The moon remained as tranquil as ever, a key factor in Uatu the Watcher's decision to construct his Citadel on the Blue Side of the Moon. Uatu appreciated the serenity. It allowed him to observe his beloved planet undisturbed.
"It would seem things are changing..." Uatu said to himself as he witnessed one of his favorite heroes—a hero who often had the short end of the stick.
"But changing for the better that remains to be seen." A voice finished for him. Uatu tried not to let the surprise appear on his face, but very few beings could sneak up on him.
"Show yourself, intruder!" The Citadel was Uatu's home, and he would die before he allowed anyone to attack it.
"Peace Watcher..." Uatu's all-seeing eyes finally locked in on the voice. A spider with glowing eyes. "I'm here to ensure you don't interfere with what's coming..."
New York was always bustling, living up to its reputation as the City That Never Sleeps. For Peter Parker, also known as Spider-Man, it was not just a city but his home. While he usually embraced the constant activity, as he lay in pain in front of his uncle's grave, only one thought crossed his mind.
Peter Parker was tired, and for once, he just wished for a city of silence.
That wasn't accurate. Ever since he had become Spider-Man, he had been tired. One little spider bite and responsibility like none other were thrust upon him at the tender age of fifteen. No tired wasn't the word.
Peter Parker was exhausted. He was pushed to limits he hadn't reached in years, broken in ways that would surprise even the most hardened souls. And today might have been the final straw.
It all started in the last two years. The events of the supposed Superior Spider-Man had left many of his closest allies and friends wary and angry with Peter. Not that he could blame them. Otto Octavius had gone to great lengths to ruin him in his quest to be the better Spider-Man. For the better part of the year, Peter was relegated to mere memory, barely alive, until Otto decided to bail on the whole thing when things became too hard. This was the first trial of his lousy Parker luck.
Next in the long line of craziness known as Peter's life was the return of one Norman Osborn, the Green Goblin, only he wore a familiar shade of red known as the Carnage symbiote Now that he looked back, that was when things started to crumble. Osborn went after every ally he had. His family members. Even his godson Normie wasn't safe from his grandfather's madness. It was a battle that had pushed Peter Parker to his limits, and once again, he lost a friend. Flash Thompson's death hit Peter hard, and he almost ended the green stain there and then, only barely managing to hold back from killing Osborn.
Things after that had slowed down for Peter for a while. He would save the day, have the occasional team-up with another superhero, and finally, for the first time, manage to get his life on track. He should have known better.
Everything culminated at the end of the year with Kindred, aka the fake demonic twins of Norman Osborn and Gwen Stacy—dark creations from a devil that continued to plague Peter. Spider-Man didn't know what he had done to piss off a demon of Mephisto's caliber, but the Hell-Lord seemed to have it out for him. The battle between him and Kindred was one of the most damaging to Peter's mind and body. His confidence had been shattered and for the second time, he gave the mantle of Spider-Man to his reborn brother Ben Reilly so that he could recover. It was one of the darkest moments in his life. And then she returned.
Mary Jane Watson.
One of the most important people in his life. She had helped him heal and recover from the trauma inflicted upon him at Kindred's hands.
"Things were looking up then. Me and Mary Jane..." Peter mumbled as he lay on the ground in a bloody heap. They had reconnected. It was as if they couldn't even remember why they had broken up in the first place. Things eventually went back to the status quo. Ben had gone down a path that Peter couldn't agree with. He still loved his clone brother, but Peter refused to allow him to remain as Spider-Man. Mary Jane had stuck by his side, and for once, Peter allowed himself to feel happy.
And then Paul Rabin had happened.
Peter tried not to hate Paul. Truly he did. But the man had been one of the reasons things ended between him and MJ. Essentially, he kidnapped and separated MJ from Peter, and it was all at the will of his demented father. A large part of Peter wanted to beat Paul to death. Another part of him felt guilty for even thinking like that. Peter hated the part of himself. It was the part that forced him to stay away, the part that didn't fight back when she snapped at him when he even tried to get close.
"Damn, conscience..." Peter grumbled as he rolled onto his knees and looked at the resting place of the greatest man he had ever known.
And then there was Mary Jane herself. Peter understood everything she had been through. He had fooled himself into thinking she still even cared about him. She had deserted Peter while he was at his lowest. The things Peter had done to get her back allowed him to ruin his friendship with Johnny and the rest of the Fantastic Four and forced himself to go running to Norman fucking Osborn for help. Even Captain America no longer trusted him and the worst part of it was he couldn't bring himself to hate Mary Jane. No that wasn't it... Peter couldn't bring himself to stop loving her.
And that brings him to the last month of his shitty life.
A gang war between Kingpin, Tombstone, Mr. Negative, Hammerhead, and god knows who else had brought a new level of violence to New York. Otto had tried to steal his body again, though this time Peter had gotten lucky and managed to free himself before that could happen. All just another day in the life of Spider-Man, until this last week.
Miles Warren returned. The Jackal was firmly number four on his hate list, less than his hatred for Osborn, Octavius, and Mephisto but more than his hatred for Rabin. The man had gone out of his way to ruin his life. The architect of Peter's clone crisis, not once but twice, had returned once more to drive Peter to his breaking point. Even had Peter confused as to whether anyone even remembered him and Peter wasn't proud to admit it but he had come dangerously close to killing the green-furred whackjob.
"M'sorry about that Uncle Ben." Peter slurred painfully as he tried to stand, but his legs gave out and he collapsed to the ground. A wave of pain shot through his body and Peter didn't try to stand up anymore.
Peter's mind had been a mess all week. He couldn't concentrate. He couldn't focus on the mission and left his guard down, ignoring his trusty spider sense. And as if fate or god hated him he was ambushed by the combined might of every boss in New York City. Every resource each villain had been unleashed on the web-slinger. Peter had no allies to call, and no one would have come to his aid. Even Miles had been avoiding him which hurt him more than anything. The kid was his chance to do better. Otto had been wrong when he said Peter was the Superior Spider-Man. Miles was much better than he was starting and at least that thought made his current condition easier.
Bloody cuts and bullet wounds covered his body. Broken ribs pierced his lung causing him to choke on his blood slowly. Hell, his legs were too damaged to stand. And the worst part of it all.
Peter wasn't healing.
He had been hurt before. He had been pushed to his limits and then some. But this time it was different. Ever since he had put on his red and blue spandex suit he had been confident that his healing factor would keep him safe. Sure it wasn't as strong as Deadpool or Logan's even, but it always made him healthy when everything was said and done. But Peter had felt it this time. His body was at its limit. It happened once before early in his career when the stress of being Peter Parker and Spider-Man had almost caused him to hang up the suit. Peter Parker, the Amazing Spider-Man, was dying. And he felt so very alone. Peter reached up, pulled off his bloodied mask, and carelessly dropped it to the ground.
"Look at that Uncle Ben... No friends... No family... Think this is it for me..." Peter said sadly with a frown. Bitterness filled him. This was it. Dying in a torn-up suit, covered in stabs, cuts, and bullet wounds, and no one even to mourn him.
Except for one that did.
Peter had never been able to sense the being that slowly inched closer to him and for a short while they had been a team even if Peter hadn't even realized it. A symbiote's bond was complex and the Venom symbiote had been bonded to many individuals over the years. Some were good, and most were bad. Peter Parker had been the host he longed for the most. As much as Venom was grateful to Eddie Brock and fond of Eddie's son Dylan, his place was here.
Venom could feel all the turmoil Peter was going through lately, the isolation and desperation. Venom tried to ignore it. At the time he was bonded to Dylan Brock out of a sense of duty to Eddie and then tonight happened and Venom could no longer ignore the pain his favorite host was going through. He had left Eddie with a small piece of himself and then left to find his former host, which brought Venom here.
"Wwwon't llleeettt yyyyooouuuu ddddiiiiiie Pppppaaaarrrkkkkeeerrr!"
"What the?!" Peter had been ready to throw in the towel and finally die. Unfortunately, he had not been expecting the Venom symbiote to appear and slowly start to rebond with him. "Venom? How the?! AAGGH!" Pain surged through him once more. Some of it originated from Venom's attempts to mend his injured body, while the rest came from his thrashing, causing even more harm to Peter.
"You. Will. LIVE" The symbiote's screech became much clearer this time, their old bond returning strong. But Peter knew that even this was too much for the symbiote. These wounds were fatal and nothing could stop what was coming for Peter Parker.
"He's right. You will live my brother."
"Oh great, another voice in my head," Peter mumbled in a daze. He couldn't see clearly but was there someone standing over him? Peter blacked out before he could make sense of everything. The figure nodded at the unconscious superhero and with a wave of his hand a portal opened under Peter.
In an instant, the Amazing Spider-Man, the Venom symbiote, and the stranger disappeared off the face of the earth.
Mary Jane Watson had never felt so exhausted in her life. When she decided to become a vigilante, she thought she understood the long nights and the soreness in her body. However, Peter had frequently downplayed everything to shield her from the dangers he faced each night.
MJ attempted to divert her thoughts from her ex as she entered the apartment through the window, which she shared with Paul. Peter was a... complicated issue for her.
"God, when did everything become so damn confusing," MJ muttered under her breath. After everything that had happened to them, Paul should have been the one she was thinking of. Losing the kids and dealing with Rabin, but everything had been so different between them. And ever since Peter had asked her to meet in the park last week, she had been worried about the arachnid hero.
"Do you... Do you remember me?"
It was a strange question, but Peter Parker was a rather odd man.
'A wonderfully amazing man.' MJ added in her head as she took off her black glasses. She fought back tears that shouldn't have been shed.
This was so wrong. So very fucking wrong.
"Mary Jane, you need to see this!" Paul called from the living room, and she quickly wiped away the moisture from her eyes. She hurried into the next room to find her boyfriend glued to the TV screen, a look of horror coming over her as she watched the events from the previous night.
"Last night this stretch of Midtown was the scene of some of the fierciest fighting in the gang war for New York City. But the strangest part. All of it was pointed at one man. New York's very own Spider-Man." The reporter said as she pointed at a picture.
It was Peter, but like she had never seen him before. His suit was ripped and torn, his body covered in more wounds than she had ever seen before, and in his hand was a member of the Tombstone Maggia family.
"Oh my god..."
"According to our sources in the NYPD, this was a coordinated strike from numerous Maggia families that agreed to the same mutual goal: Take Spider-Man out of the picture-" The screen went dark and Mary Jane whipped her eyes down to Paul. Firmly in his hand was the remote.
"Turn it back on!" She ordered with a glare, but Paul didn't budge.
"No Mary Jane, you don't-"
"Do not tell me what I need Paul." Mary Jane interrupted heatedly. She didn't have time for this. Mary Jane moved towards their bedroom, closing the door behind her. In record time she stripped her costume off and tried to ignore the door rattling.
"MJ this is crazy! The city is going nuts out there right now!" Mary Jane bit back a snarky comment and instead quickly put on a pair of jeans and a black T-shirt. It wasn't the city she was worried about. The city could go to hell.
It was the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man she was worried about.
She opened the door so quickly that Paul almost lost his balance. The confused man tried to collect himself, but Mary Jane was already moving past him. Paul wasn't giving up though. He darted in front of Mary Jane in one last attempt at stopping his girlfriend.
"Mary Jane, I'm sure he's fine. Haven't you told me he's been through even worse?" Paul asked pleadingly, but MJ's eyes were full of determination.
"Paul, get out of my way. Or I'll move you myself." MJ warned. That was enough for Paul, who threw his hands up in defeat.
"How about a shortcut?" A voice coming from the opened window cut into their conversation. Standing there was the trenchcoat-clad form of Julia Carpenter. As always, a pair of sunglasses adorned her face; for some reason, she seemed tense.
"Julia?" MJ said in surprise. The redhead couldn't even remember the last time she'd seen the other spider-themed hero, most of them had been ignoring her and Peter the last couple of months since Kindred had almost ended every one of them in his rampage. "What are you-"
"I'm sorry, MJ, but we don't have time. Something is wrong with Peter, and if we don't hurry, I fear the worst..." Julia frowned.
MJ took one look at Julia before glancing back at Paul. Her mind was already made up.
"Let's go." Mary Jane said determinedly. Julia nodded before grabbing hold of the other redhead.
"Wait, stop!" Paul cried out but it was too late as MJ and Julia vanished.
Peter awoke in a painful daze and tried to remember the last thing that happened to him.
"Ah good you're finally awake." Peter turned to see a man who looked familiar and like someone he had never seen before. He was tall with tanned skin and long dark hair. His clothing consisted of dark brown leather pants and a vest that was adorned with red and yellow. Around his dark eyes were black rings that vaguely reminded Peter of the lenses on his mask.
"Who are you?" Peter asked as a wave of discomfort shot through him.
"I have gone by many names, my brother Spider, " the man said with a smile. But the most common I used was Iktomi—the Spider-Man of the Lakota people." Peter looked at him in shock before a groan of pain escaped him. "I see that it is almost time. I'm sorry, my friend, for the pain you're going through. For the pain, you will go through..."
"What do you mean?" Peter managed to ask through the pain. "And where the hell are we?" This place set off a primal feeling in Peter. It felt like it was his, yet he knew he had never been here.
"We are in a place of light and darkness, hidden away from prying eyes," Iktomi explained as he helped Peter sit up. Tell me, young spider. Have you ever heard of the Great Web?"
"Can't say that I have compadre..." Peter answered dryly as he looked around.
"The Great Web is the connector of the multiverse, a creation of Anansi the Primordial Spider and his daughter Neith," Iktomi explained as thousands of webs appeared out of thin air. "But there are secrets to the web known only to Anansi and me. Secrets that are about to change your entire life."
"You're not making much sense here," Peter replied.
"Listen to me carefully, Peter. You have been chosen by a power, unlike anything you've experienced before."
"You do know I've experienced a lot, right?" Peter asked sarcastically as another wave of pain shot through him. Every movement made things blurry to Peter, and he struggled to stay conscious.
"Yes, that's why you've been chosen for this role. Do you recall when you played host for the Other?" Iktomi asked.
"Vividly," Peter muttered dryly as the events with Morlun played out in his head.
Peter had faced many different villains over his years as Spider-Man, but Morlun had always felt different. Perhaps it was the desperation in which he hunted Peter like an animal, forcing Peter to make a deal with some otherworldly force. The Other... To this day Peter still doesn't know how to explain the strange primal connection between him and the Spider, but it saved his life and gave him the strength to fight the vampiric Morlun.
"The Other is one of the defenders of the web. It temporarily bonded itself to you to better prepare you for what's to come." Iktomi revealed as thousands of web strands appeared around them. "This is what the the Other defends."
"Whoa..." Peter was amazed by the silky strands. Some glowed bright white while others were drenched black. Most of the strands had no color. "This is the multiverse..." Peter, of course, knew about the multiverse from his own interactions with alternate futures, strange worlds, and different versions of himself. Hell, there was an alternate version of his ex running around New York that he still had trouble talking to.
"Correct, my friend. These strands represent the Web and the totems chosen to defend it. Every one of them leads back to here." Iktomi pointed to the very center of the strands. "This is the Web that connects the Higher Totems, the ones that have touched the brightest lights and fallen into the greatest darkness," Iktomi explained to the shocked webhead. "These Totems represent the pillars of their worlds. Some are heroes like yourself. Others walk the darker path, not quite the righteous path, but needed all the same. The Great Web would be nothing without its center. Life and Death are nothing without balance." Iktomi pointed to Peter. "And that is where you come in brother."
"Something tells me I'm not going to like this next part," Peter said with a frown. "So which of these strands belongs to yours truly?"
Iktomi took a moment and then focused on one strand alternating between red, white, and black. "This strand is yours, Peter."
"And why," Peter said weakly as another wave of pain passed through him. "Would it be doing that?" Iktomi looked at Peter and sighed.
"You're smart, Peter. Smarter than any hero has ever given you credit for." Iktomi praised. "There is another name for the Web of Balance to those chosen by it. The Web of Rebirth."
"Rebirth?" Peter said as the events of the night came flooding back to him—the ambush, his injuries, Veno-. "Venom!" Panic filled Peter as he thought of the symbiote that had tried to save him, and Iktomi raised a hand in reassurance.
"Don't worry about your friend. He's on you right now, sleeping. He fought bravely and heroically, trying to save your life. I found it rather peculiar for a child of the King in Black..." Iktomi said with a raised brow. "Venom understands what is about to happen. The two of you will be the first to undergo this process. A Totem of the Web and a child of Knull."
"What's happening to me?" Peter finally asked as the pain became too much. He collapsed to his knees as his thread started to flash violently.
"The Web of Balance has its roles. I have taken the role of guide. The Guardian, if you will. Anansi has chosen something grand for you. You, my friend, have been given the role with the most responsibility. The King of the Web."
Responsibility. The word brought a surge of anger through Peter. Hadn't he been responsible enough? Hadn't he suffered enough?!
"I can't do this." Panic set in, and Peter tried to refuse his fate. This wasn't the first time he had died due to the Web, and he had sworn after the events of the Other, he would never be a pawn of the Web again. "Why can't I just be done?!"
A look of understanding came over Iktomi. "I was once like you, Peter. I was unable to deal with the world changing around me as my people lost everything. I had to become something else. Something greater than I thought possible." Iktomi raised his hand and pointed at Peter. "To save everyone you care about and every Totem connected to the Web from what's coming you must do the same... You're dying Peter, but death doesn't have to be your end. My father Anansi pulled some strings-"
"Really? A joke like that right now!"
"Focus, Peter. You have a choice to make!" Iktomi said as two doors appeared behind him.
"Neo eat your heart out..." Peter muttered. Suddenly, voices enter his head, voices he hadn't heard in years. "What's happening to me?" Peter asked as he clutched at his head.
"The door on my left stands for the afterlife, Peter. The voices you're hearing are people who have moved on."
"We've missed you champ..."
"Uncle Ben..." Peter said in realization. It had been too long since he had heard his Uncle's voice. It still held the same loving tone and wisened sound to it.
"We're so proud of you, son!"
"It's great to see you, Pete!"
"Peter..."
So many voices went through his head. So many memories. His parents, Flash's and Harry's voices, were comforting, but the last one was devastating.
"Gwen..." It had been years since that night on the bridge, the night of Spider-Man's great failure. Losing Gwen to the Goblin had hurt like nothing before and to hear her voice again.
"You could choose to move on, Peter. To rest finally and be done with the life of a totem," Iktomi offered with a sad smile. He knew how tempting this offer was. To no longer have to fight endless battles or to see friends die. It was an offer that had once even tempted Iktomi.
"What's the catch?" Peter asked with a frown. There was always a catch or an add-on to situations like this.
"I'm no demon, Peter," Iktomi replied. "If you choose the left door, that's the end of your story. Nothing more, nothing less."
"And the door on your right?"
"The door on my right offers power. Power to protect. Power to defend. Power to attack." Iktomi said with a hard look in his eye. "Something dark is coming, Peter. And no one is prepared to face it."
"He's talking about the creator."
"Venom!" Peter exclaimed in relief. A strange sensation started on his shoulder, and a black tendril appeared before quickly taking the form of a head with white eyes and sharp fangs.
"I see your tag-along is awake. I'll admit I was surprised to see a child of Knull trying so hard to save a life instead of taking it." Iktomi said, slightly impressed. Symbiotes were known for their rather viscous tendencies, and Venom was no exception. And yet it tried so hard to piece Peter Parker's broken body back together. A curious sight to behold. "Your Dark Father is the least of my concerns symbiote."
"You lie! We would know if the seal was breaking!"
"Do not take me for a fool symbiote!" Iktomi roared, shaking the very web around them. "You feel it through your very being! His seal weakens!"
In a rare sight to see, Venom was cowed. Peter might have enjoyed it if it wasn't for the pain coursing through his body. A coughing fit came over him and blood flew from his mouth.
"This conversation is for later. We are running out of time." Iktomi said as he helped Peter stand.
"You're hiding something..." Venom hissed dangerously.
"This power has a catch, doesn't it?" Peter asked with a frown. Iktomi looked at the duo before nodding.
"To obtain this power, you must give something up to the web... Something that you long to hold onto." Iktomi eyes darkened in deep thought. "You must give your humanity and soul to the web to be reborn as a king amongst the totems..."
"This decision... What will happen if I choose the door on the left?" Peter asked with a frown. He needed to know what he was getting into.
"I cannot see futures, my friend. That would be my uncle's area of expertise. But I can tell you this. Your world and many like it will fall. Your friends," The faces of numerous superheroes flashed through his mind, from the mighty Avengers to the street-level Daredevil. Every one of them was beaten, broken, and lying dead. "Your allies," His protege Miles was next. The sight of his mangled body caused a sense of horror to shoot through him. "Your loved ones..."
"No..." The image of Mary Jane's lifeless body flashed through his mind followed by specters of Felicia, Cindy, and more. "No!" Peter clenched his head, trying to make the pictures disappear. "Make it stop!"
"Parker!" Venom screeched before images flashed through the symbiote's mind. Images of a dead Eddie and Dylan on the streets of New York and a strangled roar escaped Venom.
"You and your parasite see what may come to pass. The web is in danger and with it the many worlds that are connected by it. Light and darkness won't be enough to stem the tide of chaos that approaches. What we need is a being doused in both. A spider-totem of light and a symbiote child of darkness."
Every part of Peter wanted to choose the door on the left. To give up the life of Spider-Man. But that would be the easy way out.
"You know what you have to do son..."
"With great power comes great responsibility..." Peter mumbled as he struggled to stand. "But what if I can't? What if I'm not strong enough?" Peter wasn't known for being the most put-together superhero and Peter made more mistakes than most.
"That's what Venom is for. To bring you balance." Iktomi looked at the strands that surrounded them. "Everyone forgets that light and darkness need each other. For if there were only light we would all be blind and if there were only darkness we would have never been able to see in the first place. Balance requires both to thrive." Iktomi reached out to Peter. "It's time, Peter. Take my hand. Please..." Iktomi couldn't force this fate on Peter. Balance was all about choice, so in this moment Peter would have to choose this fate and embrace it. So Iktomi offered his hand and hoped that Peter made the right decision.
"I'm with you on this one... Partner... Whatever you decide..." Venom whispered before disappearing back into Peter.
Peter wanted to say no. To say screw it and accept whatever afterlife that was waiting for him behind the door on the left. To be that selfish kid who allowed his uncle to die when he could have stopped it. But as always, when he reached that thought, he was brought back to who he was.
Peter Parker was Spider-Man, and Spider-Man needed to save the day.
Peter grasped Iktomi's hand firmly. Iktomi smiled in return and helped Peter through the door.
Mary Jane quickly realized that teleporting sucked. A wave of nausea passed through her, and she fought the urge to throw up.
'Throwing up in a cemetery would count as disrespectful.'
"Yes, it would," Julia replied to MJ with a smirk, and Mary Jane quickly remembered that her fellow redhead could read minds. "I have Miles and the rest of the Order throughout the city looking for Peter, but this is the last place I sensed him." MJ looked around and slowly realized where they were. She took off, leaving Julia behind. "Oh great, leave the blind woman by herself."
MJ continued running even after hearing Julia, only stopping when she reached a familiar headstone, which caused her to gasp in horror.
The normal pristine ground of the headstone for Ben Parker was doused in crimson. More blood than she had ever seen in her life and lying crumpled in the middle of the blood was the ripped and torn mask of Spider-Man.
"Oh god." Mary Jane feared the worst. That Peter was gone, and she could never make things right with him.
"AHH!" The pained scream from Julia caused MJ to snap out of her thoughts. She turned to see the clairvoyant crumpled to the ground, clutching her head in pain.
"Julia, what's wrong?" Mary Jane quickly came to Julia's aid. Blood dripped from Julia's nose, and a sad look came over her.
"Something's wrong with the Web, MJ. Something's wrong with Peter." Julia replied with tears dripping from her eyes. MJ backed away from Julia, and a sorrowful scream escaped her.
Across the city, numerous Spider-Totems had been stopped in their search by a wave of pain. Miles, Gwen, Jessica, Anya, and Cindy had felt the pain from the Web, echoes of the agony Peter himself was going through. In Houston, Kaine stopped his mid-air swing, fell two stories, and crashed into a parked car. In a cell located in the Limbo Embassy, Ben Reilly was assaulted by a pain far worse than anything he had experienced so far while imprisoned. At the heart of the Great Web, tears flowed from the first spider Neith who mourned the pain her favorite Totem was going through.
One thought went through every one of them. Where was Peter Parker?
Darkness surrounded him, and a feral growl escaped his lips. He had been here for what felt like both days and years. He couldn't remember anything. Not his name or where he was from, but he knew he needed to remember.
"Grrr..." Frustration tore through him like a blade. The darkness tried to comfort him, but it was no use. Instinct was telling him he needed to go back. To protect people, but who?
Images flashed through his mind. A beautiful redhead. A playful blonde. A gorgeous woman in black. An elderly woman with the kindest smile. A sister. Brothers, friends, and the images were painful. Everything hurt.
"With great power, there must be great responsibility." That voice. He knew that voice. It echoed through his head, and a feeling of self-loathing came over him. He failed that voice. He would not fail again.
"We won't fail, " His one friend here said. It was his only companion, his only ally. "Our enemy is out there..."
He ignored the pain as a light bathed over them. His freedom was at hand, and he was unleashed onto a world that wasn't ready for him.
Is anyone else seriously pissed off by the state of Spider-Man comics? Zeb Wells has effectively brought our boy back to the level that One More Day brought him to back in 2007. Zeb Wells is a hack and I'll die on that hill. And fuck Marvel. Let Peter Parker be happy damn it. I'm not sure why Marvel seems to think we want a bitter sad-sack Spider-Man in 616. If anything if you look at universes like Renew Your Vows, the new ultimate universe, and MC2, fans want a Peter Parker with a family. They want him to be happy and if that's not with Mary Jane fine.
And what they've done to Mary Jane should be considered blatant character assassination. If they didn't want the two to be together I can live with that. Hell, I'm a fan of Peter/Felicia and Peter/Cindy Moon when they're done right. But this is just stupid ass writing. Plain and simple. Paul is one of the worst self-inserts I've ever seen and to pair him with one of the most iconic love interests in all of comics is frankly insulting to both my intelligence and my love for Spider-Man comics. That's why I posted this fic the day after Zeb Well's last issue was published. This is a big fuck you and I want everyone to know it.
Some of the events and arcs that have happened in this universe include the Superior Spider-Man, the Red Goblin, Kindred, and parts of the Gang War storyline. The events in the Spiderverse have not happened yet in this universe, as well as the events involving Knull. Peter does not work for Osborn. God just writing that made me want to drive my head into the wall. You're probably now wondering how Spider-Gwen is here with no Spider-verse. Welp, you'll just have to wait and see.
I also cheated with Madame Web's powers. In the comics, she can't teleport but in other media, she can. I just figured I'd add it so please don't drop any comments about it. Iktomi is an OC based on the very real and very cool Lakota spider spirit.
I don't own Spider-Man if I did I would do a hell of a better job than what Marvel is doing. Seriously get your shit together Marvel. You can do better.