Real Name: Ron (last name unknown)COMMUTER
Real Name: Ron (last name unknown)
Identity/Class: human; public transportation user
Occupation: thief
Affiliations: lady luck
Enemies: Spider-Man
Known Relatives: Mona (wife), Judy (daughter)
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: home in Scarsdale, New York;
operated in Manhattan, New York
First Appearance: Amazing Spider-Man I#267 (August, 1985)
Powers/Abilities: None. The Commuter had luck on his side, as well as a familiarity with the suburbs far superior to that of the average web-slinger.
Height: 6' 0" Weight: 170 lbs.
History:
(Amazing
Spider-Man I#267) - The Commuter lived a double life, relaxing at home in
upstate New York, and making a living as a criminal in Manhattan. He was a
married man, and had a daughter in college. One day, while looting Mr. Fred's
Fashion Designs, he was caught in the act by Spider-Man. Thinking quickly, he
took a nearby woman hostage, enabling him to make it to the street safely.
As the Commuter fled into a subway terminal, Spidey was not pleased to find that
he had been fooled by a dummy...a mannequin, that is...which was the Commuter
had taken hostage...with his fake gun.
Anyway, Spidey pursued the Commuter into the terminal, but as
luck would have it the Commuter dropped a token and ran onto the train which had
just arrived. Spidey leapt the turnstile to nab him, but was tackled by some
security guards for try to skip out on paying, and he was delayed long enough
for the Commuter to escape. Spidey did manage to tag him with a Spider-Tracer,
though.
The Commuter returned to his home in suburban Scarsdale, for a romantic night with his wife, while Spidey slept alone in his apartment, following a TV dinner and an episode of Dallas. Spidey spent the whole next day trying to get a fix on the Commuter, who was way out of his range. By evening Spidey remembered his old Spider tracer-tracer, which increased his range so that he could track the tracer. Spidey rode atop a train to Scarsdale, and continued his search. In the course of his pursuit, Spidey webbed shut a barking dog's mouth, broke a small tree he had climbed, got frisked by an off-duty cop (and his randy wife), got thrown off a bus he tried to ride because he didn't have the toll, and finally got a ride on a garbage truck. However, before Spidey could locate the Commuter, he ran a load of laundry, and found and destroyed the tracer.
However, figuring that Spidey was on to him, the Commuter got in his car and tore out of his garage, nearly running over the nearby Spidey in the process. Spidey webbed the car's bumper, which simply ripped off the car as it sped away. With nothing to swing on, Spidey chased the car on foot, but was losing ground until a cabbie pulled up along side him. Of course, the cabbie didn't speak English, but Spidey got the message across and managed to stay close to the fleeing Commuter. Finally, Spidey leapt on top of a garbage truck (the same one he had ridden before), then a bus (ditto), the a car (driven by the cop and his frisky wife), and finally on to the Commuter's car.
Spidey turned the Commuter over to the cops, who recovered thousands of dollars from him. Afterwards, he headed back to the city for some peace and quiet. "Suburbia is just a little too wild for your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man."
Comments: Created by Peter David and Bob McLeod.
Almost anything by Peter David is good for an entertaining read.
The non-English speaking cabbie (we'll call him "Que") ran into Spidey a few other times, I think in other stories by Peter David.
Also featured in this story was Shana, who was based on Peter David's own daughter.
CLARIFICATIONS:
The Commuter's daughter, Judy, has no known connection to:
Last updated: 04/30/04
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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