Independence Day

Otto Octavius wakes up for the first time without the spirit of Peter Parker living on in his mind.[1] He finally believes that he was free. His spider-bots update him on his hunt for the Owl and White Dragon and advise him that they are in both in the middle of a gang war with each other. Changing into costume, Otto thinks about how Peter Parker was ineffective because he only dealt with threats reactively. On the other hand, Otto Octavius intends to actively rid the city of crime, vowing to become a better hero than New York deserves.

At that moment, the White Dragon and the Owl’s gangs clash with one another in an alley.[2] Spider-Man suddenly arrives and breaks up the fight. When the White Dragon tries to ambush him from behind, Otto crushes his trachea to prevent the Dragon from breathing fire. Otto then prevents the Owl from escaping, taking particular enjoyment in making an example of the Owl since they previously fought in the past.[3] While Spider-Man is busy gloating over his victory members of the White Dragon and the Owl’s gangs flee the scene. Each group is picked up by members of the Goblin Nation, who promise protection from Spider-Man if they join the ranks.

With the Owl and White Dragon in police custody, Spider-Man heads to Empire State University where he attents class as “Peter Parker”. When he arrives he is annoyed to see that Mary Jane Watson has come looking for him. Now that he no longer has access to Peter Parker’s memories, Otto decides to blow her off, telling her that he has things to do. Mary Jane finds this surprising and thinks “Peter” isn’t acting like himself.

Meanwhile, Yuri Watanaba has returned from her leave of absence from the NYPD.[4] She has begun interviewing officers who were on the scene when Spider-Man killed Massacre.[5] Instead of finding evidence that Spider-Man killed Massacre in cold blood, everyone from the police on the scene and eye-witnesses are covering for Spider-Man due to the horrific rampage Massacre went on before he was killed. With the interviews over, Carlie, who performed the autopsy on the body, is certain that Spider-Man murdered Massacre when he was already incapacitated and a threat to nobody. Still, without the other officers supporting their investigation they’re going to have to find another avenue.

At that same moment, the Green Goblin is working away in his lab with his youngest recruits. He has captured one of Spider-Man’s spider-bots. He tells the young goblins that this is the chink in Spider-Man’s armor that he and his minions are going to exploit.

Back at Empire State University, Otto has just finished a test administed by his professor, Doctor Donald Lamaze. Otto, who has nothing but contempt for his professor assures Lamaze that he aced his test, saying it wasn’t a challenge. Lamaze warns Parker that this is not over as he has yet to submit his thesis. “Peter” assures Donald that his thesis will be a masterwork. On his way out, he agrees to meet up with Anna Maria Marconi dessert after his dinner with his Aunt May.

While in Chelsea, Mary Jane is at her night club in Chelsea wondering what is going on with Peter. Outside, the three young goblins are preparing to attack, not sure why their master sent them since Spider-Man warned them that this place is protected.[6] However, when the spider-bot stationed outside does not react to their presence, they prepare for attack. By this time, Otto is having dinner with Aunt May, her husband Jay Jameson, and his son J. Jonah Jameson. While May is pleased to hear that Peter is trying to get his doctorate, but uses this meeting to express her concerns about Peter’s involvement with Spider-Man, particularly after the way he beat Screwball earlier. This leads between a heated argument between Jay and Jonah about Spider-Man’s value to the city.[7] That’s when Otto takes his cue to leave, telling May that he has a date with a woman he thinks is special. May is pleased to hear this and rushes him out the door.

At that same moment, Mary Jane and her staff have discovered that all of the phones in the club are dead. That’s when the trio of young goblins set off some pumpkin bombs causing a fire. When Mary Jane and the others try to flee they discover that the doors are locked from the outside and they are trapped. Mary Jane hopes that Peter is seeing this, as a spider-bot stands motionless outside.

However, “Peter Parker” is blissfully unaware of the danger Mary Jane is in as, at that moment, he is helping Anna Maria Marconi with her latest culinary experiment. Working in her kitchen with dry ice, Anna Maria stumbles while trying to get up on a foot stool and ands up falling. Otto quickly reacts and catches Anna Maria in one hand while grabbing the spilling dry ice in the other, even thought it burns his hands. As Marconi treats the burn from the ice, the pair suddenly get close enough and kiss. That’s when the alarm on his phone goes off. Otto quickly leaves, telling Anna Maria that he works on Spider-Man’s gear and is needed right away. Anna Maria hopes that “Peter” will come back to continue this later, but feels like he might not.

At that moment, back at MJ’s, Mary Jane waits patiently for Peter to come and save her.[8] However, instead of Spider-Man coming to the rescue, fire fighters manage to get into the burning building. As Mary Jane begins to pass out from smoke inhalation, she mistakes one of the firefighters for Peter. Carried outside and given oxygen, Mary Jane learns that the man who saved him is named Pedro. While Mary Jane and Pedro hit it off, Spider-Man has just finished wrapping up Tombstone and his gang. He learns that some of Tombstone’s men took off and takes off to look for them. Having eventually heard about the fire at MJ’s, Otto had deferred the situation to the fire department. As he swings off, Otto commends himself for focusing on more important things, unlike his predecessor, and deems the fire at MJ’s as beneath him.

As Spider-Man swings across the city he is unaware that the men he is after have retreated into the sewers where they have been invited in joining the Goblin Nation. They are brought to the Goblin Nation’s hideout where they meet with the Green Goblin as well as his growing army of men, recruited from other gangs busted by Spider-Man. Calling himself the Goblin King, the Goblin welcomes them as part of his empire.

Recurring Characters

Spider-Man, White Dragon, Owl, Mary Jane Watson, Carlie Cooper, Yuri Watanabe, Aunt May, Jay Jameson, J. Jonah Jameson, Goblin King, Don Lamaze, Tombstone, Pedro Olivera

Continuity Notes

1. In case you’ve been living under a rock, Doctor Octopus stole Peter Parker’s body. Parker’s mind lived on and actively tried to stop him until Otto seemingly purged Parker from his mind. Parker will survive and turn up again and ultimately reclaim his body. See Amazing Spider-Man #698-700, Superior Spider-Man #9, 19, and 27-31.

2. The Owl mentions how this White Dragon is one of many criminals who are licensing out identities from Roderick Kingsley. Kingsley, the original Hobgoblin, began licensing out super-villain identities since Amazing Spider-Man #697. The previous White Dragon was murdered in Deadly Hands of Kung Fu (vol. 2) #3.

3. Doctor Octopus and the Owl previously went to war with one another back in Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #73-75.

4. Yuri Watanabe was forced to go on leave when Carlie Cooper threatened to reveal that she was moonlighting as the Wraith in Amazing Spider-Man #663-664. Carlie, fearing that Doctor Octopus took over Spider-Man’s body, called her back to help find proof last issue.

5. Spider-Man killed Massacre during Superior Spider-Man #4-5.

6. Spider-Man warned the trio, who at the time were working for the Vulture, in Superior Spider-Man #3.

7. There is a lot of talk about Spider-Man’s brutal activities. He severely beat Boomerang, the Vulture as well as Screwball and the Jester. These incidents happened in Superior Spider-Man #1, 3 and 5 respectively.

8. One of the MJ staffers mentions how the club was attacked by “three vultures” and its past connection to Adrian Toomes, the original Vulture. The club, formally known as the Wake, was previously owned by Toomes (Amazing Spider-Man #674-675). Mary Jane later bought it and made it her own (Amazing Spider-Man #686). Later, the Vulture started recruiting children to commit his robberies. (Superior Spider-Man #3) After he was taken down by Spider-Man, three of these children were recruited into the Goblin Nation. (Superior Spider-Man #4)