The Extraordinary Spider-Man - Vol 1
Chapter 13: Spider-Man
Likenesses used
Kari Coleman as Helen Stacy
Jacob Tremblay as Simon Stacy
Jackson Robert Scott as Phil Stacy
"Shit!" the burglar yelled as he fired some rounds at Peter.
Peter jumped and dodged the bullets, punching the burglar in the face and knocking him down. Quickly getting up, the burglar shot some more bullets, though Peter flipped and jumped over them. Peter shot a web at the gun and yanked it away. The burglar then pulled out a pocket knife and ran over, swinging it multiple times. Peter dodged the swings and grabbed the burglar's arm, bringing his elbow down and snapping it.
"Gahhh!" the burglar yelled as he stumbled back, grasping his arm.
"You're fucking dead," Peter declared as he walked over.
The burglar pulled out another gun and shot at Peter, who quickly jumped to the ceiling. The burglar shot the ceiling a couple times, only to find himself being yanked back by a web. The gun fell out of the burglar's hand, and Peter appeared from behind to throw him at the wall. Before the burglar could even get back up, Peter stormed over and punched him in the face, knocking him back down. Peter then grabbed and pinned the burglar against the wall, punching him twice in the chest and three times across the face. Blood spewed from the burglar's nose and mouth as Peter continued to assault his face.
"St-stop. Ple-leas-" the burglar started to beg.
Peter threw the burglar to the ground. As the burglar tried to get up, Peter kicked him in the face, knocking him down.
"You took the life of an honorable man. All the pain and suffering you've brought me. You are never gonna get away with that. Don't you dare fucking ask for mercy," Peter raged.
The burglar was heavily panting, spitting out blood. Peter grabbed and slammed him against the glass window, though the light started revealing his face. Peter's eyes widened as he realized something.
"No, no, it can't be! It-it's-" Peter stuttered.
Peter dropped the burglar to the ground and stepped away. Hyperventilating, Peter put his hands to his head.
"That face. I-I could've stopped you!" Peter realized in horror. "It's all my fault!"
The burglar was the same man that had robbed the promoter almost two months prior. The same man that Peter had let go in revenge. As Peter was freaking out, his enhanced senses started warning him. He quickly dodged a bullet and ran over to the burglar, pinning him against the window and knocking his extra gun aside.
"I should fucking kill you right now," Peter threatened.
The burglar scoffed. "Based on the way you were reacting, the whole thing was your fault."
"Shut up!"
"Go ahead and kill me. Prove yourself. If not, well… I'll see you around, kid."
Outside the warehouse, Captain Stacy and Officer DeWolff were with the other cops, still waiting and planning their next move.
"Captain Stacy, what do we do? It's been around thirty seconds since the last gunshot," DeWolff pointed out.
"I hate to admit it, but I'm not sure. We might have to just burst in there like an army eventually," Captain Stacy admitted.
At that moment, shattering glass was heard. The cops saw as the burglar was thrown out of the window, though a web grabbed him, preventing him from hitting the ground. As some of the cops went to check on the burglar, Captain Stacy, DeWolff, and a couple other officers went into the warehouse. They found no one in there.
"Looks like the vigilante struck again," DeWolff observed as she looked at the web holding the burglar.
Meanwhile, Peter had swung away, hiding inside an abandoned building. Heavily panting, Peter took off his mask. Yelling in rage, Peter punched part of the wall off, before kicking it in. He proceeded to throw a massive breakdown in the building, breaking and throwing things. After a few minutes, he sat down. His eyes turning sore, Peter pulled out his phone, seeing six missed calls from Aunt May, four from Gwen, and three from Harry. Ignoring the various text messages he had received from the three of them, Peter proceeded to call Gwen.
"Gwen?" Peter muttered.
"Oh my God, Peter! Thank God you called! Is everything alright?!" Gwen exclaimed.
"Hell no."
"Peter, I'm so sorry. You know I'm-"
"Can I come over?" Peter asked.
"Huh?"
"Please, Gwen. I have to let a lot out right now. I really have to tell you something."
"Oh, absolutely. I can get my mom to pick you up or-" Gwen started.
"I'll be there soon. Don't worry about it," Peter insisted.
"You sure?"
"Yeah, just text me your address. See you then."
"Okay. See you, Peter."
Peter hung up the phone and put on his mask. Jumping out of the building, he swung off.
Now in civilian clothes, Peter walked up to the Stacys' house. Ringing the doorbell, Peter waited a few seconds until Gwen's mother answered the door.
"You must be Mrs. Stacy. I'm Peter," Peter introduced.
"Oh, Peter! Gwen's told me a lot about you! Please call me Helen," Gwen's mother greeted, shaking Peter's hand.
"Peter!"
Peter and Helen turned to see Gwen walking over to the door.
"Come in, Pete. Mom, I need to talk with him in the basement," Gwen explained.
"Okay, sounds good!" Helen agreed.
Peter came inside as Gwen started leading him to the basement. Gwen's brothers Simon and Phil were playing on the Playstation 3.
"You're dead, loser!" Simon yelled.
"Not as dead as you're going to be soon!" Phil retaliated.
"Keep it down, guys!" Gwen instructed. "Wait, are you guys playing Black Ops II?"
"Guys, turn it down!" Helen ordered as Gwen took Peter down to the basement.
In the basement, Peter quickly sat on a chair as Gwen got on the couch.
"What's up, Peter?" Gwen asked.
"It's just, I don't know where to start. I-It was my fault. All my fault," Peter panted.
"What are you talking about?"
Tears started going down Peter's face. "Uncle Ben. I killed him."
"Peter-"
Peter started crying, burying his face in his hands. Gwen went over and hugged him.
"Hey, hey, I promise it's gonna be okay. And I know it wasn't your fault, Peter!" Gwen assured. "I understand you're grieving, but you're strong. Also, my dad actually called a few minutes ago and told us that the killer was caught."
Peter started wiping his tears away. "I guess I should start from the beginning."
Gwen nodded. "Go for it."
"Listen, Gwen. What I'm about to trust you with. You cannot tell anyone else. Not even your family. It could fuck up a lot if it doesn't stay between us. You're the first person I'm telling this to, so promise me you won't say anything."
"I promise, Peter."
"Okay. Well, remember that field trip to Oscorp back in October? Remember the work Harry's dad was doing with spiders?"
"Yeah."
Peter sighed. "Well, let's just say one of them happened to bite me on the hand. Then I met Harry for the first time. When I woke up the next day, I had a bunch of new abilities. Enhanced strength, speed, agility, and even a sense warning me to danger. I could also climb walls."
Gwen's eyes widened. "No way. This is insane."
"Is it, though?"
"Yeah! Peter, you're a teen! I-I can't believe it. You're that vigilante on the news?!"
"Why else do you think I didn't need a ride to your house?"
"It's still really difficult to believe, to be honest."
Peter leaped to the wall, before leaping to the ceiling. He jumped back down, and Gwen's jaw was down.
"Don't scream," Peter pleaded.
"I won't. It-it's just, no fucking way! Peter!" Gwen exclaimed.
"I know this is a shock. But initially, I was just screwing around with my powers and having fun. Like that one time I played for the football team. It was weird adjusting at first. At first, my hands kept sticking to things."
"Probably 'cause your body was still adjusting to the genetic changes," Gwen pointed out.
"Right. I even took down this famous underground wrestler, I shit you not. Unfortunately, the promoter cheated me out of my money. Some guy came and robbed the place afterward, and I let him go because I wanted revenge. The promoter was being a prick, so I just fucked the dude over like that."
Peter cried a little more before continuing. Gwen pat his back.
"When I got home that night, I got in some bullshit fight with Uncle Ben and Aunt May. Ben gave me some speech, saying that with great power, there must also come great responsibility. I stormed out, and a few hours later, I found him. On the street."
Peter started crying even more, and Gwen continued to embrace him.
"I'm so sorry, Peter," Gwen sadly expressed. "I can't imagine how that must've felt."
"God, it was awful. Coming home to May that night… Jesus."
Gwen teared up a little herself.
"You may remember hearing about a fight between me and Flash. He kept mocking me after I quit the team, so I beat his ass. He apologized after finding out about my uncle's death, though."
"At least he admitted his fault," Gwen said.
"Yeah, but it didn't change how furious I was. At that point, I was doing all that I could to hunt down the killer. I was attacking criminals and everything. Interrogating them. All to no avail," Peter sighed. "And then came Thanksgiving."
Gwen put her hands to her face. "Oh, God. That night's even more awkward now."
"It was just so difficult hearing that your dad didn't like me. Or the other me, at least. But he did make me realize something. All I had was a vendetta. Just like when I let that burglar go."
"So, what'd you do about it?"
"After that, I stopped focusing as much on taking down the killer. I tried to just help people and regularly stop criminals afterward. That was when I ran into that Scorpion guy. And the Shocker from a couple days ago."
"Man, you had such a crazy first semester of high school," Gwen commented.
"And it's only gonna get crazier from here, I guarantee you. You know that costume I wear?" Peter asked.
"Yeah."
"That's my uncle's wrestling gear from high school, with a couple modifications. The webbing fluid is actually my dad's formula on the molecular adhesive."
"In terms of the webbing, get out. That's super impressive. But for the costume, shit, seriously? You think your aunt will notice?"
"She never really wanted to look at the thing," Peter responded. "I wear it because it reminds me of why I do all this in the end. Same with finishing my dad's work on the formula."
Peter got up, pacing a little around the room.
"It's safe to say I didn't expect my night to go like this. Once Aunt May told us about the killer, you can probably guess what I did," Peter said.
"We all thought you went out to take a breather or something. Did you do what I think you did?" Gwen asked.
"Yeah. I can't describe how it felt seeing him. The man who murdered my uncle, and there I was, beating the shit out of him. I'll be honest, it felt good unleashing all that anger on him. All the pain he had caused Aunt May and I. Wanted to break every fucking bone in his body," Peter vented.
"What ended up happening?"
"I saw his face right there. You wouldn't believe it, but it was the same fucking guy that I let go that one time. It's because of me that Uncle Ben's dead. Maybe it's a cruel twist of fate or something, but-"
"Peter-"
"I killed him, Gwen. If I had just stopped the burglar that day, this all never would've happened. Uncle Ben would still be alive, but stupid me wanted revenge."
"Peter, it wasn't your fault. I'm promising you now it wasn't."
"Gwen, say that all you want! But I'm never gonna be able to escape the fact that if I had just stopped him, this all could've been fucking prevented."
"Peter, we can play that game all day, but the bottom line is, you didn't know what was gonna happen. I hate to say this, but who's to say stopping him would've prevented it? I'm not sure you'll agree with this, but my dad always believed that everything happens for a reason. I know that sounds cliche, but you can't act like this whole thing was your fault. Maybe it was all meant to be or whatever, I don't know. But I know it's not your fault," Gwen passionately said.
Peter sat back down, not saying anything for a few seconds. "Gwen, I appreciate your perspective and all. I'm gonna remember what you said, but for now, you just can't change my mind on it being my fault. You probably never will."
"I understand. But just know I meant every word of what I said. And even if you do think it was your fault, it doesn't matter what you did then. It matters what you do now and soon. Yes, maybe you did start doing this all to get revenge for your uncle. But now, you're doing it to help people. To genuinely honor him. If I recall correctly, you said at the funeral that you knew what your uncle said meant. You knew that with great power, there must also come great responsibility. And you do now, and that's why you're doing all of this. Because you're a good person, Peter," Gwen declared.
"I don't know what to say. I-I love how supportive you're being, just-just thanks for all of it. I hope what you're saying is true."
"I know it is, Peter. You have a good heart, and that's what I love most about you. I know your uncle would be proud."
Peter smiled through his tears. "Thank you so much, Gwen. You and Harry have really helped me out through this."
Gwen put her hand on Peter's knee. "We're always here for you, bud. I just still can't believe this is what you've been doing in your spare time."
"Quite an activity."
Gwen smiled. "Hear me out, but what if I helped you in this little crusade of yours? I could help with your webbing and the costume, even throw in some tech upgrades."
"Absolutely not."
"Peter-"
"I'm not gonna put you in danger, Gwen! Especially since your dad's the police captain. If anyone found out who I am, how safe are you or your family? Or Aunt May? Or Harry and his family? Or the damn school?" Peter quickly replied.
The smile on Gwen's face faded. "Shit, you're right. I'm really the first person you've told?"
"Yeah, but maybe it was stupid of me to. I didn't think this through. All I wanted to do was let stuff out and-"
"Peter, don't worry about it. Your secret's safe with me. I'm glad you told me."
"Gwen?!" George called out.
"Shit. Yeah, dad?!" Gwen called back.
"Your mom told me that you and Peter are down there! Can I talk to him for a bit?"
Gwen looked at Peter, who nodded.
"Sure!" Gwen responded.
George walked into the basement.
"Peter, I understand this is a tough night for you. But I wanted to let you know that the killer's been successfully apprehended. I hope that brings you comfort," George stated.
"It does. Thank you, sir."
"The killer was identified as serial killer Cletus Kasady. I will say, I may not be the biggest fan of that vigilante, but he really helped out tonight," George said.
"Yeah, I really bet," Gwen agreed.
George nodded. "Anyway, I'm gonna let you guys talk more. When you're ready, I can drive you home, Peter. Your aunt must be worried, and it's Christmas Eve."
"Sounds good. Thank you, sir," Peter said.
George left the basement.
"Hopefully, your dad will warm up to me," Peter hoped.
"I hope so, too. If I'm being honest, I'm starting to get worried, though."
"About what?"
"What do you think?"
"Gwen, I know I've gotten my ass beat a couple of times, but I promise you I'm gonna be fine. I just gotta keep training and fighting criminals, and it's all gonna be okay," Peter insisted.
"Peter, I already have to worry about my dad coming home safely. I don't want the same for one of my best friends!" Gwen exclaimed.
"I understand that. But you know I have to do this. The Scorpion and Shocker were insane enough, and I can't just sit by and let them hurt people. Not again."
"Again, I don't think your uncle's death was your fault, but I understand where you're coming from. Hell, I admire it."
"Thanks for being supportive. I really mean it. I know you're worried, but I'm not going anywhere, Gwen."
"That's great to hear. If your uncle heard everything you were saying, I know he'd be proud. Watching you do this to help people, it's amazing," Gwen complimented. "You could honestly teach my dad a thing or two."
"I strongly appreciate it, but I know your dad's a great cop."
"Let me rephrase. Growing up, my dad looked up to Captain America. As you know, Cap always wanted to do the right thing and stand up for people, which is what my dad wanted to do. He actually wanted to be a superhero. Dad decided that the best shot for him was to become a police officer and stand up to the corrupt in New York. Since Cap was unthawed from the ice years ago, my dad still loves him, but he hates vigilantes. He thinks they're out for themselves," Gwen explained.
"God, he sounds like Jameson. So just because Cap fights a bunch of Nazis in World War II, it's okay for him to be a superhero today? But for me, nope! Do you realize how frustrating it can be whenever Jameson badmouths me on the Bugle? Especially since I take the pictures!"
"I know it's frustrating, but I'd give it time, specifically with my dad. After today, it looks like things'll get better. I'm not sure about Jameson or your aunt, though."
"Maybe Aunt May will start liking my vigilante side more after this. I know Harry already thinks I'm cool."
"That's great. And I want to say this again. I know it's been tough, especially tonight. But just know you can come to me for anything. Especially now that I know," Gwen promised.
"I'll never be able to thank you enough, Gwen. Just know you can come to me too," Peter responded, smiling.
"One last thing, though. Why don't you have a name?" Gwen asked.
"Guess I didn't really think about it. Maybe I should come up with one."
"Like what?"
"I went by the Human Spider that one time I wrestled."
"Nah," Gwen chuckled.
Peter thought for a little, before remembering Gwen's prior suggestion.
"Spider-Man."
As Gwen smiled, George came back down, calling out, "Guys, it's 12:04! Is it okay if I drive Peter back home?"
"Sure!" Peter called.
"I'll come with you guys," Gwen offered as she held her arms open for a hug. "Merry Christmas, Peter."
Peter hugged Gwen. "Merry Christmas, Gwen."
Aunt May sat in the living room, looking at a picture of her and Ben. The doorbell rang, and she went to go get the door. She opened it to see Peter, and George's car driving off.
"Peter!" Aunt May exclaimed, hugging her nephew.
"Aunt May! I'm so sorry about running off like that!"
"Don't apologize, Peter. I understand. I'm just glad you're safe. I'm also glad the killer's finally been caught."
"Tell me about it."
"You know, it technically is Christmas now. How about some hot cocoa?" Aunt May offered.
"Sure."
Aunt May walked into the kitchen while Peter sat in the living room. He texted Harry.
PETER PARKER: Hey man, I'm so sry about not responding to ur calls and texts! I just talked to Gwen, I'm ok. Thnx a lot for checking up on me, means a lot. Killer's been caught, btw
HARRY OSBORN: I'm glad, man. Extremely relieved that ur okay. Just remember Gwen and I are there for u, and I couldn't be more happy for u and ur aunt now that the killer's caught. Merry Christmas Peter!
PETER PARKER: Thnx a lot Harry. U too!
Peter knew he was always gonna be thankful for the family and friends he had in his life. He also knew that that night, Spider-Man was officially born.
Disclaimer: Spider-Man and any other Marvel characters are created and owned by Stan Lee and Marvel Comics. I do not have any ownership over them.
Yeah, I wasn't kidding when I said this would be the most definitive chapter of the whole volume, and one of the most of the entire story. The origin story is essentially complete now, so for the rest of this volume, I'll just be covering the rest of Peter's freshman year. Thank you all so much for putting up with my slow burn origin lol. I can't express how much it means to me that you've all gotten so attached to this story. This chapter was no doubt the most exciting one to write thus far. In honor of this chapter, here's some quick backstory. I've always been a massive superhero fan, both DC and Marvel. For a few years, I actually wrote the fanfiction series Along Came a Spider-Man vol 1-3 with a former friend before withdrawing due to creative differences and a falling out with said friend. Since then, I've been writing this series and having so much fun with it. My best friend is probably the biggest Spider-Man fan I know, and it's great to know he loves this series as well.
Again, I hope you're continuing to stay safe and healthy. Life's been somewhat returning back to normal for me, but baby steps. Hopefully this summer won't be so bad. There's a lot that's been happening other than that. I've officially committed to University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for the next two years after being in community college. I was actually accepted to my dream school New York University, but 70K tuition was ridiculous. I got a PS4 and some games as compensation, specifically the Batman: Arkham Knight bundle, Spider-Man PS4, the Tomb Raider reboot, The Last of Us, and Jedi Fallen Order. Spider-Man PS4 is so fucking fun, though.
I'll say this again, but I really hope you guys stay with this story for years to come. We're still in Peter's rookie years, but I want you all to witness his transformation from an inexperienced hero to one of the greatest of the Marvel Universe, which I'm continuing to expand upon with the references in recent chapters. You guys are in for a hell of a ride. As always, next chapter is out next Sunday. And favs, follows, and reviews always keep me going! Much love!
ThePurpleArcher24 - It's great to see you again! Thanks again for the support, and I am excited to see the next chapter of your Spider-Man story! Here's also a quick shoutout for your upcoming DC Universe, so hopefully any readers here will be interested in helping you out!
Rollerparty - Yes a 3DS haha. And by the end of this chapter, the story at this point is during Christmas 2014. And thanks for the support! No I did not kidnap JK Simmons lol. As for seeing Spidey team up with Daredevil or Punisher, no spoilers on potential team-ups. And lol maybe a Batman reference will happen someday!
Fate-Be Changed - Haha I'm glad I shocked you!
Marvel Nerd - Great analysis on the Shocker! Yeah I definitely took a decent amount of that in consideration for my iteration. For my Shocker, he just does it all for the cash, but there's no doubt he got a thrill out of his first encounter with Peter. You'll see how their relationship will go from there!
Geek4Life - Haha maybe!
Guest - Yes it will! It's a great costume!
SpideyXBC - Absolutely. Mac's been going through a lot of rage, as does Peter in this chapter and the last one. I definitely am trying to put in a lot of parallels with them.
Arnonymous - Thank you! And absolutely, Peter will definitely get older as this is also a coming of age story. In the first scene of this volume, it's actually a flashforward to him in 2027.
Joseph Joestar - Haha you know who you are!
Teller-Story - Lol I appreciate how passionate you are about the bald thing! Not sure I'll do it, but I like how you're going for something different!
-redbird12