of fragments. Let me know!)

CIRCUS OF CRIME PLOT for “Tangled Web”

Pitch to Axel follows notes, go thru for additional ideas

A teenage boy who’s obsessed with the circus, magic and sideshows, runs away from his broken home to join one of the last remaining traveling circuses in America. What he doesn’t know at the time is that the troupe is actually the Circus of Crime.

The young man ingratiates himself with the Ringmaster/owner of the troupe, and happily finds himself invited into the “family”. His goal is to become a magician or sleight of hand performer, but he finds himself at the very bottom of the sideshow barrel, given grunt chores and carny work to do. All he wants to do is perform, make people laugh, make people cry. What’s almost as frustrating to the young man is the secretive nature of the Ringmaster and his star performers. They keep to themselves and act mysteriously, giving off the impression that it’s more than just a sort of hierarchy of the performers over the sideshow folk. The carny folk he’s befriended don’t seem to notice any rift between the factions when he brings it up, which further confuses him. As the tour heads east, the teen finds himself unable to penetrate the inner circle, but he is able to persevere because of his growing passion for the circus life – as well as his growing infatuation with one of the star performers, Princess Python.

When the circus hits the New York City area, the kid accidentally finds out the truth behind the “inner circle” during their performance.  This is when he learns that the Ringmaster and his top acts are criminals who often plunder their audiences. The Ringmaster uses his hypnotic top hat to mesmerize the throng, while the performers loot their money and belongings. A post-hypnotic suggestion to the marks causes them to not discover the theft immediately and to confuse each individual as to what may have happened, thus allowing the Circus to travel on without much suspicion. But during this performance the unexpected happens, and the show is interrupted by the appearance of Spider-Man. He almost defeats the performers, but when Princess Python is endangered, the teenager steps in and lends them a hand, allowing them to overcome the crime fighter.

The Circus quickly sends everyone home and pulls out of town, leaving several workers and sideshow performers in the lurch to fend for themselves; including the Missing Link. “The Missing Link is missing?”, jokes the Ringmaster. No big deal, you can always find somebody to fit the rat cage, what’s a geek when we have a lifesaver. Indebted to our protagonist, the Ringmaster takes him into his confidence and shows him his secrets. Ringmaster tells him his life story, the story of the Circus, how it turned to crime to keep going. Ringmaster embittered, eventually crime became more important than the show.

Kid’s given an act to work up, a seer act to fleece the marks before the shows, both legit and works. His act turns out well and he becomes adept at doing cold readings and mind reading. He strikes up a flirtation with Princess Python that upsets her suitor, the Strongman, and the ensuing backstage heat angers the Ringmaster.

His newfound confidence turns to arrogance and cockiness and after a time, he starts to plot against the Ringmaster to take control of the circus and win the Princess. He turns his back on the sideshow performers he once befriended. He spies on the Ringmaster and learns that he hypnotizes the sideshow and carnival contingent to keep them in line and off the scent of his criminal activities. He foments unrest among the workers, then stirs up suspicions amongst the top performers that the Ringmaster hypnotizes them to keep them in line and obedient, and shorts them on their criminal takes. A big blowout ensues, with the kid seemingly getting the upper hand. But the Ringmaster turns the tables on him, and the performers realize he’s been playing them for fools. He’s left beaten to a pulp in the mud by the other performers, his magician’s hands broken, his pretty face battered. Not having a taste for killing, the performers don’t know what to do with him. Then the Ringmaster remembers that they haven’t had a Missing Link in a while...

At the end of our story, the Kid is on display in the circus sideshow, covered with fake fur, mumbling and drooling and eating raw meat. A post-hypnotic suggestion won’t allow him to speak, to cry out, to save himself. But he’s aware of his situation. People stare at him and laugh and jeer at him. He got what he had always wanted, a life in the circus.