Peter Parker: Spider-Man #21
A Day in the Life
First thing in the morning, Peter and his roommate Randy Robertson are doing inventory of the fridge. Randy’s side is stocked full of food, while Peter’s side has a small chunk of cheese on a plate. Peter insists that it is a science experiment and has even started calling it Kevin. Deciding to change the subject, Randy asks Peter if he’ll be joining him at the club that evening, an offer that Peter passes. Not wanting to pry into Peter’s personal business, Robertson suggests that Peter get out and start seeing other people and move on now that Mary Jane is dead.[1] Peter doesn’t think is ready just yet telling Randy that the other night he woke up swearing that he could feel her breathing right next to him. Randy insists that he should come out because it he should at least spend time with his friends. Peter then tells Randy that he needs to do something that he promised he would do first, something he never got the chance to do when Mary Jane was still alive.
That afternoon, Peter is swinging across the city as Spider-Man when his spider-sense alerts him of an elderly couple being robbed in an alley. Swinging down to the rescue, Spider-Man quickly webs up the crooks. Instead of getting thanked, the old woman hits him in the face with her purse, telling the web-slinger to leave her and her husband alone. Later, Peter arrives at the Queens home of Aunt May, where they share stories of the late great Uncle Ben.[2] Peter gets May to take a break from washing dishes to dance with him to one of her old records. As they dance together, May tells Peter that one way she was able to get over the death of Ben was to close her eyes and pretend she was dancing with him. When Peter tries thinking of Mary Jane as he dances, Peter is delighted to find some comfort from this.
Later that afternoon, Spider-Man is stopping a bank robbery being committed by a gang dressed up as mimes. Spider-Man can’t help but make jokes at the ridiculious morief these robbers and quickly wraps them up for the police.
Early that evening, Spider-Man meets with his old friend the Human Torch asking him for advice on how to deal with the greiving he’s going through. He asks Johnny when is the right time to let go and move on with his life, saying there is this one thing he wanted to do while his loved one was still alive but kept on putting off and now doesn’t know if he should go through with it. The Torch tells Spider-Man that the best thing to do is do this important thing since it is what his loved one would have wanted to do.
Later that evening, Peter Parker is trying to maintain his nerve when suddenly he is called to the stage. He’s at an open mic night at the Comedy Box. Peter musters up the guts to get up on stage. However, his first joke completely bombs much to his humiliation.[3]
Recurring Characters
Spider-Man, Human Torch, Aunt May, Randy Robertson
Continuity Notes
1. Everyone thinks Mary Jane died in a plane crash in Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 2) #13. Peter continued believing she is still alive until Peter Parker: Spider-Man #19. She is still alive though, as we’ll learn in Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 2) #29. While everyone has written her off as dead she has been held hostage by a stalker.
2. Uncle Ben died in Amazing Fantasy #15, remember? Anyway, the story Peter is telling May here is the one we saw in a flashback last issue.
3. Take it from somebody who knows, Spider-Man’s jokes would not never work in a comedy club. His joke here is derivative of so many other mime jokes it’s considered hack material, no club would ever book him.
