Richard Fisk once again stood at his father’s side in his criminal empire, but Wilson Fisk was still wary of his son’s intentions. The Kingpin’s suspicions proved to be correct because Richard was plotting his downfall right under his nose. Richard was in league with a new crime boss that took the identity he had previously used, the Rose. A mix up in the Daily Bugle led to a printing error that listed Peter Parker’s name instead of Nick Katzenberg’s under a silhouetted photo of two men talking that threatened to “blow the lid off of the New York underworld scene.” This put a target on Peter’s back and his apartment was broken into. One of the intruders was killed inside in the apartment, Peter’s costume is found, and a price was put on his head. When Peter and Mary Jane found the body, the police were called and Sergeant Blume seemed to be the officer in charge of the investigation.
The Kingpin learned of the new Rose and ordered his son to find and kill him. Richard did find his target, but instead he warned him of his father’s intentions and wanted the Rose’s assurance that Parker would be eliminated before he could expose the two of them with his pictures. In the meantime, Peter and Mary Jane went for a walk when they were attacked by hired killers, the Triad Brothers. As Spider-Man, he made quick work of the three, but not before attracting the attention of Richard Fisk and the Rose who were still unaware of his secret identity. When Spider-Man found and confronted the Triad Brothers a second time, they told him they were hired by the Gardener (because they couldn’t remember the Rose's name), but when their true boss pulled up in a limousine it was Deathwatch who was inside. It was then that Richard Fisk ordered the death of Spider-Man.
Richard, fearing the Rose could not handle the situation on his own, arranged for some help and hired mercenaries to break the Hobgoblin out of prison. However, Macendale was under the influence of his “righteous” demonic side that would soon split into Demogoblin and killed the mercenaries who freed him before going after their employer. Fisk duped the Hobgoblin into believing that he was touched by the Lord as well and that Spider-Man was the true enemy. Blume was not happy about these events and told Richard he was going too far. Once the Demogoblin split from Macendale, he had no interest in fighting Spider-Man at that time.
Blume, on the other hand, went to Peter’s empty apartment and began searching for something when a call from Mary Jane was answered by the answering machine. She left a message that she and Aunt May were in the Catskills. Blume wrote down the information and left the apartment. Unknown to Blume, Richard had his men find Macendale and, after a slight scuffle, hired him. Richard met with the Rose, and is told Hydra and the Feds were taking the Kingpin down, but Richard refused to stop his plans. The Rose and Richard face off, but Richard had the upper hand as the Hobgoblin swooped in and rescued him, leaving a few pumpkin bombs behind for Blume and his men. It is then, as Spider-Man was getting close, that he was ambushed and beaten by Macendale’s mercenary buddies, the Praetorian Guard.
Spider-Man was freed from captivity when Blume’s men came for him and sent Richard and his new mercenaries running for cover. Blume then paid a visit to the Daily Bugle to look for Peter, and when Katzenberg saw him he ducked out the back door fearing for his life. Richard, his fiancée Rebbecca, and the Praetorian Guard came under fire from more of the Rose’s men, but they dealt with the situation, which ultimately ended with Richard killing one of the men who threatened Rebecca’s life. Fisk sent his men to the Catskills to abduct Mary Jane and Aunt May, but Spider-Man arrived in time to put an end to the threat. Spider-Man confronted Blume (as the Rose) and was assured that it was Richard who orchestrated all the attacks on Parker and his family. It was when the Rose suggested an alliance with Spider-Man that the Praetorian Guard burst through the door, took out Spider-Man, and Richard coldly gunned down the Rose. When Spider-Man came to he found out the identity of the Rose was really Sergeant Blume and his reason for wearing the mask was because the Kingpin killed his brother, a cop as well, for not accepting a bribe. He died in Spider-Man’s arms, but not before another stranger in the shadows could put on the mask and claimed himself the Rose. This Rose also said that he would make sure the new Kingpin, Richard Fisk, would pay for Blume’s death.
However, since it was revealed later on that the true Richard Fisk’s friend, Alfredo Morelli, had plastic surgery to look just like him in order to infiltrate the Kingpin’s organization; this Richard Fisk could have really been Alfredo Morelli carrying out these events.
