Peter Parker - The Spectacular Spider-Man

[Eddie Brock]

You're now advertising this as "An Acclaimed Fan Fiction?" How modest of you.

 

[SenseiofCheese]

Good story, PP. As much as I normally hate reading/seeing Spidey's origin, which is just about the most overused story ever, your little tweaks to it really help make it awesome.

Now go fetch me a sandwich!

 

[Matt Murdock]

What sort, Sensei?

 

[SenseiofCheese]

A Chapter-VI-of-your-story sandwich!

 

[Catman_prb]

Impressive

 

[hpwiz89]

I just read chapters 4 and 5 they were both awesome! When is a new chapter coming?

 

[Matt Murdock]

I'm starting the next chapter right now. I'm glad that there's still interest in this thing.

 

[Eddie Brock]

I'm starting the next chapter right now. I'm glad that there's still interest in this thing.

I was beginning to wonder about the next chapter. Then again, I have no room to talk - considering my current Superman slump.

 

[Batman]

If it's bad for you guys, I can only wonder how horrible it'll be for me when I get Batman up and running. I've already got the first nine chapters outlined, and I'm still struggling.

I'll be keeping an eye on this, however. I'm curious as to how Peter's transition to Spider-Man will differ in Murdock's rendition.

 

[ironman29758]

I was beginning to wonder about the next chapter. Then again, I have no room to talk - considering my current Superman slump.

Hey you have a superman slump I have a spider-man slump lets be slump buddies

and petey-o can you please hurry up with issue 6

 

[Matt Murdock]

CHAPTER VI

​

Peter Parker's eyes snapped open. He found himself sprawled under a blanket on the plush carpeting of his bedroom. Half of his face was coated in drool, but, other than that, Peter was fine... hunky-dorey, even. His stomach pains were gone, no longer was he suffering from an abnormally intense headache, and his sinuses were clear for the first time in what felt like months.

Peter lay there for a moment, a mess on his floor, staring out under his bed. It was then that he noticed a half-eaten bag of Doritoes beneath his mattress. Making a mental note to pick the chips up after school, Peter planted his hands before him and pushed upwards.

CRRRRACK!

The bones in Peter's spine cracked like dry twigs as he rose to his feet. As he stood, so, too, did his knees. Wincing in pain, Peter stood up. Out of instinct, he fumbled on his nightstand for his glasses and slid them on. His sight was out of focus so, as he hobbled about his room, Peter ran his thumb and index finger along the bottoms of his eyes, trying to shake himself of his grogginess. Opening his eyes once more, he found his gaze to still be fuzzy. Assuming that there was grit or grease on his glasses, he slid them off and cleaned them off with the corner of a t-shirt from his closet. Once more, he put them on, only to find them blurry. With an exasperated sigh, he pulled his glasses off and glanced around his room and found, much to his surprise, that his line of sight was crystal clear.

At this, Peter arched an eyebrow. After all, it wasn't every day that a young man's vision went from 'horrible' to 'perfect' overnight. He pushed his glasses onto the tip of his nose and eyed over their frames into his room. The image was crystal clear. He tried again, peering through the lenses. Now, his room was fuzzy again. He repeated this process a few times, each occasion bearing the same results. His glasses were fuzzy, his eyes clear.

Tossing his glasses onto his bed, Peter glanced at his wardrobe. Usually, he was all for the "throw something on and get to school" lifestyle. Now, though, with the events of the prior evening, and his relationship with Gwen, Peter felt compelled to dress... nicely. He slung a button down shirt on over a t-shirt and buttoned it up. Throwing on a pair of jeans, Peter tucked his shirt in and headed for the door. His foot was just beyond the threshold of his bedroom when he glanced over his shoulder.

There, on the corner of his desk, plugged in the wall, was his cell phone. He stared at it for a moment, balancing the pros and cons of taking it with him to school. The pros were, of course, direct contact with Gwen all day... and Harry. The only con Peter could foresee was that he might, inadvertently, neglect his studies for the day. Typically, such a thing would be rather innocuous to a high-schooler. But, to Peter Parker, missing a day of classes to the black hole of text messaging was an academic risk... a game of pitch and toss with his academic future. As Peter balanced his thoughts, his phone sat there, quietly staring at him. Through his phone, Peter felt a chance to be close to Gwen, a chance that had eluded him so frequently in the past. He dared not pass it up and, so, grabbed his phone from the table before scurrying out the door.

Peter clobbered his way down the stairs, brushing past his Uncle who was sitting at the breakfast table eating some cereal.

"Morning guys." He said, greeting his aunt and uncle.

"Well, looky here." Uncle Ben said enthusiastically, patting Peter on the shoulder. "I thought you were sick."

"I got better." Peter said, shrugging with a grin on his face.

"Nice outfit kiddo." His aunt said, as she tossed him an apple from the kitchen.

As Peter was heading out the door, the telephone rang, and he glanced over his shoulder.

"Hello?" His aunt said, jamming the phone between her shoulder and jawline. "Yes, he lives here."

His aunt's brow furrowed.

"May I ask what this is about?"

And, like that, her face lit up again.

"You don't say. Yes, I'm sure he's free tomorrow. Thank you very much."

Peter looked around his home carefully.

"W...what was that about?" He asked.

"A representative from a college upstate will be here tomorrow afternoon to interview Peter about a scholarship opportunity that has been made available to him." May said, a look of smug satisfaction on her face.

Peter felt a moment of sheer pride when he thought that his academics might actually be able to get him into a college. As he stepped through the door though, his cell phone seemed to weigh him down.

As Peter Parker made his way down the streets of Manhattan, Norman Osborn was driving through the countryside of Upstate New York, his car's engine roaring.

Briefly, after the incident at his laboratory, he had stopped at home to speak to his doorman and leave a note for his son. Simply put, Norman had a few errands to run.

The trip to Mendel Stromm's house hadn't been long at all; only about four hours straight along the expansive New York highway system. Norman had been eager to see his former associate ever since the events of the evening before. He had witnessed the power of Stromm's compound and, simply put, wanted to see what other ideas were locked up in the good doctor's brain.

He pulled his foot from the gas pedal as he made his way down Doctor Stromm's modest driveway.

The gravel leading to Stromm's front door crunched beneath his feet. Without bothering to knock, Norman pushed himself through the front door and looked at the scientist's home.

A half-empty bottle of whiskey was on the wooden kitchen table, along with a shot glass that was laying on its side.

Norman felt a grin twist onto his face as he made his way around the lower level of the home. He found Stromm, face-down on his desk, half asleep.

"Mendell, Mendell, Mendell."He said quietly,"You've really let yourself go, haven't you?"

Stromm's eyes flapped open quietly.

"N...Norman?" He asked, as he picked his head up from the desk.

"That's right, Mendell." Norman said casually. "How are you?"

"How do I look?"

"Like ****."

"That about sums it up, then."

Norman sat down behind Stromm, who had picked himself up and was rubbing his eyes.

"Well, Mendell, I have some good news for you."

"I'm rehired?"

"In your dreams."

"Then... what?"

For a split-second, Norman glared at Stromm and contemplated breaking his neck. Instead, however, he simply continued to speak.

"I was pouring over your old files and I found one for a human enhancement drug."

Stromm's eyes opened wide. Though he had chronicled the creation of the drug, he had never, actually, documented the tests which he had run personally. The drug itself seemed rather harmless when given in very low doses. It would, perhaps, make someone run faster or hit harder. Tests of this nature had all been run in his home laboratory on homeless subjects. All of them had been paid for their participation in the trial. However, when uncontrolled, when given an increased dose, the patients would begin to suffer from a hyper-aggressive state of mind. Simply put, the enhancer would drive their brain into a state of permanent rage. When coupled with the increased physical prowess that the enhancer gave the subject, this bordered on insanity.

"And... what did you use it to create?" He asked quietly, gripping the arms of his chair.

"Me." Norman hissed.

 

[Matt Murdock]

CHAPTER VII
​

"So, let me get this straight." Harry Osborn said, gripping his cell phone between his shoulder and his ear as he moved about his kitchen. "You've got a date for the dance and a college interview today, and you still haven't picked up the Doritos under your bed?"

"That about sums it up, yep." His best friend, Peter Parker, said, his phone pressed against his ear with his shoulder too.

Peter sat typing away at his computer, shifting in his chair as he tried to find a comfortable position that he could surf the internet and speak on the phone at the same time.

He debated telling Harry about the recent events at OsCorp, specifically those surrounding the stray spider that had found its way into Peter's bag. He glanced at his palm as Harry made a sandwich on the other end of the line. A small bruise lay on his flesh where the spider in his bag had bitten him only three days before.

Peter had experienced a series of bizarre events since the incident that night outside of the library. His fingertips had taken on an usual tackiness, sticking to everything he touched, were he not explicitly concentrating on remaining stick-free.

The incident with the car was certainly unusual as well. His reflexes, somehow, had increased greatly as a result of his encounter with the modified spider. After looking on the internet, as in-depth as his search for answers could go, really, Peter found that certain species of spider had heightened senses, thus enabling them to react to external stimuli far faster than the average arachnid.

"Any word from your dad?" Peter asked, trying to be as casual with the subject as possible.

Harry scoffed.

"Norman's been gone for the past few days, Pete. C'mon, cut the guy some slack. He's a multi-millionaire CEO of a scientific research company. He'd be a bad businessman if he didn't leave town for a few days."

Peter snickered on the other end of the line.

"Well, that's true." He stood up and walked briskly to his closet. "But aren't you the least bit, I dunno, worried about him?"

"Nah. My dad can handle himself." Harry rolled his eyes as he spoke, desperately trying to change the subject. "Hey, what're you wearing to this thing tonight?"

"The dance?"

"Yeah."

Peter tossed his dress pants and blazer onto his bed from the closet.

"Oh, I don't know."

In the whole of his life, Peter had never been one for school functions, let alone those of a romantic nature. For years he had kept to himself, aside from Gwen and Harry. He couldn't see that changing with a single dance.

"I'm probably going to stick with what I'm wearing to the interview."

"So... semi-casual?" Harry asked, fishing for a hint.

"Something like that."

"This is where you live." Peter's television said, as he turned it on and began playing the DVD in his player. "Right here."

"What're you watching?" Harry asked, as the TV came to life in the background.

"Nothin'." Peter replied, embarrassed.

"You live right here. You understand that? This is home."

"That sounds... familiar." Harry knew the voice, but couldn't place it without an image.

Peter had become decidedly less talkative since the television had come on.

"None of this. I don't wanna see none of that. Don't need no pizza. They got food there."

"Where is that from?" The aggravation in Peter's friend's voice was virtually palpable, and it was all Peter could do to stop himself from laughing.

"Elbows: six inches from the waist, ninety degree angle." The character continued, but with a more venomous tone, "Don't you bite your lip. Stop that. Stop it."

Harry's eyes opened wide and a satisfied smirk slid onto his face.

"Is that... Hitch?"

"Maybe. Thanks for calling. Gotta go get ready now." Peter said, snapping his phone shut and tossing it onto his bed.

He stared at it, fearing that it might snap open with a piece of ridicule from Harry.

When he was satisfied nothing was going to come leaping from his phone, Peter dressed himself and headed down the stairs.

"Hi guys." He said as he saw his aunt and uncle waiting for him in their living room.

Before they could reply, however, the doorbell rang.

Peter and Ben exchanged an eager glance.

With a single leap, far enough to surprise his aunt and uncle, Peter was on the sofa.

The bell rang again, and Aunt May answered the door quietly.

"Mrs. Parker?" A calm voice said from outside of the door.

Peter and his uncle grinned at each other, incredibly happy to be meeting Peter's future head-on.

"Please, come in." She said, motioning for the man to enter.

He was tall, over six feet. His build was slender, and he stood with a cane. His smile was warm and inviting, as his blue eyes glanced about the Parker residence.

Behind him was a young woman, her eyes following his slowly.

"Peter, Ben, this is Professor Charles..." She had trouble pronouncing his last name, hoping not to offend him.

His eyes snapped back to attention as she struggled.

"Xavier." He said, extending a hand towards Peter. "Charles Xavier. Let me be the first to say how thrilled we are over at the University that young Peter, here, agreed to meet with us."

Xavier draped his jacket over his arm and entered the house quietly, taking a seat when gestured to by May.

"You know me?" Peter asked, his tone indicated a certain level of surprise.

"Well, yes, Peter." The man said, reaching forward to pour himself a cup of tea. May had put forth a tray of coffee, tea, biscuits, and sandwiches in the hopes of impressing their company. "Your academic record is nothing short of remarkable, and your numerous accolades have certainly raised interest in schools other than my own."

Peter's concentration flitted between the Professor before him and the young woman, about Peter's age, sitting next to him.

Xavier smiled and put a hand on her shoulder.

"How could I have forgotten to introduce this young lady. Her name is Kitty."

Ben and May exchanged smiles.

"She's a student at my school. She has been for just about eight years now."

"Eight?" May asked, somewhat surprised.

Shifting himself in his seat, the Professor looked up at Peter's aunt.

"Well, yes. We encourage a constant student body at the University. Of course, we have the under-level schools at the academy, but there's also a University. It helps make the yearly transition easier for students. Our grades range from second, all the way up to fourth year medical and law students."

"So, it really is a small, isolated world there, isn't it?"

"It certainly is." Xavier said, looking at Ben. "Would it be alright with the two of you if I was allowed to sit and talk quietly with Peter, just to understand what he wants from a school?"

They both nodded, realizing that they didn't have any grounds to deny the Professor a conference with the boy he hoped would be a student of his in the future.

As Ben and May made their way upstairs, wringing their hands anxiously, Peter smiled at Professor Xavier, unsure of what to say.

"Well, Peter. You've had quite the week, haven't you?"

Peter's eyes opened wide as his mouth fell agape.

"Before you go jumping to conclusions, I am indeed a teacher. I do run a school for gifted youngsters, and I do want you to be a student there when the time comes."

Peter turned his head quietly.

Then what exactly is going on, here? He thought to himself.

You've been given a rare gift, Peter. I'm here to show you how to use it, if you'll let me.

Peter gasped and pushed himself backwards, toppling over the rear of the sofa.

"Kitty, here, is like you and I. She, too, has been handed rare abilities by fate."

"Does that mean you can tell me how this..." Peter muttered, gesturing at his hand. "has happened to me?"

"The logical place to start would be after the spider bite you suffered from a few days ago. The venom in the spider's blood had a chemical reaction with your own. I'm no doctor, but the most logical explanation is that something happened in your DNA."

"So am I going to grow more arms, or fangs, or extra eyes?"

Peter began to panic. He was only a teenager... how could he be expected to live a normal life while he was sticking to walls and soaring through the air?

"We can't say for sure, Peter." The professor said, relaxing Peter slightly. "But you should know that you are surrounded by people who care for you and want what's best for you. That's why I'm extending this invitation to you; to be with people who understand what you're going through, people who can appreciate you no matter what."

Peter sat quietly on the sofa for a moment, staring at the carpet beneath his feet. He had lived in this house for fifteen years. Every wall was lined with memories and everything he saw meant something to him. He was older, but he was still young.

"Professor Xavier," He said, smiling to himself. "I think I might've found that already."

The professor nodded understandingly.

"Fair enough, my boy." Charles said, rising to his feet.

He quietly moved towards the doorway, with a hand on Kitty's back.

"We'll be in touch."

Kitty pushed her bangs back behind her ear and placed a piece of paper in Peter's hand.

"If you ever need anything." She said. "Or if you're alone on a Saturday night."

"Thanks." Peter breathed, as he watched his scholarship opportunity walk down the pavement.

Before he could turn around, Peter heard footsteps thudding down the stairs.

"Well, how was it?" His aunt asked eagerly.

Peter stared at the car that the professor had come in as it drove down the street.

"It wasn't for me." Peter said, his heart heavy.

"Not for you? How could it not be for you?"

Peter's aunt was exasperated, and she let out a heavy sigh when she felt Ben's hand on her shoulder.

"Now, May." He said. "If Pete says the school wasn't for him, I'll believe him."

"Fair enough." She growled, patting her boy's back as he stared at the floor, sullen.

"If anyone needs me, I'll be upstairs."

 

[Matt Murdock]

CHAPTER VIII
​

The hours passed with relative ease, as Peter surfed the internet. One by one the guests arrived at his house. First Gwen, who Peter watched a few episodes of Frasier with before Harry and his date arrived.

Before he knew it, everyone was standing in his living room, arms around each other.

"Say 'cheese,' everyone!" Peter's Uncle Ben said from behind the lens of a camera.

Peter, his girlfriend, Gwen, Harry Osborn, and his date to the dance, Liz Allan all spoke aloud.

"Cheese!"
"Cheese!"
"Cheese!"
"Cheese!"

The group spoke in unison, arms around each other; they were happy.

After the flash of the bulb went off, Peter's Aunt May stood beside her husband.

"Be sure to get some pictures of the couples, Ben!" She said happily.

"Don't worry, May, I'm old. I'm not senile." He said, grinning. "Alright, Peter, Gwen. Let's get a shot of you two."

Peter held Gwen in his arms as his uncle took the picture.

Once the picture was taken, Peter led Gwen into the kitchen and grabbed them some drinks while Harry got a picture with Liz.

"Correct me if I'm wrong..." He muttered. "But isn't she going out with Flash Thompson?"

She sipped from her drink as the bulb went off.

"They broke up, so she decided to go to the dance with Harry."

"Yeah, but," Peter said, "Don't they break up once every three or four weeks?"

"Yeah." Gwen said, nonchalantly. "And you'd think that a gal like Liz would learn after a while "

"A girl like Liz?" Peter asked, throwing away his empty trash can.

"Well, I mean. She's a smart girl. Not as smart as you or me, but pretty smart."

Peter nodded.

"I wish she'd just stop hanging out with that loser. She could do so much better."

Gwen threw away her drink.

"I heard she always had a crush on you, ya know."

"Aw, Gwendy. There's only one gal in the world for me." He said, smiling and kissing her on the cheek.

"If I may interrupt you lovebirds," Harry said, standing across from them, "I think it's about time that we headed out."

"Sounds good to me!" Liz said, happily, eagerly hoping to get out of small talk with Peter's aunt.

As they headed out the door, Peter hugged his aunt and uncle with Gwen by his side.

"It was nice meeting you, Mr. and Mrs. Parker!" She said, as she was dragged out of the door by Liz. "I'll save you a seat, Pete."

He nodded and she kissed him on the cheek before finally being heaved out by Allan.

"She's a very lovely girl, Peter." Aunt May said, smiling and adjusting his tie.

"She's one in a million, Pete!" Ben grinned enthusiastically. "Now, hear me, though. No hanky panky! If there's any hanky panky, I'll find out."

"We'll find out." May corrected.

"Right." Ben said, smiling. "Can I have a minute with Pete, May?"

May nodded and kissed Peter on the head.

"Have fun, kiddo."

"Thanks, Aunt May." Peter said, as she made her way up the stairs.

After the sound of a door shutting echoed through the home, Ben and Peter looked at each other.

"Pete, why don't you have a seat on the couch?"

Not one to question his uncle, Peter nodded and took a seat.

"Look, Peter, you're a great kid. I know you won't believe this, but you used to be about as tall as my knee. You'd look around our house at everything. You'd look at the heating ducts to figure out how our house stayed hot in the winter, you'd look at bullfrogs in the summer out in the yard, and you'd always have a book in your hand for a rainy day."

Peter smiled and looked around his house. It almost hurt to think that in a year he'd be gone... out in the world. He'd be living a life of his own, leaving this place behind.

"I used to look at your Aunt May and I'd say, 'look at this little guy. He's going to do some great things one day.' And you have, Peter. It's been a great honor to watch you grow up. You're healthy, happy, and intelligent. There are somethings, though, Peter, that even you don't know."

His uncle's tone was stern, but loving. Peter didn't doubt that what he was listening to was something his uncle felt that he had to hear. For years, Peter had listened to his uncle, respected him like a father, and now that the days they had together grew less and less in number, no piece of advice was ever met with anything but an open mind.

"You know your aunt and I, we're realists, Pete. We know that the day when you leave the house to go out on your own is coming. We know that tonight, someone's undoubtedly going to bring something to throw in the punch."

"I don't hang out wi--" Peter said, anxious to protest and defend himself.

"We know you don't hang out with those kids, Peter. But, still. It's something you've gotta be aware of, or you could find yourself in some hot water. Tonight, you're going to have the choice to do the right thing or the wrong thing. And you know that to be able chose is to have power. You can select option 'A' or option 'B.'"

Peter's uncle smiled at him, knowing that this conversation, while important, wasn't really necessary.

"The measure of a man isn't how many ribbons can hang from his neck or the pounds he can lift. The true measure of a man is how many times he can see himself in the mirror and feel pride. I'm not condemning you, Peter, and I'm not lecturing. I'm just saying: be careful what choices you make. Because the only person you owe anything to is yourself. If you don't think you'll let yourself down by doing something, do it. You always have a choice, Peter. It's in your hands, it's your duty, to make sure it's the right one. Remember, with great power comes great responsibility."

Peter nodded, trying as hard as he could not to laugh at the sentimentality of his uncle's remarks.

"Don't laugh at me, Peter. If you don't hear it from me, who's going to tell you?"

"I'm sorry, Uncle Ben." Peter said, snickering. "But, do you think I can go now?"

"Go ahead, Peter." Ben said with a sigh. "Go have a good time."

"Thanks! See ya!"

"We love you, Peter." Ben called, but Peter was already out of the door, sprinting towards Harry's car, leaving the screen door to slam closed unceremoniously.

 

[batman11]

I've just read all the chapters - very well done man. Great stuff. A while back I was actually going to go back and write my own sorta reboot of the Spidey series, and you and I share some very similar ideas. Your inclusion of other characters from the Marvel universe is top notch, and I was nearly in stitches when "I kid you not" was said. I loved how you brought in the "great power/responsibility" speech, and I especially liked how Peter was accepted into Xavier's school. The Banner/Hulk thing was a nice touch as well. I can't wait for more updates. Keep it up.

 

[Matt Murdock]

Thanks a ton, man.

 

[Matt Murdock]

Also, I'd like to raise this point now: unlike a comic book, which graphically tells the story, I'll only be using one, single image of spider-man. It's going to be the last thing we see in this part of the story, simply because I think it will carry far more weight if it's posted in the final part of the tale.

 

[chrisfishlock]

just as i thought this was dead you come back with two great chapters, i cant wait for some of the action to start and i really love it how you include other characters from the Marvel Universe, definatly one of my fav fan fics ever.

 

[Matt Murdock]

Thanks.

 

[Matt Murdock]

I'm hoping to get a post up later today, but I can't make any promises. I know the posts aren't too interesting right now, but things will pick up.

 

[red hood 4]

This story is a work of art.

 

[Matt Murdock]

Thanks a ton!

 

[Eddie Brock]

You're damn lucky you didn't forget about this thing!

 

[Matt Murdock]

Thanks, Brock.

 

[MaskedManJRK]

Pretty damn good so far--you seem to have the character down pretty well. Only two things I noticed.

The beginning of your first chapter is...very slow, and very telly. The story really started when Peter started to talk to Uncle Ben and Aunt May. Perhaps you can start with that, and interlace the other stuff around it?

Also, a slight typo--on your last chapter, when Gwen and Peter are talking about Liz, you have "Liz" talking, not Gwen--which makes it sound like Liz is talking about herself despite not being in the room and Peter calling her Gwen. Took a second to figure out what you meant.

But yeah, excellent stuff so far. Now when's the next chapter out, dammit?

 

[Matt Murdock]

Pretty damn good so far--you seem to have the character down pretty well. Only two things I noticed.

The beginning of your first chapter is...very slow, and very telly. The story really started when Peter started to talk to Uncle Ben and Aunt May. Perhaps you can start with that, and interlace the other stuff around it?

I wanted to start the story off slowly, to be honest. The way I saw it was that if I jumped right into the dialog, I wouldn't have a strong, narrative base to work from. I'll certainly toy with what I've got though to see if I can streamline it.

Also, a slight typo--on your last chapter, when Gwen and Peter are talking about Liz, you have "Liz" talking, not Gwen--which makes it sound like Liz is talking about herself despite not being in the room and Peter calling her Gwen. Took a second to figure out what you meant.

Got it. Fixed it. Thank you!

But yeah, excellent stuff so far. Now when's the next chapter out, dammit?

Danke. And the next chapter will, hopefully, be coming tonight or tomorrow. I have to catch myself up in the games.