Webspinners: Tales of Spider-Man #7
The Bridge Part 1
Everybody has a different daily routine before starting the day. Flash Thompson, is doing a series of push-ups before classes. This routine is interrupted by his father, Harrison, who slaps the boy upside the head saying that it is for anything stupid he might do that day. Liz Allan spends her morning getting quizzed by her mother for upcoming exams. For Betty Brant, it’s getting for work at the Daily Bugle. She takes the opportunity to convince her nephew that going to school is important, saying that if he wants to drop out she can go to work for J. Jonah Jameson with her. This is an offer the boy smartly declines. For the villainous Sandman, he looks in the mirror and uses his sand powers to change the shape of his face. Peter Parker is itemizing everything he needs to do before graduation as a student, his photography job at the Daily Bugle, his own science experiments, and the things he needs to do as Spider-Man.
When Peter arrives at school, he puts up a front to make it look like he is barely strong enough to lift all his books. As he goes through his locker, he is visited by Liz Allan who reminds Peter that he promise to study with her later today. She then surprises him by asking him to take her to the prom. Before he can answer his spider-sense warns him that Flash Thompson threw a football at him, but he allows himself to get struck in order to maintain his secret identity. Liz scolds Flash for being a bully and brushes him off when he tries to talk to her. Before leaving, Flash bends down and warns Peter to stay away from Liz.
Later that day, Peter Parker is working on his final science experiment which could win him a scholarship at Empire State University. His teacher, Hugh Del, is overseeing Peter’s experiment. Listening to Peter complain about the prom, and how he would rather walk on broken glass than spend the money going to the senior prom. Del doesn’t think it can be that bad, but that’s when another student named Blake points out that nobody has it as bad at Midtown High as Peter Parker. Mister Del points out that Peter may not be a social butterfly but he is getting ahead of his project for the gifted student program, unlike Blake. Peter makes a quip that Blake will probably get an engineer from his father’s company to make something for him. Blake doesn’t take the insult well, telling Peter that is own experiment will blow Parker’s out of the water. Hugh tells Peter not to let Blake bother him, but Peter can’t help but bitter since Blake comes from a wealthy family and has a father who buys him everything, while Peter has had to struggle and deal with the tragic losses of his parents and his Uncle Ben.[1]
This puts Peter in a sour mood that Betty Brant can see when she picks him up from school. Knowing what is bothering him, Betty points out that someone like Blake isn’t the smartest kid in school, he is, and everyone knows it. Betty suggests that they go out to the beach so he can take his mind off things. Angered, Peter snaps at her saying that he has to win a scholarship because he can’t just drop out and work like a slave for J. Jonah Jameson as she does. Betty obviously doesn’t take this kind of abuse and kicks Peter out of her car. When he gets back home, Peter tries to study for his final exams. When Aunt May comes up to bring him supper, he tells her he doesn’t have time to eat when he needs to work hard to get the grant for ESU. May understands is worried about his classes as well as getting a date to the prom. Peter dismisses the prom angle, but May assures Peter that she is certain that he’ll get a date. Peter decides to take a break from studying but quickly falls asleep listening to the radio. Across town, the Sandman is counting the money he stole from a recent bank robbery and decides that this is an unfulfilling way to live as it poses no challenge. Looking at the cover of Mercs Monthly — which features Deadpool on the cover — inspires the Sandman that a change is in order.
The following morning, Peter is in such a rush to get to class that he skips breakfast, however, he stops himself at the front door when he realizes that he has not put on pants over his Spider-Man costume. At school, Peter continues his experiment and finally reaches success in his new adhesive polymer. When he rushes to Mister Del he runs in on him being shown a virtual reality rig that Blake has brought in for his science experiment. Overhearing Del’s excitement for Blake’s project upsets Peter and he walks out without another word. Adding insult to injury, Peter opens his locker only to be doused with a bucket of water that one of his bullies put in as a prank and gets a detention slip after the bell goes off. Having had enough, Peter storms out of the school and decides to change into Spider-Man so he can blow off steam swinging around the city. However, he continues to ruminate over how no matter how hard he works, others manage to get ahead of him by working smarter, not harder. The whole time he is ranting to himself his spider-sense is going off and he tries to ignore it. He considers tossing his experimental polymer in the river when his buzzing spider-sense becomes too intense to ignore. Suddenly, there is an explosion nearby.
At the UN Building, the Sandman has taken a job to attack the building by a terrorist group called the Sang du Mort Brotherhood. Spider-Man interrupts the attack with his usual taunts. However, between Sandman’s determination to win and the police also trying to arrest him, Spider-Man tries to think of an easy way to end this fight. He comes to the conclusion to use his experimental polymer and it easily incapacitates the Sandman, rending him intert and easy for the authorities to arrest.
The next day at school, people are taking notice of Peter Parker’s sudden carefree attitude, but his sudden lack of concern over his project concerns Mister Del. Later that day, Liz Allan tries to ask Peter to the prom again. At first, he thinks he can’t go with her because he is dating Betty Brant, but decides to accept her request anyway. When some bullies try to throw a football at his head this time, Peter allows himself to use his spider-sense to catch the ball instead of allowing himself to get hit. As Peter thinks about he doesn’t have a care in the world anymore. However, at Riker’s Island, the guards are drawn to the Sandman’s cell because the villain has started screaming as Sandman has lost control of his powers and he blames Spider-Man for what has happened to him.[2]
Recurring Characters
Spider-Man, Sandman, Flash Thompson, Betty Brant, Liz Allan, Aunt May, Doris Allan, Harrison Thompson, Hugh Del
Continuity Notes
Peter Parker’s parents were spies that were killed in the line of duty as revealed in Amazing Spider-Man Annual #5. Peter’s Uncle Ben, as you should know, was murdered by a burglar in Amazing Fantasy #15.
The original twin towers of the World Trade Center are seen as part of the New York City skyline in this story. This should be considered a topical reference per the Sliding Timescale of Earth-616 as the towers were destroyed in a terrorist attack in 2001 and since then the new Freedom Tower was built in its place.
