Overlooked Gems: “Severance Package”

Today we will be taking a look at Severance Package in SPIDER-MAN’S TANGLED WEB vol. 1 #4 by Greg Rucka and Eduardo Risso from 2001.

With the superb third season of Daredevil recently released on Netflix, I figure now is the perfect time to pay a little respect to one of Marvel’s greatest villains: Wilson Fisk a.k.a. The Kingpin of Crime.

Created by Stan Lee and John Romita Sr. in 1967 with AMAZING SPIDER-MAN vol. 1 #50, The Kingpin has gone on to be one of the most well-known and prominent antagonists in the entire Marvel universe. With his incredible strength, intimidating physique, cunning intellect and the fact that he controls all of the crime in New York City, Wilson Fisk is a true force to be reckoned with.

That being said, whenever the greatest Kingpin stories are discussed, people are (understandably) quick to name Daredevil comics. And while many of Fisk’s strongest outings do undeniably involve his long-standing rivalry against The Man Without Fear, some people actually tend to forget that The Kingpin is just as much a Spider-Man rouge as he is a Daredevil one. In fact, The Kingpin solely fought the wall-crawler for over a decade before he even encountered ol’ hornhead! Yet ironically, one of the best Spidey/Kingpin tales of all time is actually one where the web-slinger himself never even physically appears!

SPIDER-MAN’S TANGLED WEB was a series that tended to place more focus on the impact Spidey has on those around him rather than on the arachnid himself. It wasn’t anything special, but its best story definitely comes in the form of issue #4 with Severance Package.

Our comic begins with one of The Kingpin’s most loyal underlings, Tom Cochrane, receiving a rather important phone call at his house while with his family.

The channel in question:

It turns out that Spider-Man recently busted up one of the crime operations that Tom was in charge of. And as one might imagine, The Kingpin isn’t very pleased about this recent turn of events…which means someone is going to pay. Guess who that someone happens to be?

Interrupting this emotional moment between husband and wife is yet another phone call.

Tom knows his number is up, but he decides to meet his maker like a man.

To quote Felicia Hardy: “stones the size of watermelons”*.

Tom then proceeds to kiss his two children goodbye.

Once downstairs, Tom’s wife tries to suggest that he fights back, but Tom refuses knowing that resistance is futile against The Kingpin and will only serve to worsen his already perilous plight.

Tom then shares a tearful goodbye with his wife before heading out the door…and to his impending demise.

Does Tom actually plan on going down without a fight? And if not, does he really stand a chance against someone like Wilson Fisk? What will Tom’s family do in light of this horrific scenario? I’m totally going to tell you here because I’m known for spoiling the outcome of stories, right?

The Kingpin has arguably never been more intimidating than in this story here, where he is treated more as a looming, ominous specter; an unstoppable force of nature, if you will. The fact that you don’t even see him until the very end of the issue makes the build up and anticipation all the more exciting. The ending even shows that Fisk still has some humanity in him while reaffirming his ruthlessness at the same time.

Credit also has to be given to writer Greg Rucka for greatly fleshing out a seemingly unimportant character like Tom Cochrane. Rather than writing him as a two-dimensional henchman, Rucka skillfully humanizes him as an actual person who is more concerned about his family than his own well-being. The fact that he knows he is going to be murdered by his boss but still puts on a brave face for the sake of his wife and kids gives him a considerable amount of depth. Stories like Severance Package really demonstrate that underlings don’t have to be mere faceless thugs devoid of personality, as they can be intriguing and even sympathetic characters in their own right.

You can track down the individual issue, or look for the Spider-Man’s Tangled Web Omnibus or the Spider-Man’s Tangled Web vol. 1 collection.

If you want to see just how menacing The Kingpin can truly be, you must read this one-shot.

*A no-prize for whoever can name the issue or story where Black Cat says that.