Deja Vu All Over Again

Some Time Ago…[1]

Peter Parker has tracked Gwen Stacy down to a bench in the park and tries to talk to her. He apologizes for not being there after her father died. Gwen already forgives him but she is concerned for his safety, telling him that there are other jobs out there other than working as a photographer for the Daily Bugle. She’s concerned that he might end up like the man on the front page of the paper. Before walking away, she says that her father risked his life every day and doesn’t want Peter to end up with the same fate. The man, whom Spider-Man encountered before during his hunt for Doctor Octopus, is in the hospital claiming that he was attacked by the web-slinger.

At the Daily Bugle, Joe Robertson expresses his concern that Jonah is quoting a criminal with a long history without doing any independent research. However, Jonah doesn’t see it that way, he’s still angry over the death of George Stacy, and tells Joe that he won’t be lectured about what he chooses to put in his newspaper. That’s when Joe tells him about the forensic reports that point to the fact that Doctor Octopus was responsible for the chimney falling on Stacy. Jonah still doesn’t buy that Spider-Man is anything but a menace, and admits that he doesn’t mind bending the truth if he helps rid the city of the wall-crawler forever. Joe warns Jonah that this is a dangerous way of thinking that could come back to haunt him later. As Doctor Octopus stalks the city, Spider-Man pays a visit to Frances Smith in his hospital room. There he learns how Doctor Octopus had managed to repair his mechanical arms. Spending the entire time trying to figure out why the web-slinger cared so much about one police officer, he decided to use the Stacy connection to make Spider-Man’s life a living hell. Unfortunately, that’s all Frances knows as Octavius beat him up and threatened to kill him if he didn’t blame the attack on Spider-Man. Fearing for Gwen’s safety, Spider-Man webs Francis to the ceiling and then races off, vowing to kill Doctor Octopus if he does anything to harm Gwen.

Spider-Man races to the library at Empire State University and quickly changes into his street clothes. He makes a dramatic entrance which Gwen finds amusing and he eventually admits that he came to check on how she was doing. When she tells him that she wishes J. Jonah Jameson would stop pressing the issue of Spider-Man’s involvement in her father’s death makes Peter realize that Doctor Octopus must be going after Jonah next. He suddenly tells Gwen that he has to go and reiterates that he meant what he said earlier in the park before racing off. Unfortunately, Peter’s revelation is coming a little late as Doctor Octopus has already kidnapped Jameson and tied him up to the letter Y on the Bugle’s rooftop sign. As police cordon off the scene, Otto is pleased as this will only help draw out Spider-Man. Sure enough, the web-slinger arrives and after setting up his camera attacks. As the two fight, one of Otto’s arms strikes a nearby chimney sending debris falling to the street. Seeing this, Joe Robertson suggests to officers that they push the cordon back. Remembering what happened to George Stacy, they agree. Despite Spider-Man’s best efforts, he can’t dodge the mechanical arms for long and is struck in the head. This dazes the web-slinger long enough for Otto to pin him to the wall. However, that’s when Spider-Man became aware of a smell coming from fumes wafting off the Doctor’s mechanical arms. He recognizes it as hydroquinone, a chemical he used to create the webbing that interfered with Otto’s mental link with his mechanical arms. He suddenly remembers that his corroded web-shooter from earlier and realizes that this is what caused it.[2] Sure enough, the same thing happens to two of the arms of Doctor Octopus. Spider-Man then lands a couple of solid punches. Ultimately, Doctor Octopus decides it is time to flee and uses the arms that still work to damage the Daily Bugle sign. Before fleeing, Otto tells Spider-Man that he has a choice, save J. Jonah Jameson and allow him to escape, or capture him and sentence Jameson to death. As Otto flees, Spider-Man tries to decide what to do and ultimately realizes that he has no choice in the matter at all.[3]

The following day, Peter rushes to join his friends in seeing off Flash Thompson as he is returning to duty for the military.[4] When his friends invite him along to catch a bit to eat he tells them that he has other business to attend to. Watching Gwen leaves, she briefly turns to look at him. She told him earlier that she is going to England for a bit and he figures things will be different and better when she gets back.[5] As he processes everything that happened, Peter wonders how Jonah is doing, since discovering the photos of Spider-Man saving his life the day before. Interestingly, as Peter is burning the photos that captured the death of George Stacy, J. Jonah Jameson is destroying the photos showing him getting rescued by the hated web-slinger. Peter decides that he isn’t going to let George’s death be the end of his life, but only the end of a chapter in it as he moves on to what tomorrow will bring and promises George that he’ll take care of Gwen.

Recurring Characters

Spider-Man, Doctor Octopus, Gwen Stacy, J. Jonah Jameson, Joe Robertson, Mary Jane Watson, Flash Thompson, Harry Osborn, Frances Smith

Continuity Notes

1. This story takes place after the events of Amazing Spider-Man #90. In that story, George Stacy died pushing a child out of the way of falling debris during a fight between Spider-Man and Doctor Octopus. Spider-Man took the blame for Stacy’s death.

2. Peter noticed that one of his web-shooters were corroded in Spider-Man: Death and Destiny #1.

3. Who is surprised that while making the choice between saving a life or letting the bad guy get away Peter invokes the name of Uncle Ben? Amazing Fantasy #15.

4. This story occurs during Flash Thompson’s first stint with the military from Amazing Spider-Man #47-105.

5. Gwen went to England from Amazing Spider-Man #93-98.

Topical References

• Obsolete technology: The Bugle’s office computers have CTR monitors.