Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 3) #1.5
Learning to Crawl Part Five
The Clash has been riding high on his defeat of Spider-Man and has crashed a live wrestling match to try and gain popularity. As Peter Parker feels responsible for inspiring the Clash, he has been following him in order to get photos that he can sell the Daily Bugle. As he walks through the city, Peter is stung when he overhears people referring to Spider-Man as a one-hit-wonder. Still, Peter uses the money from his photos to pay back Dr. Cobwell and Midtown High’s AV Club after he borrowed equipment to build his anti-sonic converter. However, Principal Davis and Mr. Flannigan — the school councilor — intend to put the theft on his permanent record. Aunt May asks to speak to them privately and asks Flannigan to start counseling Peter because she believes her nephew is still adjusting after the death of his Uncle Ben. However, Flannigan refuses to continue helping Peter as he has written the youth off as a chronic liar. May is insulted by this and leaves, telling Peter to go to his classes.
Even though Peter made good on his promise to pay for the things he took, the damage to his social standing has already been done. In gym class, Flash Thompson and the other kids single Peter out during a game of dodge ball. Peter allows himself to be a target because he figures he deserves it. At lunch, Peter eats alone, and when he makes eye-contact with Polly McKinna — the head of the AV Club — for a moment he hopes that she will come and talk to him, but she turns and walks away.
Meanwhile, things appear to be on the up-and-up for Clayton Cole. Like the Clash, he is getting off on his newfound popularity, particularly since it is starting to attract groupies. At home, he musters up the guts to call up Polly McKinna and ask her out on a date. She wonders how he got her number, but he deflects this by changing the subject to the battle between Spider-Man and the Clash at the science fair they both attended.
Back at home, Peter Parker is sulking and wondering where things started to go wrong. That’s when his Aunt May comes in to talk to him. She has come to apologize to Peter because she pawned off his problems on Mr. Flannigan instead of talking to him. She then asks Peter if her late husband ever gave him the talk about becoming a man. She doesn’t mean sex education, but his mantra about power and responsibility. Peter says he did, but May decides that he needs further guidance on what it means. She tells him how Ben felt that everyone had gifts and that it was each person’s responsibility to share those gifts with those around them. She then tells him that Ben’s gift was his heart, that he shared it with everyone else. Suddenly, May has a sneezing fit and it appears that she sneezes her teeth right out of her mouth. This shocks Peter until he realizes that these are chattering teeth and begins to laugh. May is pleased to hear her nephew laugh again, explaining that she did this to remind Peter of all the pranks he and Ben used to play on each other. As she leaves, she tells him that was the other gift Ben had, the ability to have fun and enjoy life.
After thanking his Aunt for the pep-talk, Peter has come to realize that he has been going about things all wrong: He’s been trying to honor how Ben Parker died when he should have been honoring how Ben lived. Ben’s murder taught him one lesson, but his life taught him so many more and now he knows how to be both Spider-Man and Peter Parker. He also knows how he will make Uncle Ben proud, and make him — wherever he is watching from — to crack up.
The following day, Clayton Cole heads to Midtown High to meet up with Polly McKinna. However, he begins to doubt she’ll want anything to do with a normal guy like Clayton Cole and decides to arrive as the Clash instead. Everyone is scared of the Clash and Polly wants nothing to do with him. However, his appearance gives Peter Parker the cover needed to change into Spider-Man. This time, Spider-Man runs circles around the Clash and unleashes a flurry of jokes at his expense. This causes everyone around to laugh, and that laughter is amplified by the Clash’s sonic weapons, humiliating and angering him further. He makes a wild blast which causes the ceiling above Polly’s head to cave in. Luckily, Spider-Man manages to use his webbing to pull her to safety. Losing control of his temper, the Clash blames Spider-Man lashes out. However, Spider-Man quickly overpowers the Clash and webs him up to a wall. When he unmasks his foe, Spider-Man recognizes Clayton Cole as the first person to ask for his autograph. Spider-Man decides to give him another one, leaving the first of many notes for the police where he calls himself the “Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man.”
Leaving the school, Spider-Man feels proud over his accomplishments that day and vows to continue doing the right thing because that’s what Uncle Ben would have done. He has now come to see his late Uncle as someone more than a parent or role model, Ben Parker was his hero. Leaping into the air, Peter promises that from now on he will be Ben’s hero and he will never give up. He thinks about what the future hold and believes it’s going to be amazing.[1]
Recurring Characters
Spider-Man, the Clash, Aunt May, Flash Thompson, Polly McKinna, Andrew Davis, Mr. Flannigan, Dr. Cobwell, J. Jonah Jameson, Uncle Ben (flashback)
Continuity Notes
This two-page spread features a number of foes as well as iconic moments in Spider-Man history. The specific moments on display include:
The first time Peter and Gwen Stacy kissed from Amazing Spider-Man #59.
J. Jonah Jameson attacking Spider-Man in the first Spider-Slayer in Amazing Spider-Man #25.
Spider-Man lifting debris from the flooded tunnel from Amazing Spider-Man #33.
The death of Gwen Stacy in Amazing Spider-Man #121.
Spider-Man pulling himself out of the grave after being buried alive by Kraven the Hunter from Web of Spider-Man #32.
Spider-Man’s battle with the Sandman from Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1.
Spider-Man’s battle with Venom from Amazing Spider-Man #316.
The first time Peter met Mary Jane Watson from Amazing Spider-Man #42.
Lastly, George Stacy asking Spider-Man to look after Gwen before he died in Amazing Spider-Man #90.
