Since then, the Looter has had no success whatsoever, even after a name change to the Meteor Man. He would come into conflict with Nighthawk after stealing a meteor from Kyle Richmond's home after he purchased it from the museum. Meteor Man would face Nighthawk and Spider-Man but would escape. Valkyrie from the Defenders helps Spider-Man apprehend Meteor Man. Fester tried to escape on his balloon but Valkyrie throws her sword into the balloon, causing it to pop. Meteor Man crashed into the ground and is hospitalized for a few months. He would reappear at the Empire State University campus to find components from a microwave energy exhibit to increase his powers. This would lead into another conflict with Spider-Man and Giant-Man. Fester created a transmitter that transmuted the energy in his meteors into microwaves which is then transmitted into his nervous system. However, his transmitter was channeling too much power and the feedback caused it to explode and Fester was presumed dead.