Let's Play... Amazing Spider-Man!

[Spatula]

After his webbing proves ineffective, Spider-Man decides another change of scene is in order. He leaves the gym in favor of the (now empty) hallways, with the Sandman giving chase and trying to pound the webhead with his giant fists of stone.

This is much like Sandman’s previous attack against Spider-Man, except this time there are no students around.

Sandman: Solo D10 + Corrigible Thug D8 + Shapeshifting D8 + Strength D8 + Combat Expert D8 = 4D8 (3, 8, 5, 2) + D10 (4) = 13 total, D10 effect.

Spider-Man: Solo D10 + School Halls D4 + Reflexes D10 + Acrobatics Expert D10 + Sandman’s Stress D6 = D4 (3) + D6 (5) + 3D10 (3, 2, 9) = 14 total, D10 effect.
Spider-Man gains 1 PP (3 total) for the D4 distinction.

Sandman misses again.

After dodging the Sandman’s attacks, Spider-Man gets in close, and throws a punch at the super-villain.

Sandman will use his Intangibility to have Spider-Man’s fist go through him – then he plans to turn himself hard, trapping Spidey’s arm! This counts as a stunt, so the Watcher will spend a D6 from the Doom Pool (D6+2D8 remaining) to add a D8 stunt die to Sandman’s die pool, much like a hero would spend 1 PP to do the same.

Spider-Man: Solo D10 + Hard-Luck Hero D8 + Strength D10 + Combat Rookie D6 + Sandman’s Stress D6 = 2D6 (1, 6) + D8 (3) + 2D10 (3, 4) = 10 total, D10 effect, 1 opportunity.
Spider-Man will spend 1 PP (2 remaining) to add the 3 to the total, making it 13 total, D10 effect, 1 opportunity.
Spider-Man gains 1 PP (3 total) for the opportunity, and the Doom Pool adds a D6 (2D6+2D8 total).

Sandman: Solo D10 + I’m Unstoppable! D8 + Intangibility D6 + Durability D8 + Combat Expert D8 + Stunt D8 = D6 (4) + 4D8 (6, 5, 1, 2) + D10 (10) = 16 total, D8 effect, 1 opportunity.

The Watcher will spend a D6 from the Doom Pool (D6+2D8 remaining) to keep the Sandman’s effect die.

Spider-Man fails to hurt the Sandman, and the Sandman will use his effect die to inflict a D8 Trapped Arm complication on our hero!

The punch goes right through the Sandman, but as Spidey pulls his arm back, he finds that it’s trapped within the robber’s now rock-hard body! Marko then head-butts the web-head with his rock-hard skull!

This is a straight forward attempt to cause physical stress, and a good example of how a cool complication can set up a future attack in the narrative.

Sandman: Solo D10 + Corrigible Thug D8 + Strength D10 + Combat Expert D8 + Trapped Arm complication D8 = 4D8 (7, 6, 7, 8) + 2D10 (8, 4) = 15 total, D10 effect.

Spider-Man: Solo D10 + Hard-Luck Hero D8 + Reflexes D10 + Combat Rookie D6 + Sandman’s Stress D6 = 2D6 (1, 3) + D8 (2) + 2D10 (9, 6) = 15 total, D8 effect, 1 opportunity.
Spider-Man gains 1 PP (4 total) for the opportunity, and the Doom Pool steps up a D6 (3D8 total).

Spider-Man takes D10 physical stress.

Sandman: “I don’t wantcha to get bored, chum! So I’ll hit you a different way! Ever get any love taps from a guy’s rock-hard head?”

Spider-Man: “Ugh! Ohh… If – if I didn’t have my Spider-Strength I’d be out for the count now! Can’t take much more of this! Gotta do something!”

Spider-Man will attempt a stunt, throwing Sandman into a nearby iron stairway post head-first. He hopes the Sandman to “go soft” to avoid the impact, which would free Spider-Man’s trapped arm.

As Spider-Man is using his trapped arm to throw Flint, he will spend 1 PP (3 remaining) to use the complication as an asset. Doing so will step it up afterwards. He will also spend 1 PP (2 remaining) for a D8 stunt die.

Spider-Man: Solo D10 + School Halls D8 + Strength D10 + Combat Rookie D6 + Trapped Arm complication D8 + Stunt D8 + Sandman’s Stress D6 = 2D6 (5, 6) + 3D8 (3, 1, 8) + 2D10 (8, 6) = 16 total, D10 effect, 1 opportunity.
Spider-Man will spend 1 PP (1 remaining) to add the 6 to the total, making it 22 total, D10 effect, 1 opportunity.
Spider-Man gains 1 PP (2 total) for the opportunity, and the Doom Pool adds a D6 (D6+3D8 total).

Sandman: Solo D10 + I’m Unstoppable! D4 + Strength D10 + Combat Expert D8 + Spider-Man's Stress D10 + Trapped Arm complication D8 = D4 (4) + 2D8 (8, 3) + 3D10 (10, 4, 5) = 18 total, D10 effect.
The Doom Pool steps up a D6 (4D8 total) for the D4 distinction.

Spider-Man succeeds, and will use his D10 effect die to remove the Trapped Arm complication.

Sandman hits the iron post, and instinctively turns into fine sand to avoid getting hurt. Spider-Man is free! ...or is he? Sandman, now a pool of sand, wraps himself around Spider-Mans’ legs, and then engulfs his whole body!

Sandman is trying to create a complication on his target, allowing him to use his Grapple SFX. The Watcher will also add a D8 from the Doom Pool (3D8 remaining) to Flint's die pool.

Sandman: Solo D10 + I’m Unstoppable! D8 + Shapeshifting D10 + Combat Expert D8 + Grapple SFX D6 + Spider-Man's Stress D10 + Doom Pool D8 = D6 (6) + 3D8 (5, 1, 4) + 3D10 (5, 10, 3) = 16 total, D10 effect, 1 opportunity.
The effect is stepped up because of the Grapple SFX, making it 16 total, D12 effect, 1 opportunity.
The Watcher will spend a D8 from the Doom Pool (2D8 remaining) to add the 5 to the total, making it 21 total, D12 effect, 1 opportunity.

Spider-Man will spend 1 PP (1 remaining) to activate the opportunity.

Spider-Man: Solo D10 + Wisecracker D8 + Strength D10 + Combat Rookie D6 + Sandman’s Stress D6 = 2D6 (5, 5) + D8 (4) + 2D10 (1, 10) = 15 total, D8 effect, 1 opportunity.
Spider-Man will spend 1 PP (0 remaining) to add the 5 to the total, making it 20 total, D8 effect, 1 opportunity.
Spider-Man gains 1 PP (1 total) for the opportunity, and the Doom Pool adds a D6 (D6+2D8 total).

Spider-Man can’t avoid getting engulfed, but he does avoid an extraordinary success stepping up the Sandman’s complication to D12+, which would take Spidey out of the fight. The Sandman inflicts a D12 Engulfed complication on Spider-Man.

Sandman: “I’ll just let my grains of sand ooze over there towards you… like havin’ your legs in quicksand, isn’t it?”

Spider-Man: “I’ll bet you’d be great at a party! You’re just a barrel of fun, aren’t you?”

Sandman: “Well, this little party’s gonna end pretty soon! Here’s where I put you away for keeps, you costumed pest!”

Spider-Man: “I can’t break loose! Wait! I’ve got an idea!”

[Spatula]

As the Sandman wraps himself around Spider-Man, Spidey rolls himself into a ball. He then rolls them both down the stairs, hoping the impact at the bottom will disperse Sandman and release our hero.

Spider-Man will make use of the Watcher opportunity that he activated on Sandman’s previous turn, trading it in for a stepped up D10 stunt die.

Spider-Man: Solo D10 + School Halls D8 + Reflexes D10 + Acrobatics Expert D8 + Super-Stunt D10 + Sandman’s Stress D6 = D6 (1) + 2D8 (8, 5) + 3D10 (3, 8, 8) = 16 total, D10 effect, 1 opportunity.
Spider-Man will spend 1 PP (0 remaining) to add the 8 to the total, making it 24 total, D10 effect, 1 opportunity.
Spider-Man gains 1 PP (1 total) for the opportunity, and the Doom Pool steps up a D6 (3D8 total).

Sandman: Solo D10 + I’m Unstoppable! D8 + Shapeshifting D10 + Spider-Man's Stress D10 + Engulfed D12 = 2D8 (1, 5) + 3D10 (3, 4, 9) + D12 (5) = 14 total, D12 effect, 1 opportunity.

The Watcher could spend a D8 from the Doom Pool to boost the total to 19, but Spider-Man would still get an extraordinary success. That would step up his effect die to D12, which is still enough to remove the complication. So the Watcher decides to hang onto his dice for now.

Spider-Man’s total is 10 greater than Sandman’s, so his D10 effect is stepped up twice to D12+ from the extraordinary success. Spidey’s Engulfed complication is removed.

The strange ball of sand reaches the bottom of the stairs and rolls headlong into a wall. Sandman is caught off-guard by the impact and releases Spider-Man.

Sandman: “Okay you’ve had your fun! Now I’m thru foolin’ around!”

The Sandman attempts to intimidate Parker again.

Since Spider-Man is out of PP and can’t buy any push dice, this is a good time for Sandman to exploit his foe’s poor die pool vs. intimidation. To make it worse, the Watcher will add a D8 from the Doom Pool (2D8 remaining) to Sandman’s attempt.

Sandman: Solo D10 + Corrigible Thug D8 + Menace Expert D8 + Spider-Man's Stress D10 + Doom Pool D8 = 3D8 (5, 5, 5) + D10 (9, 2) = 14 total, D10 effect.

Spider-Man: Solo D10 + Wisecracker D8 + Sandman’s Stress D6 = D6 (6) + D8 (8) + D10 (10) = 18 total, D6 effect.

Wow, what a roll! Spider-Man laughs off the attempt to scare him.

Spider-Man: “That so? I’m just getting started!”

As it happens, Spidey has his foe right where he wants him – the boiler room! If you recall, this is where our hero encountered the janitor and his new vacuum earlier (in scene 3 – Editor). Now, all the pieces are in place for Spidey’s smarts to save the day!

Spider-Man picks up a power drill and thrusts it into Sandman, counting on him turning into sand to avoid the attack. But when he does so, Spider-Man rushes over to the vacuum and sweeps him up!

This vacuum attack triggers the Sandman’s Sandstorm Limit, which will step up Spider-Man’s effect die, but also steps up or adds a D6 to the Doom Pool.

Spider-Man: Solo D10 + Boiler Room D8 + Reflexes D10 + Science Expert D8 + King-Size Vacuum resource D6 + Sandman’s Stress D6 = 2D6 (6, 1) + 2D8 (5, 8) + 2D10 (2, 2) = 14 total, D10 effect, 1 opportunity.
The Sandman’s Sandstorm Limit will step up the effect die, making it 14 total, D12 effect, 1 opportunity, and the Doom Pool adds a D6 (D6+2D8 total).
Spider-Man will spend 1 PP (0 remaining) to add the 5 to the total, making it 19 total, D12 effect, 1 opportunity.
Spider-Man gains 1 PP (1 total) for the opportunity, and the Doom Pool steps up a D6 (3D8 total).

Sandman: Solo D10 + I’m Unstoppable! D4 + Intangibility D6 + Shapeshifting D8 + Combat Expert D8 + Spider-Man’s Stress D10 = D4 (2) + D6 (6) + 2D8 (3, 1) + 2D10 (2, 2) = 9 total, D10 effect, 1 opportunity.
The Doom Pool adds a D6 (D6+3D8 total) for the D4 distinction.
The Watcher spends a D6 and D8 from the Doom Pool (2D8 remaining) to add the 2 and the 3 to the total, making it 6+2 + 2 + 3 = 13 total, D10 effect, 1 opportunity.

It’s not enough. Spider-Man’s total is more than 5 (but less than 10) greater than Sandman’s, stepping up Spidey’s effect to D12+. Sandman takes a D12+ Heavy Canvas Vacuum Bag complication.

With the Sandman defeated, Spider-Man gets 1 XP and 3 XP (28 total) from the Nothing Can Stop... the Sandman! milestone. The 1 XP is for stopping the Sandman from “stealing” a high school diploma, and the 3 XP is for capturing the villain.

Sandman: “Don’t you ever learn? All I gotta do is make my body like sand again! That dumb thing can’t hurt me!”

Spider-Man: “Just stick around, big man! So, you wanted a diploma, eh?”

Sandman: “What’s that got to do with anythin’??”

Spider-Man: “Just this! Here’s the first part of your education – courtesy of your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man!”

Sandman: “Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh...”

Spidey then realizes he could make a lot of money selling pictures of the fight to the Daily Bugle. Unfortunately, the fight is over... or is it? He sets his camera on a timer, takes some sand from a nearby fire bucket and throws it into the air, then pretends to “fight” the sand.

[Spatula]

Issue 3, Scene 5: Forest Hills High School (Transition)
Doom Pool: 2D8
Spider-Man: 0 PP, D8 physical stress

Outside the school, the police have the place surrounded. J. Jonah Jameson is also there, demanding that the cops do something. When Spider-Man appears on the roof with the Sandman in a vacuum bag, both the cops and Jonah want him to come down and answer questions. But Spidey, fearing for his secret identity, declines. He lowers the bag down on a web line, and runs back inside to change.

Jameson finds Peter Parker inside, and is pleased as punch that he has some shots of the fight.

Peter: “Here’s the film, Mister Jameson! I didn’t have time to have it developed!”

J. Jonah Jameson: “That’s all right! Don’t worry about it! I’ll take the cost of developing out of your pay!” (that Jonah, always so generous!)

The police find no sign of Spider-Man, and Jameson vows to write all about what a scoundrel Spider-Man is for upstaging the cops and trashing a local high school.

All’s well that ends well, right? Peter is elated that he stopped the crook, got paid, and was now free to take Liz Allan out in the evening! Liz, unfortunately, has already made other plans with Flash Thompson. When Flash mouths off to Peter (“Now run along and find your umbrella!”), Peter blows his top and just about punches the bully.

Peter: “You brainless loudmouth! You’ve insulted me for the last time! I’m gonna wipe that stupid leer off your face right now!”

Flash: “Well, well! Okay, worm, I’ve been waiting for this!”

Only then does Peter come to his senses. With his strength, he would probably “pulverize” Flash and reveal his secret identity. Instead, he swallows his pride and backs down.

As a transition scene, Peter can roll to recover his stress. But since it’s the end of the issue, the Watcher just skips over that. Peter gets 1 XP (29 total) from his Secret Identity milestone, for backing down from Flash’s taunts in order to protect his identity.

On his way home from school, Peter overhears the comments of the public, who are suspicious and untrusting of Spider-Man, despite all his good deeds. Once home, Peter questions his motives.

Peter: “Can they be right? Am I really some sort of a crack-pot, wasting my time seeking game and glory? Am I more interested in the adventure of being Spider-Man than I am in helping people? Why do I do it? Why don’t I give the whole thing up?

“And yet, I can’t! I must have been given this great power for a reason! No matter how difficult it is, I must remain as Spider-Man! And I pray that someday the world will understand!”

The End
Final Doom Pool: 2D8
Spider-Man: 29 XP, 1 PP, no stress

[Spatula]

Now maybe this should have just automatically succeeded (because Spider-Man’s webbing can’t hold someone who can turn to sand)? I’m unclear on whether the rules actually call for a roll here or not. I suppose this also applies to when they first meet and Spider-Man tries to grab Sandman, who then turns to sand. I guess the question is, is Sandman impossible to hold, or only impossible to hold while there are dice in the Doom Pool?

Browsing ahead in my copies of Essential Spider-Man, I noticed a fight between Sandman & the Enforcers on one side, and Spidey and the Human Torch on the other. The fight ends with Sandman getting so tired that he can't keep shapeshifting, allowing the cops to capture him. So that answers the question of whether there's a limit or not to the character's immunity.

Now, whether that's an example of the Doom Pool running out (and so Sandman can't use his SFX), or the Watcher activating the Exhausted Limit, or the Watcher using 2D12 to end the scene, is up in the air...

[Spatula]

Spider-Man has been conducting his own "agility training" at home, which is represented by him spending the 15 xp (ouch) to add Acrobatics Expert to his datafile. I also revised his milestones so that they made more sense.

Spider-Man
Affiliations: Solo D8, Buddy D10, Team D6

Distinctions:
Hard-Luck Hero
Wisecracker
With Great Power...

Spider-Powers
Senses D8, Stamina D8, Reflexes D10, Strength D10, Wall-Crawling D6
SFX: Versatile. Split trait into two dice at -1 step or three dice at -2 steps.
SFX: Spider-Sense. Add or step up Senses on a reaction roll and reroll all dice. Costs 1 PP.
SFX: Second Wind. Before action w/Spider-Powers, move physical stress to Doom Pool and step up Spider-Powers for this action.
Limit: Exhausted. Shutdown 1 trait to gain 1 PP. Recover via opportunity or transition.

Web-Shooters
Durability D8, Swingline D8, Weapon D8
SFX: Grapple. Add D6 and step up effect die when inflicting web-related complications.
SFX: Constructs. Add D6 and step up effect die when creating web-related assets.
Limit: Out of Web Fluid. Shutdown all Web-Shooter powers and gain 1 PP. Recover via transition.
Limit: Gear. Shutdown all Web-Shooter powers and gain 1 PP. Recover via opportunity or transition.

Specialties:
Acrobatics Expert D8, Science Expert D8, Tech Expert D8

Milestones:
Secret Identity
1 XP when you lie or accept humiliation in order to protect your secret identity, or when you act in such a way as to jeopardize your secret identity.
3 XP when you skip a social engagement to fight crime, or let criminals get away so that you can keep a social engagement.
10 XP when you decide to tell someone that you are Spider-Man, or decide that you can never tell anyone of your double life.

With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility
1 XP when you protect innocents from harm, or when innocents come to harm through your actions or inaction.
3 XP when you defeat a villain that has harmed innocents, or when you chose not to defeat such a villain.
10 XP when you have a crisis of faith and decide to hang up your webs for good, or when you decide that you have a responsibility to protect innocents as Spider-Man.

------------

This time around, his foe is none other than... Doctor Doom!!!

This is early Doom, and is only meant to represent what he does in the context of this issue. I don't have the early Fantastic Four issues to make a more complete datafile.


Doctor Doom
Affiliations: Solo D10, Buddy D6, Team D8

Distinctions:
Colossal Arrogance
Mad Genius
Ruler of Latveria

Powered Armor
Durability D10, Force Blast D10, Flight D6, Senses D6, Strength D10
SFX: Versatile. Split any Powered Armor trait into two dice at -1 step, or three dice at -2 steps.
Limit: Feedback. Step up or add D6 to the Doom Pool and either step up stress from electricity or shutdown Powered Armor.

Gadgets, Traps, Vehicles, and Inventions
Durability D8, Flight D8, Senses D8, Weapon D8
SFX: Afflict. Add a D6 and step up your effect die by +1 when inflicting complication on a target. Type of complication varies by gadget.
SFX: Area Attack. Add a D6 and keep an additional effect die for each additional target.
SFX: Doombot. After taking stress or receiving a complication, use die from Doom Pool to replace Doctor Doom with a Doombot. Alternatively, use die from Doom Pool to create Doombot asset.
Limit: Gear. Shutdown asset and add a D6 to the Doom Pool. Recover via opportunity or transition.

Specialties:
Menace Master D10, Science Master D10, Tech Master D10

Starting Doom Pool: 2D6.

[Spatula]

Act 1, Scene 1: Bowling Alley
Doom Pool: 2D6

JJJ has bought time on a local TV station to air a program that he apparently produced himself: “Spider-Man… A Force for Good or Evil?” No doubt the show will be fair and balanced! Hearing Spider-Man’s name gets the attention of the high school gang, who take a break from their bowling to see what’s on TV. Peter is there, which is sorta interesting – he seemingly has no school friends and is often the target of ridicule, so why is he hanging out with his tormentors? Maybe he’s following around Liz to ask her out on a date again? (see last issue, true believers!) Maybe he was there bowling on his own when the cool kids arrived?

Anyway, Peter figures he can keep his identity safe (and earn some XP) by bad-mouthing Spider-Man. Flash, who after the fight at the school is turning into quite the Spider-Man fan, lays into Peter. And Liz gushes about how dreamy Spider-Man is. Flash really gets under Peter’s skin this time…

Flash: Team D8 + Bully D8 = 2D8 (8, 5) = 13 and D4 effect.
Spider-Man: Solo D8 + Hard-Luck Hero D8 = 2D8 (6, 5) = 11 and D4 effect. Peter could have taken a lower total to keep a better effect die, but the result would have been the same – Flash’s effect would have been stepped up to D6 from an extraordinary success, and then stepped back to D4 for the reaction having a higher effect die.
Spider-Man takes D4 emotional stress.

Peter: “Jameson may be right! Nobody really knows Spider-Man!”
Flash: “It’s a cinch you don’t, panty-waist! You’d probably faint if you ever caught sight of ‘im!”
Liz: “I would, too! …from sheer excitement! I’ll bet he’s real handsome under that silly mask of his!”
Flash: “G’wan, Parker, get lost! You’re in the wrong place, anyhow! This is a bowling alley, not a knitting parlor!”
Peter: “That’s it, Flash! Keep it up! One of these days you’ll go too far, and you’ll never know what hit you! There’s even a limit to Spider-Man’s patience!”

Someone else is watching JJJ’s expose… and that someone is Doctor Doom! As an out-of-towner, Doom doesn’t realize that JJJ’s reporting is bunk and that Spider-Man isn’t really a menace to society. Instead, Doom swallows the premise whole and calculates that if he can recruit Spider-Man, he can finally defeat the Fantastic Four! The poor guy apparently doesn’t realize that he only has a D6 Buddy rating. We get treated to a flashback of Doom’s last escape from the FF before Doom pulls out his first nutty gadget of the evening:

Doom: “With the aid of that imprisoned spider, I will transmit a message to Spider-Man, using his own wavelength! In some strange way, he has the sensory powers of a spider… and so, it was a simple matter for one of my genius to create this spider-wave transmitter!”

Peter is practicing his spider-moves in his room when Doom’s message (“Calling Spider-Man! I must contact you at once!”) beams into his head. Parker suits up and heads out, using his Spider-Sense to “follow the sensory impulses to their source!”

[Spatula]

Act 1, Scene 2: Doom’s Dockside Hideout
Doom Pool: 2D6

Spider-Man finds Doom’s hideout and sneaks in, crawling on the ceiling. When he spots Doom he immediately recognizes him, but announces his presence anyway.

Spider-Man: “So it was you who tried to contact me, Doom? But why?”
Doom: “Together we could rule the world! You’re an outcast, the same as I! You dare not reveal your true identity! And yet, right under your nose, the Fantastic Four basks in the limelight, while you are shunned and hunted!”
Spider-Man: “Me team up with you, huh? Jonah Jameson would really have something to howl about then!”

Nevertheless, Spider-Man says no, and Doom vows that they are now deadly foes. Spidey responds by covering the Latverian tyrant in webbing.

Spider-Man: Solo D8 + Wisecracker D8 + Swingline D8 + Construct SFX D6 = D6+3D8 (3, 7, 7, 4) = 14 and D8 effect. The effect die is stepped up to D10 because of the Construct SFX.
Dr. Doom: Solo D10 + Colossal Arrogance D8 + Peter’s Stress D4 = D4+D8+D10 (1, 3, 6) = 9 and D4 effect.
Spider-Man’s effect is stepped up again to D12 because of the extraordinary success. Doom gets a D12 Webbed complication, but the Watcher spends a D6 from the Doom Pool (D6 left) to reveal that Spidey webbed up a Doombot, not Doom himself!

Doom emerges from behind a hidden panel and throws a switch, causing a pit trap to open up under Spider-Man!

Dr. Doom: Solo D10 + Mad Genius D8 + Trap D8 + Tech Master D10 + Peter’s Stress D4 = D4+2D8+2D10 (4, 6, 2, 7, 7) = 14 and D8 effect.
Spider-Man: Solo D8 + Wisecracker D8 + Reflexes D10 + Acrobatics Expert D8 = 3D8+D10 (7, 1, 2, 8) = 15 and D8 effect.
Peter gains 1 PP (2 total) for rolling a 1, and the Doom Pool gains a D6 (2D6 total).

Before he can fall, Spider-Man gets his hands on the edge of the floor and propels himself into an aerial somersault, attempting to land on Doctor Doom. Doctor Doom tries to grab the wall-crawler as he approaches, and throw him.

Spider-Man: Solo D8 + Wisecracker D8 + Reflexes D10 + Acrobatics D8 = 3D8+D10 (4, 4, 6, 4) = 10 and D8 effect.
Dr. Doom: Solo D10 + Colossal Arrogance D8 + Strength D10 + Peter’s Stress D4 = D4+D8+2D10 = (4, 7, 1, 5) = 12 and D4 effect.

Doom tosses the slightly off-balance Spider-man across the room, and Spidery twists and lands on his feet. But before he can act further, Doom shoots at Spidey with his “miniature finger-gun!”

Dr. Doom: Solo D10 + Mad Genius D8 + Force Blast D10 + Peter’s Stress D4 = D4+D8+2D10 (2, 8, 3, 9) = 17 and D10 effect.
Spider-Man: Solo D8 + Wisecracker D8 + Reflexes D10 + Acrobatics D8 = 3D8+D10 (5, 4, 7, 3) = 12 and D10 effect. Peter will spend 1 PP (1 left) to add the 4 to the total, for 16 and D10 effect. He still gets hit, but it won’t be as bad.
Spider-Man gains D10 physical stress.

Spidey dodges the first blast, but a second blast knocks him through a window!

Game-wise, this is a little curious. Spider-Man getting knocked out the window basically ends the combat, but he shows no signs of getting stressed out. It's almost like the Watcher using 2D12 to end a scene, but there's no way the Doom Pool could have grown that high in such a short time.

Spider-Man is falling from the window to the docks below.

The Watcher calls for a roll vs the Doom Pool for Spider-Man to land in the water.
Spider-Man: Solo D8 + Hard-Luck Hero D8 + Reflexes D10 + Acrobatics D8 = 3D8+D10 (4, 1, 8, 9) = 17 and D8 effect.
Peter gains 1 PP (2 total) for rolling a 1, and the Doom Pool adds a D6 (3D6 total). Does this affect the reaction roll?
Doom Pool: 3D6 + Docks D8 = 3D6+D8 (3, 6, 2, 1) = 9 and D6 effect.
Spider-Man has a near-miss with a ledge, but manages to hit the water safely.

Doom laments Spider-Man’s escape, but concocts a back-up plan as he strolls to his helicopter: He will learn Spider-Man’s identity, capture him, and then use him as bait to lure the Fantastic Four into a trap! That’s a mad genius for you, always trying to spin failures into new successes.

Spider-Man springs out of the water, eager to get revenge on Doom, but as he climbs back up to the hideout, the building explodes! Peter snaps a few pictures of the fire for the Bugle before heading back home. As he’s swinging away, a passerby spots him…

Guy on Street: “Look! There’s Spider-Man! It must have been him who blew up the building!”
Spider-Man: “Just my luck! Now I’ll probably be blamed for the fire, too!”

[Spatula]

Act 1, Scene 3 (Transition): The Daily Bugle
Doom Pool: 2D6

Spider-Man’s stress gets stepped back, which removes his emotional stress and leaves his physical stress at D8. He can attempt to recover that overnight.

Spider-Man: Solo D8 + Hard-Luck Hero D8 + Stamina D8 = 3D8 (8, 7, 6) = 15 and D8 effect.
Doom Pool: 2D6 + Stress D8 = 2D6+D8 (4, 3, 3) = 7 and D8 effect.
Peter’s physical stress is removed.

The next day, Peter stops by the Daily Bugle to drop off his photos. Jameson takes them but reminds Peter that he really wants pictures of Spider-Man, so that he can pin the fire on him. Peter sticks up for Spidey here (“People are beginning to say you attack [Spider-Man] too much!”) and gets an unexpected assist from Betty Brant. It’s at this moment that Peter suddenly notices that Betty is actually pretty cute… JJJ shuts them down. The head honcho doesn’t take direction from a freelance photog or a secretary! Besides, Spider-Man sells papers, and that’s what counts.

Act 1, Scene 4: Forest Hills, NYC
Doom Pool: 3D6

Back in Forest Hills (which is in Queens; I never knew that), Flash is trying on a Spider-Man costume (sewn by “the gals”) for the gang. He plans to use it to scare Peter, or something.

And over at Doom’s new hideout, Doom is putting the finishing touches on another nutty spider-gizmo…

Dr. Doom: “There! I’ve devised an instrument which will react to a spider’s impulses the way a Geiger counter reacts to uranium! All I need do is scour the city until the dial registers positive, and I will have found Spider-Man’s real identity!” (wouldn’t that lead him to every spider in the city, instead?)

Doom boards his 1-man helicopter to canvas the city. Does the FAA know about this?

Naturally, right around the time that Doom is passing over Forest Hills, Peter is about to walk into Flash & the gang’s prank. Flash is in costume, hiding behind a wooden fence that Parker is walking past, while everyone else is watching from across the street. Doom’s spider-scanner goes crazy, as it picks up Peter’s “spider impulses.” As Doom closes in, he sees (what looks like) Spider-Man hiding behind a fence! He quickly lands (without anyone noticing a 1-person helicopter landing in the suburbs?) and gets fairly close to Flash before he’s noticed. Just as Peter is walking by the fence and the gang is waiting for Flash to jump out, Doctor Doom is putting Flash to sleep with a knockout gas. Peter walks by, completely unaware, as Doctor Doom drags away the costumed bully.

[Spatula]

Act 1, Scene 5: Aunt May’s House
Doom Pool: 3D6

The next day, Aunt May and Peter are watching the Ed Sullivan show when Doctor Doom interrupts the broadcast! Doom shows off the captive Spider-Man, and demands that the Fantastic Four disband and surrender to him, one at a time. If they don’t comply within one hour, Doom will kill his hostage!

The Watcher throws a D10 in the Doom Pool (3D6+D10) for Doom’s public ultimatum!

Peter is busy wondering who the heck Doom has captive, when Liz calls to tell him that Flash is missing… and dressed up as Spider-Man. “To play a joke on somebody,” she explains. Peter figures out the rest and gives Liz a verbal shrug. What’s a high school student going to do about Doctor Doom? At first, Peter is elated – the FF won’t surrender, and Flash will be out of Peter’s life, forever. But then his conscience kicks in, and he realizes that he will have to save Flash as Spider-Man.

“See you later, Aunt May! I have to… um… go out on an errand!” It’s weak stuff, and even Aunt May isn’t buying it. She forbids Peter from leaving, what with all of those Doctor Dooms and Spider-Men running around out there… So Peter pulls the master fuse to create a power outage, then lies to May about needing to go get a replacement.

While the FF argue about how to respond to Doom’s ultimatum, Spider-Man is swinging around the city, trying to locate Doom’s hideout. He reasons that Doom needed a lot of power to override all the TV broadcasts, so he goes cruising by power plants and utility companies, hoping that his spider-sense will tell him when he’s found the evil Doctor. It’s getting down to the wire when he gets a spider-tingle from an abandoned factory.

[Spatula]

Act 1, Scene 6: Abandoned Factory
Doom Pool: 3D6+D10

Spider-Man lands on the roof of the factory. Reasoning that Doom has probably booby-trapped the place to heck and back to prepare for the FF’s arrival, Spidey looks for some inconspicuous way to enter the building. He spots an almost man-sized exhaust pipe and squeezes into it. After some crawling around, he finds the Doctor, and uses his belt-light to announce his presence.

Spider-Man goes first, and uses his belt-light to confuse Doom.

Spider-Man: Solo D8 + Wisecracker D8 = 2D8 (7, 6) = 13 and D4 effect.
Doom: Solo D10 + Colossal Arrogance D4 + Menace Master 2D8 = D4+2D8+D10 (4, 2, 3, 7) = 11 and D8 effect.
The Doom Pool steps up a D6 (2D6+D8+D10) for using a D4 distinction.
Spider-Man’s effect die is stepped down to nothing from Doom’s superior effect die.

Doom: “Spider-Man! But… you’re my prisoner! How…?”
Spider-Man: “Correction, Doc! I’m the real Spider-Man! You just captured yourself a phony Brand-X in there!”

Doom shoots his finger-blaster at Spider-Man, who leaps down from the ceiling to dodge.

Doom: Solo D10 + Colossal Arrogance D8 + Force Blast D10 = D8+2D10 (8, 9, 10) = 19 and D8 effect. Ouch!
Spider-Man: Solo D8 + Wisecracker D8 + Reflexes D10 + Acrobatics D8 = 3D8+D10 (3, 8, 2, 10) = 18 and D8 effect. Peter will spend 1 PP (1 left) to add the 3 to his total, for 21 and D8 effect.

Now on the ground, Spider-Man spins up a column made of webbing to block Doom’s attacks. That last one was too close for comfort!

Spider-Man: Solo D8 + Wisecracker D8 + Durability D8 + Construct SFX D6 = D6+3D8 (1, 6, 7, 8) = 15 and D8 effect. The effect die is stepped up to D10 with the Construct SFX.
Peter gains 1 PP (2 total) for rolling the 1, and the Doom Pool adds a D6 (3D6+D8+D10 total).
Doom: Solo D10 + Colossal Arrogance D8 + Force Blast D10 = D8+2D10 (5, 9, 2) = 14 and D10 effect.
Spider-Man creates a D10 Web Column asset.

Doom fires at the Spider-Man, who ducks behind the web column.

Doom: Solo D10 + Colossal Arrogance D8 + Force Blast D10 = D8+2D10 (7, 3, 9) = 16 and D10 effect.
Spider-Man: Solo D8 + Wisecracker D8 + Durability D8 + Web Column D10 = 3D8+D10 (3, 8, 2, 10) = 18 and D8 effect.

While Spidey is behind his shield, he whips up a sling and a gooey web ball, and hurls the ball at Doom’s finger-blaster!

Spider-Man: Solo D8 + Wisecracker D8 + Reflexes D10 + Weapon D8 = 3D8+D10 (6, 7, 1, 4) = 13 and D10 effect.
Peter gains 1 PP (3 total) for rolling the 1, and the Doom Pool adds a D6 (4D6+D8+D10 total).
Doom: Solo D10 + Mad Genius D8 + Force Blast D10 + Doom Pool 2D6 = 2D6+D8+2D10 (2, 5, 1, 6, 4) = 11 and D10 effect.
Spider-Man shuts down Doom’s Force Blast power. The Doom Pool is at 2D6+D8+D10.

Spider-Man: “And now, while I’m all comfy and cozy back here, I’ll just spin myself a little weapon of my own! Here we are! Hope I didn’t keep you waiting too long, rustpot! But it takes a few seconds to make a web ball filled with web fluid! It’s a great way to teach someone that it’s not polite to point!”

The web-ball explodes when it hits Doom’s finger, clogging the barrel of his finger-blaster. On Doom’s turn, the Doctor runs away with the intent of positioning Spider-Man in a certain location. Spider-Man abandons his cover and follows, not guessing his foe’s intent.