Chapter 1
My name is Peter Parker, and I am the Amazing Spider-Man. I was an ordinary kid in high school, but then I was bitten by a genetically engineered spider and gained incredible superpowers. However, I didn't use them responsibly. Because of that, my uncle paid the ultimate price, but my true story began when I was 19.
7:00 AM August 10th, 2025
Peter awoke to the sound of his alarm; he yawned, hit the snooze button, and got out of bed. Peter's bedroom was messy, mostly because he was Spider-Man and had little time to clean himself.
Peter then started to get changed. He was roughly 5'9 "with messy brown hair and hazel eyes. He also had quite an impressive six-pack, primarily thanks to his spider powers. He also used to wear glasses, but he has had perfect vision ever since being bitten by that spider.
In high school, he still had to wear his glasses to avoid suspicion until he came up with a reasonable explanation for why he no longer did.
Once dressed, he looked around his room, thinking he would start college soon. It was filled with science awards that he had earned; believe it or not, he was a science prodigy with a very high I.Q. It also had pictures of his parents, Richard and May Parker. His mother was holding a baby boy in her arms, and they all looked so happy.
Peter never got to know his parents; he was no more than three years old when they died in a plane crash. Fortunately, his Uncle Ben and Aunt May raised him as if he were their son, but then he lost his uncle thanks to him, so now it was only him and Aunt May.
Once he brushed his teeth in the bathroom, he went downstairs, where Aunt May was already preparing breakfast.
"Morning, Aunt May," said Peter.
Aunt May smiled at her nephew. "Morning, Peter, happy birthday."
Peter nearly forgot that today was his birthday. "Thanks, Aunt May."
"There is still no explanation as to why so many prisoners have escaped from the four major supervillain prisons across the country. S.H.I.E.L.D has assured everyone that the criminals will soon be recaptured. However, Iron Man, Tony Stark's bodyguard, has announced that he, Thor, Wasp, Aunt Man and the Hulk have decided to join forces and recapture these villains on their own, calling themselves the Avengers.'
"Still can't believe so many villains managed to escape," said Peter as he bit into his toast.
"I'm sure the authorities will apprehend them in due time," said Aunt May. "Now, enough of this doom and gloom would you plan on doing for your birthday?"
"Well, Gwen and I are going to hang out," said Peter.
"I'm grateful that the two of you are still talking after you broke up; I wish you could tell me why," said Aunt May.
"It's complicated," said Peter.
"You know Anna Watson's niece is moving in soon, and I think it would be nice if the two of you get to know one another."
Peter groaned; this wasn't the first time Aunt May had tried to arrange a date between him and this mysterious niece. However, he had never seen her, and Aunt May only told him that she had a great personality, which didn't leave much to the imagination.
"Aunt May, I don't like blind dates," he said.
"Peter, you should give her a chance before judging her."
At around 9:15 a.m., Peter met Gwen in Central Park.
Gwen Stacy had long blonde hair and clear blue eyes, and was just a few inches shorter than he was. The two of them had been friends since high school; they dated for about a year, but recently they broke up because of his nocturnal life as Spider-Man.
"Happy birthday, Pete," Gwen smiled.
"Thanks, Gwen," said Peter.
"I got your present," she said, pulling a birthday gift from her bag.
"Gwen, you didn't have to," said Peter.
Gwen merely smiled. "Come on, we've been friends for years, Peter. It's the least I could do."
The two of them began making their way from Central Park.
"So, are you dating anyone new?" Gwen asked.
"No, thought my Aunt May is trying to hook me up with the next-door neighbour's niece," said Peter.
"That sounds nice."
"Except I've never met, and all I know about her is that she has a great personality."
"You should at least give her a chance before you write her off," Gwen encouraged.
"My aunt said the same thing."
"She's a smart lady, but in all seriousness, I do hope you find someone."
Peter looked at her. "Gwen, I know I lied to you, but I only did that to protect you."
Gwen sighed. "Peter, it's not that you hide the truth from me; it's mostly down to my father."
Gwen's father, George Stacy, was a police captain at the NYPD and one of the few policemen willing to work with him as Spider-Man. Most of the police force was out to get him, and it didn't help that the Daily Bugle, where he worked, was spreading slander about him.
Peter also suspected that Gwen's father knew he was Spider-Man, and he began to wonder if that was part of the reason they broke up.
"I guess supporting vigilantes is one thing, but having one date his daughter is another thing entirely," Peter assumed.
"He likes you, Pete, but ever since Mom died, he's been rather overprotective of me," said Gwen. "Don't get me wrong, I still love you, but I'm not sure I can handle you being you know who."
"You make it sound like I'm Voldemort."
Gwen laughed. "I do miss your sense of humour, but in all seriousness, Pete. Considering what happened to your uncle, I respect what you're doing, but I'm not sure I can handle it."
"Gwen I—"
Peter was interrupted when they heard the sound of sirens and saw police cars chasing a car down the road.
Peter looked at Gwen apologetically. "I've got to go."
Gwen sighed. "Go."
Peter immediately ran off to find a place to hide and get changed; honestly, he had hoped to avoid being Spider-Man on his birthday. He didn't want to ditch Gwen, but the entire universe was against him.
As he changed, his thoughts turned to 4 years ago, when he had accidentally gained his powers.
It was October 14th, 2022, at 10:34 AM. It was a typical day, and the entire class went on a school trip to Pym Tech.
"Welcome to Pym Tech," said Doctor Sitwell.
"We're very grateful that you invited us here, aren't we, class?" said their science teacher, Aaron Warren.
"Yes, sir," said the class.
Back then, Peter wasn't incredibly strong; he was the classic school nerd, even though he wore glasses. As a result, the cool kids constantly picked on him, number one being Eugene Thompson or Flash to everyone else.
Flash was the typical boy Jock, good-looking and tall with short blond hair, but not big on the brain department. He and his gang constantly picked on Peter at every opportunity.
"What a drag," said Flash, looking at his best mate, Kong, who was even larger and dumber than Flash. "I can think about 1000 things I would rather do than tour some nerdy lab."
"Yeah, this is Parker's version of heaven," Kong nodded.
They all laughed.
Gwen, who was Peter's one and only friend, looked at him sympathetically. "Don't listen to them; they won't be laughing when you start your own billion-dollar business."
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, Gwen; I still have a long way to go before I can do that," said Peter.
"Let's get moving, class," said Mr Warren. "I'm sure that Doctor Sitwell is a busy man, and we have our lot to see."
"If you just follow me," said Doctor Sitwell.
They began going through several corridors and saw scientists working in high-tech labs. They couldn't see much behind the safety screens, but it was clear they were working on several kinds of insects.
Peter noticed a few scientists working with spiders that were not the typical house variety. They didn't look tropical either; they were about the same size as a house spider.
"Sir, what are they working on down there?" Peter asked.
"Oh, they're working on the new project we've started," said Doctor Sitwell. "Genetically modified spiders, their venom is radioactive, but it's a type of radiation we haven't encountered before. We hope their venom will cure all known diseases. Sadly, the results have not been auspicious. Every single one of my test subjects succumbed to the venom. However, any good scientist knows that failure can also be a good teacher."
"Then Parker would make an excellent teacher," Flash laughed.
"Mr Thomson, how often have I told you that we must respect our fellow classmen?" Mr Warren said, narrowing his eyes.
"Flash is only joking around, Mr Warren," said Liz Allen.
Elizabeth Allen was a beautiful girl with long blond hair and was a cheerleader. Peter admitted he had a crush on her, but the feeling was not mutual as she was Flash's girlfriend.
"Those kinds of jokes are not well appreciated," said Mr Warren.
Peter sighed. "No matter where I go, I always seem to be the butt of people's jokes."
Gwen placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "I don't think you're a joke."
"I know. I wish everyone else thought the same way."
Doctor Sitwell then suddenly received a message on his radio. "What? Well, find it."
"Is something the matter, Doctor?" Mr Warren asked.
"It would seem like one of our genetically enhanced spiders has escaped its containment cage."
"You mean, there's a venomous spider on the loose?" Liz panicked.
"Now, there's no need to panic, but as a precaution, I would like everyone to evacuate calmly."
Sadly, not all the students got that last part; they panicked and ran to the nearest exit. Flash, whether accidentally or intentionally, bumped into Peter, knocking him to the ground and causing him to lose his glasses.
"I can't see!" Peter yelled as he fumbled around for his glasses.
Mr Warren and Doctor Sitwell tried to calm the students, and Gwen was practically carried away in the crowd. Peter continued fumbling for his glasses, unaware that his hand was reaching toward the genetically engineered spider.
The spider climbed onto his wrist, and seconds later, he felt a sharp pain as it bit him.
"Ow!" he said, pulling his hand away.
"Peter!" a voice cried.
Peter recognised Cindy Moon's voice. She was an American Korean classmate and one of the nicest girls in the class. However, she was about to move, which Peter found rather sad.
"Cindy, is that you?" I can't find my glasses!" he said.
Cindy managed to find his glasses and quickly put them on. "Come on, we need to go."
Peter nodded and followed her, trying to ignore the throbbing pain in his wrist. He looked around, but couldn't see the spider that had bitten him; it was gone.
"Something the matter?" Cindy asked.
Peter shook his head. "No, I just got bitten but can't find what was responsible."
"Yeah, same here," Cindy nodded. "Something bit on my leg when I bent down to help you."
"I hope it wasn't one of those genetically enhanced spiders," said Peter.
" I didn't get a good look at it," said Cindy.
This left Peter somewhat worried that if that genetically enhanced spider had bitten them, he would have no idea what would happen to them. He also wasn't confident that anyone could do anything for them if that were the case.
"Ah, Mr Parker, Miss Moon, there you are," said Mr Warren, relieved to see them. "We were worried that something had happened to the two of you."
"Sorry, sir, my glasses fell off," Peter apologised.
"And I was knocked over in the panic," Cindy added.
Mr Warren sighed and turned to the rest of the class. "In future reference class, we do not panic in an emergency, or if something like this happens. When we return to Midtown High, I will inform the principal that we must work on fire safety drills."
Everyone groaned.
Gwen then approached Peter. "You all right? You look a little perky, Pete."
Peter suddenly didn't exactly feel very well. "Guess it was all this excitement."
"Perhaps, but I don't feel too good myself," said Cindy, looking a little woozy.
Dr Sitwell noticed the two of them weren't looking too good.
"Are you two all right?" he asked.
Peter was about to mention that he got bit by a spider, as did Cindy, but she quickly cut across him.
"We're fine, sir," said Cindy quickly. "Honestly, I wasn't feeling quite well this morning. And Peter is not used to this sort of excitement."
Peter wondered why Cindy wouldn't mention that the two of them had been bitten by a spider, given that one of the genetically modified spiders had escaped its cage.
"Okay," said Dr Sitwell. He then turned to Mr Warren. "Mr Warren, given recent developments, I think we should end the field trip here. I do apologise that we wanted to show you everything, but we can try and rearrange it for another date."
"I perfectly understand," said Mr Warren. He turned to the class. "We'll be heading back to Midtown High, and we can spend the rest of the day practising fire safety drills."
The class groaned as they began making their way out of the building. As they walked, Peter pulled Cindy aside.
"Why didn't you tell them about the spider?" he asked.
"Look, Peter, my family will be leaving the United States very soon," she said. "And that spider biting me could prevent me from joining them. Besides, I feel perfectly fine, and it's nothing that a good night's sleep can't solve."
"You don't know that," said Peter. "Doctor Sitwell mentioned what happened to test subjects exposed to spider venom. What if the same thing happens to us?"
"And what can we do if we were exposed?" Cindy asked. "I would rather spend my time with my family than be someone's test subject."
"That's not the point," Peter argued.
"What are you two talking about?" Gwen asked as she approached them.
"Peter was just thanking me for helping him out," said Cindy before Peter could say a word.
"Quite the eventful field trip; it's a shame it was cut short," said Gwen.
"There's always next time."
"Assuming we have a next time," Peter muttered.
"What was that?" Gwen frowned.
"Nothing, let's just get on the bus."
By the time Peter got home, it was 14 PM, and Aunt May and Uncle Ben were surprised to see him home so early.
"Peter, we weren't expecting you to return until later this afternoon," said Aunt May, looking rather shocked.
"Our field trip was cut short when one of the experiments escaped," Peter explained.
"Then how come you didn't come home straightaway?" Uncle Ben asked.
"Some of our class panicked, and Mr Warren felt we should spend the rest of the field trip practising fire escape drills."
"Well, sounds like he was right in doing so," said Uncle Ben. "Just sorry that your field trip didn't go according to plan, sport."
"We did see a few amazing things before everything turned sideways," said Peter, who started to feel dizzy. "If you don't mind, I'm going to my room. I don't feel that well."
"Are you okay, Peter?" Aunt May asked as she placed her hand over his forehead. "You do have a temperature, Peter."
"Nothing a good night's sleep won't solve," Peter assured her.
"Okay, but if you don't feel any better in the morning, I'm calling the school," Aunt May warned.
Peter didn't argue and made his way straight to bed. The moment his head hit the pillow, he was out like a light.
Peter began having strange dreams, all of them involving spiders. He dreamt that he had transformed into a giant spider and began terrorising the city, only for the military to put him down.
The following day, he woke with a start, shocked to discover he could see clearly. He checked his bedrest to know if he had accidentally fallen asleep with his glasses on, but saw them sitting there.
He pulled himself out of bed and suddenly found he was light on his feet. He got another shot when he saw himself in the mirror; he had a perfect six-pack. His arms and legs now looked as if they belonged to a marathon athlete. He still had his basic body shape, but five times the muscle he'd had before.
"Peter, are you all right?" Aunt May's voice asked from downstairs.
"I'm better than all right," said Peter.
"Then get changed!"
"Oh, I've definitely changed," said Peter, unsure what happened to him.
Over the past few days, he learned he had acquired the spider's powers: advanced agility, super strength, and the ability to stick to walls. He even had a kind of danger-sensing ability that alerted him to any threat that came his way, which he discovered when he was nearly run over by a car.
Peter was ashamed to admit that it all went to his head when he got these powers. He thought he could use these powers to make cash, so he participated in a talent show and won the cash prize. He didn't want his aunt and uncle pulled into the spotlight, so he made himself a costume.
His costume was simple back then: a red-and-blue jumper with a black spider logo, a mask, and goggles. He made an actual costume with the money he won and was offered an opportunity. He also gave himself the stage name "Spider-Man".
A man offered him a chance to become a pro wrestler, saying he could make real money. Peter took him up on the offer and made an excuse to his aunt and uncle, saying he was going to the library, but Uncle Ben grew suspicious.
"Say, Sport, how about I take you to the library?" Uncle Ben offered.
"You don't have to do that," said Peter.
"It'll give us a chance to talk like we used to."
Try as he might, Peter couldn't devise a good enough excuse and was forced to accept Uncle Ben's offer.
"You seem to be spending quite a lot of time in the library recently," Uncle Ben noticed.
"I'm just studying," said Peter.
"But you used to do a lot of that at home," Uncle Ben noted. "Peter, you can tell me anything. Is that Flash boy forcing you to do something?"
"I can honestly tell you that Flash has nothing to do with this," said Peter honestly.
"I see, but I do get the sneaking suspicion you're doing something other than studying in a library, and I feel that this is going to get you into trouble."
"I can handle myself," Peter snapped.
"I wish I could believe that, but I don't. Look, Peter, I don't want you to throw your life away doing something stupid. You have a brilliant mind; I just want you to use it for something more productive than whatever you really do."
"It's my life, and I can live it however I want," Peter snapped.
They eventually reached the library, and Peter wasted no time opening the door.
"Peter, don't know what you're doing, but remember this: with great power comes great responsibility."
Peter then slammed the door shut and went to the library until Uncle Ben drove away. He then immediately made his way over towards the wrestling match as quickly as he could.
Once he got to the studios, he immediately went to the changing rooms to prepare for his match. Then, suddenly, a guy with long blond hair and a chiselled face ran by, a gun in one hand and a bag of money in the other, followed by a security guard.
"Don't let him get away! He's a thief!" the security guard yelled.
Peter, however, did not raise a finger to stop the burglar. "Sorry, pal, I'm a wrestler, not a cop."
He watched as they turned around the corner and merely shrugged, not seeing any need to get involved.
After his match, he easily defeated his opponent, all thanks to his spider strength. He then made his way home. However, when he got home, he saw police cars hanging outside his house.
"Aunt May! Uncle Ben!" Peter yelled, running to the front door.
There, he ran into Captain George Stacy, Gwen's father. He was in his mid-40s with silver-blonde hair.
"Easy, son, your aunt is all right, just in shock," said Captain Stacy softly.
"What happened?" Peter asked.
"No sooner had your uncle come back home than he was attacked by a thug, and I'm sorry to say the man was armed," said Captain Stacy regrettably.
Peter's eyes widened in horror. "No, you don't mean…"
"Your uncle tried to stop him, but…" Captain Stacy sighed. "…well, after he took care of your uncle, he stole the car and drove off. We've managed to track him down at a warehouse; I'll join them briefly. Don't worry, we'll get him, Peter."
Peter clenched his fist, determined to get that murderer before anyone else did.
After taking Aunt May to the next-door neighbour, Anna Watson, he secretly changed into his costume. He then followed Captain Stacy back into the city, and the captain led them to the warehouse.
The police had gathered and were now deciding the best course of action, but Peter was not gonna let anyone get that murderer before he did. It was easy enough for him to sneak into the warehouse without anyone noticing, and there he found the murderer, keeping a close eye on the police.
He then jumped down behind him, grabbed him, and removed his mask before he could move. However, to his horror, he discovered that he recognised the face, belonging to the same guys you allowed to escape at the studio.
"No, not you," said Peter, shocked. "I should've stopped you."
Peter wanted nothing more than to punch a hole right through his face, but Uncle Ben's words rang in his ear. He knew that he would betray Uncle Ben's memory by killing the man right here and now, so instead, he knocked him out and escaped before the police arrived.
It was on that day that he finally realised what Uncle Ben meant by extraordinary power, which meant great responsibility. He decided that day that he would use his powers to help people, not for himself, so he became a hero.
Back in the present, a pair of crooks were trying to get away from the police, with the getaway car carrying some stolen jewellery. Their names were Flint Marko, who was in the driver's seat, and Herman Schultz, who was shooting at the cops as they chased after them.
"The boss is going to be pleased once we get in these jewels," said Flint.
"Once we lose the cops," said Herman as he fired his pistol at them. "We can't go to the hideout with them on our tail."
"You make it sound difficult," said Flint.
He then put his foot down on the accelerator and zigzagged through the traffic, not caring who he might run over. The police, on the other hand, were doing their best to keep up with them and try to avoid traffic and pedestrians.
As a result, they began to pull away from the police.
"Just a few more turns, and they'll be off our backs," Flint smirked.
They suddenly got a surprise when Spider-Man landed on the hood of their car.
"Hey, guys, long time no see," he said, waving at them.
"It's the spider!" Herman yelled and pulled out his pistol.
He began shooting through the windscreen at him, but Spider-Man easily dodged the bullets.
"Now that's no way to greet someone," said Spider-Man.
Suddenly, he somersaulted into the air, fired some webbing, stuck to the car's rear, and landed on the road. He immediately stuck to the ground, pulling them in like a giant fish.
"Put your foot down!" Herman yelled.
"I am!" Flint yelled.
The wheels screeched as they began to smoke, and no matter how much he put in, he could not free himself from Spider-Man. Herman pulled his torso through the window and aimed at Spider-Man, just as he saw the police begin to arrive.
"Forget the car! Let's leg it!" he yelled.
"We were so close," Flint groaned as he undid his seatbelt.
They immediately opened the car door and tried to make a run for it, but Spider-Man quickly jumped and fired two web lines that stuck to their backs. He slammed into one another with a single good pull, landed on a lamppost, and pulled them up, dangling.
"Hope you two enjoy prison," said Spider-Man and swung off.
The police car soon arrived, and stepping out was George Stacy, who just looked up at the two crooks.
"Looks like Spider-Man done it again," he said.
His co-driver, a young man with black hair called Vincent Gonzales, just narrowed his eyes. "Why can't that freak just stay out of our business?"
"If he hadn't interfered, these two would have gotten away with several million dollars' worth of diamonds," Captain Stacy pointed out.
"Captain, you're not seriously suggesting we need a vigilante to do our job?"
"I'm just saying he makes our job a little easier; thanks to him, we have captured so many crooks these past four years."
"I don't think the commissioner would agree with you."
"The commissioner subscribes to the Daily Bugle," Captain Stacy reminded him. "I would rather stick to the fact that we can see."
"Yeah, but we still have to wait at least an hour before we can get those two down."
"And we would have spent many more trying to find these two."
"Has anyone ever told you you're an incredibly stubborn captain?"
Captain Stacy chuckled. "Oh, my daughter tells me that every day."
It wasn't until about 11 AM that Peter managed to get back to Gwen.
"So, did you save the day?" Gwen asked.
"I stopped a couple of crooks who stole several diamonds, so yeah, I would say so," said Peter proudly.
Gwen sighed. "Peter, it's great that you were able to stop them, but do you really have to risk your life?"
"Please tell me you're not starting to believe everything in the Daily Bugle?" Peter groaned.
"Of course not, but Jonah does have a point. You've been antagonising these gangs, and I know from my father that many of them practically get released the moment they get caught."
"I can handle a bunch of crooks," said Peter.
"It's not them I'm worried about; it's their bosses. My dad believes there's some criminal mastermind in the underworld who has his hands in practically everything in the city. You name it, lawyers, state-of-the-art corporations and even the police."
"Gwen, you have to believe I can look after myself," said Peter gently.
"You know, for someone so smart, you're incredibly dense," she said, storming off.
"Gwen!" Peter yelled, chasing after her.
"Look, Peter, I just need some time to myself," she said.
Peter sighed and nodded. "All right."
Gwen looked at him apologetically. "And happy birthday."
Peter watched as she walked off, and in frustration, he kicked a stone on the pavement.
"Way to go, Pete," he muttered to himself.
At the same time, a vast meeting of all the underworld crime lords took place in an unknown location. All of them were sitting around a table, and sitting at its head was a bald man twice the size of an ordinary man.
His name was Wilson Fisk, and all that blubber was, in fact, muscle; he was capable of crushing a man with his bare hands like an egg. To everyone present, he was the Kingpin of Crime, but to the rest of the world, he was a wealthy philanthropist and CEO of Fisk Industries.
"Gentlemen, I think it is safe to say that we've had an excellent year for business," he said proudly. "Our profits have increased, and we practically own every aspect of this great city."
"Should we not be worried about the creation of the Avengers?" said a man dressed like an Italian gangster.
"My dear Hammerhead, they are too busy capturing all those escaped supervillains, and they have never actually bothered us," said Fisk.
"And what of Spider-Man?" said an elderly man with white hair.
"You not tell me that the great Silvermane is so worried about a teenager?" Fisk chuckled.
"A teenager who has constantly been a thorn in our side," Silvermane glared. "Despite our profits increasing, they have dived ever since he showed himself four years ago. Some of our benched henchmen had been captured."
"And were immediately released thanks to our contact within the police," said Fisk.
"Yes, but now they're being monitored, and Captain Stacy has been slowly getting rid of the corruption within the NYPD. It is only a matter of time before Spider-Man discovers our operations."
"I will admit he is a nuisance."
"He is more than that!" Hammerhead growled. "He's taken down many of my boys and cost me quite a lucrative amount of cash."
Many of the other crime lords nodded in agreement.
"Our men can't keep up with him!"
"It's bad enough they have to dodge the police, but now they have to fight a vigilante who can attack them from any angle."
"Something needs to be done!"
"Gentlemen, there is no need to lose our cool over this," said Fisk. "Be sure that your concerns have been noted."
"So what are you going to do about it?" Silvermane asked.
"I assure you there is no need for any kind of concern regarding Spider-Man," Fisk assured them.
Then his faithful assistant James Wesley whispered something in his ear, and whatever was aggravated him. He then turned and looked to the collective.
"Do not worry; I will find a way to rid us of this arachnid," Fisk promised.
"We'll be holding you to that," said Hammerhead.
"Now I call this meeting adjourned," said Fisk.
Other crime lords then began to leave, leaving Fisk alone with Wesley.
"Is it confirmed?" Fisk asked.
"I'm afraid so, sir," said Wesley.
"Those diamonds would have sold for millions of dollars on the black market," Fisk grumbled. "But it is clear that my fellow crime lords are right about Spider-Man; he needs to be taken care of."
"I'd be more than happy to take care of him for you, boss," said a voice stepping out of the shadows.
The man was extremely pale and incredibly muscular, resembling a backstreet gangster.
"I do appreciate the sentiment, Tombstone, but I am not prepared to risk you," said Fisk.
"You're saying I can't take this kid?" Tombstone asked.
"You are a capable enforcer, but if you attack Spider-Man out in the open, it would raise several questions. And I know you do not wish those questions to come out in the open just yet."
"Then what should we do, boss?" Tombstone asked.
Fisk looked at today's paper, which carried the article on the Big Breakout that had resulted in over 70 supervillains escaping.
"We simply give him something to fight," he said, smiling.
"You wish to create supervillains, sir?" said Wesley.
"Giving him supervillains to fight could either lead him to be distracted from our daily operations, or at best, they could succeed in killing him. It is time for Osborn to return; payback is debt to me.
"I don't trust the man," said Tombstone.
"We don't need to trust him. We need to get the job done," said Fisk bluntly. "Wesley, arrange a meeting with Mr Osborn and tell him it's urgent."
"Of course, sir," Wesley nodded. "What do you want to do with our men in lock-up?"
"Keep them there for the time being and let them wallow in their stupidity, but do arrange for their release."
"Why should we bother releasing them?" Tombstone questioned.
"Osborn may need some guinea pigs; those two are ideal candidates. Just ensure they're pointed in the right direction when the time comes."
"You got it, boss."
"I think that concludes with everything on the agenda."
Tombstone and Wesley nodded and left the room.
Chapter 2: I: The Shocker
It was August 23rd at 13:43 PM in New York City. Norman Osborn, a redheaded man in his 40s, was sitting at home and reviewing several papers at his desk. He was the CEO of Oscorp and spent most of his time working.
"Adrian, I am not looking for excuses," he said, talking with one of his employees on the phone. "Unless you get your act together, I honestly don't see how you have a future at Oscorp."
"But Sir Osborn, I am just asking for a little more time and a slightly bigger budget," Adrian argued.
Norman sighed. "Adrian, do you know how many times I have heard this excuse? Unless you can work under the time schedule and budget I set, I'm afraid you won't achieve anything."
"If you just let me explain the importance of my work."
"Your work is interesting, Adrian, but your ability to put it into practice is another matter entirely. Additionally, I have other projects that need funding and my time. Should I divert funding and my time from these projects onto yours when you have nothing to show for your hard work so far?"
"It's still in the early stages; I'm confident that I will be able to show you something feasible."
"For your sake, I hope so. Now, if you excuse me, I'm expecting someone very important to discuss business with me."
"B-but Mr Osborn."
Norman hung up and continued his work when he heard a knock at the door.
"Come in," he said without looking up.
Then his 19-year-old son, Harry Osborn, entered his office, resembling him in every way.
"I hope I'm not interrupting, Dad," he said.
"You are," Norman sighed. "So I hope you have a perfect excuse for interrupting me when I'm working."
"I was just wondering if you'd have some free time late at night," said Harry nervously.
"Harry, I am expecting a very important client at any moment. I do not have time for these distractions. Besides, shouldn't you focus more on preparing yourself for college?"
"I've got everything packed," Harry argued.
"But have you gone through that list I provided you?" Norman asked. "If you're going to get anywhere in life, you need to make sure that you mingle with the right people."
"Well, this guy Flash Thompson seems fun to hang with."
Norman looked at him, disappointed. "When I mean mingle, I mean mingle with those at the top of their class. You should really look into this, Peter Parker."
Harry snorted. "The guy who takes photos of Spider-Man?"
"He came top of his class in all sciences, and unlike you, he already has a steady job. You don't have to like him; you just have to hang with him."
"Anything you say, Dad," Harry sighed.
"Mr Osborn, a Mr James Wesley is here to see you," said his secretary over the intercom.
"Send him over this incident," said Norman, then looked at Harry. "If you excuse me, I have pressing business to discuss."
Harry looked as if he wanted to argue, but merely nodded and walked off with his hand in his jeans.
Half an hour later, Wesley was sitting down in front of him.
"Mr James, what can I do for you and your boss?" Norman asked.
"We have a little pest problem," said Wesley.
"And perhaps you should call an exterminator," Norman joked.
"This is no laughing matter, Osborn; Spider-Man has been a thorn in Mr Fisk's side over the past few years. Now, he is a problem we can no longer ignore."
"And what do you expect me to do about it?" Norman asked.
"We want you and your company to outfit our men with the means to eliminate Spider-Man."
"You wish for me to create supervillains for your boss?" said Norman, raising an eyebrow. "That is a lot to ask."
"And in case you forgot, you owe Mr Fisk a sizeable debt, and we are now here to collect."
Norman sighed. "I do have a man who is right for the job, but I do not want any of this to fall on me."
"Do not worry. Your name will be squeaky clean so long as you cooperate."
"It will take time to create the equipment you ask for, and I will need some 'volunteers' to test out this equipment, expendable ones."
"Tombstone is already working on that, but when can we expect some progress?"
"That depends on my man, but I think he's already whipped something up. Just give me a few weeks."
"Very well, we look forward to hearing from you."
The two men shook hands.
It was now September 8th, 8:30 AM. Today was the big day for Peter, who was starting college; he was already making his way through the grounds of Empire State University.
"Hey, Peter," said Gwen, running up to him. "Looking forward to the big day?"
"Ecstatic," Peter beamed. "I've heard that Empire State University has some very skilled scientists like Doctor Curt Connors. You think we'll be lucky enough to be in his class?"
"Only one way to find out," Gwen smiled.
Peter was glad that he and Gwen were back on speaking terms after he had to ditch her on his birthday. He really liked her, and the last thing he wanted was to hurt her, especially after she was devastated to learn that he was Spider-Man.
"Well, this is also a chance to make some new friends," said Peter.
"Why, if it isn't Puny Parker," said a very familiar voice behind them.
"Unfortunately, we still have a few old enemies," Gwen sighed.
Peter groaned as Flash Thompson marched up towards them. He had heard that he had joined Empire State University. Fortunately, they were now in separate classes, so there was little chance they would meet up, but of course, Flash couldn't miss the opportunity to punch his old punching bag.
"Hello, Flash," Peter sighed.
"What do you want, Flash?" Gwen asked.
"Just want to say hi to my two favourite nerds," Flash smirked and whispered in Peter's ear. "It would just be like old times, Parker."
"Do we really have to do this today, Flash?" Peter asked.
"You know me; I can never miss an opportunity," Flash smiled. "Also, I want you to meet a friend I just met. Say hello to Harry Osborn."
Peter saw a redheaded young man about his age approaching them. Peter instantly recognised the name Osborn and wondered if he was related to Norman Osborn, the CEO of Oscorp.
"Osborn? Are you related to Norman Osborn?" Peter asked.
"My dad," he said. "And you're Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy."
"You know us?" said Gwen.
"Flash has told me about you," said Harry.
"Then you should know you shouldn't believe everything Thompson says," said Gwen.
"So you're saying that Parker isn't a school nerd who spends most of his time alone and mostly ignores everyone around him," Harry asked.
"Not on purpose," Peter admitted.
"Thought so, you're just like my father," said Harry, folding his arms.
"Is that a compliment?" Peter frowned.
"Anything but," said Harry as he walked off.
Peter sighed. "Nothing like making new friends."
"He doesn't know you, Pete, but I'm sure he'll warm up to you," said Gwen.
It was now 9 o'clock, and both Peter and Gwen had made it to their class, and Peter noticed that Harry was there with them.
"Evening class," said a voice.
A one-armed professor stepping into the class in a lab coat, Peter instantly recognised as Curt Connors.
"I'm Doctor Curt Connors, and I'll be your teacher this year," he said. "Now, what you say, we have some fun with some science."
Peter was really in his element regarding chemistry; he had a lot of practice making his web fluid. While almost everyone's experiments blow up right in their faces, Peter kept his concoction relatively stable.
"Very impressive, Peter," said Doctor Connors as he looked over his shoulder.
"Thanks, Doctor Connors," Peter smiled.
"Teacher's pet," Harry muttered.
Gwen noticed that Harry was putting Peter down as their lessons continued. She had no idea whether Peter had realised or ignored it, but she had finally had enough.
She then quickly took Harry to one side of the canteen. "Will you lay off him?"
"What? The guy is a total tool," said Harry.
"And you're basing this on what?" Gwen asked.
"Well, from what I can see, everything that Flash told me is perfectly true," said Harry.
"I admit that Peter tends to ignore everything around him, but that's because he's worried about his aunt," she said.
"His aunt?"
"Oh, I guess Flash never mentioned the fact that both his parents died when he was three years old?" Gwen assumed.
"No, he didn't mention it," Harry admitted, looking somewhat ashamed.
"Then I suppose he also forgot to mention that his uncle, someone he considered a father, was shot when a burglar broke into their house four years ago? Peter has been trying to support his aunt, so maybe you can give him some slack."
Harry then watched as Gwen stormed off.
By the time Peter left the campus, it was 5 PM, and he was about to make his way to the Daily Bugle to give Jonah the photographs he had just developed.
"Yo, Parker!" said a voice.
Peter turned and was surprised to see Harry running up to him. "What is it?"
"I just want to apologise for how I treated you," said Harry sincerely. "I didn't realise your family issues or lack thereof."
"It's fine," said Peter.
"No, it's not. Look, I never really knew my mother. She passed away when I was young," Harry admitted. "So I can't imagine what it would be like to lose both parents."
"Count yourself lucky you still have a Dad; I mean, I would give anything to spend some time with my father."
"Cool, then I'll see you around."
"Sure."
Harry nodded and walked off, and Peter began to wonder what had changed his tune. After the first few classes, he was rather condescending, but then he fell silent after lunch, and now he was apologising.
Peter merely shrugged, remembering that he had to get to the Bugle before Jonah blew a blood vessel.
Peter ran to the Daily Bugle, one of the city's most prominent newspaper publishers. However, Jonah believed they were the biggest. The Daily Bugle also had a TV chat, and Jonah had just started a podcast.
Sadly, he used every method at his disposal to discredit Spider-Man and to inflict further pain with every picture Peter took of himself, which he used in his sneer campaign.
He soon entered the building and made his way to the top floor, making a beeline to Jonah's office.
"Hey, Pete," said a soft, sweet voice.
The voice belonged to Gloria Grant, a former classmate from Peter's old high school.
"Hey Gloria, how is working with JJ?" Peter asked.
"It's never dull," she said. "He is busy with Robbie; they're discussing what to put on the front page."
"I can wait," said Peter.
"Parker! Get your butt in here!" Jonah roared.
Peter stared at Gloria in astonishment. "How does he know I'm in the building?"
"Well, I paged him the moment I saw you enter," Gloria admitted.
"Oh, well, that explains it."
They decided not to waste another second and rushed into the office, where J Jonah Jameson sat at his desk. Jonah was around 50 years old, with black hair, a few greys, a flat-top, and a very fuzzy moustache.
Robbie Robinson, the chief editor, stood next to him. He was about the same age as Jonah and was African American. He was possibly the opposite of Jonah: quiet, patient, and optimistic about Spider-Man.
"Well, Parker, what do you want?" Jonah asked.
"To hand in my photos," said Peter as he pulled them out.
"Let's take a look," said Jonah, swiping them from him and going through them. "Garbage, garbage, garbage. Is this really the best you can offer Parker?"
"If you don't like them, I can give them to the Globe," Peter shrugged.
"No, I'll take them $300," he said, writing a cheque.
"They're worth more than that," Peter argued.
"He's right, Jonah, and we do need a front page," Robbie reminded him.
"Fine 500, but not one dollar more," Jonah grumbled, giving him a cheque. "And make sure you come back with even better photos."
"You got it, JJ," said Peter.
Peter then left the office.
"I'm telling you, Robbie, that kid needs to pull his weight," said Jonah.
"He works just as hard as everyone else here," Robbie pointed out. "Plus, if it weren't for him, we would get these photos of Spider-Man."
"But how does he get them?" Jonah frowned. "I'm telling you, that kid is hiding something."
"I admit the angles are very hard to reach, but you can't expect him to reveal all his secrets," said Robbie.
"I'll find out how we get those photos one day, mark my words."
It was now 10 PM, and Flint and Herman were still in a prison cell.
"We're going to be locked in here forever, aren't we?" Flint muttered.
"And all thanks to that costume freak," Herman grumbled. "Oh, I love to get my hands around him."
"You and me both, but we can't do anything in here."
A police officer approached them and said, "Flint Marko… Herman Schultz, someone has paid for your bail. You're free to go."
Flint and Herman looked at one another.
"Who do you think got us released?" Herman asked as they stepped outside the precinct.
Flint looked ahead of them. "I have a good idea."
A limo waited for them, and the driver held a flashcard with their names on it. He then opened the door, and the two of them approached.
"Step in, boys," said a voice inside.
They stepped into the limbo and found themselves face-to-face with Tombstone.
"Mr Tombstone?" Herman stared.
"You paid for our bail?" said Flint, shocked.
"And the boss and I expect some payback," he said as the limo began to move off.
Flint's eyes widened. "The boss? You don't mean…"
"The Kingpin," he said.
"The Kingpin asked for us? Does that mean we're going to meet him?"
"If you play your cards right, so long as you do what he says, you might find yourself within his inner circle. However, if you wish for that, you must do one task."
"We'll do anything," said Flint.
"But what is this task?" Herman asked cautiously.
"To eliminate a certain bug," Tombstone smiled.
"You want us to eliminate Spider-Man?" Herman stared. "Not to kiss a gift horse in the mouth, boss, but isn't that a bit much?"
"Don't blow it," Flint glared.
"Oh, he doesn't expect you to beat the spider as you are now, but is more than willing to provide you with the necessary equipment."
"What kind of equipment?" Herman asked.
"You'll see, but it'll take a while for one of our projects to be implemented, so one of you will have to wait," said Tombstone and then his eyes fell upon Herman. "And since it sounds like you need the most convincing, I'll show the equipment you'll be using first."
They soon stopped at an abandoned building, and Tombstone and Herman stepped out of the limo. The moment they did, the limo drove away with Flint inside.
"What's going to happen to Flint?" Herman asked.
"He'll be kept out of sight until we're ready for him, but if you succeed, we may not need him," said Tombstone as he led him to the buildings.
Once in the building, Tombstone introduced him to a man in his 60s with silver-grey hair. The man looked like a walking twig, like one good punch would snap his spine.
"This is Phineas Mason; he worked with one of our benefactors, and he's now on loan to us," said Tombstone.
"You may call me Tinkerer, and I have something very special for you, Mr Schultz," he said.
He then guided him to a metal container and opened it. Inside was the yellow suit with black patchwork markings. Around the wrists will be a pair of very powerful-looking gauntlets.
"A suit?" Herman frowned.
"This suit, as you call it, packs enough punch to smash through a brick wall," said Tinkerer, looking insulted. "The suit itself shall protect you from the shockwaves from the gauntlets."
"Put it on," said Tombstone.
Reluctantly, Herman put the suit on and had to admit it fit him perfectly. However, that raised questions about how they knew his measurements.
"It fits like a glove," he said.
"Good, now let's give those gloves a test run," said Tombstone.
"I have already prepared a target," said Tinkerer.
The target was the dummy that looked precisely like Spider-Man.
"Just point the gauntlets at the target and then press down on the trigger," Tinkerer instructed.
Herman did as instructed and aimed his gauntlets directly at the dummy. He pressed the trigger and unleashed a shock blast. The blast struck the dummy, completely destroying it, and Herman felt nothing.
"Packs quite the punch," Herman smiled beneath his mask.
"I am so pleased that you are impressed," said Tinkerer with dry sarcasm.
"Care to try it on the genuine article?" Tombstone smiled.
"Just point me in the direction," said Herman.
"Just cause a little mayhem, and I'm sure the spider will come running," said Tombstone.
"What about the Avengers? What do I do if they show?"
"The Avengers are busy trying to capture escaped supervillains; they will not expect a supervillain to attack New York City, where they set up shop," Tombstone assured him.
Peter was currently on patrol as Spider-Man, web-swinging through the city. He hoped to catch a few thieves so he could take more photos for JJ. The Daily Bugle had been his primary source of income for the past four years, as Peter needed to support his aunt ever since his uncle Ben passed away, and his spider gear didn't come cheap.
He also had this blind date that Aunt May was arranging with Anna Watson and her niece, Mary Jane. He was sure that Mary Jane was a delightful person, but whenever someone describes someone with a great personality, it means that they're not much of a looker, one of the reasons why he hated blind dates.
Suddenly, he heard a burglar alarm from a nearby bank, which was a relief. He immediately swung by towards the bank and set up his camera. He did this by webbing his camera and setting it on automatic. The trick was to magnify a plausible location in the pictures, which made sense.
Now, he had half expected to see some men in black masks. Instead, he found a rather colourful bank robber in a yellow-and-black patchwork suit.
"Uh, is bright yellow the new black?" he asked as he landed on a lamppost.
"Ah, Spider-Man, I was hoping you'd show up," said the masked man.
"Have we met?" Spider-Man frowned.
"Maybe this will jog your memory!" he said, aiming his oversized gloves at him.
Spider-Man wasn't quite sure what to expect, but his spidey sense tingled. Then, to his surprise, the masked man fired a shot blast out of his gauntlets, which struck him and sent him crashing into a nearby building.
"Did anyone get the license plate of that truck?" Spider-Man groaned, rubbing his head.
He then felt his spider-sense tingling once again, and this time, he reacted to it, quickly jumping into the air to avoid another shock blast. He somersaulted into the air, stuck to the wall of the building, and looked at the masked man.
"Okay, I admit that was quietly a shocker," Spider-Man admitted.
"Shocker… I quite like the sound of that."
He then blasted Spider-Man again, but dodged it by jumping into the air. Shocker, as he now called himself, then fired a blast. Spider-Man quickly fired a web line, pulling him away from the attack just in time.
However, Shocker aimed his hands towards the ground, and another sonic blast launched him into the air. Just a few seconds later, he was surprised by Spider-Man.
"Nighty night, Webhead," he said, blasting him in close range.
Spider-Man found himself lying over several buildings before he landed in a dumpster.
"Uh, that was not a great confidence builder," he groaned.
The next day at noon, Peter was at the Daily Bugle handing photos of his battle with Shocker.
"Excellent, Parker!" Jonah laughed. "These are the exact pictures I wanted."
"But they show Spider-Man getting beaten up?" Peter frowned.
Peter had handed Jonah several photos, but he was most interested in the one where Shocker struck him. He was immensely grateful Jonah never got a picture of him landing in the dumpster.
"It shows everyone he's not the hero he claims to be, and now he's attracting costume villains," said Jonah.
"But shouldn't we look into this Shocker guy?" a voice asked.
Peter turned and found himself facing Betty Brant, once Jonah's secretary and now a reporter. She was a 23-year-old with short brown hair, and Peter was not ashamed to admit that he had a slight crush on her when he first started at the Bugle.
"What are you getting at, Miss Brant?" Jonah asked.
"I'm just stating that we need to know who this guy is and how he got his equipment. Did he build it himself, or did someone make it for him, and what's his vendetta against Spider-Man?"
"She does bring up a good point, Jonah," said Robbie as he took a sip of coffee. "That kind of gear is exactly something you get on the black market."
"Fine, you're on the case, Brant, but find something good that we can put in the papers?" Jonah ordered.
"On it," said Betty.
Then, she and Peter left the office.
"So Pete, you saw this Shocker guy in action. What do you make of him?" Betty asked.
"Well, he had some impressive gear," said Peter. "I mean, the gauntlets were able to send shockwaves, and I'm guessing the suit he wore protected him from the after-shocks, but…"
"But?" Betty prompted.
"I get the vibe that he was a science buff; in fact, the way he acted was similar to that of a two-bit thug."
"Meaning someone provided him with that gear," Betty nodded.
"Also, it sounded like he knew Spider-Man," Peter added.
"He may be one of many criminals that Spider-Man put away, and now he wants payback, and he's got quite the back."
Peter suddenly felt somewhat deflated; Shocker came to be because of him. Whoever it was behind that mask had now become a danger to everyone.
"Do you think Jonah is right about Spider-Man causing more problems than he solves?" Peter asked.
"No," said Betty. "I won't deny that he's made some enemies, and now they want payback, but look just how many people he saved. I've talked to all those people he saved, and they are all extremely grateful."
That cheered Peter up a little, but he couldn't help but think he had just stood up a hornet's nest.
The next day, Fisk was in his office, looking at an article in the Daily Bugle showing Shocker defeated.
"A successful start, but there was no sign of his body," said Fisk.
"I had men search all over, but there wasn't a trace of him," said Wesley.
"Then we can assume that he's still alive," said Fisk, holding the paper up.
"But this proves he's not invincible," said Tombstone.
"True, but I want him dead, not humiliated," said Fisk. "What's the situation of our dear Shocker?"
"He's letting the victory go to his head; he seems to think that he can strike on his own now," said Tombstone.
"Let him; he may very well bring Spider-Man out of hiding, but if he proves to be a problem, we can eliminate him," said Fisk.
"Should we prepare our other supervillain projects?" Wesley asked.
"We may not need them, but it never hurts to have backups in place."
"Flint is raring to go, and I assume I can try and find other volunteers," said Tombstone.
"I'll leave the recruitment up to you, Tombstone. Hopefully, this will give the likes of Silvermane off my back," said Fisk.
"The heist on the far side of town was a success thanks to the distraction, Shocker," said Wesley.
"Good, but we can do better," said Fisk. "I will not rest until every crime boss learns that I'm in charge and do not tolerate any causing trouble in my city."
Peter was making his way to class, looking at today's paper of the Daily Bugle, which had the headline Spider-Man Gets Shocked by Shocker.
"Well, this is humiliating," Peter sighed.
"I told you this might happen," said Gwen as she suddenly appeared by his side like a ghost.
Peter practically jumped out of his skin. "Can you not sneak up on me like that?"
"You're saying you didn't detect me with your spider-sense?" Gwen smirked.
"You know it doesn't work quite like that; it only reacts to danger, and you're not dangerous."
"Oh, I can be a dangerous girl when I want to be?" Gwen smirked. "Or did you forget?"
"Not in the slightest," Peter smiled.
Gwen then looked at the newspaper. "Still, are you doing all right? I mean, it looks like that guy tossed you around a fair bit?"
"Those gloves of his do pack quite a punch," Peter admitted.
"How does a guy like that acquire that kind of tech?" Gwen asked.
"I don't know, but the next time we meet, I'll be ready," said Peter confidently.
"Do you have to face again?" Gwen asked.
"Gwen, I can't let someone with that kind of firepower all around. There's no telling what kind of damage he could do?"
Gwen nodded reluctantly. "Dad is worried about that."
"Yo, Parker!" said a voice.
They spun around and saw Harry Osborn running up to them.
"What do you want?" Gwen asked.
"Hey, I'm just trying to be friendly," said Harry. His eyes then fell on the newspaper in Peter's hand. "Nice picture, by the way. It is quite a change to the whole heroic thing."
Peter narrowed his eyes. "So you like superheroes getting beaten around?"
"Please, Spider-Man isn't a hero; you must think so too if you took photos like that."
"I don't control how the pictures are used, Harry."
"I see," said Harry. "Well, let's drop the whole Spider-Man thing."
Gwen then grabbed Peter's arm. "Come on, Peter, let's head to class."
Harry looked as if he wanted to say something, but clearly couldn't find the right words.
"You shouldn't listen to what he or Jameson says about you," said Gwen.
"I know, but it does stink sometimes."
They soon got to class, and Peter listened to Doctor Connors intently.
"Now, as we all know, static builds up in many different ways, such as walking on the carpet. I am sure that all of you had fun sticking balloons onto certain services," said Doctor Connors. "A small amount of static electricity is harmless, but if it builds up, it could become deadly, which is why it is necessary to create some sort of installation if you have to work in such environments."
Peter instantly raised his hand. "Is it possible to generate static electricity as some sort of pulse or something?"
"There are theories that a concentrated amount of static electricity can produce a shot pulse, but these pulses would also affect you without proper installation. It depends on how powerful a pulse you wish to make; the stronger it is, the more installation you'll need.
"Dad has been working on something that could weaponise such a force," said Harry.
Doctor Connors frowned. "I wish to speak ill of your father, but I find that rather dangerous. True science should be used to help people, not cause more harm. Besides, he would first need to create a new insulated material to harness the force he no doubt wants."
"So, what kind of installation would you suggest?" Gwen asked.
"Well, some polymer with multiple layers would absorb the static and the shockwaves if such a device were ever created. However, I believe that we are moving away from our original topic, so how about we get back on track?"
After college, Peter returned home immediately, and Gwen accompanied him. He immediately went into the basement, where he had set up a small lab.
"I guess today's science lesson gave you an idea," Gwen assumed.
"Just a little upgrade to my suit," said Peter. "I don't know what kind of material Shocker is using, but I think I can come up with some sort of insulator that could at least absorb the worst of his blasts."
"Do you really think it's going to work?" Gwen asked.
"Only one real way to find out," said Peter.
"You sure it's a good idea to test this out in the field?" Gwen questioned.
"I don't really have any other choice, and I need to take Shocker down before we actually hurt someone."
They then heard a knock on the door.
"Peter, you down here?" Aunt May asked.
"I'm here!" Peter yelled and quickly hid his costume.
Aunt May opened the door and made her way down the stairs. "Oh, Gwen, it's lovely to see."
"Nice to see you too, Miss Parker," Gwen smiled.
Aunt May looked at Peter regretfully. "I'm afraid Anna Watson's nieces will be unable to make it tonight."
Peter was momentarily confused, then remembered he had a blind date tonight. "Oh, that's too bad. Why isn't she able to come?"
"I'm afraid her mother just passed away," said Aunt May.
"Oh, that's terrible."
"So I'm afraid she won't be visiting until after the funeral, at the very least."
"I'll look forward to it," said Peter.
Aunt May smiled and made her way back upstairs, and when the door closed, Peter sighed in relief.
"Sounds like you missed a bullet," said Gwen, folding her arms. "Though I must say I feel sorry for that poor girl."
"So do I, but at least I can now fully focus on Shocker," said Peter as he pulled out his costume.
"But how are you going to find?" Gwen asked.
Then her phone rang, and when she looked down at it, she saw it was her father.
"Dad?" Gwen blinked.
"Gwen, I'm afraid I'm going to be back home late tonight,"said Captain Stacy regrettably. "It's that Shocker guy that Spider-Man fought. I'm afraid he's back robbing a bank again."
"Which bank exactly?" Gwen asked.
"It's the Grand Dollar," said Captain Stacy.
"Okay, good luck catching him, love you."
Gwen then ended the call and looked at Peter. "You got all that?"
"Every word," said Peter, about to put his costume on, then looked at Gwen, blushing slightly. "Do you think you can turn around?"
Gwen's face turned pink, and she turned around.
Captain Stacy had arrived at the bank just as Shocker emerged with some bags of cash.
"Have a taste of this pigs!" Shocker yelled, blasting them with his gauntlets.
Just as Shocker blasted it, Captain Stacy jumped out of his car, sending it across the street.
"We're out of our weight class, Captain," said Gonzales as he attempted to shoot Shocker. "Don't suppose we can call the Avengers in?"
"Would love to, but they're trying to round up all those escaped criminals," said Captain Stacy as he returned fire.
"So what do we do?"
"How about you leave it to me," said a voice.
They looked up and saw Spider-Man swinging over their heads.
"Great, another costume loony," Gonzales muttered. "Not like we don't have enough problems as it is."
"Yeah, he took you down once, what makes you think he can't do it again?" a second officer agreed.
"Just focus on protecting the civilians!" Captain Stacy ordered. "We'll have to trust that Spider-Man can handle this."
"You can't be serious, Captain?" Gonzales stared
Captain Stacy looked at them firmly. "I'm always serious when lives are in danger now. Do as you're told."
"Back for more, huh, Webhead?" Shocker sneered. "Thought you learned your lesson the last time."
"Oh, I did, and this time, you're the one going down," said Spider-Man.
"You think so?" Shocker yelled and fired his gauntlets at him.
Spider-Man held his ground as the blast struck him, but it didn't affect him that much, so he slowly began advancing towards Shocker.
Shocker himself was stunned. "How are you doing that? You were blown away so easily the last time?"
"Last time, I didn't have the right gear, and you attacked me in midair," said Spider-Man as he kept on advancing. "This time, I've got some improper installation, and I'm sticking to the ground."
Shocker tried to back away but ended up against the bank's wall, and Spider-Man kept advancing. Then he had another problem: he had been using his gauntlets far too long, and they looked as if they were about to overheat.
"No, this can't be happening!" Shocker yelled, and then his gauntlets blew up.
Then, before he had any time to recover, Spider-Man fired some webbing, sticking him to the bank wall.
"Nooo!" he roared. "Not again!"
Spider-Man suddenly fell to one knee, utterly exhausted, and the police moved in to apprehend Shocker. However, a few of them then aimed their guns at Spider-Man.
"Don't move, freak," said Gonzales
"Stand down!" Captain Stacy ordered.
"Sir? But we have him?"
"I said, stand down!" Captain Stacy repeated.
Gonzales and the other police officers reluctantly lowered their weapons.
"Thanks, Captain Stacy," said Spider-Man as he stood up.
"Thanks for taking this punk down," said Captain Staey as he turned his attention to Shocker. "Now, let's find out who's behind that mask."
They removed the mask and laid eyes upon Herman.
"Hey, I know him," said Spider-Man.
"As do I," said Captain Stacy. "His name is Herman Schultz. He was arrested for theft, but someone paid his bail for him and his partner in crime."
"Where did he get the suit?" Spider-Man asked.
"I'm no stool pigeon. I'm not telling you a single thing," said Herman.
Captain Stacy then looked at Spider-Man. "You'd better get going; I'm sure you have a busy day tomorrow."
"Yeah, I do," said Spider-Man.
He then fired a web line and swung away.
It was now September 10th, and Peter was attending class, reading the Daily Bugle, which featured a new article showing Spider-Man taking down Shocker.
"Gotta say that FrontPage is better than the last one," said Gwen, looking over his shoulder.
"I would say so," Peter smiled.
"Still, aren't you at all worried that someone out there is arming low-time thugs with equipment just to take you down?" Gwen asked.
"It does, but I'm sure I'll find him supplying them with this equipment, and I'll take them down the same way."
"Hey, guys," said Harry, meeting them at the front door.
"Hey, Harry," said Peter. "How are things with you and your dad?"
"Same as always," Harry sighed. "Whenever I try to talk to him, he's always busy and hardly at home."
"Hey, my Dad gets caught up with work as well," said Gwen.
"Yeah, at least he shows affection," Harry muttered.
"I'm sure he cares for you in his own way," said Peter positively.
"I wish I had your optimism, but we should get to class."
They nodded, and the three of them began to make their way to the classroom.