Spider-Man : The Story of a Hero

New York — Central Park — Late Afternoon

Night was slowly beginning to fall over New York, casting Central Park into an unsettling gloom. Amid the trees, the Terrifying Six waited.

The moment they had appeared, the few remaining pedestrians had fled in panic, leaving the park deserted, silent... and tense.

— ”So the plan is to wait for him and all jump him at once?”

— ”Damn it, are you doing this on purpose or what? We’ve gone over the plan several times!”

While Rhino and Sandman argued, Scorpion silently scanned the surroundings with a sharp gaze. Eventually, a question crossed his mind.

— ”By the way, why here? Aren’t we vulnerable in a place like this?”

— ”No, quite the opposite. At least here, there aren’t any buildings for that damn spider to cling to and escape. There are only trees, and they’re not particularly tall.”

— ”I see... Very smart, Doc.”

— ”Thank you.”

Shocker, who had been standing slightly behind the others, stepped forward so everyone could hear him.

— ”Alright... now that you’re done with your little chat, are we going to get into position, or do you still want to keep kissing each other’s asses?”

— ”Shockwave’s right! I want to be ready to crush that bastard the moment he gets here!”

— ”It’s Shocker, man. Not ’Shockwave.’”

— ”Who gives a damn? You call me ’Battery Boy,’ don’t you?”

In the distance, the first police sirens began to echo.

— ”They’re coming! Shut up and get into position!”

— ”Hey, don’t any of you screw this up!”

In perfect silence, the super-criminals spread out across the area, blending into the shadows of the park. The only one who remained visible was Doctor Octopus, standing in plain sight at the center of the lawn.

Around ten police officers, accompanied by an equal number of SWAT officers, entered the park. Leading them was Captain Yuri Watanabe, determined to find out what was going on.

She walked toward the only visible figure in the darkness.

— ”Well, well... Otto Octavius... How did you get out of prison?”

She cautiously looked around.

— ”Are you alone?”

— ”Do I look alone to you?”

With a simple gesture, he pointed toward his mechanical arms.

At that very moment, a familiar voice rang out from above.

— ”No way! Six-Arms Guy! How’d you get out?!”

Spider-Man landed gracefully on a tree branch, knees bent, before fixing his gaze on Octavius.

— ”Spider-Man?!”

— ”Please, call me Doctor Octopus.”

— ”Nice name, but it doesn’t explain how you got out.”

He scratched the back of his head, puzzled.

— ”They seriously need to improve security at your prison, because this is getting ridiculous.”

Yuri immediately aimed her gun at him.

— ”Hands in the air, Spider-Man!”

— ”Wow... even the cops are after you now? Looks like I missed a few things.”

Realizing that Doctor Octopus wasn’t the only problem he had to deal with, Spider-Man slowly walked toward Yuri with both hands clearly visible, trying to earn her trust.

— ”Yuri, listen, I—”

— ”No. Shut up. I don’t want to hear another word! You’re going to stand trial for the murder of George Stacy!”

— ”You killed someone? Well... hats off. I’m impressed.”

Within seconds, the police surrounded Spider-Man. Every weapon was now aimed directly at him. Trapped, he slowly raised his hands.

— ”Listen, guys... I know you think I’m the criminal, but believe me... you’ve got the wrong target.”

— ”He’s not entirely wrong... but it’s too late.”

He cleared his throat, then took a few theatrical steps in place, like a presenter about to begin a show.

Every pair of eyes—Spider-Man’s as well as the officers’—instinctively turned toward him.

— ”Ladies and gentlemen... allow me to present...”

Suddenly, Peter’s spider-sense exploded.

He whipped his head around in every direction, desperately searching for the source of the danger. His heart began racing. An overwhelming pressure built inside him.

Something was wrong.

But he couldn’t see anything.

— ”...THE TERRIFYING SIX!”

All at once, the five other super-criminals burst out of the bushes.

Sandman struck first, transforming his arm into a massive hammer that came crashing down on Spider-Man. Yuri was thrown to the side while Peter was violently smashed into the ground.

— ”This is really bad...”

— ”Rhino! Deal with the cops! We’ll handle the spider!”

He rolled several meters to narrowly dodge the powerful shockwaves fired by Shocker. Barely managing to get back to his feet, he saw Rhino charging straight toward the last police officers still standing. Without thinking, Peter immediately fired a web that stuck directly to the giant’s face, hoping to slow his charge.

But he didn’t even have the chance.

A violent surge of electricity suddenly tore through his entire body.

The shock was so brutal that it hurled him backward, a cry of pain escaping his lips as every muscle in his body seized under the current. Smoke still rose from his suit as he forced himself, through sheer determination, back onto his feet.

The moment he stood up, Doctor Octopus’s six mechanical arms lunged at him.

Peter threw himself to the side to avoid the first strike, knocked away the second with a swing of his arm, then took advantage of a brief opening to charge straight at his opponent, fist clenched and ready to strike.

But he never reached his target.

A gigantic sand fist suddenly burst out from the side and caught him in mid-charge.

The next instant, Sandman slammed him violently into the ground. The pavement cracked beneath the force of the impact. Gasping for air, Peter desperately tried to catch his breath.

In vain.

Another blast of electricity from Electro struck him immediately afterward.

This time, the current didn’t stop.

Spider-Man’s body convulsed under the relentless electrical assault as he screamed in agony, unable to break free.

All around him, the situation continued to deteriorate at an alarming speed. The police force had nearly been wiped out, with only a handful of officers still struggling to hold their ground.

Several armored vehicles lay overturned in the middle of the road, turning the streets into a true battlefield, while Rhino methodically hunted down the last officers still standing, crushing the final pockets of resistance with devastating force.

— ”Since when... have you guys been working together...? The Terrifying Six, huh? You could’ve come up with something better.”

Despite the pain, Spider-Man kept his usual attitude: provocative, sarcastic... almost insolent.

— ”You’re still making fun of us?!”

— ”Of course...!”

Sandman completely enclosed him within his gigantic sand hand, holding him prisoner. Spider-Man struggled to break free, but it was useless.

— ”S-Seriously?! Aren’t you ashamed of fighting me six against one?! Come at me one-on-one if you’re real men! You’ll see, I’m gonna...!”

Sandman tightened his grip. A scream of unbearable pain escaped Spider-Man’s mouth...

Then nothing. An unsettling silence fell over Central Park. The members of the Terrifying Six exchanged puzzled glances.

— ”Uh... is he dead?”

— ”He stopped screaming all of a sudden... so maybe, yeah.”

They stared at the young hero’s motionless body...Still no reaction. Some of them, especially Scorpion, found it hard to believe.

— ”No way... is he really dead...?”

Realizing what he believed was their victory, Electro jumped with excitement. Small bolts of electricity crackled all over his body.

— ”WE FINALLY KILLED THAT BASTARD! HELL YEAH! FINALLY!”

— ”That was... surprisingly easy.”

Out of all of them, only Doctor Octopus looked unconvinced.

In truth...

He was almost disappointed.

Was his greatest enemy really that weak?

— ”Very well... Sandman, let him go.”

His gigantic sand hand slowly opened, allowing the young hero’s limp body to crash heavily onto the ground like a corpse.

The members of the Terrifying Six gathered around him.

Rhino joined them after crushing the last remaining pockets of police resistance.

— ”So... it’s over? He’s finally dead?”

Looking at the scene, Scorpion couldn’t help but yawn.

— ”That was boring. I didn’t even have to do anything.”

— ”Pfft... You’re seriously the most useless one on the team.”

— ”Hey, watch what you say. It just wasn’t my turn.”

— ”Yeah, yeah... keep telling yourself that.”

— ”Would you all shut up and stop these pointless conversations, for crying out loud?!”

Doctor Octopus then pulled a small case from his pocket containing a vial and a syringe.

— ”A syringe? Why does he have a syringe?”

— ”Sandman, remove his glove and roll up the sleeve of his suit.”

— ”Huh...? Why are they doing that...?”

Obeying without question, Sandman removed Spider-Man’s glove before carefully pulling back the sleeve of his suit, exposing the skin of his arm.

His veins were clearly visible.

Doctor Octopus inserted the needle.

— ”Damn it! Did he just stick me with a needle or am I dreaming?! What the hell are they doing to me?! Are they taking my blood?!”

Peter watched them in confusion...

Yet he still didn’t make a single move.

— ”Wait... what if they’re injecting me with something instead? Crap... A DNA purifier? No, impossible... they don’t even know what that is. Then... drugs?! No, damn it! Why would they try to drug me? That makes no sense!”

Panic began to overwhelm him.

His body gave the slightest involuntary twitch.

Rhino noticed it immediately.

— ”Hey... guys... I think he moved.”

At those words, Peter’s heart skipped a beat.

— ”Huh? What are you talking about?”

— ”You must’ve imagined it, man.”

— ”No! I’m sure I saw him move! It was really tiny, but he definitely moved!”

— ”If that bastard were still alive, do you really think he’d just lie there while all of us are standing around him?”

Through the lenses of his mask, Peter watched them argue.

This time...

He didn’t move a single millimeter.

He had become a living statue.

— ”I don’t know what the hell they’re doing, but if I move... I’m dead. Stay calm, Peter. Don’t panic. Everything’s going to be fine...”

— ”There. It’s done.”

Once the sample had been collected, Doctor Octopus removed the syringe, carefully emptied the blood into the vial until it was completely full, then placed everything back inside the case.

— ”So... now that we’ve finally killed this insect, we’re free, right? We can do whatever we want now?”

— ”Exactly. It’s not like the cops can stop us anymore,” Shocker replied.

— ”Well... doesn’t anybody want to see what this guy actually looks like?” Electro asked.

The moment he finished speaking, everyone exchanged glances. Dark ideas crossed their minds. A faint smile slowly spread across each of their faces.

— ”H-Hey... hey... hey! What’s with those looks?! I really don’t like those looks...!”

— ”He’s put us through so much... I’m really curious to see who’s hiding behind that damn mask...”

— ”No, no, no... Back off! Take your hand away!”

Doctor Octopus slowly reached toward Spider-Man’s mask.

Then...

— ”Wait.”

Octopus stopped.

— ”What is it, Rhino?”

— ”Can I do it?”

— ”...No.”

— ”Why should you be the one to do it?”

— ”Because I was about to do it first.”

— ”Now that he mentions it... I kind of want to do it too,” Sandman chimed in.

— ”Why don’t we settle it with rock, paper, scissors?” Scorpion suggested.

— ”A children’s game? Seriously?” Shocker replied mockingly.

— ”Hey! It’s a great game, man! Watch your mouth!”

— ”Will you all shut up?! Who cares who gets to do it?!”

As Electro was already grabbing Shocker by the collar of his suit, Doctor Octopus raised his voice to calm everyone down.

— ”Then let us do it!”

— ”Okay... I think this is my cue to get the hell out of here.”

Spider-Man took advantage of their argument and suddenly leaped out of the circle.

In the same motion, he retrieved his glove with a perfectly aimed web shot.

— ”What the hell is this?!”

— ”Just so you know... rock, paper, scissors is a great game, guys! I would’ve loved to play with you... but I don’t have time! See ya!”

Before they could even react, he grabbed his camera, sprinted over to Yuri, who was still unconscious, picked her up in his arms, and launched himself through the trees.

As he passed by, he cast one last guilt-ridden glance at the police officers and SWAT agents still lying across the battlefield.

— ”Hang in there... I’ll send ambulances.”

As he disappeared into the distance with Yuri in his arms, the atmosphere among the Terrifying Six instantly became explosive.

— ”DAMN IT! YOU SAID HE WAS DEAD!”

He stormed toward Sandman, ready to throw down.

— ”I never said he was dead! I wasn’t even sure! You’re the one who said it!”

— ”Damn it, I’ll—”

— ”THAT’S ENOUGH!”

Everyone froze instantly.

— ”There’s no need to fight. Let me remind you that we’re no longer in prison... and we’re getting paid for this job. I would’ve liked to kill that spider myself... but let’s just say his time will come.”

A huge smile spread across the six-armed scientist’s face.

— ”And at least... now we know that the six of us together... are more than enough to defeat him.”

New York — Hospital — Evening

The automatic doors flew open as Spider-Man rushed inside, breathing heavily, Yuri Watanabe in his arms.

— ”Please! I need a doctor!”

Every head immediately turned toward him.

A stunned silence filled the room...

Before panic erupted.

— ”Oh my God... it’s Spider-Man! H-He’s going to kill us!”

— ”CALL THE POLICE!”

The patients hurriedly backed away. Doctors fled down the hallways. No one seemed willing to come anywhere near him.

He was alone, trapped in a misunderstanding he could no longer control.

— ”Listen! This woman’s name is Yuri Watanabe! She’s the police captain! The reason I’m here carrying her is because she was attacked by criminals!”

— ”How can we be sure you’re telling the truth?!”

— ”I AM telling you the truth! Why else would I have come all the way here?!”

— ”We all know what you did to the former captain! We know you killed him!”

Those words struck Peter straight through the heart. But he gritted his teeth and remained calm. He slowly walked over to an empty stretcher and gently laid Yuri down on it.

— ”Please... take care of her.”

His eyes were almost pleading with the medical staff.

— ”There are a lot of other police officers and law enforcement agents who are injured too. I couldn’t bring them all here. So please... send several ambulances.”

Without waiting for an answer, he turned around to leave...But the moment he stepped outside, flashing police lights blinded him.

Around ten police cars were positioned in front of the hospital entrance. Every officer stood with a weapon drawn, ready to fire.

Flashlights and gun barrels were all aimed directly at him.

He was surrounded.

— ”HANDS IN THE AIR, SPIDER-MAN! YOU ARE UNDER ARREST!”

— ”LISTEN TO ME! I DIDN’T KILL CAPTAIN STA—”

— ”LIAR! I WON’T SAY IT AGAIN! HANDS IN THE AIR! NOW!”

— ”ONE...!”

Suddenly...

Time seemed to slow down. The officer’s countdown felt ten times slower than it actually was.

Faced with such injustice, Peter clenched his fists. His frustration grew with every passing second.

— ”There’s no point...”

— ”TWO...!”

— ”No matter what I say... no matter what I do... to them, I’ll always be the man who killed Captain Stacy...”

— ”THREE...!”

Before they could open fire, he raised his hands...

Then, in one swift motion, fired a web at a nearby streetlamp and launched himself into the air.

— ”DAMN IT! FIRE! KILL THAT BASTARD!”

Bullets tore through the air...But not a single one hit him. He sped across the night sky. Spider-Man landed on a rooftop, retrieved the backpack he had hidden earlier, and headed back home.

His breathing was ragged.

His body ached all over.

The Parker House — Peter’s Bedroom — Night

He quietly climbed through his bedroom window. Without making a sound, he took off his suit and placed it on his desk. Then, after changing into a simple T-shirt and a pair of shorts, he sat down on his bed, overwhelmed by pain.

Thoughts flooded his mind. His job with J. Jonah Jameson. His duty as Spider-Man. His guilt over George Stacy...

Money, his enemies, the police...everything collided inside his head, leaving him unable to regain control.

Frustrated, he let out a quiet groan as he buried his face in his hands. But another memory eventually forced its way to the surface : Gwen.

Her words from the other day. Her kindness. Her optimism...All of it echoed through his mind. After a few moments, he took a deep breath and slowly regained his composure.

A faint smile eventually appeared on his face.

— ”Terrifying Six or not... I’ll send them back to prison. Again. And as for everything else... I’ll handle it. It’ll be fine. After all... things always work out in the end.”

He lay down on his bed, completely exhausted. A yawn escaped him. He slowly closed his eyes… Before falling into a deep sleep.

New York — Wilson Fisk’s Private Airport — Night

An airplane landed on the runway. As soon as it came to a stop, it was joined by a military helicopter. Around twenty heavily armed mercenaries stepped out under the command of Silver Sable.

Firearms, explosives, and a state-of-the-art attack helicopter were all part of their arsenal.

Wilson Fisk, Tombstone, and Hammerhead were already waiting for them.

— ”Well? Convinced?”

— ”Not bad, indeed.”

He then turned toward Tombstone and Hammerhead.

— ”What do you two think?”

— ”The equipment looks top-notch. But gear alone won’t be enough to kill that insect. To get him... you need a plan. And a damn good one.”

— ”I agree.”

— ”You heard them. I hope you have a very good plan.”

A broad, confident smile spread across the young woman’s face.

— ”Silvija Sablinova always has a good plan.”

TO BE CONTINUED.