Focus

Some Time Ago…[1]

Two mobsters are dangling a squealer named Francis Smith from a window and are threatening to drop him unless he talks. Spider-Man is on the scene and is setting up his camera to take photos, confident that they won’t drop Francis. His assessment is wrong, but when they drop Francis he is able to web the stool pigeon to the side of a building. Having not slept in two days, Spider-Man’s reaction time is off, which almost gets him shot. Adding to his troubles the one mobster he wanted to talk is knocked out in the fight and the police are on their way. He decides to start questioning the mobster’s friend about his past work with the Master Planner, using more force than usual to make him talk.[2] After getting the information he needs, he webs up the crooks and recovers his camera before the police arrive on the scene. This makes eleven criminals that Spider-Man has gone after in the last two days. As Spider-Man swings away he sets his sight on another crook nicknamed Bull and hopes that he’s the man who can help clear Spider-Man’s name. However, he’s not too confident given how J. Jonah Jameson has hammering hard against the web-slinger with anti-Spider-Man editorials since the death of George Stacy.

Later, when Peter Parker arrives at the Daily Bugle, Joe Robertson warns Peter that Jonah wants to be left alone, recounting how he attacked the janitor for suggesting that Spider-Man was being framed. George Stacy was the closest thing to a friend Jameson had and he is not taking his death very well. Despite these warnings, Peter insists on seeing Jameson. When the publisher orders Joe to send Parker away, Peter barges his way into the office anyway to give Jonah his latest photos of Spider-Man. However, Jonah isn’t interested in the photos because they don’t give him what he wants and tells Peter to get lost. Parker decides to leave them on the floor they were tossed on, telling Jameson to keep them. On his way out, Joe apologizes to Peter, reminding him that Jonah is upset about Spider-Man and hopes Jameson will calm down after the funeral. However, everyone is mad at him, even though they don’t know that Peter Parker is Spider-Man. Walking home, Peter is exhausted and when he overhears a pair of beat cops talking about how much they hate Spider-Man, Peter realizes how George Stacy was the only man who believed in him is dead and everyone in the city blames him for it.

Even though he’s exhausted, Peter then goes to Empire State University to get some leniency from his biology teacher, Miles Warren for some leniency. Miles warns Peter that if the current pattern continues he’ll be at risk of losing his scholarship. He agrees to give Peter a few more days to get his act together and concerned for the young man gives Peter his card, telling him that he can call any time if he needs someone to speak with. When he leaves the class he finds his roommate Harry Osborn waiting for him. Harry tells Peter that he needs to talk to Gwen. That’s when he sees her walking through the hall with downcast eyes. Seeing her like this makes Peter want to hold her and tell her the truth, but instead, he turns around and walks out the other way.

When Peter returns home, he discovers that one of his web-shooters has melted, but this doesn’t stop him from going out web-slinging.[3] Despite all of his personal problems, Spider-Man is determined to find Doctor Octopus and bring him to justice. Through the night he is rounding up crooks. His crusade gains the attention of the media who wonders if this is the work of one man or a legion of Spider-Man themed vigilantes, as they speculate the reason for Spider-Man’s current crusade. However, J. Jonah Jameson thinks this is all a smokescreen to deflect from his crimes. Watching this news coverage is Doctor Octopus who is repairing his mechanical arms, vowing that it will be only a matter of time before he and the accursed wall-crawler face each other again.

The following day, Peter Parker hands in photos of his exploits as Spider-Man from the night before. Jonah refuses them again, and wonders, why Peter wasn’t there on the day George Stacy, died to photograph what happened. He then tells Parker that he has someplace to be. This would be the funeral for George Stacy. Gwen mourns by herself, with Peter nowhere in sight. Next to her is the little boy who was saved by her father. The little boy doesn’t fully understand what happens by he remembers the man who saved his life and how he was buried under stone. Peter is not at the funeral because he is still trying to find Doctor Octopus as Spider-Man. He has tracked down the man named Bull, but he doesn’t know anything about the Master Planner. Spider-Man almost chokes him to death, but stop himself when Bull mentions George Stacy’s death and how he thought Spider-Man was one of them for killing the cop. Upset by this, Spider-Man tells Bull to get lost. Watching the latest news coverage, Doctor Octopus calls one of his former minions who have been released from prison. He assures Octavius that he didn’t tell the cops or Spider-Man anything. However, when the news media begins to wonder what involvement Doctor Octopus had in the death of George Stacy, Otto becomes angry and throws his phone at the television.

Meanwhile, Peter Parker finally gets some sleep. He dreams that Spider-Man is waiting for Gwen in her limo after the funeral. When she gets inside, he wants to tell her what really happened. However, Gwen already knows what happened, and knows that Spider-Man is really Peter Parker. Pulling off his mask, Gwen accuses him of killing her father just as much as he is guilty for the death of his own Uncle Ben.[4] She knows he’s responsible for their deaths and figures maybe someday he’ll kill her too. Peter wakes up wondering if he really was responsible for the death of George Stacy. Remembering what Jonah said about not being there to take pictures. However, Peter did get photos and hid them away unwilling to look at them until now. The photos paint a clear picture of what happened. During his battle with Doctor Octopus, Octavius had full control over his mechanical arms until Spider-Man doused them with chemicals that interfered with Otto’s mental link with them. His wildly flailing arms then struck the side of a brick chimney sending debris falling to the ground, the same debris that landed on George Stacy after he pushed the young boy out of their path. This makes Peter come to the conclusion that it was actually his fault after all. Deeply upset by this realization, Peter fishes out Miles Warren’s business card out of the trash and calls him for advice.

Recurring Characters

Spider-Man, Doctor Octopus, J. Jonah Jameson, Harry Osborn, Gwen Stacy, Miles Warren, Francis Smith, Joe Robertson (voice only)

Continuity Notes

1. This story takes place following the events of Amazing Spider-Man #90. In that story, Spider-Man’s ally, Captain George Stacy, was killed saving a boy from falling debris during a battle between Spider-Man and Doctor Octopus. Otto Octavius got away and Spider-Man took the blame for Stacy’s death.

2. The Master Planner is an alias Doctor Octopus operated under from Amazing Spider-Man #30-32.

3. In Amazing Spider-Man #90, Peter used a chemical in his webbing that could interfere with Otto’s mental connection with his mechanical arms. It’s later revealed in Spider-Man: Death and Destiny #3 that these chemicals led to his web-shooter melting.

4. What Peter Parker nightmare isn’t complete without a mention of Uncle Ben? Amazing Fantasy #15.

Topical References

• J. Jonah Jameson calls for Spider-Man to be executed for his “crimes”, suggesting the electric chair. This should be considered a topical reference since New York State abolished the death penalty in 2004.

• Peter is depicted as taking pictures with a camera that uses rolls of film and the scene where he looks at the photo involves him developing the pictures. This should be considered topical since photojournalists have since moved on to using digital photography as a matter of practicality and convenience. Modern readers could assume that Peter is using whatever the commonly used medium for photo storage (for example, having the photos on an SD Card and viewing them on a computer instead of developing photos the old fashioned way)