Astonishing Spider-Man
Story by: JMC-77
Spider-Man and other characters are owned by Stan Lee and Marvel Comics
Chapter I: Reawakening
March 23rd, 2018
11:23 P.M.
Manhattan, New York City
In the beautiful city of the illuminating New York, the streets of Manhattan were celebrating a very special announcement: the end of winter, and the beginning of spring.
In the following years prior to this event, many grim acts have been occurring all across the world: the disappearance of the legendary Fantastic Four (minus Johnny Storm/The Human Torch, and Ben Grimm/The Thing), the Avengers tearing each other apart due to their personal differences, the death of thousands of Mutants all across the state, which nearly forced the X-Men to extinction, and Captain America, aka Steve Rogers, corrupted by terrorist organization HYDRA to conquer the city.
Today, many people have been the chance to move past these events and thrive for a new future. Little did they not know that this celebration was soon about to astonish them!
The Top of Empire State University
On top of the building that held classes for students attending Empire State University, there was a long figure depressed by the events happening in his life. He was tall, average, had messy short brown hair, hazel eyes, and looked like he just a massive hangover. The man's name was Peter Parker, the 28 year-old ex-CEO of Parker Industries, and was known by the media as the Amazing Spider-Man.
He used to be one of the world's most thrilling figures, but unfortunately, his social life has crumbled to dust. As Spider-Man, various heroes despised him because he was found both incompetent and an utter nuisance thanks to his non-stop penchant for talking and jokes, to the point he was left out on Wolverine's birthday party. As Peter Parker, his friends viewed him as a flake, due to him shutting PI after he tried to stop a resurrected Doctor Octopus and HYDRA from taking it over, resulting in him being labelled a public pariah.
A couple days, he had been kicked off the Avengers due to his ineptitude of the same events, and he was forced to live on the streets. Many of his friends such as Johnny Storm, Harry Osborn, his sister Teresa and ex-girlfriend Mary-Jane Watson, however, refused to feel any pity for him, and willingly threw out to the streets as a way to get him out of their lives.
"Why...? Why God? Why have you abandoned me? Am I simply going to continue screwing up every 5 minutes after I prove myself, or am I really just doomed to fail at everything?!" asked the drunk young man shouting at the sky in tears, due to the sheer stress and depression he's currently feeling.
After no answer from the cloudy skies, which began to slowly rain, Peter simply sighed and went back to drinking his beer, as he felt that there was no one who could help him. After finishing the rest of his beer, he reached into his green messenger bag to take the last thing he'd ever use: a Colt Python. He planning to kill himself, after feeling everyone was right about him and that he won't be able to fix his life.
"If you are hearing this God, then... there's nothing... nothing you can do to see me... No one will want me to come back after everything I've caused... It's already too late for me..." said the former CEO as he raised the barrel of the gun to the side of his head.
'Goodbye, everyone. Harry, Johnny, Betty, MJ, Aunt May... Goodbye..." he thought sadly. He hated doing this, knowing how they would feel, but he didn't care. He just... doesn't care for anything anymore.
However, as he was about to pull the trigger, he opened his eyes to see a crimson red lightning bolt heading straight for HIM!
'OH CRAP!' he thought as he attempted to move, but it was too late.
BOOM!
The lighting bolt struck him, severely burning his back, knocking him out unconscious. However, he fell in a slumber, a figure emerges from the very spot the lightning bolt struck him.
The figure that emerged from the burnt spot was a tall, muscular man with long wavy brown hair with curled-up ponytail. He was wearing light-blue pants, with dark grey boots, a black long-coat, brown leather gloves, a red sweatshirt, and a grey facemask that covered his long beard. He had brown eyes, a grey beanie, and a pair of weapons: a Colt Python and Katana respectively.
The figure removed his mask to reveal a person of 41 years old. The man was Peter Parker himself! But rather, a more older and experienced version of the ex-CEO himself. What no-one did not know is that the older Parker was the original and real Spider-Man, and the young CEO lying next to him was actually a Life-Model-Decoy programmed to pose as him. The older Parker was actually exiled from his home, from his reality. By the man who cursed Johnny Blaze as the Ghost Rider: Mephisto, ruler of the Underworld.
11 years ago in 2007, following the aftermath of the Civil War, the Lord of Hell offered a deal to Parker and his then-wife Mary-Jane Parker: give up their love and marriage to save the life of Aunt May, who was wounded by an assassin sent the Kingpin, after Pete revealed his ID to support the Superhuman Registration Act. Though he didn't want his aunt to die, Peter refused, angering the demon to curse him and his wife, and their unborn daughter May to the world of Counter-Earth, an alternate version of Earth-Prime that had all of its greatest heroes as its worst villains.
He then made younger LMDs of the two, and decided to make it his goal to make sure Parker's life was as miserable as possible. He had manipulated everything in the LMD's life: allowing Doctor Octopus to hijack his body, turning him into an object of contempt from the heroes, friends and civilians he helps, and shutting Parker Industries.
He was determined to make sure his life was miserable as he could make it. As this was happening, Peter and MJ were forced to fight for their lives as well as the freedom of those trapped on Counter-Earth. Between giving birth to May, fighting ruthless androids and tyrants, as well as helping as much as they can, it was a very intense battle in their attempts to survive.
'I'm back?' thought Parker, after he and his family discovered a final portal to their home. However, as they travelled through the portal, they were separated into different locations across the globe. 'I'm home...' thought Parker, who begins shedding tears. He sacrificed so much, fought for too long, as well as witnessed a lot. But right now, he has achieved what he and his wife and daughter had sought: Home.
After calming himself, he turned to his side, and much to his shock, he saw his LMD counterpart with a burnt back, and aging skin. He is slowly turning a husk-like figure, as his skin was becoming more pale and ill. It meant one thing: he was dying. The older Parker kneeled down and picked his doppelgänger, hoping to have one last conversation.
"Hey. Wake Up!" yelled the older man to the younger one. The LMD soon painfully woke up, and much to his shock, he found out he was dying and he was facing with an older version of himself.
"W-who… Are y-y-you?" asked the dying LMD. The older man then looked with a saddened look on his life. He soon took a deep sigh, and then proceeded to introduce himself.
"My name is Peter Parker, the Spider-Man from this world, and I'm just trying to help you." The LMD was shocked at this response, as well as confused.
"How!? I-it's not... possible!?" asked the crying LMD. The older Parker sighed once more.
"Alright. You deserve to know the truth. About everything..." said Peter, as he explained everything to his younger self. About the deal with Mephisto, his exile from reality, his fight for survival, and even his return back home.
"So... everything that I fought for... It was... all a lie?" asked the LMD of Parker, more saddened than before.
"Sadly, it's true" replied a sympathetic Peter to the dying android, who proceeded to speak after a long, sullen silence.
"... Listen old man, I would like to say: Thank you. For everything you told me. What you said... was... the most... nicest thing anyone has ever say to me... Listen Peter, it's your life, and more importantly, it is your choice of how you wish to live it. Just remember this: the decisions you make, and the actions that follow, define who you are. And it is your responsibility to live with them. Remember that... remember that..." spoke the last of the LMD counterpart of Parker. His body soon crumbled to a pile of dust, leaving his dirtied costume behind.
The older Parker who, after listening to his counterpart's final words, then stood up, took his messenger-bag and began to run and jump off the roof, and onto the ground. He then walked away, heading to the train station, hoping to finally do one thing: To stop.
'He said the choices I make define who I am... But it's... hopeless... I've fought Mephisto for years. I've tried to defeat him. I even tried to use my connection to the Great Weaver and Web of Reality to get back home. It can't be done.' thought the older Parker, as he jumped on top of a train that was leaving.
He soon took off his long coat, mask, weapons, gloves, and beanie, which allowed his body and long, uncut hair to feel the flowing wind. He then took the messenger-bag his younger self, and then put his belongings inside. Then he threw off the train, and into the bay it was currently moving past. He watched as his belongings hit the water, and sink into the bottom.
"No more..." said the older Spider-Man. He then sat down, as the train took outside of Manhattan, and then out of New York. He was leaving everything. His home. His name. As well as his own life.
He then lied down, and went to sleep.
'No more...' were Peter's final thoughts, as he fell asleep.
End of Chapter 1