With Peter grounded, there’s not many places UMTU could feasibly be taking place, so we’ll have to see how long it lasts. This month, we open on a gang of purse snatchers who are doing their thing on rollerblades, zooming down the sidewalk bowling people over and stealing their stuff.
I like it when Bendis’ Spider-Man’s prattling spirals out of control, I think it’s funny and pretty likely. Oh, hang on.
Don’t know why I feel compelled to post every Bagley Spider-Man that got reused in marketing and stuff, but I do. There’s a lot of them! sure do hate that stupid blur effect messing up the artwork. From there, Peter really is late to class, and we cut between him getting to school and changing on the roof and his science class, already in progress. Until he comes running in late so fast he slips and literally slides through the door and into a table full of stuff. His teacher is not impressed. However…
He’s a smart guy. After class, MJ is talking about how the Doc Ock fight was on every channel last night. And tells Peter that it’s gotten Kraven the Hunter’s TV show cancelled. She says it was scary but kind of exciting to see him fighting like that. He confides that that was as intense as it’s ever gotten. Then he has to explain how he got caught sneaking in late and is grounded. And that being grounded means he’s not allowed to have her over, or even go to his job. And that today’s adventure makes him think he’s probably going to have to quit being Spider-Man for awhile, too. He says Uncle Ben used to calm May down when she was this mad, and now he doesn’t know what he’ll do.
MJ makes a joke-maybe-not-joke about how they’ll just have to hide under the bleachers and make out, but then she sees a figure walking toward them, and it’s Harry Osborn. He’s not been back to school since USM 7.
Harry explains that he kind of lost it when his Mom died, and assures them that the thing that attacked the school wasn’t his dad, no matter what he said at the time. He says he’s got a whole new worldview, no more drama, and that he and his dad are super close now. He says the first thing Norman asked was for Peter to come up to the house. But Peter says he’s grounded, and after Harry laughs a bit, he realizes it’s not a joke. So then we jump ahead to your typical “Spider-Man swinging around freaking out” sequence, except it’s just Peter using his powers to get home, fretting over Harry and Norman, thinking about how crazy he is about MJ, thinking he’s in real trouble. He thinks at least being grounded gave him a good excuse… just as he arrives home to find a limo outside. May is in a much better mood as she tells him Harry’s father sent the limo.
The Ol’ Parker Luck! As the limo carries them to their destination, Ms. Brooke informs Norman she has Peter and they’re on their way. Looking out the window, for just a second, Peter spies a shape that seems like the Green Goblin up on the bridge, but only for a second.
I love that bit so much. Peter’s as uncomfortable as he’s ever been in his life and Harry casually drops that on him. Peter marvels at how nice the place is, and asks why Harry goes all the way out to Queens for school, to which a very earnest Harry replies he wants to be with Peter & MJ. Then he says he has to get back to his therapist, who was very mad Harry left to go welcome Peter. He tells Peter to just go knock on his dad’s office door. Peter does not want to do that! As he’s led to Norman’s door, he freaks out internally, and as they should, his thoughts pinball between how much danger he may be in and what Harry just told him about MJ. He thinks he should just run. Tell May the truth, grab her and MJ and disappear. But he thinks he has to face this and goes in. The office has a big weird shark tank in it, and a TV showing Spider-Man pantsing Doc Ock on TV. Then Norman starts laughing from the shadows, saying he’s watched this clip so many times he thought he’d burn a hole in his Tivo. Do they still make Tivo?
Norman shoots himself up in the neck, and tells Peter to “watch this” as he slowly and painfully transforms.
Peter is not in for a good time in this one.