Spider-Man : The Story of a Hero

New York — Downtown Manhattan — Morning

A car sped through the crowded streets of Manhattan.

Inside, three crooks were laughing their heads off. Cash bills were sticking out of a duffel bag lying between them, proof of the robbery they had just pulled off.

The man in the passenger seat grabbed the bag and opened it once again to admire its contents.

— Guys! There’s over six grand in here!

The driver burst out laughing.

— Holy shit, that guy really had a lot of cash in his register!

— Hell yeah, he did!

In the back seat, their third accomplice leaned forward.

— Hey! So how are we splitting this?

The driver frowned.

— Huh? What do you mean, ”how”?

— Well, we gotta do the math! What’s 6,000 divided by 3?

The first crook hesitated.

— Uh... hang on a second...

He immediately pulled out his phone and opened the calculator app.

The driver stared at him for a few seconds before his eyes widened.

— Wait! Am I dreaming, or do you seriously not know how to divide 6,000 by 3?!

— Of course I do! It’s just faster this way!

— You’re a complete fucking idiot, you know that?!

While the mathematical argument was reaching new heights, the third man glanced out the window and looked up at the sky.

His expression immediately changed.

— Oh, by the way... do you guys see that damn spider?

The driver blinked.

— Oh yeah, that’s true! Hang on, let me check.

He quickly scanned the surroundings.

The rooftops.

The buildings.

The walls.

Nothing.

Absolutely nothing.

Relieved, he turned back toward his companions.

— Nah. We’re good. That asshole isn’t—

He never got the chance to finish his sentence.

A scream suddenly tore through the vehicle.

His body was yanked out of the car as if an invisible force had grabbed him.

— HOLY SHIT! WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!

— OH CRAP! HURRY UP!

Panicking, the remaining passenger leaned out the window.

His accomplice was hanging from a streetlight, completely wrapped in white webbing.

And right behind him...

A red-and-blue figure was sprinting down the street at incredible speed.

— HEY GUYS! WAIT FOR ME!

Spider-Man waved enthusiastically while continuing to run.

The crook felt his blood run cold.

— No freaking way...

His eyes immediately searched for a weapon.

Anything.

Something.

— Dude, the gun! The gun!! WHERE’S THE DAMN GUN?!

Keeping one hand on the wheel, his partner frantically searched the glove compartment before pulling out a pistol.

— Here! But you’d better hit him!

The crook immediately snatched the weapon.

Half his body hung out the window as he aimed at the Spider.

Then he opened fire.

Gunshots echoed through the street.

But Spider-Man seemed to be dancing between the bullets.

He jumped.

Twisted.

Slid.

Every shot missed him by mere inches.

Within seconds, he caught up to the vehicle.

Then leapt directly onto the roof.

— Kids... that’s not a toy! Hand it over! It’s confiscated!

— Shut the hell up and take this, freak!

The crook fired through the roof of the car.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

Completely useless.

Spider-Man slid across the metal roof, dodged every shot with ridiculous ease, and suddenly appeared right in front of him.

A web shot out.

The pistol vanished.

Then, in the next instant, the criminal was launched out of the vehicle.

A few yards later, he ended up plastered against a wall, completely trapped inside a cocoon of webbing.

The last man felt panic consume him.

— You’ve gotta be kidding me! I’m surrounded by idiots!

Suddenly...

A figure appeared directly in front of the windshield.

Spider-Man.

His face was only inches away from the glass.

— ...Hi there.

— AAAAAAH!

The crook screamed in terror.

His foot slammed onto the accelerator before he violently jerked the wheel.

The car spun sideways.

The tires screeched.

Then the vehicle flipped over.

Fortunately, Spider-Man reacted instantly.

He jumped to the ground, stretched out his arms, and cushioned the fall before the car could fully crash.

The vehicle landed heavily back on its wheels.

The engine died with a metallic groan.

A few moments later, the last criminal joined his two companions, securely wrapped in a thick layer of webbing.

As usual, Spider-Man then pulled a small piece of paper from his pocket.

He quickly scribbled a few words on it.

Then attached the note to the vehicle for the police.

Mission accomplished.

Without waiting for thanks from anyone, the Spider pushed off a streetlight, fired a web toward a nearby building, and launched himself into the air.

A few seconds later, he had already disappeared among the skyscrapers of Manhattan.

New York — Midtown High — One Hour Later

The atmosphere in the classroom was calm.

The students were all occupied in their own ways. Gwen was paying close attention to the lesson, focused on what the teacher was writing on the board. Harry, meanwhile, seemed to be fighting to stay awake. Liz and Sally were quietly chatting among themselves, while Flash Thompson was completely absorbed in his phone.

At the front of the classroom, the teacher finished writing a few lines before setting down his chalk.

— Alright, very good! I’ve written everything you need to study for next week on the board. There may be a test, so don’t take it lightly!

At that moment, the classroom door opened.

Peter stepped inside discreetly, slightly out of breath.

As usual.

The teacher simply glanced at him.

No surprise.

No comment.

Peter quickly apologized before heading to his seat.

As he passed by, he gave Gwen a small smile.

But she looked away without responding.

Only Harry gave him a nod.

Once seated, Peter leaned slightly toward him.

— Hey.

Harry studied him for a few seconds before frowning.

— Uh... am I imagining things, or is Gwen giving you the cold shoulder?

Peter grimaced.

— Uh... yeah.

— What happened?

— It’s... complicated.

Harry immediately leaned closer.

— What do you mean ”complicated”? Come on, explain!

Peter shook his head.

— No, forget it. It’s better not to talk about it.

— Come on, man! Tell me!

— No.

This time, his tone was firmer.

— Besides, Gwen wouldn’t want me telling everyone about it.

Harry crossed his arms.

— But I’m not ”everyone”!

— Maybe... but still.

Harry sighed.

The battle was lost.

— Fine, have it your way.

— Anyway, did you know tha—

He was about to change the subject when a sudden shout echoed through the classroom.

— WHAT?! SERIOUSLY?!

Flash Thompson had just jumped out of his chair.

The entire class startled.

The teacher closed his eyes for a few seconds.

— What... now...?

Flash held up his phone as if he had just discovered a global catastrophe.

— No, sir, this is serious! The Daily Bugle just published an article calling Spider-Man a criminal and a threat to New York! This is complete nonsense!

Peter blinked.

— The Daily Bugle? Me, a threat? Seriously?! For once, I agree with Flash. This is absolute nonsense...

The teacher let out a long sigh.

— Thompson... I know you’re a fan of his, but we’re in class...

— A fan? No, I’m not just a fan!

Liz immediately rolled her eyes.

— Here we go again...

Sally leaned slightly toward her friend.

— Tell me, does he annoy you with Spider-Man stuff in private too?

Flash wasn’t listening to anyone anymore.

— Honestly, I don’t even know how to explain it... He’s just incredible! Have you seen how he swings through the air? How he fights? He saves people, and it’s awesome!

A collective sigh spread through the classroom.

Probably the tenth time he’d talked about Spider-Man this week.

Peter watched him discreetly.

— If only he knew the truth. And to think that right now, he’s my number one fan... Hard to believe.

His gaze lingered on Flash for a few moments.

Then his thoughts drifted.

— And to think we used to be really close... I still wonder how our relationship went from close friends to... this.

Lost in his memories, he failed to notice that Flash had caught him staring.

— What?! Why are you looking at me like that?!

Peter jumped.

— Huh? No, sorry, I was just lost in thought...

Sally immediately seized the opportunity.

— Sure... keep telling yourself that. You were checking out Liz again!

Silence fell.

Then every eye in the room turned toward Peter.

— But I wasn’t—

He stopped himself.

Sighed.

Then gave up.

— Forget it. I don’t have the energy to argue with you people.

Flash immediately straightened up.

— What?! Are you kidding me?!

Fortunately for Peter, the bell rang at that exact moment.

The teacher looked almost relieved.

— Oh thank God! Alright, class is over. Get home safely, and don’t forget to study what I told you earlier! There may be a test!

A few seconds later, the classroom emptied completely.

Students left while chatting among themselves.

Peter remained still.

Then his brain finally processed something.

— Study? A test? Crap.

He jumped to his feet and rushed toward the teacher’s desk.

— Sir, could you tell me what we need to study, please?

The teacher made an apologetic face.

— Sorry, Parker, but I already erased everything.

Peter immediately felt his hope collapse.

— Stacy probably wrote everything down, as always. Ask her to share her notes with you.

Peter stood frozen for a few seconds.

— Ask Gwen? Great...

— Alright... I’ll ask her. Thanks, sir. Goodbye!

Without wasting another second, he left the classroom as well.

New York — Professor Connors’ Laboratory — Later

Peter and Gwen were busy cleaning the laboratory. Armed with cloths and cleaning supplies, they dusted the worktables, put away various tools, and made sure the equipment was spotless.

The atmosphere between them remained strange.

Since their conversation on the bus, neither of them had really known what to say.

Peter had tried several times to start a conversation, but each time the words got stuck in his throat.

As they worked on opposite sides of the room, Martha Connors’ warm voice echoed through the laboratory.

— Peter! Gwen! Come over here, please!

Curious, the two teenagers looked up before walking over.

— What is it, Mrs. Connors? Gwen asked.

— Is everything alright? Peter added.

Martha gave them a mysterious smile.

Beside her stood a large crate covered with a sheet.

— Oh, everything is perfectly fine, don’t worry. I simply wanted to show you something.

Peter raised an eyebrow.

— Show us something?

— Exactly.

Without waiting any longer, Martha grabbed the sheet and pulled it away with a dramatic flourish.

The two students froze.

In front of them stood a series of perfectly maintained terrariums.

Inside, several brightly colored spiders crawled across artificial branches and miniature decorations.

But among them, one immediately caught Peter’s attention.

Red... and blue.

Exactly as he remembered.

— Hey, wait a second...! Gwen whispered.

— No way...! It can’t be...!

Martha smiled.

— That’s right. The red and blue spider is the very one that bit you during your school visit.

Peter stood speechless.

— Seriously...?

— Absolutely. As for the others, we’ve created and studied them more recently.

— They’re beautiful..., Gwen whispered in amazement.

— They really are, aren’t they?

— Wow... I thought it was dead. It’s so strange seeing it again.

Almost against his own will, Peter stepped closer to the glass.

His eyes remained fixed on the tiny creature.

For a few moments, everything else seemed to disappear.

A strange mix of nostalgia and emotion welled up inside him.

— Hey... remember me? Because of you, my life completely changed. I’ve had problems... a lot of problems. But I’ve also been able to help so many people. So... thank you.

Beside him, Gwen continued examining the terrariums.

— Wait... you said you created these recently? But this one already existed when we visited. Why did you wait so long before developing the others?

Martha’s expression became slightly more serious.

— After Peter was bitten, there were... a few complications. We preferred to suspend certain research projects for a while. Sometimes it’s better to keep a low profile.

Peter immediately nodded.

— One hundred percent agreed.

— I try to do that too... but it’s not exactly my specialty.

Gwen crossed her arms.

— By the way, where’s your husband? I mean, Professor Connors.

— Curtis? Oh, he’s been locked in his office for quite a while. I invited him to come join us, but he said he was too busy.

— And Billy? Peter asked.

— A friend is watching him today. He wasn’t feeling very well this morning.

Peter nodded before his attention was drawn to several vials lined up on a nearby shelf.

Inside them floated a translucent yellow liquid.

— And those? What are they?

Martha turned toward the vials.

— Oh, those...

Her tone immediately became more professional.

— They’re DNA purifiers. Just like the name suggests, they cleanse an organism of foreign DNA. For example, if you had developed concerning symptoms after your bite, we would have had you drink this liquid. It would have eradicated the spider DNA inside you and returned you to normal. Fortunately, you’re perfectly healthy. We developed it shortly after your bite. If you’re going to create something new, you should also create a way to undo it. Well... if necessary.

— So it works on any foreign DNA? Not just spider DNA?

— That’s right!

Peter fell silent.

Very silent.

He stared at the vials.

A slight chill ran down his spine.

Even so, he forced a smile.

— Wow... that’s really impressive, Professor. We’re lucky to be here.

Then suddenly...

His spider-sense exploded.

Like an electric shock surging through his entire body.

Danger.

Immediate.

Deadly.

His eyes widened.

— LOOK OUT!

Without thinking, Peter lunged forward.

He grabbed Gwen with one arm and Martha with the other before throwing them violently to the floor several feet away.

A fraction of a second later...

BOOM!

A massive metal door tore through the laboratory at incredible speed.

It pulverized several worktables in its path before crashing into a wall with a deafening impact.

The silence that followed was almost surreal.

Gwen slowly lifted her head.

Martha remained frozen.

Both of them stared at the wreckage scattered throughout the room.

Peter was the first to react.

— Is everyone alright?!

Still shaken by what had just happened, Gwen nodded.

— Yeah... thanks.

A few feet away, Martha Connors seemed unable to tear her eyes away from the laboratory entrance.

A massive figure had appeared in the ruined doorway.

Over seven feet tall.

Dark green scales covering its body.

Long, razor-sharp claws.

And a massive tail dragging behind it.

For several seconds, nobody spoke.

— Am I dreaming, or is that... ? Peter whispered.

— A lizard?! What is that thing doing here?! Gwen shouted.

Then suddenly...

Martha’s face went pale.

As if she had just realized something horrible.

— Connors...?

Her voice trembled.

— Connors, is that you...?

Her eyes widened even more.

— Don’t tell me you’ve started again... I told you to stop!

The creature remained motionless.

Its reptilian eyes met Martha’s.

For a fraction of a second...

It hesitated.

As if a part of Curtis Connors still existed somewhere behind those monstrous eyes.

Despite her fear, Martha took a step forward.

— It’s me, honey...

Her voice shook.

— You recognize me, don’t you?

Beside her, Gwen couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

— Professor, that’s impossible! That thing can’t be your husband!

At that moment, Peter felt a shock race through his entire body.

His Spider-Sense.

Instinctively, he understood.

Immediate danger.

With a savage roar, the Lizard swept through the room with a monstrous swing of his tail.

Martha was launched across the laboratory.

Peter reacted without thinking.

He threw himself in front of Gwen.

BOOM!

The impact was brutal.

The tail slammed directly into him.

The air was knocked from his lungs.

His body flew several yards before crashing into a worktable, which exploded into pieces.

— PETER! Gwen screamed.

The creature slowly turned its head toward her.

For a moment, it seemed to observe her.

Analyze her.

Then it extended a massive claw.

Before Gwen could react, it grabbed her around the waist.

The Lizard immediately leapt toward the exit.

— CONNORS, NO! LET GWEN GO! DON’T HURT HER! Martha shouted.

But the creature had already vanished.

Silence suddenly fell over the laboratory.

Peter remained motionless for a few seconds.

His mind heard nothing.

Only one thought remained.

Gwen.

Gwen is in danger.

A cold anger slowly rose inside him.

He clenched his fists.

Then forced himself to regain control.

— Gwen...!

Despite the pain still coursing through his body, he got back to his feet and rushed over to Martha.

— Mrs. Connors! Are you alright?!

The scientist winced.

— Yes... I’m alright.

She tried to sit up before grabbing Peter’s arm.

— Listen, Peter...

Her expression was serious.

— Go home.

Peter blinked.

— What?

— It’s too dangerous. You’re my responsibility! she interrupted. So please... go home.

Her voice cracked slightly.

— Don’t worry about Gwen. I’ll... I’ll handle it.

Peter looked around.

The destroyed laboratory.

The shattered doorway.

The claw marks.

And Gwen, who had just been kidnapped right in front of them.

Then he looked back at Martha.

— With all due respect...

His voice was calm.

But firm.

— You’re injured. And Gwen is in danger.

He gently shook his head.

— Do you really think I’m just going to go home? No way.

Martha immediately realized she had lost the argument.

— Peter, no! You don’t stand a chance against him!

— Sorry, Professor.

His eyes hardened.

— But I can’t just look the other way.

And she understood that she wouldn’t be able to stop him.

Peter quickly grabbed his backpack.

Then his eyes fell on a toppled shelf.

Among the debris lay an intact vial.

The DNA Purifier.

Without hesitation, he picked it up.

He gave Martha one last look.

Then sprinted out of the laboratory.

— The kind-hearted Peter Parker can’t stand against a monster like that... but Spider-Man can! 

A few moments later, hidden inside a deserted alleyway, he opened his backpack.

The red-and-blue suit appeared.

Within seconds, Peter Parker disappeared.

Spider-Man took his place.

He pulled on his mask.

Clenched his fists.

Then looked up at the skyscrapers of Manhattan.

A web shot out.

Then another.

Spider-Man launched himself between the buildings at full speed.

The wind whistled around him.

His heart pounded furiously in his chest.

This time, he wasn’t chasing a thief.

Or a mercenary.

Or a monster sent by Tombstone.

This time...

He was going to save one of the most important people in his life.

New York — Streets of Manhattan — Evening

Spider-Man raced through Manhattan at full speed, leaping from rooftop to rooftop while his eyes frantically scanned the streets below.

Everywhere he looked, there were signs of panic.

Abandoned cars.

People running.

Something was wrong.

He suddenly landed on the roof of a small building and raised his arms to get the attention of the people below.

— EXCUSE ME! HAS ANYONE SEEN A LIZARD OVER SEVEN FEET TALL PASS THROUGH HERE?!

Several people jumped in surprise.

One man, clearly panicked, immediately raised his arm and pointed toward a nearby manhole.

— Y-Yes! I saw it! It almost attacked us, then it went that way!

Spider-Man jumped from the rooftop and landed right in front of him.

— Alright, thank you!

His eyes quickly scanned the man.

— If you’re injured, don’t move. Call emergency services and wait for them.

Then, without wasting a second, he rushed toward the opening.

And jumped.

The darkness of the sewers swallowed him instantly.

— I have to find her. Fast!

His webs allowed him to move quickly despite the narrow tunnels. Dirty water occasionally splashed against his feet while his eyes searched for any trace of the Lizard.

For long minutes, he continued his underground pursuit.

Then he finally spotted an opening ahead.

Another manhole.

He immediately climbed back to the surface.

The moment he emerged, he was greeted by chaos.

Overturned cars.

Shattered windows.

Injured civilians.

And several police officers trying to secure the area.

— Spider-Man?!

Peter immediately turned his head.

— Captain Stacy?!

George Stacy approached him, visibly relieved to see him.

— Hey there, kid. Can you tell me what’s going on? We’ve been getting calls for the past several minutes. Terrified people are reporting a giant lizard causing chaos all over the city. Is it true?

Spider-Man hesitated for a moment.

Then decided to tell the truth.

— Yes... but that’s not even the worst part.

His tone became more serious.

— That creature is Curtis Connors. Gwen’s teacher and mine. And he has your daughter.

The captain froze.

— What?!

The color seemed to drain from his face.

— You mean he’s holding Gwen hostage?!

— Yes.

Spider-Man clenched his fists.

— And I need to find him before something happens to her!

He looked around.

— Do you know where he went?

Before George could answer, one of the officers came running toward them.

— Captain!

He was struggling to catch his breath.

— We got information! The creature is heading toward the Brooklyn Bridge!

— The bridge?! George repeated.

Spider-Man reacted instantly.

— Not a second to lose!

He fired a web toward a nearby building.

— I’m going! Follow me by car!

George turned toward his men.

— Alright! Everyone into your vehicles!

His voice rang out like a military command.

— Head for the bridge!

As the officers ran toward their cars, George looked up at Spider-Man, who was already disappearing into the distance.

— Hang on, Gwen...

His heart tightened.

— Dad’s coming.

New York — Brooklyn Bridge — Evening

The Lizard was climbing the massive steel structure at a terrifying speed.

In his arms, Gwen struggled as much as she could.

But it was useless.

Against that kind of strength, she couldn’t do anything.

— Professor Connors...

Her voice trembled.

— If it’s really you... please snap out of it!

The wind whipped against her face as they climbed higher and higher.

— You’re not yourself anymore! Let’s get down from here!

But no response came.

A few seconds later, they reached the top of the bridge.

The Lizard violently dropped her onto the metal platform.

Gwen collapsed to the ground.

Then the creature let out a terrifying roar that echoed throughout the entire structure.

As if he were proclaiming his dominance over the world.

— Oh my God...

Gwen slowly backed away.

— Peter... please come...

Meanwhile, Spider-Man had finally reached the base of the bridge.

Below, police cars were already taking position.

Officers were getting out of their vehicles.

But Peter only had eyes for one thing.

Up there.

At the very top.

He spotted Gwen.

And right behind her...

The Lizard.

— I’m coming, Gwen !

Without hesitation, he started running.

Then he jumped.

One web.

Then another.

Then a third.

His body shot through the air at incredible speed.

— HEY! LIZARD!

The monster turned around.

Gwen did too.

Spider-Man shot through the air like an arrow.

In his hand was the DNA Purifier vial.

He tried to force the creature to swallow it in one motion.

But the Lizard reacted faster.

His tail whipped through the air violently.

BOOM!

Spider-Man was launched into the void.

The vial slipped from his grasp.

It bounced several times across the metal structure before finally coming to a stop at Gwen’s feet.

With trembling hands, she picked it up.

— Professor...

Her voice was barely more than a whisper.

— Please... snap out of it!

The Lizard kept advancing.

Slowly.

Relentlessly.

She could feel his hot breath.

His smell.

He was only a few feet away.

Then suddenly...

A red-and-blue figure burst out of the darkness.

Spider-Man.

He lunged at the creature.

Webs shot out in every direction.

Arms.

Legs.

Tail.

Torso.

Within seconds, the Lizard was completely immobilized.

— Let’s finish this.

Peter immediately searched for the vial.

Panic rising at the thought of having lost it.

— H-Here...

He turned his head.

Gwen was holding out the antidote.

A wave of relief washed over him.

— I thought I’d lost it. Thanks.

He took the vial from Gwen’s hands.

Then forced the Lizard’s jaws open.

And poured the entire contents down his throat.

For a second...

Nothing happened.

Then his Spider-Sense exploded.

Danger.

The Lizard let out a monstrous roar.

The webs snapped apart.

One by one.

As if they had never existed.

— What?!

Peter stepped back.

— How did he...?

But it was already too late.

The monster was charging straight at Gwen.

Claws extended.

Peter tried to react.

Too far away.

Too slow.

Time seemed to slow down.

The claws tore through Gwen’s side.

Her body froze.

Her eyes widened.

The pain came a second later.

She staggered.

Took a step back.

Then another.

Her heel found nothing but air.

Her body tipped into the void.

The wind ripped a scream from her throat.

— NOOOO!!!

Spider-Man’s scream tore through the night.

— GWEN!!!

In the background, the Lizard dropped to his knees.

His body began to tremble.

His scales started disappearing.

His claws shrank.

His monstrous form slowly collapsed.

Curtis Connors was finally returning.

But it was too late.

TO BE CONTINUED.