Wilson Fisk’s recently resurrected son is gunning for his very own empire, and killing the city’s most iconic hero is just the start of the message he is trying to send.
WARNING: The following contains major spoilers for Devil’s Reign: Spider-Man #1, available now from Marvel.
Wilson Fisk’s personal crusade against the superheroes of New York City has seen many of his enemies taken out of the picture or running for cover. It has also given the former Kingpin of Crime’s less benevolent competition the perfect opportunity to make moves of their own, and none are taking advantage of that quite like Fisk’s own son Richard Fisk, aka the Rose. The Rose is gunning for one of the city’s most iconic champions who has narrowly escaped his father’s grasp, and it’s only the beginning of what he has planned when it comes to claiming Mayor Fisk’s former title as his own.
Fisk’s campaign of terror against the heroes of his city has seen Ben Reilly taken into custody and rescued once already by the time the events of Devil’s Reign: Spider-Man #1 (by Anthony Piper, Ze Carlos, Erick Arciniega, and VC’s Joe Caramagna) unfold. Once he is dropped off by Ben Grimm and Johnny Storm, Spider-Man is almost immediately set upon by more of the mayor’s Thunderbolt Units, this time packing serious firepower. This paramilitary police force soon revealed themselves to be agents of none other than the Rose before giving Ben the opportunity to escape. Things quickly went from bad to worse, however, when the Rose got his hands on Marcus, Ben’s Beyond Corporation handler, in a bid to lure Spider-Man into any trap possible. As it turned out, the Rose doesn’t care all that much about how Spider-Man is put out of his misery, only that it happens in a way that his father cannot miss.
First introduced all the way back in 1970’s Amazing Spider-Man #83 by Stan Lee and John Romita Jr., Richard Fisk was the detached son of Wilson and Vanessa Fisk who grew up with an undeserved and gravely mistaken devotion to his father. When Richard discovered he was the heir to none other than the Kingpin of Crime’s legacy, he faked his own death before taking up the mantle of the Schemer. As the Schemer, Richard successfully drove his father to his breaking point, though the two would reconcile their differences eventually. When Richard died, his mother followed shortly in her heartbroken state, and the loss of the two drove the Kingpin to a deep depression. Thankfully, he was given the opportunity to resurrect one of them through the power of the Tablets of Life and Death, and as a final act of redemption decided to give his son another second chance.
Unfortunately, bringing the Rose back has only landed Wilson Fisk with an unyielding new enemy, not to mention one that he cannot fight with his usual tactics. Richard is openly hellbent on taking his father’s former position as the Kingpin of Crime, specifically by force. As far as he can tell, the easiest way to do so is by helping him clean up the few heroes that have escaped his Thunderbolts’ grasp. This would effectively leave the city without anyone with a real sense of loyalty to protect it when he makes his next move. Of course, taking down Spider-Man doesn’t prove to be nearly as easy as the Rose had expected, although claiming the mayor’s territory might not be.
It’s hard to imagine Wilson Fisk will have the same sort of power or influence he does now once the events of Devil’s Reign have come to a close. Assuming he does fall from grace even in what seem like minor ways on the surface, any amount of faltering on his part will be ripe for the Rose to exploit. On the other hand, neither Fisk is bound to overcome the heroes of NYC in the ways they have set out to. That being the case, both of them are likely to find themselves staring down a newly empowered legion of superheroes just waiting to relish in their next big victory. With any luck, they won’t be too busy to notice the next grave threat brewing in the shadows.
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