With Great Power…. Part One

Now[1]

Peter Parker has been using his newly acquired powers to become a wrestling sensation. After winning his match against the Bronx Mangler, Spider-Man revels in the fame and attention he is getting. Returning to the locker room, Spider-Man takes not of the league’s manager, Monty Caaabash, warning the other wrestlers that they need to start performing better or they’ll be replaced. When Monty asks Spider-Man to wear an EWO baseball cap on his latest television appearance, the arrogant youth decides against it, since the television spot is about his own publicity and he’s only looking for himself. He tells Monty to remember that when his agent, Tiffany Lebeck discusses their contract next week. He then tells the wrestling promoter to be nicer to the other wrestlers and pay them better saying that if Spider-Man goes, the Extreme Wrestling Organization will suffer for it. After dealing with Cassbash, Crusher Hogan approaches Spider-Man and asks if he wants to join the others at a bar for some laughs. However, Spider-Man has other plans and turns him down. As he web-slings across the city, Peter Parker thinks about how his life has changed so quickly.

Before

Thinking back, Peter Parker remembers how he was considered a nerd in high school and bullied by Flash Thompson. He remembers how on the last day before his life changed, Flash Thompson gave him a wedgie so hard it brought tears to his eyes. It was a humiliating moment for him since his high school crush, Liz Allan, saw the whole thing. When he returned home, thinking how much his life sucks, he is greeted by his Aunt May and Uncle Ben, who have been looking after him since he was a kid.[2] His Uncle Ben tells Peter that he’s old enough to start driving and tells Peter that he got him a car. Peter is delighted to hear this until he goes outside and sees that his uncle bought him a rusty old car. Peter tries his best to hide his disappointment, but can’t bring himself to laugh when Ben makes a joke about being so old his first car was a horse.

Not long after this was the fateful day when Peter Parker attended an exhibition on radiation. He remembers how a spider was irradiated by the device and how it bit him giving him the proportionate abilities of a spider.He remembers how the next day in school he used his enhanced speed and agility to show Flash Thompson that he couldn’t touch him anymore. However, this moment of pride was quashed when Flash and his buddies called Peter a spaz and then proceeded to make fun of his junker of a car. That’s when Peter happened upon an EWO poster offering a cash prize for anyone who could last three minutes in the ring with their star wrestler, Crusher Hogan. Wearing a stocking over his head, Peter easily made a fool of Crusher Hogan in the ring. As he was being paid out, Monty Cassbash admitted that was the most amazing thing he has seen in the last twenty-five years and offers to work this mystery man, promising to make him a star.

Later, Peter traded in Uncle Ben’s clunker and used his winnings to buy himself a convertible. Showing up outside Liz Allan’s house, Peter then began trying to muster up the courage to knock on her door and ask her out. That’s when Flash Thompson arrived in his hotrod. When Flash approached his car, Peter’s spider-sense goes off. Flash demands to know what Peter is doing outside his girlfriend’s house and where he got the fancy car. Peter tries to explain himself when Liz comes out and tells Flash that he’s not welcome after he tried to get fresh with her the night before. Flash tries to cover for himself by saying that he just challenged Parker to a race. Peter didn’t agree to do any such thing but decides to take him up anyway, confident that he can outrace Flash’s car. The drive out to Flushing Meadows Park where Flash tells him they are going to race around the lake. At first, Flash has the upper hand because he is willing to drive dirty in order to win. However, as Peter begins to figure out how his spider-sense works he begins taking more risks and manages to get up close enough to Flash to make him nervous. Cutting in front of Thompson, Peter forces his bully to swerve around to avoid a collision, allowing Peter to win the race. Unable to believe he was beaten by Peter Parker, all Flash can do is call him a spaz, which makes Peter laugh out loud. However, after pride comes the fall, and as Peter drives home he swerves out of the way of a raccoon trying to cross the street and ends up scraping up the side of his new car against a guardrail.

Peter returned home angry and deflected Uncle Ben’s questions and went up to his room to sulk. That’s when he remembered that he took monty Caabash’s business card and decides to give him a call.

Recurring Characters

Spider-Man, Aunt May, Uncle Ben, Flash Thompson, Liz Allan, Crusher Hogan, Bronx Mangler, Monty Caabash

Continuity Notes

1. This story takes place during the events of Amazing Fantasy #15 during the part of the story where Peter uses his Spider-Man powers for show business.

2. Peter Parker’s parents were killed while on a government mission while Peter was still a child as seen in Amazing Spider-Man Annual #5.

Continuity Errors

• Peter states here that his Aunt and Uncle have raised him since he was six years old. This contradicts many stories before and after thay have depicted Peter as a toddler when his parents died.

Topical References

• The amount of money that is being offered to face Crusher Hogan in the ring should be considered topical.

• Dated pop-culture references: David Letterman, Jay Leno