Spider-Man: The Darkness Within #1

ORIGINS

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"Though the world may mock Peter Parker, the timid teenager... It will soon marvel at the awesome might of Spider-Man!"

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I honestly never really liked that classic phrase on the front cover of Amazing Fantasy #15. It seems too Clark Kent/Superman-ish. Spider-Man is completely different, for his life is much is easier to relate to. Well, yeah, he has amazing abilities and all, but is easier to relate to a random teenager who struggles for friends, love, money or an alien who comes from a dying planet who, coincidentally, looks exactly like exactly like a human?

But I'm getting off-topic.

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Everyone knows the story of Amazing Fantasy #15, Spider-Man's first-ever appearance. He goes to a radioactivity demonstration, gets bit by the spider, lets the burglar go by, bla, bla, bla. But, what if it was different? What if, somehow, Spider-Man sensed his uncle's death and stopped the burglar when he had the chance?

This series will track down what Peter Parker's life would have been like in such a situation, and I'm telling you now – it will not be pretty. After all, if Uncle Ben lives, would Spider-Man ever learn the invaluable lesson that with great power must also come great responsibility?

I've read other What-If?s before (although I've never read an actual What-If? Comic), and my complaint is this: when the Green Goblin should be attacking, suddenly the main villain will be Doctor Octopus or someone. Again, how did stopping the burglar make Norman Osborne and Otto Octavius switch places? In this fanfic, I plan to attempt to stay true to what is really happening with the other characters. In the long run, I'll find myself making up my own stories, but for now, a missing death is not going to stop Chameleon's outburst. Sure, I may skip a few issues, even create some of my own which, possibly, were skipped in the mainstream universe, but for now, I'll stay true.

Well, now that the introductions are over, enjoy Amazing Fantasy #15 as it is in this universe:

Spider-Man: The Darkness Within #1

XXX

The kids of Midtown High were crowding around outside, discussing a dance which they were planning.

"Say, gang," said Chad Finster, "we need one more guy for the dance! How about Peter Parker over there?"

Flash Thompson, the big man on campus, laughed. "Are you kiddin'? That bookworm wouldn't know a cha-cha from a waltz!"

"Peter Parker?" Liz Allen echoed. "He's Midtown High's only professional wallflower!" (In all honesty, I still don't know what a wallflower is. But anyway, you may have noticed that this is an exact replica of the first panel in Amazing Fantasy #15. Yes, I know. In fact, I currently have it in my lap as reference. Like I said, it all starts normally. In a little bit, we'll probably skip a few pages.)

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As you may have gathered, Peter Parker was far from being biggest man on campus! But, his Uncle Ben thought he was a pretty special lad... As for Pete's Aunt May, she thought the sun rose and set upon her nephew! The faculty at Midtown High was also fond of the clean-cut, hard-working honor student! But alas, other teenagers can sometimes, unwittingly, be so very cruel to a shy young man...

"Look, there's a great new exhibit at the science hall tonight! Would any of you like to go with me?" Peter Parker asked his would-be friends one day.

"Science hall! Ha!" laughed Flash.

"You stick to the science, son! We'll take the chicks!" Chad snickered as he, Flash, Liz, and Sally Truman hopped in Liz's car and drove away. "See you around, bookworm!"

"Give our regards to the atom-smashers, Peter!" Liz Allen teased. Peter walked away, towards the science hall, slightly sobbing.

"Some day, I'll show them!" he sobbed. "Some day they'll be sorry! – sorry that they laughed at me!" (Okay, seriously, there were no thought bubbles in the earlier comics! I mean, shouldn't that last line have been in a thought bubble? Or do these older teams think out loud a lot? Sorry, I just had to get that out.)

But, a few minutes, later, Peter Parker forgets the taunts of his classmates as he is transported to another world – fascinating world of atomic science! But, as the experiment begins with the demonstrator droning on ("And now for a demonstration of how we can control radioactive rays hays here in the laboratory..."), no one notices a tiny spider, descending from the ceiling on an almost-invisible strand of web... a spider whom fate has given a starring, if brief, role to play in the drama we call life! Accidentally absorbing a fantastic amount of radioactivity, the dying arachnid (It's a little pet-peeve of mine when people call spiders insects, so I just had to fix that.), in sudden shock, bites the nearest living thing, at the split-second before life ebbs from its radioactive body!

And Peter Parker became "it".

"Ow!" he shouted. "A – a spider! It bit me! But, why is it burning so? Why is it glowing that way? My head – it feels strange! I – I need some air!" And so, Peter Parker stepped outside, pondering the fantastic energy his entire body seems to be charged with. Wrapped in his thoughts, Peter doesn't hear the auto which narrowly misses him, until the last instant! And then, unnoticed by the riders, he unthinkingly leaps to safety – but what a leap it is!

"Mommy! Look at the man walking up the side of a building!" said a six-year-old pedestrian.

"That's the last horror movie I take you to, young man!" responds the boy's mother. (I always get a kick out of that part!) But what the boy's mother does not realize is that her child is dead serious – Peter Parker had leaped onto the building's wall!

"What's come over me? I-I'm scaling this wall just as easily as I can walk! It's incredible!" gasps the "timid" teenager, as he approaches the roof. Anchoring himself on a steel pipe, he stares out, amazed. "I reached the roof in just a few seconds! What's this? I crushed this steel pipe as though it were paper! It's the spider! It has to be! Somehow – in some miraculous way, his bite has transferred his own power – to me!" Peter spies a thin cable leading back to the alleyway. (I've no idea how it got there, so don't ask...) "I can walk down this cable as effortlessly as the spider itself can glide along its web!" Peter baffled, crawling down to the ground.

"I-I've got to have time to think!" he finally concludes on the way home. "I've got to plan what to do with this unbelievable ability which fate has given me!"

XXX

And that is the origin of Spider-Man. Now, let's skip a little, because I'm getting itchy from copying word-per-word. Don't ask.

So, we left off with Peter Parker trying to figure what to do with his amazing powers! And that he did! As Spider-Man, Peter joined the film business to show off on live TV in an attempt to earn big bucks!

But, one day, his director was robbed... And yes, this is finally where you will be seeing newness in the storyline...

XXX

As his first TV spectacular ends, Peter Parker breathes the first sweet scent of fame and success!

"I'm from Life!" shouted a reporter. "We'll pay any price for a picture spread!"

"Sign with me!" hollered a producer. "I'll put you in the movies!"

"Wait! We want an interview!"

"See my agents, boys!" Spider-Man replied, leaving the room. "I'm busy!"

Whew! he thought (Yes, it is the rare thought bubble I told of earlier.) Rid of 'em at last! "Hey! What's goin' on?" (Well... easy come, easy go...)

"Stop! Thief!" a police officer was shouting. "Stop him! If he makes it to the he'll get away!"

At first, the Spider-Man shrugged it off. It wasn't his problem after all. But of course, if nothing happened next, this really would be an exact replica of Amazing Fantasy #15, which would be kind of old news...

And something did happen indeed, as suddenly, Spider-Man began to feel strange, not like "my spider-sense is tingling", but like a constant voice was ringing in his head, "Stop the burglar! Stop the burglar! Stop the burglar!" Peter pondered for a moment, but finally stuck out his foot, and the thief fell to the ground.

"Thank you, sir," the officer smiled at Peter. "Mind taking off the mask?"

"See my agent, officer. I'm busy."

And on that note, the not-so-timid masked man walked towards the locker room, leaving a dumbstruck policeman behind.

XXX

Don't worry, it'll get better. After all, this is only the first issue, and it called out "Origins"! Anyway, feel free to review, offer suggestions, etc. But just so you know, I plan to have to have at least four (my lucky number) issues done by the time I publish this, so your suggestions won't take into effect until issue five (the Tinkerer).

Please, no flames. However constructive criticism would be greatly appreciated. Compliments are also nice, especially if they include material which you specifically enjoy (so that I know not to change it).

NEXT: J. JONAH JAMESON stars in PUBLIC MENACE! 'Nuff said.

XXX

Edit: I decided to publish even though I only have up to three done, so you may make recommendations for issue four (the Vulture).