EZEKIEL
Real Name: Ezekiel Sims
Identity/Class: Super-human
Occupation: Businessman, former Explorer/Adventurer.
Group Membership: Webcorps
Affiliations: Black Cat, Jack Coolridge, Miguel, Spider-Man (Peter Parker)
confidant of his board members (at least nine of them)
Enemies: Gatekeeper, Morlun, Shathra
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None known.
Base of Operations: His building in New York (formerly); mobile
First Appearance: Amazing Spider-Man II#30 (June, 2001)
Powers/Abilities: Same as Spider-Man, but we've seen no indication of Spider-Sense. Maybe he has it, maybe it's just for the "pure", or maybe it's the bonus of the radiation. He is also in the same strength level as Spider-Man (Superhuman Class 10, enabling him to lift/press 10 ton, probably a bit decreased due to his age), and he can adhere to surfaces. He has good business skills. He uses no weapons, no Web-Shooters, no costume, and, several times, no shoes.
Height: 6' 0" Weight: 180 lbs. Hair: Grey Eyes: Blue
History:
(Amazing Spider-Man II#508 (fb)) - At some point in his life, Ezekiel
suffered a personal tragedy as a child, possibly the loss of his
parents.
(Amazing Spider-Man II#32 (fb)/507 (fb)) - Ezekiel amassed a fortune, and wanted to use his power to battle injustices. He sought out Miguel in Peru, and saved his village from destruction to preserve a mystical temple. Miguel then performed rites upon Ezekiel which apparently endowed him with superhuman abilities, drawn from the mystical creature the Gatekeeper.
(Amazing Spider-Man II#508 (fb)) - However, Ezekiel did not make much use of his newfound powers, as the demands of his company overwhelmed his desire for do-gooding and adventuring.
(Amazing Spider-Man II#30-32) - Ezekiel sought out Spider-Man and identified him as Peter Parker. He revealed his and Peter's true(?) origins to him, displayed the same powers, and offered him sanctuary, a hideout that could prevent the predatory superhuman Morlun from finding him. He suggested to Peter that perhaps his powers were not due to the radiation in the spider that bit him.
(Amazing
Spider-Man II#33)- Now 57 years old,
Ezekiel had managed to build a financial empire with his
spider-abilities. He decided to do something useful with his life
and decided to do for Peter what Peter has done for others.
His board members didn't agree, afraid that this could lead
Morlun to them in a talk that implied that they too might have
spider-powers. When Spider-Man refused his offer of sanctuary, he
got his butt
kicked and came back to Ezekiel for help. Ezekiel said that
the hideout was now useless and that he couldn't risk himself in
the battle against Morlun because Morlun didn't know of his
existence, and he wanted to keep it that way. 
(Amazing Spider-Man II#34-35) - Later, Ezekiel changed his mind, and seemingly sacrificed his life to buy Peter the time to beat Morlun. After the battle, Peter headed to Ezekiel's building to relate the news of his death to his partners, but he found the building was emptied except for a rubber spider left on the window. Down on the street, Ezekiel and his board members left in a limo, and he hinted that he'd keep on helping people.
(Amazing Spider-Man II#47) - Spider-Man was going through a struggle with the mysterious other-dimensional creature called Shathra. Ezekiel was watching a TV report and uttered, "I've been away too long. It's started."
(Amazing Spider-Man II#48) - Ezekiel found an unconscious Spider-Man and took him to Africa, into a temple built for a Spider-God, where they waited for Shathra to come. Ezekiel then told the story of the first Spider-Man. In Ezekiel's story he said that the first Spider-Man ascended this earthly level and now lives on the Astral Plane as a spider-god. He also said that it is this spider-god that caused the events which led to Peter Parker getting bitten by a radioactive spider and getting his spider powers. Shathra came and was defeated.
(Amazing Spider-Man II#49) - In the aftermath of Shathra's defeat, Ezekiel tried to convince Spider-Man some more of his mystical origin. Ezekiel said another threat was coming, since these things come in threes (the first being Morlun and the second being Shathra). After Spider-Man left, Ezekiel talked to himself, dropping hints that he was hiding something from Spider-Man.
(Amazing Spider-Man II#56 (fb)) - Ezekiel arranged for a young convict, Jack Coolridge, to be released into his custody, and provided with work.
(Amazing Spider-Man II#55) - When Spider-Man became involved in trying to locate Jack Coolridge, having met his younger sister Melissa and realizing he was responsible for sending him to prison, Ezekiel ran into Spider-Man, and listened to his frustrations.
(Amazing Spider-Man II#56) - Ezekiel ran into Peter again, and brought up his search for Jack Coolridge, even though Peter hadn't mentioned any names before. Spider-Man ulimately located Jack, and found him working for Ezekiel, and finally convinced Jack to let his sister know that he was all right.
(Spider-Man: The Darkest Hours) - Ezekiel hired Black Cat to investigate Spider-Man's first NY appearance and appearances in foreign cities.
(Amazing Spider-Man II#506) - Fearing the arrival of the Gatekeeper, the last of the threats, Ezekiel returned to Peru to have Miguel perform certain rites on him in the temple. He then returned to the United States, and again encountered Spider-Man, aiding him against some criminals. Peter invited Ezekiel to his home for dinner, and Ezekiel finally met Mary Jane Watson-Parker and Peter's Aunt May. Ezekiel informed Spider-Man that his recent struggles against mystical opponents were all building up to a confrontation with the Gatekeeper, the supposed mystical source of their powers, and that Peter would have to come to Peru with him.
(Amazing Spider-Man II#507) - When the Gatekeeper arrived in New York, it bit Spider-Man, causing him to hallucinate. Ezekiel brought Peter to Peru with him so that he could fight him to the death, as the Gatekeeper could not be stopped without one of them dying.
(Amazing Spider-Man II#508) - Using drugs to assist him, Ezekiel bested Spider-Man in combat, and prepared him for the arrival of the Gatekeeper. He cut Peter open, and his blood formed into a giant spider, representing the Gatekeeper. However, Peter managed to forge a psychic link with Ezekiel using his spider-sense, and Ezekiel realized that Peter deserved to live more than he did. Ezekiel heroically attacked the Gatekeeper, and was slain in battle. Following his death, Miguel revealed to Spider-Man that Ezekiel had already possesed superhuman powers before the ceremony. Miguel and Spider-Man buried Ezekiel at the temple.
(Amazing Fantasy II#4 - BTS) - Ezekiel was revealed to have served the organization Webcorps at one time as a hunter. After his death, he was replaced by Anya Corazon.
Comments: Created by J. Michael Straczynski and John Romita, Jr.
The Miguel who figures in Ezekiel's origins may well be Miguel Legar, currently mentor to Arana, but I don't think it's been established for certain.
Thanks to Per Degaton for the info from the novel Spider-Man: The Darkest Hours.
by Henrique Ferreira courtesy of Spider-Fan, new appearance info provided by Stunner and Prime Eternal.
Clarifications: Ezekial Sims should not be confused with:
Appearances:
Amazing
Spider-Man II#30-35 (June-November, 2001) - J. Michael Straczynski
(writer), John Romita Jr. (pencils), Scott Hanna (inks), Axel Alonso
(editor)
Amazing Spider-Man II#47-49 (January-March, 2003) - J. Michael
Straczynski (writer), John Romita Jr. (pencils), Scott Hanna (inks),
Axel Alonso (editor)
Amazing Spider-Man II#55-56 (September-October, 2003) - Fiona Avery
& J. Michael Straczynski (writers), John Romita Jr. (pencils),
Scott Hanna (inks), Axel Alonso (editor)
Amazing Spider-Man II#506 (June, 2004) - Fiona Avery & J. Michael
Straczynski (writers), John Romita Jr. (pencils), Scott Hanna (inks),
Axel Alonso (editor)
Amazing Spider-Man II#507-508 (July, 2004) - J. Michael Straczynski
(writers), John Romita Jr. (pencils), Scott Hanna & Scott Koblish
(#508) (inks), Axel Alonso (editor)
Amazing Fantasy II#4 (November, 2004) - Fiona Avery (writer), Roger Cruz (pencils), Victor Olazaba (inks), Jennifer Lee (editor)
Spider-Man: The Darkest Hours (June, 2006) - Jim Butcher (writer)
Last updated: 04/06/05
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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