Crossroads

For all the years he has known her, Peter Parker has tried to put aside the first Friday of the month so that he and Betty Brant can watch a movie together.[1] Unfortunately, Peter’s double-life as Spider-Man has often gotten in the way of this monthly tradition recently. First, he had to cancel to deal with the Shocker. He had to cancel again when his responsibilities to the Future Foundation found Spider-Man fighting the Skrulls in space. It happened again when Spider-Man and his teammates in the New Avengers became prisoners of Arcade. It happened a fourth time when Spider-Man was busy fighting Hammerhead. Now Peter has to cancel again because of his research on a new type of hyperkinetic energy for his day job at Horizon Labs. Telling Betty about this over the phone, she admits that she misses the days when Peter was a struggling freelance photographer because he had a lot more free time. That’s when Peter points out that Betty has always told him that he needed to apply himself and reach his true potential, and now that he has, she is upset that they won’t see a movie while it is still in theaters. He tells Betty that they can catch it when it plays on television and ends the call.

Betty isn’t home alone as her boyfriend, Flash Thompson is over and he jokes about “Puny Parker” standing her up. When Betty asks if he will go with her to see the movie, Flash declines because he has to head back to Washington for a conference on behalf of Veteran Affairs.[2] As she sees him out to the cab, he tells her that they will go see the movie when he gets back. She says the film won’t be playing then because it is a short run in a theater out in “Little Chechnya.” Flash tells her that she is crazy for wanting to go see it since that is a very dangerous part of town. Betty assures Flash that she can look after herself and sends him off.

Betty goes out to see the film, Crossroads D’L’Amour, and as she heads to the subway she is ambushed by a mugger. Later, Glory Grant rushes into the emergency room at the local hospital demanding to know what happened to her roommate. The doctor’s say that the prognosis isn’t good and Glory calls Peter in a panic to tell him that Betty was attacked earlier in the evening. Hearing about what happens makes Peter think about his early days as Spider-Man and how he did nothing to stop a thief who later went on to murder his Uncle Ben.[3] Peter opens the private safe in his lab and begins putting on his Spider-Man costume and tells Glory that he’ll be at the hospital as soon as he finishes up something he needs to do.

By this time, friends and family have all arrived at the hospital to wait for updates on Betty’s condition. They include Joe Robertson, Mary Jane Watson, Carlie Cooper, Norah Winters and Ben Urich. Joe manages to get a prognosis and it sold that Betty suffered head injuries and cracked ribs. That’s when J. Jonah Jameson comes barging in and demands nothing but the best for his former secretary. As Joe tries to calm Jonah down, the mayor of New York vows to crack down on crime after this, saying it will be like the wraith of God himself. At that same moment, Spider-Man is forces his way into a pawn shop and roughs up the owner to learn if anyone sold Betty’s belongings to the crooked shop owner. He spots the locket that Betty’s mother gave to her before she died hanging among the jewelery.[4] His anger growing, Spider-Man demands to know the name of the man who sold him the locket. Fearing for his life, the pawnshop owner tells him that the guy was named Harlan Finch. Spider-Man then scours the city terrorizing petty crooks in order to find out where Harlan Finch is hiding out.

Back at the hospital, Flash Thompson arrives at the hospital after being found at the airport by Jay Jameson and his wife, May Parker. Flash secretly blames himself as if he wasn’t going on secret missions as Agent Venom, he could have been there to protect Betty.[5] That’s when May notices that Peter isn’t there and asks Mary Jane where she is. As usual, Mary Jane tries to make an excuse for Peter being out as Spider-Man with a plausible cover story, but this doesn’t wash with May at all. She calls Peter on his cell phone just as he has finished tracking down Harlan Finch. She then begins scolding him for not being at the hospital for Betty. Nothing Peter can say can make her understand that he can’t be there. May then tells Peter that she has never been this disappointed in him since the day that his Uncle Ben died. She reminds him how he took off while she was still reeling from the news. She demands Peter explain what could have been so important that he couldn’t be there for his loved ones then and now. Unable to tell May that he’s actually Spider-Man, Peter tells her that she is right.

When Betty wakes up in her hospital room Peter is waiting by her bed. He apologizes for not coming to the hospital right away and tells her how he had business to conduct in a rough part of town. He then shows her that he managed to get her locket back. Everyone is happy that Peter finally showed up but when J. Jonah Jameson demands that they go into Betty’s hospital room, Flash tells them it will have to wait because Peter and Betty are having their movie night in her hospital room. Later that evening, Harlan Finch walks out of a bar bragging about how he managed to avoid getting captured by Spider-Man. This is just as the web-slinger finally catches up to him and moments later the police find him webbed up to a lamp post in the same way that Uncle Ben’s killer was found by authorities years earlier.

Recurring Characters

Spider-Man, Betty Brant, Aunt May, Jay Jameson, J. Jonah Jameson, Flash Thompson, Glory Grant, Joe Robertson, Ben Urich, Arcade, Hammerhead, Shocker, Skrulls, Future Foundation (Mister Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Thing), New Avengers (Luke Cage, Wolverine, Ms. Marvel), Norah Winters

Continuity Notes

1. Peter mentions how he first met Betty Brant and developed a crush on her. They first met in Amazing Spider-Man #4. The pair dated for a while from Amazing Spider-Man #7 to 18. Peter’s secret double-life caused friction between the pair that eventually pushed them apart, they have remained friends ever since.

2. This is actually a lie. What Betty doesn’t know is that Flash has been doing secret missions with the military as Agent Venom after being bonded with the Venom symbiote in Amazing Spider-Man #654. His duties with Veteran Affairs is actually a cover story to explain his absences.

3. Yep, another Uncle Ben reference. I suppose this time it’s warranted. See Amazing Fantasy #15. In this story, this is said to have happened “years ago.” Per the Sliding TImescale, Uncle Ben’s murder happened about 13 years prior to this story.

4. Betty’s mother Eleonore Brant suffered a serious head injury leaving her in a vegetative state as explained in Untold Tales of Spider-Man #12. Although Eleonore was last seen in Untold Tales of Spider-Man #15, the Betty Brant entry in Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z #2 confirms that her mother died not long after.

5. Flash states that he should have been there for Betty after everything that happened to her recently. This is reference to the fact that Betty was recently kidnapped by the new Crime Master. See Venom (vol. 2) #3-4.

I’ll Never Let You Go

Years Ago[1]

May Parker is updating Anna Watson on how young Peter is settling in with living in their home. She also tells her how today is the day that she and Ben get the paperwork making their adoption of their nephew official. As they talk, Peter goes from drawing with chalk on the sidewalk to draw on the road. Spotting a speeding car, May quickly pulls Peter off the road. Frightened and upset by this experience, she spanks Peter to teach him a lesson about not wandering out in the road. Hurt by this, Peter tells May that he hates her because she is not his real mother. May responds by hugging Peter and tells him and tells him that he can feel that way if he wants but no matter what she will always love you. At the time, Peter didn’t believe this telling May that grown-ups always lie and they eventually go away and never come back. However, May assures Peter that she’ll be there for him always and forever.

Now[2]

Peter Parker is having dinner with his Aunt May and her husband Jay Jameson. Also attending the dinner is Jay’s son J. Jonah Jameson and Peter’s girlfriend Carlie Cooper. As they are sitting down for dinner, Jay tells them that there is an ulterior motive for inviting everyone over as they have an announcement they want to make. May and Jay have decided that they are going to be leaving New York City for good and are planning on moving to Boston.[3] This is comes as a shock to everyone, but Jay explains that this was a decision that was long in the making. He points to the recent attack on the city by both Doctor Octopus and the Spider-Slayer, the recent murder of Jonah’s wife Marla Madison, and the more recent revelation that May’s boss at the FEAST Center, Martin Li, was outted as the criminal known as Mister Negative.[4] The main reason why they are leaving is because they don’t feel it is safe to live in New York City anymore.

This causes an argument between Jonah and Jay, as the younger Jameson thinks this will reflect poorly on his reputation as mayor of the city. As they argue, Carlie Cooper is shocked when he fork sticks to her hand due to the fact that she has somehow excreted webbing like Spider-Man. However, she quickly hides this before anyone can notice.[5] However, Peter is fine with this decision and is amused when May tells him that she go Boston cream pie for desert.

In the coming days, Peter is helping his Aunt May pack up her old home in Queens for the coming move. They are soon joined by Anna Watson and her niece Mary Jane. Having a moment alone, Mary Jane asks Peter how he is handling May’s move to Boston. He admits that there is a lot of history in this house and takes Mary Jane one last tour of the home he called home for years. He takes her into the parlor where Aunt May once had Doctor Octopus over for tea.[6] Then to the stairwell where Aunt May pulled a gun on the Vulture in an effort to stop the villain from killing Peter in front of her.[7] He takes Mary Jane out into the back yard where he has two of his worst memories: The day he found Venom helping Aunt May fold her laundry,[8] and the time that the Green Goblin discovered his secret identity and dragged him across the neighborhood.[9] Although none of his foes remember who he is anymore, Peter still can’t help but remember all the times that Spider-Man’s life intersected and endangered the life of May Parker.[10] He tells Mary Jane that he is glad she is moving out of the city where she won’t have to deal with the danger that Spider-Man brings into his life.

Soon, Peter is called back inside to continue packing and once everything is done, Peter says his goodbyes to May and Jay. He has a gift for his Aunt, a baseball cap for Boston’s team, and tells her the same thing that she said to him so many years ago, no matter what happens he’ll be there for her always and forever.

Recurring Characters

Peter Parker, Aunt May, Jay Jameson, Mary Jane Watson, Carlie Cooper, J. Jonah Jameson

Continuity Notes

1. This flashback takes place not long after the death of Peter’s parents (see Amazing Spider-Man Annual #5) Per Civil War #2, Peter was 15 when he became Spider-Man. Peter was is usually depicted as an infant at the time of his parent’s death. Here he’s depicted as being a young boy able to fully articulate words and ideas. I would argue that Peter is probably about 3 to 4 years old here since adoptions in New York state can take up to a year to be finalized. His above average intelligence could explain how he is able to so articulately express himself in this story. With all that in mind, per the Sliding Timescale this flashback would probably take place bought 11 to 12 years prior to the start of the Modern Age (post Fantastic Four #1)

2. Comparatively, the main story here happens about 24 to 25 years after the flashback as Peter is about 28 at this point of the Modern Age.

3. Boston is significant to May because that’s where the Reilly family is originally from as we learned in Amazing Spider-Man Annual #36.

4. There is a lot of recent Spider-Man lore mentioned here. Let’s break it down:

   • The attack on the city by Doctor Octopus happened in Amazing Spider-Man #648.

   • The Spider-Slayer’s attack and the murder of Marla Madison happened in Amazing Spider-Man #652-654.

   • Lastly, the revelation that Martin Li was actually Mister Negative happened in Amazing Spider-Man #663-664. May has been working at the FEAST Center since Amazing Spider-Man #546.

5. Carlie, like almost everyone in New York, have been secretly given spider-powers by the Jackal after he infested the city with genetically altered bed bugs. This scheme started in Amazing Spider-Man #659 and will come to fruition through issue #666 to 672.

6. Doctor Octopus having tea in Aunt May’s parlor is a reference to the time that Otto Octavius briefly rented a room from May back in Amazing Spider-Man #53-54.

7. The time May pulled a gun on the Vulture was in Spectacular Spider-Man #187.

8. The time Eddie Brock came over to help May with her laundry was in Amazing Spider-Man #317.

9. The last memory that Peter has is of when the Green Goblin discovered his identity that was in Amazing Spider-Man #39-40.

10. Peter assures Mary Jane that none of his foes remember his secret identity. This was due to alterations to reality made by Mephisto in Amazing Spider-Man #545. In this altered reality, Spider-Man had Doctor Strange use his magic to erase everyone’s memory of Spider-Man’s secret identity. Mary Jane was virtually the only person left with the memory of Peter’s secret identity. See Amazing Spider-Man #638-641.