What If Doc Ock Killed Liz Allen in Reaction?

Doctor Octopus reached into the crowd to grab Liz Allen. "I should have seen it sooner, Spider-Man." he called out, "You're weak! You can't bear to see anyone hurt!"

"I could learn to make an exception," Spidey spoke through gritted teeth.

"And your meager thought process is SO transparent. Stall until his power runs out. But this pack has another hour of juice at least! And think of all the damage I can do in one hour, starting with the girl." With that, he opened his claws out flat, and whirled them in a circular motion, like deadly fan blades. He brought the claws right to her neck as he bellowed, "Choose! The device? Or the girl!"

"You wouldn't do it Doc, you aren't a killer."

"Do you really want to try me? You have five seconds to hand over the power pack, and if you make one move to stop me before I insert it into my harness, I will kill not only her, but you also."

"I'm betting you don't"

"Five…Four…Three…Two…," with each number, the blades ticked ever closer to Liz's throat. "This is your last chance, arachnid."

"Fine, Doc, just, just don't hurt the girl." Spider-Man held the device out by its temporary harness. "Set her down, and I'll give it to you."

"Fine by me." Ock set her down on the ground, but kept one tentacle on her arm to keep her close. He reached out the arm that had been whirling near Liz's head to grab the power pack. Just as he was about to grab it, Spidey turned and threw it as far away as he possibly could. As soon as he let go, he jumped in to battle with Ock. "Oh, Arachnid, you will wish 'til the day you die that you had merely given me the pack."

With those words, the tentacle that had been keeping Liz close drew back. As she tried to run away, Ock sent the tentacle through her, pinning her body to a nearby wall. As he did this, another arm knocked Spider-Man away from him about twenty feet.

As he landed, Peter's eyes widened in shock under his mask as he processed what had just happened. Ohmygosh! He just killed Liz! He just killed Liz! I mean, I knew he was capable physically, but I never thought he would actually do it! And of all things after tonight, when she and I were finally starting to connect! She even ditched Flash for me! She's the only popular girl to ever treat me kindly, well, except MJ, and I think I liked her. I mean, I don't know if I love her, or what would have turned out, but she's . . . just gone now, and she's never coming back. Now, Spider-Man's eyes narrowed in a new emotion, anger. Each muscle tensed, ready to spring into action as a livid fury enveloped Peter's thoughts.

"That's IT, Ock! I have had it with you! Not only are you not getting that pack, but I am taking you out for good! You just killed an innocent girl, and I am NEVER gonna let that happen to anyone ever again."

"No, Arachnid, I think not. You are pathetic, and while I could have let you live to see another day, although I probably wouldn't have anyway, this seals the deal for sure. But you are warned, only one of us will come out alive, and it WON'T be you!"

At these words, Spider-Man leapt into the whirling mass of tentacles, letting his skill flow from his fury, making him stronger, faster, and more aggressive than ever before. None of Ock's arms could get in any blows, and as Spidey deftly dodged and deflected each and every one, he got closer and closer to Ock himself.

"You are done! You hear me? Done!" As he said this, he got delivered his first puch to Doctor Octopus, who staggered back under the force. Peter wasn't holding back anything at all, and because of the anger, Ock got all of Pete's spider-strength in every blow and then some. "You hurt a girl that was close to me! We were friends! You might not have known that, but you made about the biggest mistake you can. You made me lose my temper, and for that, well, you'll figure it out soon enough."

"No, stop it! I surrender, I surrender!" Ock cowered under each punch. He was broken, bruised, and battered, but Pete wasn't letting up at all. "You can't do this to me! You are no criminal!"

"No, but you are! And for me, that's all need to finish you off!"

Octavious tried to run, tried to defend himself with his tentacles, tried to do anything to save himself, but the enraged Spider-Man was too much for him. With all the strength in him, Peter beat the criminal to a pulp, and kept going. Ock had been dead for almost a minute when Peter finally realized what he had done.

Oh, no! I lost my temper because of what he'd done to Liz, and I told him I'd repay him in kind, but I hadn't meant it, had I? It's not my place to be judge, jury, and executioner. I wanted to bring him to justice for his crime, but I made myself a criminal instead. I can't just swing away from the police this time; I need to turn myself in.

He left the battered body of Octavious on the sidewalk, gingerly picked up Liz, and slowly and somberly walked over to where his schoolmates sat in shock over Liz's death. Flash walked up to him and spoke.

"Thanks, Spidey, that guy got what he deserved."

"Don't thank me, Flash. He may have gotten what he deserved, but it wasn't my place to give it to him. A great man once told me, 'With great power, comes great responsibility.' Well I had that power, but I didn't use it responsibly, and now I have not only that man's death on my conscience, but also Liz and Dr. Octavious. And now, I have to face the jury that man should have had. I have to look them in the eye and tell them I killed him, and even if they let me off, I know that I can never be Spider-Man again, because I will never forget what I've done here tonight."

"Wait, how do you know my name? And how do you know Liz's name?"

Peter slowly took off his mask and looked directly into Flash's eyes, and then looked down in disgust with himself as the police arrived. Peter walked over and held out his arms as they put the handcuffs on him and sat him in the back of the squadcar. As it drove away, the students from Midtown High all stood in shock at Peter's revelation. All except Gwen Stacy, who, with a tear rolling down her check whispered so softly that almost no one could hear her, "Oh, Peter, whatever have you done?"