Spider-Man: Irregular Reflection

ISSUE 4: The Phantom of The Studio!

Earth-636

BERKHART RESIDENCE

A bearded man in his mid-thirties was whistling a tune while holding two bags of groceries in each hand. He would soon be greeted to the sound of his pet black cat meowing at him near his feet as it was his way of welcoming his owner back home. Daniel Berkhart sat the grocery bags on the kitchen countertop, and went down on the floor on one knee in order to pet his animal companion, Maguire.

"Hey Maguire," Daniel affectionately rubbed the top part of the cat's head. "I hope that you didn't get lonely since I was gone."

Daniel Berkhart was an expert at his craft as a special effects artist and film producer for Empire Studios, and it has been exhausting day for him as they were busy filming episodes for a popular soap opera. He was heading towards his bedroom to change into his sleep attire, and as he turned around Daniel noticed that his feline friend was following behind him.

"It will only be for a minute, Maguire. I just need to change clothes and then I'll put some food in your bowl okay," Daniel reassured his faithful pet as he closed the door.

He was about to go to his closet when all of a sudden his television was turned on its own. The channel was showing the cult-classic sitcom, Sisterhood, and it was a show that he would rather forget. Daniel grabbed the remote off the nightstand and turned it off.

He was about to switch into his nighttime wear, but the television mysteriously came on again much to the producer's confusion. He tried switching the channel to a Detective Noir movie only for it to turn back to the show from before. Daniel, who was starting to get frustrated at this point, turned the channel again to a soccer game only for the television to flip it back to that same show with the theme song blaring up on the surround sound.

"It must be on the fritz. I'm going to have a long talk with the cable guy tomorrow," Daniel muttered to himself as he was prepared to unplug the television from the back when suddenly the screen switched to static. He couldn't tell at first but Berkhart could make out something or someone on the screen as it was a humanoid female figure with what appears to be a large crystal ball on her head. This strange choice in headgear was covering up her face in the form of a silhouette while sporting a red tattered cloak around her collar.

"What in the world is going on?" Daniel nervously gulped while the figure merely laughed at his discomfort.

"Don't you recognize me, Daniel? I'm hurt," The figure mocked.

It was at this moment that Daniel finally recognize his would be tormentor as one of those costumed crazies on the news. She was infamously known as Mysteria, and the woman had a reputation for faking her illusions with the use of highly advanced technology at her disposal.

"You! Y-You're one of those costumed crazies that Spider-Man fights on the news! Mysteria!" Daniel shouted and he started to see weird white smoke materializing out of nowhere from inside his bedroom. The frightened man started to cough once he inhaled the smoke and he tried to make a break for it by running to the door. It would not open as Mysteria made sure that nobody could get in or out.

"Try all you want but escaping is pointless!" Mysteria laughed at the film producer's misfortune as if she was watching a rat trying to get off of a sinking ship. Daniel went over to the windows trying to open one of them but they would not budge one bit.

"Why are you doing this?!! What have I ever done to you?!" Daniel asked out of the sheer unadulterated terror in his voice.

"...You ruined me! So now I am going to ruin you in return!" Mysteria loudly responded while whatever substance that Daniel breathed in was starting to take effect. He started to hallucinate that something was tearing down the door of his closet and a huge deformed creature came out of it. The 'creature' was slowly walking towards the scared man and Daniel's heart was beating exponentially.