I was Spider-Man.
I didn't know anything else at that moment of epiphany – only that I was Spider-Man.
It made sense – too much sense, almost – and I was Spider-Man.
But why would I do it? I'm no martyr. I'm just a college senior looking forward to a long post-graduation life without Flash. Oh, and my uncle died. That's right. The one who told me that with great power comes great responsibility. And now I was Spider-Man.
Well, I guess that's that. I wanted to fulfill his dream. So I was Spider-Man.
But I still had my own dreams – I was still Peter Parker, right?
Yeah, of course. That's what the mask's for, obviously. I was Spider-Man, I was Peter Parker. Too separate entities in the same body.
Then again, I only became Spider-Man with the formula. He probably wouldn't be able to resurface without it.
But was that really all that bad? I mean, who needs to black out for hours at a time just so that some dude in tights could save people.
With great power comes great responsibility. Yeah, okay, fine. I'll do it. I'll take the formula. I don't know how, but I'll get more. I need more – no, the city needs more. The city needs Spider-Man.
While I was thinking all of that, I helped Octavius work on his little contraption – some sort of harness with extendable arms. Not the best, though, if you ask me – the controls were way too complex for anyone short of a certified genius to understand. Heck, I'm not even sure if Octavius understood them completely....
---
Well, anyway, I eventually had to go to class – engineering class, to be specific – and I told Octavius I'd be back later that day. He was almost done with his arms, really – estimated tomorrow. I had come in just in time to catch the end, he said.
Well, engineering was a bore. The only guys I know in there were Kenny Kong, Glory Grant, and Herman Shultz. I hated the teacher, Adrian Toomes, too. He worked at Oscorp, actually, but had a really low job. An old man who had never been able to move up in the world. That's Toomes for you.
Well, today, he talked about some lame science fair. It sounded like high school – I mean, seriously, who does a science fair in college? But it was also being judged by Norman Osborn and I figured it would look good there. Plus, the five hundred grand prize for first place seemed rather appealing.
So I figured what the heck, I'll do it, when Herman Shultz suddenly fell over his desk after getting hit in the back of the head by Kong's football. I swear, that guy isn't just a jock, but he's definitely got issues with acting his age.
---
Well, I finally got back to Oscorp late in the afternoon. Octavius was jumping off walls as usual. He had a newspaper clipping in his hand which he rushed to show me. It was a page 12 Daily Bugle article written by Ned Leeds in January. It regarded some wrestler who called himself "The Scarlet Spider" and dominated in the ring.
As I read further in, I realized that I had seen it before – Gwen showed it to me once a few months ago and we were intrigued by the stunts he performed. The Scarlet Spider had come out of the audience to challenge some wrestler – I don't know their names – "the Crusher", was it? – well, whatever his name was, he was supposedly a big winner and a heavy-class wrestler. The Scarlet Spider arrived in his head-to-toe costume which revealed only the color of his skin and eyes – white and brown, respectively. He continued challenging as many wrestlers as he could – mainly heavyweights even though he was a lightweight – and defeated them all without breaking a sweat. He had displayed tremendous strength, speed, and agility on that day. Then he disappeared never to be seen again.
I knew what Octavius was thinking: a clue. But I told him that it wasn't – Gwen and I had figured out all of his tricks and it was just a publicity stunt to get people interested. At most, the Scarlet Spider only inspired Spider-Man's arachnid theme. Octavius seemed greatly disappointed, so I told him about the science fair to cheer him up.
"Perfect!" Octavius exclaimed. "I'll help!"
"What?"
"I got no ideas for my next project, Peter, so as long as nothing comes up, we can make it together!"
"Isn't that cheating?"
"Do you really think that there's anyone who isn't asking their dad for help? C'mon, it'll be fun!"
I agreed, sort of by force. But I did have an idea for the invention: a sort of super-glue which you can wear on wrist and shoot out of a nozzle. Maybe Spider-Man would find it lying around Oscorp. Octavius ate it all up.
"But, anyway, these arms are almost done. Just need to work on the flexibility of its hands a bit. Peter, could you go ask Norman for some more red circuits?" I told him I would.
Well, Norman wasn't in his office at the time, so I checked his lab. It was right through this door on the east wall – same wall as the safe, actually – I was very conscious of where that safe was. Of course, Norman wasn't in his lab, either. I figured he was a busy man and could be anywhere.
That's when I saw it: on one table, fresh off the Bunsen, was that smoky formula I had taken the day before. Osborn was brewing more of it. Lucky me.
Of course, I didn't know if it was finished or not – I didn't even know how long it took to make – so I figured I'd better leave it. It just wasn't worth the risk. I mean, my fingerprints were all over and since the doors weren't locked, Osborne would probably be right back.
So I took the formula and ran.
---
Octavius wasn't that upset that I couldn't find Osborn. He just decided to phone another worker and ask if they knew. So he called some guy named Curt Connors. Well, Connors' wife answered instead.
"Hello, Martha, it's Otto," Octavius began, "how's Billy?.... Oh, that's great!.... Well, wish him good luck for me – by the way, is Curt there?.... Oh, well I just wanted to see if he knew where Norman was – do you know when he'll be back?.... What?.... Really?.... Gee, that's strange – very unlike Curt.... Martha, are you all right?.... I see.... Oh well, thank you for your time – and best of wishes finding Curt!"
By the time he hung up, I was staring at him, waiting to find out what had happened.
"The plot thickens," he declares. "Our leading biologist, Dr. Curt Connors, has mysteriously vanished as of yesterday sometime around noon."
---
The hours passed – we found some red circuits in Octavius' desk ("Oh, silly me!" he had said) – and the arms neared completion.
"All right, Peter, now just to complete some final steps. We should be able to finish tonight – your help has sped up the process greatly. But it's getting late – you have to go home eventually, Peter. I'll finish up these things and tomorrow we'll start on your webs – a brilliant idea, by the way!" I didn't argue. I had my own experiments to perform, after all.
I mean, yeah sure, it seemed like I was Spider-Man, but it's the scientific way to test with multiple trials. I was a bit tired, but this was more important.
So when I got back to the apartment, I prepared a bit of the formula – saving most of it, of course – as I had the day before and told Harry I was going over Gwen's. So I left the apartment and injected myself with the serum.
It happened exactly as it had the last time – a flash of colors – red and blue and green and red and blue and green and red and blue and red and blue and green and green and green and red and blue and red and blue and green – and I woke up naked under some rubble.
I didn't know exactly where I was, but I could see the sun rising above the horizon in the distance – I had been out all night. But I wasn't tired. Heck, I was less tired than the night before. I guess my Peter Parker persona gets rest when I transform into Spider-Man.
I wondered why I kept showing up naked. Then I remembered the costume. I didn't really know where it came from, but I guess that the first time I transformed, my Spider-Man persona had made it. I didn't know if he wore the same one that night or a different one, but clearly Spider-Man must have ditched the attires before he turns back into me.
I decided it would be a good idea to figure out where I was. Under rubble. Okay, I'll admit it – it hurt. But whatever. I seemed to be in a crumbling wall. It was fine now, though – the damage was done and it wouldn't break up any further. I was on the outside of it, by the way – facing outside, I mean. When I turned my head toward the inside, I saw only a long staircase downwards. When I looked back out, I finally figured out where I was: on a rooftop.
Suddenly, a helicopter flew over the edge of the rooftop and flashed one of those blinding lights at me. I heard a familiar voice yell at someone to lower him onto the rooftop. A rope ladder fell down and Captain George Stacy climbed on. He ran over and found me instantly.
"Peter Parker?" he pondered. "What the hell are you doing here?"
I didn't quite know what to say to that – I didn't even know where I was, really.... Just that I was naked under some rubble in a rooftop. So I told him the half-truth. "I'm not sure, exactly.... The last thing I remember is walking out of mine and Harry's apartment.... My head hurts...."
Captain Stacy immediately recognized amnesia – now I had some time to plan out what I'd say once my "head clears".
Well, as it turned out, I was on Gwen's roof. Spider-Man had saved Gwen's life apparently. The Green Goblin was there too - he had attacked Gwen and Mary Jane and Spider-Man saved them. Spider-Man saved them!
I knew it. I was a hero. Spider-Man saved them!
I saved them!
But it wasn't the time for self-pride at that moment – the Captain still needed an explanation.
I said my head wasn't quite clear yet and asked about the fight. Apparently, the Goblin had dove right through Gwen's window – almost as if he was specifically targeting her or MJ. Well, they just ran into the kitchen and held off the Goblin with knives. At one time, he had gotten a little too close and got pricked by MJ's – he bled.
Well, that's when Spider-Man – in his familiar red and blue costume – showed up through another window. The two fought right in the middle of Gwen and MJ's apartment, tossing up furniture, shattering walls, and eventually falling outside and breaking three windows total. They fought in close combat in the street for a while and Goblin seemed to be gaining an edge. That's when Spider-Man leaped onto the rooftop. The Green Goblin followed, but no one saw what happened past that point.
Except me. It was quite clear that the Green Goblin had landed Spider-Man a good one – right into the rubble. Dunno where the costume went though. He must've thrown it somewhere before losing consciousness.
But anyway, MJ called the NYPD and Captain Stacy led the squad there. And they found me.
"I'm beginning to remember now," I said, finally thinking up a good story to tell them. "Yeah, that's right – I was coming to see Gwen –"
"Without your clothes?"
"What?" I had forgotten about that part, but I decided to improvise. "I'll get to that. So, you see, um, I was on my way here when I saw the Goblin – it must've been right before he attacked Gwen and MJ, yeah – and – well, I guess he noticed me noticing him – I mean he saw me seeing him – I mean –"
"I get it, Peter. Move on."
"Okay, so yeah – the Goblin attacked me. He threw me up here."
"And your clothes?"
"Oh, um, it was some sort of fiery thing – like, y'know small embers – more of just energy, but fiery enough to burn through thin layers. So, um, I guess they burned up...."
"Uh-huh...." He seemed a bit doubtful of my story at first – especially the Goblin fires part – but if you're stubborn enough about any lie, they'll believe it eventually.
Take this Lizard stuff, for instance. Apparently, some kids claim to have seen a man-sized lizard in the sewers last night – and the cops believe them! What a joke!
But anyway, it was morning. It was morning and I – or Spider-Man, depending upon your perspective – had just saved Gwen's life. I felt good. Plus, I got a police captain to believe a complete work of fantasy – that always makes your day, trust me....
---
Well, it was still pretty early and Warren's class wasn't for another hour, so I figured – hey, why not stop in with Octavius and see what's up at the lab. I know, he's annoying – but I was in a good mood!
And, of course, so was he.
"Peter, you're in early! Oh well, check this out – it's done!" He showed me that harness thingy and we spoke about the new Spider-Man/Green Goblin sighting.
"Connors still hasn't shown up, by the way – I told you he was one of them! It's so obvious!" I told him about the Lizard sightings. "Oh, that's no evidence! They were probably drugged up – or maybe just saying that for publicity – yeah, that's it. Kids'll do anything for attention – believe me!" I told him he was probably right. Heck, I'm sure he was....
But anyway, the important thing that happened that hour was only a few minutes before I had to go to Warren's class. We found Osborne – and he had found the empty holder where that formula I stole was supposed to be.
So Osborne made a huge announcement over the loudspeaker. It felt like school how he did that, but this wasn't "Flash Thompson to my office" at all – it was a lot more urgent.
I half-listened. "People of Oscorp," he began, "a most vile act has been committed here as of yesterday at around one. As many of you know, I, Norman Osborne, CEO of this company and a leading scientist of the country, have recently discovered a formula – a drug – which temporarily enhances the user's physical capabilities.
"And yesterday, that drug was stolen from me. Right out of my lab. Fresh off the Bunsen. I left for five minutes to buy myself a sandwich and came back to learn of this theft.
"Which is why I tell you now: if you have any idea of who may have performed this heinous crime, please alert me immediately. That man is a danger to himself and everyone around him.
"And to that man, I say this: be warned. In large quantities, that formula can be lethal. It's no fun tracking you if you're dead.
"Luckily, I still have the conceptual diagrams and so I can continue making it. And, assuming it doesn't get stolen, it will still be possible to sell it as initially planned.
"Thank you for your attention. Now please return to your usual work."
Octavius was ecstatic. He was right! Connors is using Oscorp technology! It's that drug! Temporary, did he say? Oh well, let's worry about that later!
"Oh, but you have to go to your classes now, don't you, Peter?"
I thought of asking Octavius if he was going to "turn in" Connors, but decided it best not to give him any ideas. Even though Connors was probably the Green Goblin. It seemed to fit. Then again, maybe we were jumping to conclusions too quickly.
---
Anyway, Warren's physics class proceeded as always. Flash Thompson's spitballs, my sneers at Eddie Brock, Mary Jane Watson's reading, Harry's chatter about rent, Herman Shultz's misery, and Randy Robertson's yelling at Kenny Kong. Except one thing. Gwen Stacy was missing – her chair was empty.
After class, MJ told me that Gwen wanted to talk. Urgently. Now. I was kind of forced to go back to the ruined apartment with her. I wondered why Gwen was still there, but MJ said that they just hadn't found a new apartment yet. Plus it was private. Really private. Mary Jane didn't stick around. She left me and Gwen there. Alone.
And silence. Of course, silence. And of course, it was once again awkward silence. I hate awkward silence. So I said, "what's up?"
Didn't help, though. Still silence. Heck, the silence was more awkward now. It was more awkward silence. Until Gwen finally spoke up.
"Peter, what really happened last night?"
I blinked. Hadn't expected that. "I told you," I said, sticking with my original excuse, "I was on my way over here when the Green Goblin attac–"
"Peter," Gwen interrupted, "I know you're lying."
I wanted to ask how she knew, but instead I just said "I'm not" like a complete idiot.
"The Goblin wouldn't have attacked MJ and me if you were outside. I didn't tell my dad this, Peter, but we weren't his target."
It was the first time anyone but Octavius and myself had referred to the Goblin as a "he". Not an "it", but a "he". Like an actual person. Like a human.
"Peter, listen to me – the Goblin – he can speak. And he spoke to us last night. It was hard to hear, a grunt more than a word, but I could still make it out. And he was looking for something – someone. Peter, he was looking for you."
