Amazing Spider-Man (Digital) #3
The Private Life of Peter Parker Part Three
Leila, Becky, and Emma are three high school girls trying to figure out what they can do to boost their popularity. One day after school, Leila got some inspiration after seeing one of mayor J. Jonah Jameson’s billboards offering a reward for information that leads to Spider-Man’s capture. Becky and Emma do not want to be stool pigeons for the mayor. Leila clarifies to her friends that they aren’t going to help the mayor, she was actually talking about Spider-Man. She points out that they have a lot in common with the web-slinger. He’s misunderstood like they are.[1] he’s not popular with the establishment like they are, and lastly he’s blamed for things he didn’t do just like they are. Although Becky likes the idea, Emma points out that there is just one problem: Spider-Man helps people, something they need to do first before they even consider Leila’s scheme.
The three girls then start volunteering their time at the FEAST Center, where Peter Parker is impressed with how devoted the girls are to their work.[2] He is particularly interested when he notices that they are wearing shirts that say “ask me about Spider-Man”, and asks what they are about. The three girls tell Peter that they are inspired by the example that Spider-Man is setting for them pointing out how the web-slinger recently saved the city from Doctor Octopus,always breaking up gangs,[3] and helping people out. They conclude by saying that Spider-Man does these things every day without recognition because it is the right thing to do. Peter, who secretly is Spider-Man, is completely touched.[4] He thinks that these girls would be quite the antidote to J. Jonah Jameson’s constant Anti-Spider-Man vitriol and decides to use his connections to the media to bring attention to these girls.
Going to the Front Line, he pitches the story idea to Norah Winters, insisting that he take photos of the girls since he needs the money. Although Winters has her reservations, Peter convinces her to at least meet Leila and her friends. He takes her to the FEAST Center, where Norah quickly discovers that these girls aren’t just Spider-Man groupies, they are legitimately inspired by Spider-Man to do the right thing. The story ends up making the front page of the next edition of the Front Line, who dubs the trio the “Spider-Girls”. The next day at school, Leila convinces her friends that they should promote the fact that they made the paper because it will raise awareness to their cause. Meg Ridgeway, the popular girl at school the Spider-Girls want to discredit, dismisses the news about them because it wasn’t featured on the celebrity gossip programs she watches. However, the story gains traction with the media and various agencies decide to pick up the story.
By the end of the school day, the Spider-Girls are disappointed that nobody at school showed any interest in their newspaper story. When they walk outside, however, they discover a throng of reporters all desperate to screen time with the thee Spider-Girls.
Recurring Characters
Spider-Man, Leila Goldberg, Becky, Emma Paley, Terri Hillman, Meg Ridgeway, J. Jonah Jameson, Norah Winters
Continuity Notes
Lelia’s example of Spider-Man being misunderstood is a moment where the web-slinger is being booed at a baseball game. That happened in Amazing Spider-Man #564.
It’s noted here that Peter is supervising the FEAST Center while his Aunt May is on her honeymoon. At the time of this story, May had just recently gotten married to Jay Jameson in Amazing Spider-Man #600. The later reference to Spider-Man’s battle with Doctor Octopus also took place in that same issue.
The example of Spider-Man breaking up gangs used here was when he fought Mister Negative’s Inner Demons in Amazing Spider-Man #548.
Peter comments to himself that the “spirit of Flash Thompson lives on”. Flash Thompson isn’t dead he’s actually referring to the fact that Flash Thompson was one of Spider-Man’s biggest promoters when he was in high school. Even going so far as starting his own Spider-Man fan club back in Amazing Spider-Man #17.
