Ultimate Genesis Spider-Man #4 "Shades Of Mystery"
By Mick Edwards
Monday morning, the press were gathered before the platform in the back yard of Osborn Mansion. Norman stood behind the curtain adjusting his tie with an ear mic providing him with full communication with his media team. He looked up from the mirror that a blonde secretary held in front of him, and waved her off. Then he came through the curtains where he smiled at the press.
"Ladies and Gentleman," said Norman. "I have a great announcement to make about the future of Oscorp Pharmaceuticals and how it involves our local vigilante."
With that said, Spider-Man leaped down from the top of Osborn Mansion to stand beside, Norman. The press snapped a flurry of pictures, not understanding why he was there. Norman looked to Spider-Man, smiled, and turned back to the press.
"Spider-Man is an employee of Oscorp pharmaceuticals and the first in a series of super soldiers designed to protect the American people from crime within and from outside its borders!"
The press began firing off questions, Norman waved them to simmer down. Silence restored, he continued.
"Spider-Man acts under the supervision of Oscorp pharmaceuticals, the government and law enforcement can feel at ease now that they have latest in crime fighting technology."
Norman stepped away from the podium to allow his spokesman do the rest. He walked by Harry, concealed in the black and white costume that he wore. He knew Harry watched him, and he made sure Harry saw him wink at him for encouragement.
s-m
Peter lie in an emergency room bed with an oxygen feed in his nose, an IV in his arm, and his ribs wrapped, but hurting. He groaned in pain when he heard Aunt May's voice.
"Oh thank god," she said. She stood over him with tears in her eyes. "Peter, are you all right?"
Peter looked at her, looked around, and bite his lip. "My ribs hurt..."
"I'll have the doctors give you some more pain killers," she said leaving the room.
Peter leaned his head back against the pillow, thinking of last night. The large figure that attacked him had done it so fast he did not get a good look at him. Looking at the door, he saw Jessica with tears beginning to form in her eyes. She walked in, taking Peter's hand.
"Are you all right?" she asked softly.
"It only hurts when I sing," he said. A smile crept across his face.
Jessica punched his arm, the very arm he wrapped around her waist. He pulled her close.
"I imagine Aunt May called you?" Peter asked.
"Actually, I stopped by your house this morning when a neighbor told me what happened."
Peter ran his hand through her hair, "I'm glad you are here."
"You know," Jessica said coyly. "This bed is big enough for both of us."
Peter laughed. "You know Aunt May would kill us."
"Yeah, stupid abstinence rule."
"Better than you and I having to take care of a child we wouldn't be ready to afford."
A dour look formed on her face, Peter looked up at her upon feeling her tense up.
"What's the matter?" he asked.
"You do want to have kids with me, don't you?"
"Now?"
"No," Jessica said, running a hand through his hair. "After we are married and have good jobs."
"Well, I would have children with MJ, but she doesn't like boys."
Jessica grabbed his nose. "That's not funny!"
Peter kissed her forehead. "Of course I do."
Jessica smiled relaxing while he held her.
s-m
Harry came home from school and went up to his room, changing into his Spider-Man costume. It was a new one his father had made. A red and blue one with a black web pattern on the mask, gloves, boots, and chest area. A large wiry red spider was on the back with a small black spider in the middle of the web pattern. He opened the window, firing a web-line and swung away from the house. Osborn Mansion lie near Manhattan. The travel into the city was quick due to the short distance. He landed upon a roof over looking the Hudson when the world around him was cascaded in an assortment of colors. His danger sense forced him to reflexively flip out of the way of an energy blast. Harry could not discern which direction that it came from.
"New threads?" said a voice that seemed to be everywhere. The voice was modulated.
"Who are you?" asked Spider-Man.
"You will find out if you follow my clues," said the voice.
The colors disappeared and a letter floated down to rest beside Spider-Man's feet. He only had a moment to look at it before it caught fire. He tossed it aside.
"Damn!"
He looked around, placing a fist to his chin. Trying to remember the message.
"Black and white, they have a series for you where they display their might against Indians..."
It came to Spider-Man, Yankee stadium. He fired a web-line and swung off to follow the clues.
s-m
Norman did not look happy after hearing Man Mountain Marko's report of the botched attempt on Peter Parker's life. He palmed his forehead, waving dismissively at Marko to leave. Alone, he cupped his chin, picked up the phone and made a call to his R&D lab's head researcher. Doctor Douglas Birely.
"How soon before our next super soldier is ready?" asked Norman.
"I've analyzed your son's dna, and we already have a few trial specimens ready."
"I want results, Birely, not excuses."
Hanging up the phone, Norman returned to his duties as CEO and President of Oscorp Pharmaceuticals.
s-m
Spider-Man landed atop Yankee Stadium, he looked around for his next clue. He didn't have Peter's brilliant science brain, but he was smart enough to realize this was a trap. The wall he stood upon shook, he looked down and saw the Hulk, a creature that had been rumored to have appeared from a Russian super-soldier lab. The Hulk slammed his fists against the wall again, Spider-Man dropped down, his feet connecting with the Hulk's face when he looked up. The Hulk snarled and swung at Spider-Man, deceptively fast despite his bulk. Spider-Man evaded thanks to his danger sense, firing a shot of the silk-like webbing that was produced from his wrists. The webbing smacked against the Hulk's face, blinding him. Spider-Man fired a line onto the glob on the Hulk's face, and pulled hard sending the creature into his fist.
The Hulk exploded in a shower of sparks and shrapnel. Spider-Man was thrown by the blast and smacked into a wall where he fell onto the street face first. Several minutes passed before he rose, his head swimming. Turning around, he saw the next clue spray painted on the wall of the building behind him. The spray paint glowed in neon colors before vanishing.
"History and words collide, you will find all you seek at the bottom?"
Spider-Man rubbed his aching head, realizing the meaning of the clue, he climbed the wall swiftly and made his way to the upper-west side of Manhattan.
Aside from Jessica and Aunt May, the only others visitors were Mary Jane Watson and Liz Allen. Both were standing outside watching Peter, he seemed to be asleep and they were turning to leave when he called out them.
"Don't just stand there," he said. "Come on in."
They walked in holding hands, Mary Jane took a seat beside Peter and Liz sat next to Mary Jane. They both smiled at him. He smiled back, though it was a wane smile.
"How're doing?" asked MJ. She took his hand.
"Okay," said Peter. "They have me on the same drugs rock stars are on, so I'm flyin' high!"
MJ and Liz giggled. He laughed. It felt good to laugh, even with the pain in his ribs and the drugs dimming his mind. Making him sleepy, when he'd prefer to be at school, or watching over Harry. He and Harry made a pact after Harry gained his powers. Peter would help Harry, in return Harry would let Peter share in his exploits by wearing a camera in his suits that allowed Peter to see the world through Harry's eyes.
Denied watching Harry jump from roof to roof, climbing the walls and seeing everything like a spider does. Peter felt less enthusiasm, less desire to do much. He listened to MJ and Liz tell their story of what happened at school, but secretly he wished to be in another place, being the hero that Harry pretended to be.
Spider-Man was in the American Museum of Natural History, searching for the next clue. He searched all the floors, almost giving up three times, and cursing his luck that Peter had been injured by a prowler. His eyes wandered when he noticed an envelope attached to the bottom of the Cape York meteorite. He pulled it off and read it.
Boom!
Spider-Man's danger sense took over, and he fled through the skylight above. Glass spilling to the floor, as he got a clear distance away. The whole building exploded, sending pitch-black smoke into the sky. Numerous museum pieces were destroyed with only the library of the museum still standing.
"Just great," said Spider-Man.
"Harry, what the hell happened, I heard an explosion on your suits open mic."
"Uh," said Spider-Man. "You know the American Museum of Natural History?"
"Son, I have lived in New York most of my life, of course I know what the American Museum of Natural History is!"
"Yeah, well, it IS history now..."
"Wait, what?"
Spider-Man clasped his ears, his dad's shouting almost deafened him. "Dad, please don't shout, I'll need my ear drums in the future..."
"Harry, how could you bungle being a hero so spectacularly?"
Spider-Man palmed his face and muttered: "Trust me, I know..."
He looked up seeing his next clue on an air blimp. Spider-Man fired a web-line, and swiftly climbed up to the blimp to read the new message aloud.
Around and around, everything starts at the beginning. Find the common thread, remember the past and you will find me.
"Sounds like he is describing your first activity as Spider-Man..."
Spider-Man's eyes widened. "Dad, I love you!"
Spider-Man swung toward where it all began for his career, his intention to discover the mystery behind his latest foe.
End of Chapter 4.
