Ultimate Spider-Man 40
From Ultimarvel
“Average Bear”
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Pencils: Mark Bagley
Inker: Art Thibert
Editor: Ralph Macchio
Publication Date: July 2003
• Peter Parker attempts to find a replacement for his costume lost in Ultimate Spider-Man 34. He visits a sporting goods store and inquires about wrestling tights, thinking that they would be a suitable replacement. He changes his mind after finding out that wrestling tights do not cover the body from head to toe.
• Peter makes his way back to school, contemplating his need of a costume, and how if he was still dating Mary Jane, that she could make him a new one in a second.
• During class at Midtown High, MJ notices Peter’s sullen mood and communicates with him via notes about what is ailing him. He responds harshly, wanting to know why she cares if she broke up with him (Ultimate Spider-Man 32). The teacher interrupts this exchange and reads the notes aloud to the class.
• Peter contacts Full Force Wrestling Corporation, posing as a representative from Hasbro toys, to inquire about where the company got the Spider-Man costume he originally wore from. The man answering the phone hangs up on Peter.
• Flash Thompson approaches Peter in the hall. He asks Peter if he has a minute to talk. Peter suspects that Flash is attempting to pull a prank or beat him up, and dismisses him and walks away.
• Peter stops a group of would-be rapists in an alley. Not having a costume, he wears his mask, a sweatshirt, and jeans. The rapists laugh at him and mock his costume. Peter then proceeds to subdue and web them up. While comforting the victim of the crime, she points out that he has lost an eye-piece from his mask.
• Later, in the basement of the Parker house, Peter is examining his makeshift costume when he is interrupted by Gwen Stacy. After hurriedly hiding the costume from Gwen, she proposes that the two of them go a party she has heard of. It is being held by a guy from another school that Midtown has a rivalry with. Although Peter is skeptical, Gwen convinces him to go because she says, everyone else has fun and they deserve to as well.
• Later at the party, Gwen and Peter sit alone amongst the crowd, isolated from everyone else. Peter tries to leave and Gwen tries to dissuade him. Peter asks her what there could be at this party for him. At this moment he spots Mary Jane and Liz Allan entering the house. Mary Jane is dressed in a skimpy leather top and skirt and has dyed her hair black. She and Peter catch each other’s eye and pass each other by. Both seem depressed by the event. After MJ is gone, Gwen tells Peter they can leave. It is obvious that Gwen planned the entire event.
• A loud “BOOM” comes from outside. Most of the crowd at the party runs outside to see a young man charge energy in his hands and explode a parked car. He has several onlookers who are chanting his name, “Geldoff” repeatedly.
Notes:
- Peter’s original Spider-Man costume was a wrestling outfit provided to him in Ultimate Spider-Man 3. The owner of the sporting goods store informs him that the description of outfit he is looking for sounds like dancing tights.
- Peter makes a reference to cool leather outfits that pass for “costume-ish” in the cynical world that he lives in. This can refer to any number of Marvel super-heroes, especially in their film representations. The Daredevil movie, released on February 14, 2003 (just months previous to this issue), featured the title character in a red leather suit.
- While in class, Peter’s teacher discusses the revival of the intraschool TV network. This will be mentioned again in Ultimate Spider-Man 107, when MJ produces a short film to audition for the group.
- Full Force Wrestling mentions that they have a merchandising deal with Toy Biz. Toy Biz produces several lines of Marvel action figures.
- It is revealed in Ultimate Spider-Man 65 that Flash had a crush on Gwen Stacy and was trying to ask Peter for advice about her.
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