Peter was sitting alone on his couch, with only a small lamp lighting up the room. On the small five inch color television, he watching a debate on television between to political analysts. They were debating about Spider-Man, which Peter had been wanting to hear all day. He sat there, and turned up the volume as the debate was starting to get fired up.
The first analyst was named Bob Johnson. "…We have police office who are currently being paid by doing nothing, and the public knows that. New York can't afford to pay police officers for doing nothing, especially after September eleventh. So either, many good fully trained police officers will have to be laid off if something is not done."
The host of the show was an attractive middle aged woman named Barbra Donaldson. "And you think that getting rid of Spider-Man is the answer?"
"Yes. The crime rate in New York has decreased drastically. We do not need Spider-Man anymore. New York has some of the best police officers in the world ready to keep the streets clean from crime."
The other analyst interrupted him. He was a gray haired gentleman named Burt Bunyon. "Now wait a minutes! How about the Green Goblin! If it wasn't for Spider-man, not just New York, but the freedom of the entire United States would no longer exist. Spider-man not only saved New York, but all of the United States!"
"That was nearly a year ago, and no other serious threat has come forward as of yet!" Bob replied.
"How about the attempted Terrorist attack on New York! That was just a week ago!"
"Spider-man had indeed helped, but did nothing that the FBI, the SWAT, and the NYPD could not have handled! Make no mistakes, I agree that Spider-man had saved our freedom, and we owe him a debt of gratitude, but he is no longer needed. Why not give us a calling sign or something, just like Batman, so we can call on him if the need arises. We can not be dependant on just one man, because if he fails, an entire city is doomed!"
Peter turned off the television. That last comment stuck with him. Taking a deep breath, he stood up and walked up the green wooden steps up to his room. He turned on the light in his room, and there laid on his bed was his Spider-man uniform. "We can not depends on just one man, because if he fails, and entire city is doomed!"
What if that political analysts was right? Maybe it wasn't good for New York to solely depend on him whenever there is trouble. One mistake on his part, and all of New York was doomed. That was a burden, he was not sure he could bare. He was only one man, and could not be everywhere at once. This, the Green Goblin had constantly reminded him of.
He could hang up his suit, and end Spider-Man right here and right now. He could go to Mary Jane, grab her in his arms and give her a kiss that would surpass all kisses. From there, he could spend the rest of his life with her, and he would be the happiest man alive, without the worries that he now carries. The temptation of giving up the life of Spider-man had never been as great as it was at that moment. New York was bored of Spider-man, and wished he would go away. Why not grant that wish and make New York and himself happy.
His head was spinning and he needed to clear his mind. There was only one way that he could clear his mind. Peter reached down for the costume.
* * * *
Peter pulled the mask over his head and he stepped out onto the railing outside his window. It was a cool night; a perfect night for a swing through the city. He shot a web line out of his right wrist and jumped over the railing. He was now flying through the city, swinging on web lines. As soon as he swung as far as he could on one line and then shoot another line with his other arm to continue his trip through the city.
The feel of the wind rushing by him was intoxicating. Swinging through the city was one of his greatest joys, but doing it at night with all the lights lighting the city was phenomenal. He swung swiftly, and with such agility, he looked like he had been doing this all his life. It took several months just to get over the fear of the feeling of freefalling, but after he had conquered that, he was able to try more daring maneuvers, and eventually he had gotten to good, that he was able to go faster than a helicopter. Some of the maneuvers he did came naturally when he received his powers.
"Received." That was the key word. Of all the people who could have been bitten by that radioactive spider, fate had chosen him to be the carrier of these powers. Fate had taught him a lesson about using these powers selfishly when his Uncle Ben had been killed. It was apparent that fate had trained him to be the hero that he was. If fate had trained him into the man he was today, then there would be no use in hanging up the costume, because fate would once again intervene. As he had always said, these powers were his gift, and his curse.
Spider-Man landed on the edge of a bank. "I have been chosen!" He was chosen to protect New York, and he had no right to be selfish and keep his abilities to himself. His powers were given to him to give to others, to help them, whether they wanted it or not. Fate assigned him his role; fate made him Spider-Man!
Suddenly his Spider-senses tingled, warning of near by danger. 'Oh ho, spider-senses tingling.' He thought to himself.
The building was rocked with an explosion below. All the way down, the glass doors had been blown off, leaving a large hole surrounded by debris of cement. Two men dressed in all black and carrying bags full of money and a gun in the other hand came running out of the hole, screaming.
If people could have seen Peter's face through the mask, they would have seen a grin. It was going to be another easy night. Spider-man jumped off the ledge and began to free fall towards the ground. As he approached the height of a street light, he shot a web line to the top of the street light and swung around the pole at mid height of the pole with his feet stretched out in front of him. He swung around the pole and the flat of his feet rammed the two men in the backs sending them tumbling forward.
Spider-Man landed on his feet as the two bank robbers got back on their feet. One of them swung his gun at Spider-Man, but with a quick agility kick, as he did a reverse summersault, he kicked the gun out of his hand and out of his reach. The other robber swung his bag full of money, having had lost his gun. Spider-man caught the bag and ripped it out of the robbers hand. "Why thank you, but I insist that you keep it!" he rammed the heavy bag of cash into the face of the robber, knocking him out cold
The last of the two robbers came back at Spider-man with a knife. "Oh ho, hasn't anyone every told you not to play with sharp objects?" Spider-man said as he fired webbing at the knife until his entire fist and knife were wrapped in a stick ball of web. Spider-man delivered a swift uppercut, rendering the last of the two robbers out cold.
"Hey! It's Spider-man!" a voice called out from inside the bank. Two more robbers were coming at him from inside the bank. With both wrists, he fired web lines, connecting to a foot of each robber. With a quick and sudden tug on the web lines, both men were fell backwards.
Suddenly his spider-senses went off violently. There was more to this than just a simple bank robbery, and he knew it instantly. The ground began to shake violently. Spider-man quickly created a giant shield out of his webbing just as more another explosion sent parts of the building flying at him. As soon as the shaking stopped, he broke out of the webbing. "Holy… what was that?"
Dust covered the hole in the building, preventing him to have any clear sight inside the bank, but he saw a human form walk through the cloud until he stepped out of the bank. The person standing before him was six feet tall, and wearing a costume. His costume was similar to Spider-mans, but with black web line over yellow. There spots of purple covering his shoulder from the scalp of the mask narrowing down and ending between the two white eye pieces.
"Whoa, nice outfit pal, who's your designer? Did your grandmother knit that for you?"
"Joke all you want, Spider, but your jokes will not save you any longer. I am Shocker!"
"Shocker, huh? I think you've stuck a knife in a toaster once too often pal!"
"I'll show you first hand why they call me Shocker!" He twisted around something on his metal wrist bands on both arms and pointed both fists at Spider-Man.
Spider-Man's spider-senses were flaring! He knew immediately what was coming and he leaped as high as he could just as sonic shockwaves pounded on the very spot he had been standing, digging through the concrete sidewalk and leaving a trench behind. Spider-man latched onto the street light.
"Hey, watch where you point those things!" Spider-man said.
Without warning, Shocker looked up and fired shockwaves at the street light. Spider-man leaped again just in time to avoid the shockwave as it demolished the street light and punctured a deep hole into the building across the street. Spider-man bounced off the bank wall like a rubber ball and came right at Shocker with his right fist held out in front of him, and just as he past shocker, his fist punched Shocker across the face, causing him to stumble a few steps. He got his right hand out just in time to land on the cement on both his palms and he pushed himself backwards to land on his. Spider-man immediately turned to face his new foe.
He wished he had his camera with him. This was exactly what J. Jonah Jameson wanted from him, and he was unprepared for this confrontation. He had only expected to go out for a quick swing around the neighborhood and maybe stop a few simple robberies. Now, he has stepped into something much bigger.
The first analyst was named Bob Johnson. "…We have police office who are currently being paid by doing nothing, and the public knows that. New York can't afford to pay police officers for doing nothing, especially after September eleventh. So either, many good fully trained police officers will have to be laid off if something is not done."
The host of the show was an attractive middle aged woman named Barbra Donaldson. "And you think that getting rid of Spider-Man is the answer?"
"Yes. The crime rate in New York has decreased drastically. We do not need Spider-Man anymore. New York has some of the best police officers in the world ready to keep the streets clean from crime."
The other analyst interrupted him. He was a gray haired gentleman named Burt Bunyon. "Now wait a minutes! How about the Green Goblin! If it wasn't for Spider-man, not just New York, but the freedom of the entire United States would no longer exist. Spider-man not only saved New York, but all of the United States!"
"That was nearly a year ago, and no other serious threat has come forward as of yet!" Bob replied.
"How about the attempted Terrorist attack on New York! That was just a week ago!"
"Spider-man had indeed helped, but did nothing that the FBI, the SWAT, and the NYPD could not have handled! Make no mistakes, I agree that Spider-man had saved our freedom, and we owe him a debt of gratitude, but he is no longer needed. Why not give us a calling sign or something, just like Batman, so we can call on him if the need arises. We can not be dependant on just one man, because if he fails, an entire city is doomed!"
Peter turned off the television. That last comment stuck with him. Taking a deep breath, he stood up and walked up the green wooden steps up to his room. He turned on the light in his room, and there laid on his bed was his Spider-man uniform. "We can not depends on just one man, because if he fails, and entire city is doomed!"
What if that political analysts was right? Maybe it wasn't good for New York to solely depend on him whenever there is trouble. One mistake on his part, and all of New York was doomed. That was a burden, he was not sure he could bare. He was only one man, and could not be everywhere at once. This, the Green Goblin had constantly reminded him of.
He could hang up his suit, and end Spider-Man right here and right now. He could go to Mary Jane, grab her in his arms and give her a kiss that would surpass all kisses. From there, he could spend the rest of his life with her, and he would be the happiest man alive, without the worries that he now carries. The temptation of giving up the life of Spider-man had never been as great as it was at that moment. New York was bored of Spider-man, and wished he would go away. Why not grant that wish and make New York and himself happy.
His head was spinning and he needed to clear his mind. There was only one way that he could clear his mind. Peter reached down for the costume.
* * * *
Peter pulled the mask over his head and he stepped out onto the railing outside his window. It was a cool night; a perfect night for a swing through the city. He shot a web line out of his right wrist and jumped over the railing. He was now flying through the city, swinging on web lines. As soon as he swung as far as he could on one line and then shoot another line with his other arm to continue his trip through the city.
The feel of the wind rushing by him was intoxicating. Swinging through the city was one of his greatest joys, but doing it at night with all the lights lighting the city was phenomenal. He swung swiftly, and with such agility, he looked like he had been doing this all his life. It took several months just to get over the fear of the feeling of freefalling, but after he had conquered that, he was able to try more daring maneuvers, and eventually he had gotten to good, that he was able to go faster than a helicopter. Some of the maneuvers he did came naturally when he received his powers.
"Received." That was the key word. Of all the people who could have been bitten by that radioactive spider, fate had chosen him to be the carrier of these powers. Fate had taught him a lesson about using these powers selfishly when his Uncle Ben had been killed. It was apparent that fate had trained him to be the hero that he was. If fate had trained him into the man he was today, then there would be no use in hanging up the costume, because fate would once again intervene. As he had always said, these powers were his gift, and his curse.
Spider-Man landed on the edge of a bank. "I have been chosen!" He was chosen to protect New York, and he had no right to be selfish and keep his abilities to himself. His powers were given to him to give to others, to help them, whether they wanted it or not. Fate assigned him his role; fate made him Spider-Man!
Suddenly his Spider-senses tingled, warning of near by danger. 'Oh ho, spider-senses tingling.' He thought to himself.
The building was rocked with an explosion below. All the way down, the glass doors had been blown off, leaving a large hole surrounded by debris of cement. Two men dressed in all black and carrying bags full of money and a gun in the other hand came running out of the hole, screaming.
If people could have seen Peter's face through the mask, they would have seen a grin. It was going to be another easy night. Spider-man jumped off the ledge and began to free fall towards the ground. As he approached the height of a street light, he shot a web line to the top of the street light and swung around the pole at mid height of the pole with his feet stretched out in front of him. He swung around the pole and the flat of his feet rammed the two men in the backs sending them tumbling forward.
Spider-Man landed on his feet as the two bank robbers got back on their feet. One of them swung his gun at Spider-Man, but with a quick agility kick, as he did a reverse summersault, he kicked the gun out of his hand and out of his reach. The other robber swung his bag full of money, having had lost his gun. Spider-man caught the bag and ripped it out of the robbers hand. "Why thank you, but I insist that you keep it!" he rammed the heavy bag of cash into the face of the robber, knocking him out cold
The last of the two robbers came back at Spider-man with a knife. "Oh ho, hasn't anyone every told you not to play with sharp objects?" Spider-man said as he fired webbing at the knife until his entire fist and knife were wrapped in a stick ball of web. Spider-man delivered a swift uppercut, rendering the last of the two robbers out cold.
"Hey! It's Spider-man!" a voice called out from inside the bank. Two more robbers were coming at him from inside the bank. With both wrists, he fired web lines, connecting to a foot of each robber. With a quick and sudden tug on the web lines, both men were fell backwards.
Suddenly his spider-senses went off violently. There was more to this than just a simple bank robbery, and he knew it instantly. The ground began to shake violently. Spider-man quickly created a giant shield out of his webbing just as more another explosion sent parts of the building flying at him. As soon as the shaking stopped, he broke out of the webbing. "Holy… what was that?"
Dust covered the hole in the building, preventing him to have any clear sight inside the bank, but he saw a human form walk through the cloud until he stepped out of the bank. The person standing before him was six feet tall, and wearing a costume. His costume was similar to Spider-mans, but with black web line over yellow. There spots of purple covering his shoulder from the scalp of the mask narrowing down and ending between the two white eye pieces.
"Whoa, nice outfit pal, who's your designer? Did your grandmother knit that for you?"
"Joke all you want, Spider, but your jokes will not save you any longer. I am Shocker!"
"Shocker, huh? I think you've stuck a knife in a toaster once too often pal!"
"I'll show you first hand why they call me Shocker!" He twisted around something on his metal wrist bands on both arms and pointed both fists at Spider-Man.
Spider-Man's spider-senses were flaring! He knew immediately what was coming and he leaped as high as he could just as sonic shockwaves pounded on the very spot he had been standing, digging through the concrete sidewalk and leaving a trench behind. Spider-man latched onto the street light.
"Hey, watch where you point those things!" Spider-man said.
Without warning, Shocker looked up and fired shockwaves at the street light. Spider-man leaped again just in time to avoid the shockwave as it demolished the street light and punctured a deep hole into the building across the street. Spider-man bounced off the bank wall like a rubber ball and came right at Shocker with his right fist held out in front of him, and just as he past shocker, his fist punched Shocker across the face, causing him to stumble a few steps. He got his right hand out just in time to land on the cement on both his palms and he pushed himself backwards to land on his. Spider-man immediately turned to face his new foe.
He wished he had his camera with him. This was exactly what J. Jonah Jameson wanted from him, and he was unprepared for this confrontation. He had only expected to go out for a quick swing around the neighborhood and maybe stop a few simple robberies. Now, he has stepped into something much bigger.