Amazing Spider-Man Presents: American Son #3
Side Effects
Years Ago, Off the Coast of France[1]
Reflecting on his past, Gabriel Stacy recalls the time he spent with his father, Norman Osborn. He isn’t sure if Norman ever really loved him, but he cared for him. Unfortunately, the only person Norman seemed to love was Gabriel’s half-brother, Harry. He remembers going sailing with his father one day and all he did was talk about Harry. He began wondering if Harry wasn’t in his way, would his father actually love him?
Now
Harry Osborn arrives for his shift at the FEAST Center just as May Parker is reading the news about Harry’s recent troubles. She is surprised to see him, but he insists on working, saying that when she kicked him out of her house was the wake-up call that he needed.[2]
While at the Crown Heights hideout of Gabriel Stacy, continues to berate his empty suit of American Son armor. He wants to know why it saved Harry Osborn, preventing his efforts to make Norman love him. When the suit doesn’t reply, he smashes it apart and then locked the components in a trunk. Getting his gun, Gabriel intends to finish the job that he started, believing that nobody can stop him this time.
Meanwhile, Spider-Man is scouring the city trying to find where Harry Osborn has gone since his recent tell-all about his half-brother in the Front Line. That’s when he gets a call from his Aunt May. She wants Peter to come down to the FEAST Center because the FBI showed up to hassle Harry. Peter thanks her for telling him where Harry is and tells her he’ll be there soon. At that moment, Agent Owen is trying to convince Harry to allow the FBI to protect him. However, Harry flat out refuses, certain that if Gabriel Stacy comes after him again, he’ll be able to handle him this time. However, when Owen offers to have his men also volunteer at the FEAST Center, Harry acquiesces, telling May Parker that they have some new volunteers.
Owen then takes Harry into the back room to re-watch the security footage of Gabriel Stacy’s attack at the Coffee Bean. That’s when Peter Parker arrives and asks if Harry is okay. Harry insists that Peter stay and watch the footage with them. The footage shows Gabriel Stacy shooting Harry point-blank in the chest then, four minutes later, American Son arriving and flying Harry to a hospital. Agent Owen is convinced that Gabriel is wearing the American Son armor. Harry can’t understand why Gabriel would try to kill him and then save his life. Owen, however, points out that Gabriel is the son of Norman Osborn and that’s explanation enough. That’s when they come to the conclusion that Gabriel might go after someone close to Harry if he can’t find him. While Harry calls to warn Mary Jane Watson, his roommate, Peter tries to warn the staff of the Front Line.
At that moment, in Midtown, Norah Winters is coming out of a television news interview and calls to her boss, Ben Urich. As she gets Ben’s voice mail she goes to catch a cab. That’s when American Son lands on top of the roof of the cab and tells her to come with him because she is in danger. He then grabs Norah and flies her back to Gabriel Stacy’s hideout. There, the armor suddenly comes off revealing the pilot to be Stacy himself. He doesn’t remember his actions as American Son and is surprised to find Norah Winters in his hideout. He punches her out and ties her to a chair. Gabriel then begins questioning the empty suit of American Son armor. He is shocked when the armor begins answering him back. It reforms itself and begins beating Gabriel around the room, telling him that it is trying to stop him from doing back things.
The suit has also alerted the authorities and they arrive at the scene moments later. Also arriving is Spider-Man who comes crashing into the warehouse. By this point, Gabriel is wearing the American Son armor and trying to calm down Norah Winters. As Spider-Man tries webbing up American Son, he tries to tell the web-slinger to stop attacking him, saying they need to work together to stop Gabriel Stacy.
Outside, Agent Owen and Harry Osborn arrive on the scene. Harry recognizes this warehouse as a property owned by his father and tells Owen to keep his men back while he goes in and shuts down the booby traps. Inside, Spider-Man manages to punch American Son in the face, shattering his helmet. Picking up the pieces, Gabriel Stacy accuses Spider-Man of killing his alter-ego and knocks him aside. When Gabriel vows to kill his half-brother, Harry comes out of a trap door in the floor and tells Gabriel that he’s going to get his chance.
Recurring Characters
Harry Osborn, Gabriel Stacy, American Son, Norah Winters, Spider-Man, Aunt May, Norman Osborn (flashback)
Continuity Notes
This flashback takes place sometime during the period that Norman Osborn was thought to be dead. Norman seemingly died in Amazing Spider-Man #122 when he got impaled on his Goblin Glider. However, he survived thanks to the healing properties of the Goblin Formula. He went into hiding for years before returning in Amazing Spider-Man #412. For more on Norman’s time in Europe see Spider-Man: The Osborn Journal #1, and for more on his parentage of Gabriel Stacy see Amazing Spider-Man #509-514.
Harry Osborn had been suffering financial problems after his father cut him off from the family fortune when Harry rejected his father’s plan to make him American Son. (Amazing Spider-Man #595-599) After Aunt May married Jay Jameson (Amazing Spider-Man #600) Harry was allowed to stay in her home. (Amazing Spider-Man #604) After the home was damaged in a fire (Amazing Spider-Man #610) May (who was corrupted by Mister Negative) kicked Harry out of her home. (Amazing Spider-Man #618-619)
