The War at Home Part Five

Iron Man has attacked Spider-Man after learning that the wall-crawler was planning on defecting from the heroes that are supporting the Super-Human Registration Act. The Golden Avenger’s first blow sends Spider-Man tumbling out of Stark Tower and on the street below.[1] Iron Man cannot believe that Peter would betray him like this. When Spider-Man tries to fight back, Iron Man activates the shut-down code on the costume that he designed for Spider-Man.[2] However, Peter had programmed a by-pass override and utilizes it when Tony gets close enough to him. Spraying webbing into Iron Man’s face, this allows Spider-Man to escape into the sewers. Trudging through the sewers, Spider-Man wonders where he goes from here.

Sometime later, Peter has broken into Midtown High so he and his family have a place to stay for the night. Peter comes back after Mary Jane has gotten Aunt May to bed. When Peter asks how they are doing, Mary Jane wants to hug him first as he and Aunt May have been on the run all day. Peter apologizes, but Mary Jane says she understands. After, Mary Jane explains how she had the forethought to empty out their bank accounts before the government froze their assets. They take stock of the actual trouble they might be in. Mary Jane points out that since Peter has already registered with the government, he’s not really in any danger unless he actively helps the resistance. When Peter doesn’t say anything, Mary Jane realizes that Peter has already joined up with the resistance.[3]

Peter suggests that Mary Jane take the money and use it to get herself and Aunt May as far away from New York as possible. Aunt May, who has been listening to this whole conversation, takes this opportunity to give her opinion on matters. May points out that although Peter is taking responsibility for what’s happened she reminds him that both she and Mary Jane also helped him make up his decisions and therefore share their own part of the responsibility. Between Peter’s jokes, May makes a point to say that moments of hardship make the more joyful moments in life more enjoyable and that she and Mary Jane are staying by his side for the long haul. While Mary Jane and May go out to get supplies, Peter sits on a bench in the schoolyard to think.

He recalls a day when he was benched by the school coach when he was playing volleyball with his classmates. Peter pretends that he is having a conversation with his younger self. When sixteen-year-old Peter asks his older self if things get easier, Peter admits that while things do get better they get increasingly difficult and more complicated. After a few platitudes, Peter’s sixteen-year-old self decides he doesn’t want to know what life is like after all and goes back to his class.

Later still, Peter is reduced to getting a room at a cheap hourly-rate hotel for him and his family to stay in.[4] While they are settling in and getting used to the fact that they aren’t exactly staying in Stark Towers anymore, May says that in the hurry she managed to grab something important when they fled their former home. It’s Peter’s old costume, which she thought to bring because Peter had concerns about Stark being able to track him with the new one that was made for him. Peter puts on his Spider-Man costume and decides to get things started. Swinging across the city, Spider-Man goes to a local news station and interrupts the weather report to address the people of New York. He tells them that he made a mistake siding with Iron Man and the Super-Human Registration Act, saying that he made a mistake. He then tells the viewing audience that those who are arrested for refusing to register are being locked away in a prison within the Negative Zone and being denied the right to a fair trial. He understands that everyone wants to be safe, but this is the wrong way to do things because sooner or later if they start allowing the erosion of their freedoms soon they won’t be living in the same country again. Removing his mask, Peter tells the viewers that he can’t allow this to continue in good conscience and he will do everything in his power to oppose the act.

Watching this is Iron Man who tells his followers to bring in Spider-Man…

Recurring Characters

Spider-Man, Iron Man, Mary Jane Watson, Aunt May

Continuity Notes

1. Two patrons of a hot dog stand are discussing the Broadway musical Wicked. As this is a real-world play that will eventually end its run (as Broadway musicals eventually do) this should be considered a topical reference per the Sliding Timescale of Earth-616.

2. Tony Stark designed Peter’s “Iron Spider” costume in Amazing Spider-Man #529.

3. Spider-Man joined the anti-SHRA forces in Civil War #5.

4. The hotel prices listest should be considered a topical reference per the Sliding Timescale of Earth-616.

Civil War Continuity

This story occurs between the pages of the Civil War limited series and its various spin-offs and tie-ins. These moments are:

• Spider-Man’s battle with Iron Man and flight into the sewers takes place between pages 7 and 8 of Civil War #5

• Despite what the caption says, Page 7-14 do not take place after Civil War #6. This scene, where Peter and his family are spending the night Midtown High takes place after Civil War #5 page 17. More specifically, they take place after Punisher: War Journal (vol. 2) #2.

• This is followed by Peter’s appearances in Sensational Spider-Man (vol. 2) #32-34, Iron Man (vol. 4) #14, and Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #14-16.

• Page 15 onward, where Peter and family get a motel room and Spider-Man challenges take place before issue #6 as do the events of next issue.