Spider-Man and His Spectacular Friends

Chapter 1: Back To Square One

'Another bummer episode in the life of Peter Parker...' Spider-man internally reflected.

He swings around Manhattan in the night like another nightly patrol, contemplating from all the events that have transpired recently.

'Harry's left with no father, and I'm left with no Gwen. Well at least the city's safe. The Green Goblin's gone forever, but... I'd be lying if I was saying that I'm fine,' Spider-man sighed sadly.

He watches over the wide city view atop a high pedestal, looking down at the dimly lit streets with a pain deep inside himself.

"Man, I know that I was impulsive, but to think I...I did that to her," Spider-man thought to himself out loud. "It's bad enough her brother's in jail again, but now I'm the one to blame."

He then lunges over the pedestal to swing around the tall buildings in the bustling night reaching home while being subtly distracted by his thoughts.

"Oh man, I have to get back home fast, or else Aunt May's gonna—"

Suddenly, his last web cartridges' ran out of web fluid while he was swinging around over the streets.

"Uh oh, gotta take the long way around instead—then!?" Spider-man thought as he tried to plant a hand onto one of the building's walls, only to swiftly slide down with both his hands heated from the burning friction sensation. "Oh no, nonononooo!!"

He screams hysterically as he drops straight down into a huge garbage container in an alley, reminding himself of that old fight with the Shocker in the dumpsite, along with the duo O'Hirn and Marko before they received their powers, except it was just him, unfortunately. After a second of gasping for breath from suffocating among the trash, he slowly climbs out of the container, covered in filth and rubbish all over his body until he lands into a puddle of stagnant water in the alley. In a fit of confusion and desperation, he removes his mask and just stares at his hands in a puzzled look.

"Okay, now what just happened?" Peter quipped about himself as he slowly stood back up on his feet and then tried to climb up the brick-walled building next to him, only to immediately lose his grip and fall on his wet rear, drenched by the puddle of stagnant water.

"Ah great," Peter grunted as he props himself back up.

Mustering all of his remaining willpower, he steadily makes his way around the bustling city streets and passersby while donning his costume for almost an hour until he safely makes it back home with a couple of stinging bruises all around his body. He then desperately and quietly returns to his room with a nearby ladder to his window before putting it beside his window, just in case a similar mishap occurs again. He immediately gets out of his costume and takes a quick shower to wash the stench off before changing into his usual sleepwear before landing onto his bed with his face over his pillow.

'The heck happened back there? I'm sure I didn't drink that gene cleanser, but why are my powers going wrong? Man, I hope I can find a way to fix that,' Peter thought to himself before dozing off to bed.

—

Somewhere in the far darker side of Manhattan, at an abandoned warehouse, there lurked the nefarious Doctor Octopus aka Doc Ock by the Daily Bugle, hatching another possibly devious plan on his own without the other members of the Sinister Six, who are either scattered around Manhattan or taken to custody.

"Wait till you see, Spider-man. You may have defeated my Sinister Six, but I won't ever give up on making all of Manhattan bend to their knees before me, Doctor Octopus!" Doc Ock maniacally cries with excitement.

"Hm, but perhaps, I guess I do require some assistance, for my next plan, if only Max were still here—"

"You called, Doctor?...!"

Suddenly, Electro appears out of nowhere by the entrance of the abandoned warehouse with a hint of fury in his tone.