Suicide Run

Doctor Octopus has found a way to swap bodies with Spider-Man, his greatest enemy. Now in the body of Peter Parker, Otto Octavius has taken control of his enemy’s life. He has decided to try and rekindle Parker’s romance with Mary Jane Watson. She finds it suspicious and begins quizzing him, but Otto has access to all of Peter Parker’s memories allowing him to answer them with ease. When she rips open his shirt and acts surprised to see his Spider-Man costume, “Peter” reminds her that she has known his secret for years and asks what is going on.[1]

They are interrupted when an alarm goes off if Doctor Octopus ever breaks out of his cell at the Raft. Mary Jane understands when “Peter” says he has to go. However, ever the coward, Otto Octavius instead goes to JFK International Airport to buy a plane ticket Belgium with a return flight for the following day, figuring it will put him in the air long enough for his body to finally die, killing the real Peter Parker along with it.

Meanwhile, at the secret lair of Doctor Octopus, the Trapster finishes the final touches on the life support system that will keep the body of Otto Octavius alive for a while longer. Peter Parker is playing a dangerous game by convincing the Trapster, Hydro-Man and the Scorpion into helping him capture Spider-Man in the hopes of reversing the mindswap that has left him stuck in this dying body. This life support system also includes mechanical arms which Peter can manipulate with is mind. However, in activating the mechanical arms, the body of Otto Octavius is delivered a powerful jolt of electricity. As the three villains check on their “boss”, Peter Parker begins to see a bright light.

Suddenly, Peter — who is now in his teenaged body — finds himself back home in Forest Hills in Queens. Everyone around him is every person in his life who has died.[2] He is confronted by Silver Sable who tells him that she sacrificed her life for nothing because he couldn’t bring himself to kill Doctor Octopus when he had a chance to do so previously.[3] That’s when George and Gwen Stacy approach him. George tells Peter not to listen to Sable, saying that if he killed his enemy he wouldn’t be Spider-Man. They tell Peter that he is a good man and Marla Madison joins the Stacy’s when they say their deaths aren’t his fault. That’s when Peter is reintroduced to his parents who tell Peter that they are proud of everything he has accomplished. Uncle Ben joins the chorus of people, but by this point the idyllic scene begins to fade away. Peter finds himself back in his Spider-Man costume. Ben quickly tells Peter how proud he is of him and that time is growing short. Putting a Spider-Man mask over Peter’s face, Ben tells him that he has to stop Otto Octavius as he can’t be allowed to steal his life. Ben’s final words to Peter are that there is no scales left to balance so once Peter is done he can rest and let someone else being Spider-Man.

By this point, the Trapster has succeeded in bring back vital signs, making Peter Parker realize that he is still alive an still trapped in the body of his greatest enemy. With time running out, “Doctor Octopus” recovers the control helmet that was the key to their mind swap and tells the others that the first part of their mission is to go right to the authorities.

Meanwhile, mayor J. Jonah Jameson has arrived at the Raft and learns that only two prisoners escacped, Doctor Octopus and Morbius the Living Vampire. Jameson is only concerned about the Spider-Slayer, who did not escape. Leaving the prison he Jameson is ambushed by the press who wants his comments on the Doctor Octopus escape. Watching from the airport, “Peter Parker” listens as Jameson calls Otto Octavius an utter loser and decides against fleeing the country after all.

At this same time, “Doctor Octopus”, the Trapster, Hydro-Man, and the Scorpion attack the 18th Precinct of the NYPD. Not wanting anyone to get hurt, Peter convinces his allies not to kill anyone as it would bring the Avengers down on them. Eventually, Peter gets access to the evidence locker where a number of Doctor Octopus’ octo-drones have been kept.[4] He finds one of the gold octobots like the kind that was used to make the mind swap. However, he is confronted by Carlie Cooper who attempts to arrest him. Peter tries to convince her that he is trapped in the body of Doctor Octopus. When Carlie asks him to prove it, Peter reminds her that both she and Mary Jane are the only people who know that Peter Parker is also Spider-Man.[5] This doesn’t convince Carlie who tries to shoot him. Peter instinctively shields himself with his mechanical arms and this causes a bullet to ricochet and hit Carlie. After binding her wound, “Doctor Octopus” rejoins the others and suggests they leave.

With news about the attack on the police station, Doctor Octopus uses his position as Spider-Man to round up all of Peter Parker’s friends and loved ones including his Aunt May, Jay Jameson, Mary Jane Watson, Max Modell, Grady Scraps, Sajani Jaffrey, Uatu Jackson, Bella Fishbach, Joe Robertson, Ben Urich, and Norah Winters. He brings them to a secret safe room where Max Modell offers Spider-Man access to the facilities to build whatever devices he needs to take down Doctor Octopus. Back at the secret hideout of Doctor Octopus, Peter Parker struggles to get the gold octobot working the way he needs it. That’s when Otto contacts him and reveals that he has all of Peter’s loved ones. Luckily, Peter was smart enough to disable the self-destruct system that Otto had set up. However, this doesn’t stop Otto from informing the authorities where his secret hideout is located.

Soon the base is attacked by the mayor’s Anti-Spider-Man Squad. As Hydro-Man and Scorpion are deployed to question them, Peter warns them not to hurt anyone. This confuses his would-be allies who think that “Doctor Octopus” is acting weird. By this time, the Trapster realizes that his employer is working on a mind swapping device and thinks that “Otto” is going to use it to trade bodies with him. With his plan close to coming to fruition, Peter uses his mechanical arms to restrain the Trapster in his own paste. Accessing one of Otto’s subs, Peter then orders the Scorpion and Hydro-Man to retreat and they quickly escape.

Back at Spider-Man’s safe room Peter Parker’s friends and family find themselves cut off from the outside world. J. Jonah Jameson takes the opportunity to make amends with his father, Jay.[6] Mary Jane is growing increasingly concerned and keeps trying to contact “Spider-Man” who is busy working in the lab next door. Otto tries to get the woman to leave him alone but quickly realizes that Mary Jane isn’t going to stop and allows her into his lab to talk. However, Octavius grows tired of yet another one of Mary Jane’s pep-talks and tells her to get to the point. Mary Jane then admits that she still loves him, despite everything that has happened, and Otto responds by pulling up his mask and kissing her.

Meanwhile, “Doctor Octopus” has used his access codes to get into Avengers Tower. When his allies freak out that they are inside the headquarters of Earth’s Mighiest Heroes, “Doc Ock” tells them to calm down because he has everything under control. Peter intends on leaving the golden octobot for someone to find in the hopes they can figure out what has happened to him. However, “Spider-Man” is waiting for them and he has already tricked the Avengers into dealing with threats on other parts of the globe. When a battle breaks out, “Spider-Man” sets the Tower’s defenses so they are lethal then “let’s slip” that he has the Jameson’s in a safe room below, prompting the Scorpion to head off and get revenge, taking Hydro-Man with him.[7]

However, the scientists from Horizon Labs are prepared and have built a device that contains Hydro-Man. However, when the Scorpion tries to harm May Parker, Otto returns to defend her.[8] While defending May from the Scorpion, Otto is shocked when his mind is flooded by one of Peter Parker’s childhood memories where May vowed that she would never let Peter go and that she loved him so much. J. Jonah Jameson is surprised when Spider-Man punches the Scorpion with so much force that he shatters his jaw. Jameson surprises “Spider-Man” when he holds his hand out to shake, telling the wall-crawler that he always knew he had it in him.

However, this distraction allows Peter to catch up in his withered body. When he attacks Otto anew, Octavius responds by shooting impact webbing at his friends. To prevent anyone from getting harmed, Peter then shoves himself and Otto out a window, sending them falling to the outside lobby in front of Avengers Tower. Otto breaks their fall by creating a cushion out of webbing. This gives Peter a chance to try and swap their minds back. Unfortunately, Otto has thought of this and has the back of his protected with carbonadium plating to prevent the octobot from probing his mind. Doctor Octopus believes he has achieved his final victory and as he prepares to make the killing blow, Peter suddenly has a flash of memory of his Uncle Ben waking him up for school. Otto experiences this same memory, making Peter realize that their minds are still linked.

With his body failing and about to die, Peter Parker decides to flood Otto’s mind with all of his memories so that Octavius relives everything. Otto is forced to live Peter Parker’s upbringing, the radioactive spider-bite, and the moment of inaction that led to the murder of his Uncle Ben. He then makes Otto live every tragedy that Spider-Man experienced, the deaths of Marla Madison, Gwen and George Stacy, among other. He then shows moments where Spider-Man overcame adversity and beat the odds, proving that he was a hero.[9] As everyone rushes outside, Otto Octavius doesn’t think that he can live up to the expectations that Peter is imposing on him. However, Peter insists that he must do it, telling him that with great power comes great responsibility. Seeing all his friend and family safe, Peter is glad to see that they are all there for the end. He has Otto promise to keep them safe and then dies in the very arms that were once his own.

Experiencing the totality of Peter Parker’s life, Otto Octavius realizes that he was a true hero. Standing silently over his former body, Otto vows that not only will he live up to Peter’s ideals he will succeed Peter Parker by becoming a superior version of Spider-Man.

Recurring Characters

Spider-Man, Doctor Octopus, Hydro-Man, Scorpion, Trapster, Mary Jane Watson, J. Jonah Jameson, Aunt May, Jay Jameson, Carlie Cooper, Max Modell, Grady Scraps, Uatu Jackson, Sajani Jaffrey, Bella Fishbach, Glory Grant, Joe Robertson, Ben Urich, Norah Winters, Uncanny Avengers (Havok, Captain America, Scarlet Witch, Wolverine, Thor), Avengers (Iron Man, Hulk, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Captain Marvel, Spider-Woman)

Continuity Notes

1. As explained in Marvel Graphic Novel #46, Mary Jane has known Peter’s secret since the beginning although she never told him the truth until Amazing Spider-Man #257.

2. This is veritable who’s who of who’s dead in the life of Spider-Man. It should be noted that this is probably a hallucination as a number of people seen here are actually not dead. These people are…..

   • Tim Harrison, aka the “Boy Who Collects Spider-Man”, this boy was a terminally ill boy that Spider-Man met back in Amazing Spider-Man #248. He eventually died in Marvel Holiday Special 1991.

   • Gwen Stacy who died at the hands of the Green Goblin in Amazing Spider-Man #121.

   • Jean DeWolff, who was murdered by the Sin-Eater in Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #107.

   • Ben Reilly, Peter Parker’s clone, also murdered by the Green Goblin in Spider-Man #75.

   • Bennett Brant, whom Peter thinks died in Amazing Spider-Man #11 after he was shot by Blackie Gaxton. He survived and has since resurfaced as the new Crime-Master in Venom (vol. 2) #1. However, this won’t be known until issue #21 of that series.

   • Councilwoman Lisa Parfree who was running for mayor until she was accidentally killed by Menace in Amazing Spider-Man #551.

   • Ned Leeds, who had his throat slit by assassins in Spider-Man Versus Wolverine #1.

   • Martha Connors who died of cancer in Spider-Man: Quality of Life #4.

   • Next to her is her son Billy who was killed by the Lizard in Amazing Spider-Man #631.

   • Sally Avril, who went to Midtown High with Peter. She died in Untold Tales of Spider-Man #13.

   • Marla Madison, who was murdered by the Spider-Slayer in Amazing Spider-Man #654.

   • George Stacy who died pushing a kid out of the way of falling debris during a battle between Spider-Man and Doctor Octopus in Amazing Spider-Man #90.

   • George is pushing Nathan Lubensky, who was engaged to May Parker for some time before dying of heart failure in Amazing Spider-Man #336.

   • The Rhino is with his wife Oksana. Oksana was murdered by the Rhino’s would be successor in Amazing Spider-Man #625. The Rhino was believed to have died in issue #687. However, the Rhino will turn up alive in Avengers Assemble (vol. 2) #1.

   • Silver Sable was also believed to have died at the same time as the Rhino. Her survival is revealed in Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 5) #33.

   • Richard and May Parker, Peter’s parents, who were killed in action while they were on a government mission, as seen in Amazing Spider-Man Annual #5.

   • Shoring things up is, obviously, Uncle Ben. Amazing Fantasy #15.

3 .Silver Sable is referring to Spider-Man’s last battle with Doctor Octopus in Amazing Spider-Man #682-687.

4. Peter recalls how he used the octobots during Spider-Island. See Amazing Spider-Man #666-673.

5. As explained in Marvel Graphic Novel #46, Mary Jane has known Peter’s secret since the very beginning. Carlie, on the other hand, only recently discovered the truth in Amazing Spider-Man #673.

6. Jonah makes a joke about needing a plane to fall out of the sky to remind him how important family is. That literally happened to Jay in Amazing Spider-Man #694.

7. Mac Gargan has a mad on for J. Jonah Jameson because he funded the experiment that turned him in to the Scorpion in Amazing Spider-Man #20.

8. Doctor Octopus has always regarded May Parker fondly since they first met in Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1.

9. The various moments of heroism that Otto is forced to live include:

• When Spider-Man freed himself after getting trapped in Doctor Octopus’ base in Amazing Spider-Man #33.

• The time he defeated Morlun in Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 2) #35.

• When he rejected the Venom symbiote from bonding with him in Amazing Spider-Man #258 (or maybe the scene is from Web of Spider-Man #1.)

• When he first fought the Juggernaut back in Amazing Spider-Man #229-230.

• Lastly when Peter spared Otto’s life in Amazing Spider-Man #687.

Topical References

• Outdated sports references: Tim Tebow

Spider-Dreams

In Chicago, a teenager named Stephen is left in the care of his great-grandfather Martin. Stephen isn’t happy about the arrangement. Martin decides to let his grandson in on his biggest secret, that he was once the Amazing Spider-Man. He puts on his costume and tries to fire his web-shooters, but the fluid is so old they only squirt some thick coils that flop on the ground. He quickly changes out of his costume and cleans up the mess.

He continues to try and convince his great-grandson that even though he has retired he goes out once or twice a year to web-sling. Stephen doesn’t buy this story since Martin is prone to playing practical jokes. Since the boy is more focused on his video game, Martin yanks the controller out of his hands and reminds Stephen how he helped raise the family when his father walked out and threatens to head back to his assisted living home leaving Stephen to explain why he’s not there when his mother gets back from her business trip.

Stephen resigns to this situation and asks Martin to tell him what it was like being Spider-Man. Martin tells a tale about how back in those days New York was full of superheroes, so many that he has a hard time keeping them apart. However, he admits that he wasn’t a hero like them, he was put in that role by circumstances. He explains how he became Spider-Man after he went to a science exhibit and was bitten by a radioactive spider. Stephen finds this hillarious, pointing out that such a thing would more likely give you cancer than it would superpowers.

Martin continues his story and talks about all of the villains he fought but the more he talks about it and how scary it was he starts to get upset. When Stephen suggests that they don’t have to talk about it, Martin insists that they do. He tells Martin about all the friends and loved ones he buried along the way he started to see his powers as nothing more than a curse. Stephen tries to relate, saying that his mother is the only person he has in the world. Martin snaps at him, by saying the boy doesn’t know and he hopes that he never has to find out what it’s like to bury your family like he did with his wife and his children.

He then talks about how he got married and had two children. However, when he hit his fourties, Spider-Man realized that he was getting too old for this and arranged with the head of a spy agency to erase his old life so he could move to Chicago and raise his family like a normal man. There he grew old and watched those he loved die and as time went on he was all alone. He concludes his story by saying that you think you’ll go on forever, never thinking you will lose the people you love, and just like that it all vanishes and starts seeming like a dream. Depressed, Martin suggests that they have some ice cream and call it a night. Before heading off to bed, Stephen tells his great-grandfather that he is the best.

Later that evening, Stephen is woken up by a knock at the window. Looking outside he sees Martin clinging to the wall and realizes that everything his great-grandfather said was true. He then takes Stephen out web-slinging across the city.

Continuity Notes

• The Unofficial Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe lists this story as happening in an alternate reality. They have indexed this reality as Earth-13017.

Date Night

Some Time Ago…[1]

Spider-Man shows up late for his date with the Black Cat and brought her a bouquet of flowers to make up for it. Unfortunately, he gets an Avengers alert. He has Felicia promise to stick around until he gets back.

However she decides to go out on the town and realizes that Spider-Man is going to be a while when she sees him fighting a giant robot in the middle of the city. Deciding to have some fun she has the police give her chase. She runs into a movie theater for cover and bumps into Mister Fantastic and the Invisible Woman. Leaving, she goes to a dance club where she also finds Ant-Man and the Wasp on a date as well. In Central Park, she finds J. Jonah Jameson whispering sweet nothings to a bag of money. She manages to lose the cops in a history museum where she steals an ancient Egyptian vase.

She retuns home and puts Spider-Man’s flowers in a vase. When Spider-Man comes back, he comments on how great the flowers look and they go on their date.

Recurring Characters

Spider-Man, Black Cat

Continuity Notes

1. Per the Marvel Chronology Project this place between Amazing Spider-Man #226 and 227. I disagree since in issue #226, the Black Cat seemingly died (she didn’t) Also this story features a number of chronological inconsistencies. The Black Cat runs into Mister Fantastic and the Invisible Woman who are wearing their original FF costumes and they know who she is, even though they hadn’t yet met the Black Cat. Ditto for Hank Pym and the Wasp , Pym in particular appears in his Ant-Man costume even though he was in prison at the time after getting expelled from the Avengers. Also, Spider-Man gets an Avengers alert despite not being an Avenger at the time.