"Aunt May, this is the guy I saw you talking with at graduation!" Peter said, looking past the man in the doorway. All he could see were tears forming in May Parker's eyes, but he was not able to tell if they were for joy or sorrow.
"I'm sorry for lying, Peter," May said.
"It was my fault," the man said. "I told her to keep my visit a secret." He extended his hand. "Come on in, son. I am your father, Richard Parker."
Peter shook Richard's hand and stepped in the house. "Um. Sorry if I seem – "
"You're confused," Richard interjected. "I understand. I realize that it might be hard for you to wrap your head around the concept of me being your father, so if you're more comfortable calling me Richard . . . "
"I . . . We'll see," Peter replied. "But I do have questions."
"Which I am ready to answer," Richard said, putting his hand on Peter's shoulder. "Peter, it's time." He turned to May. "Don't wait up, dear."
May dried her eyes. "Oh, it's well past my bedtime now. You two have your talk."
As Richard turned for the door, Peter asked, "Where are we going?"
"To meet an old friend."
The car ride was quiet, nothing at all like Peter had envisioned it for his whole life.
Of course, when he was a kid, he always imagined his parents would just walk through the front door any moment and his life would be like all of the other kids.
Or that he would come home from school one day and they would be sitting on the sofa, waiting for him, like nothing was wrong.
But then he got older, and the reality - or what he thought was the reality - set in. Richard and Mary Parker were dead, and they were not coming back. And thus, Peter's dreams of ever seeing them alive again fade. He would have the occasional dream where he died, and his parents were waiting for him upon his entrance to Heaven. Yes, Peter thought, that's what Heaven would be like. Life with parents.
But then, he received that picture. Within a span of weeks, these two mythical figures who had given him life became something much more. They were no longer two typical American citizens who had the bad luck to die in a car crash. They were agents of SHIELD, and they had been involved in the biggest case in the history of the organization. The more Peter learned about that case, the more he realized that it was probably still going on.
On top of that, Peter was no longer an ordinary son anymore. He was Spider-Man, and he was unsure of whether or not he could risk that information. He was still skeptical of this man calling himself Richard Parker, even though Aunt May had vouched for him.
So many of the pieces to this complex puzzle that he had gathered over the last few months did not seem to fit together. He had to be careful what - and who - he could trust. Still, his spider sense was not going off, so that was one good sign right now.
"You okay?" Richard asked as he pulled up to a building, turning the car off. "You've been quiet the entire ride."
"Just thinking," Peter answered. "It's been an eventful week."
"I wish I could say it gets better, but I can't," Richard said, opening his car door.
"If I get some answers, that will qualify as better, no matter how much they suck." As Peter shut his door, he noticed the sign on the building. The name was familiar, but Peter could not quite place it.
The Parkers entered the building. Peter was expecting his father to stop at the front desk, but he continued through the lobby.
"I know it's after visiting hours, but I know where I'm going," Richard said. "And we're expected."
Peter followed Richard up the stairs, to the third floor. They stopped at room 325. Richard knocked on the door.
The door opened, and a man about Richard's age answered. "I've been waiting."
"Hello, Monty," Richard said. "This is Peter."
"Oh yes, come in," Monty said, opening the door all the way.
Peter was in for yet another shock on this night. Sitting on the bed was his own roommate, Victor Cranston.
"Hey, Pete," Victor said. "Meet my dad."
Monty offered his hand, and Peter shook it, trying to keep his jaw from hitting the floor.
"Now, I'm sure you boys have been doing some investigating of your own, and want some answers," Richard said.
"Come on over here," Monty said, motioning for everyone to join him at a round table on the far side of his room, in a kitchen-like area. "Would anyone care for a drink?"
"Like you wouldn't believe," Peter replied, wishing very hard that he was already 21.
Monty smiled. "They won't let me have the hard stuff here. I'm afraid we're stuck with something caffeinated and carbonated."
"Good enough," Victor said. "I'm not planning on getting to sleep anytime soon now."
Within moments, all four were seated around the table.
"I guess we should start with how we met. I was an agent of SHIELD," Richard said.
"And I was the Shadow, a role that my son has taken on with great pride," Monty added.
Richard shot Monty a concerned glance. "Are you sure you want to reveal that?"
Monty smiled again. "No sense is beating around the facts. Besides, I can see by the ring on your son's hand that he already shares in my son's secret. He is an agent of the Shadow."
Peter instinctively rubbed his left hand over the ring on his right hand. He could feel his face getting warm as Richard looked at him. "It's something Vic set up last year. My newspaper job came in handy."
"Anyway," Richard continued, "we actually didn't first meet until after Victor was born. Although we later learned that we had been at the same place working the same case several times before."
"Actually," Victor interjected, "we know most of this. You two actually met the night Peter was born. What I'm more interested in finally finding out right now, is why exactly dad here disappeared."
"Yeah, we've already gathered plenty of pieces," Peter added. "Doomsday Weapon, Russia, Scarecrow, Oz. We just can't piece them together. That's what we need you for."
"Plus, only a few hours ago, I was mindblasted and had a very lifelike dream that might have shown me what happened, but not too much on the why."
Victor and Peter stared at their fathers.
Monty and Richard stared at each other.
"Very well. Then we skip to the night that Peter was born," Richard said.
January 15, 1983
The night had started out simple enough for the Parkers. They were resting at home, their first extended vacation together in a while, all due to Mary being in her ninth month of pregnancy.
Then, there was a knock on the door. When Richard answered it, he had no idea how it was only the beginning of a long and wild night.
Monty Cranston and his family were standing at the door. Not wanting to allow their baby to suffer in the cold weather, Richard invited them in. As Mary tended to Kelly Cranston and little Victor, Richard escorted Monty into his study, where they discussed recent dealing with a drug called Scarecrow. They were interrupted by Kelly shouting for Richard, saying that Mary was in labor.
Hours later, Mary had given birth to a son, and was resting with the newborn Peter.
Richard came out to the waiting room where the Cranstons were sitting.
"Monty," he said, pulling the Shadow aside. "Are you being chased?"
"I'm always being chased, it seems like."
Richard shook his head. "I mean, right now. Is that why you showed up on my doorstep tonight?"
Monty nodded. "It's Khan, an old enemy of both me and my father."
"You need to get out of here. He's coming."
"How do you know?"
"Look around," Richard said, pointing to various people. "Half of these people are undercover SHIELD agents. They've gotten a lock on the Doomsday Weapon."
Monty's face lost all color. "Where?"
"It's in the city. Very close, but they cannot pinpoint it for some reason."
And then, if on cue, the building shook slightly and a low rumble could be heard.
"Khan," Monty whispered.
"Go!" Richard ordered. "Get your family out of here."
"I can't," Monty replied. "If Khan's here – "
"SHIELD can stop him."
"No, they can't. It's me he wants, and only I can stop him."
Richard was getting ready to rebut the statement, but he saw a look on Monty's face so intense it almost looked inhuman. Richard could swear he had physically changed his facial features, and even the lighting on his face. He paused for a moment. "Fine, I'll get one of these agents to escort your family out of here."
"I'm going to the roof."
"The roof?"
"Khan's going to want a dramatic entrance. He may only be a one track criminal, but he when he has a goal, he puts all of his energy towards that goal."
"What's his goal this time?" Richard asked.
"Kill me."
"Are you sure?"
"Just go, I'll get the job done."
Monty turned and ran towards the elevator to head for the roof. Richard walked over to where Kelly was sitting with Victor and motioned for the closest agent to come over.
"Agent Gibson," he ordered. "I need you to escort Mrs. Cranston to safety." Turning to Kelly, he asked, "Do you know somewhere you can go to be safe?"
"My father-in-law's."
Richard thought for a moment. "I don't know if that is wise," he said. "If Khan is after your husband, then he may also try to target his father as well."
Kelly shook his head. "If he's found Monty, he'll leave Lamont alone. For now, at least. We'll be safer there than here."
"Fine," Richard said. "But I'm going to have some agents posted for security. If anything happens, they'll call for backup immediately."
"Mr. Parker, the only way anything is going to happen to us is if something bad happens to my husband."
"I'll make sure that doesn't happen." Richard turned to Gibson. "Go!"
Gibson nodded, and took Kelly's hand, escorting her away.
Richard put his hand to his ear. "Fury, we have a situation at the hospital."
"We're on it, Parker. Evac's already started."
"I'm going to help get Mary and the baby out of here."
"Negative, Parker. I need you on the roof."
"That's taken care of."
"I'm not trusting the key to this operation to an outside force, no matter how competent and informed he is. I need my best agent keeping track of things. I'm sorry, Parker, I know your kid was just born, but I need you now."
"Someone's gonna owe me big time."
"We'll get you plenty of downtime to spend with your kid soon enough. Now, go!" Fury cut off contact.
Richard ran back into the maternity ward to see his wife. She was being wheeled out with the baby in her arms.
"Richard, what's going on?" she asked.
"It's okay, Mary. They're just taking everyone to safety." Richard looked at the SHIELD agent behind the wheelchair. "Stop for a second," he said.
"But, sir – "
Before the agent could continue his interjection, Richard pulled out his SHIELD identification card, shutting the agent up.
"Mary, I have to go help our friend on the roof. But I'll be back," Richard said, squatting down and looking at the baby. "I promise," he added, kissing Mary on the cheek, and then the baby on the head.
"Be safe," Mary whispered.
"Aren't I always?" Richard said with a smile as he stood up. He nodded to tell the agent to continue wheeling his wife to safety, and then took off for the nearest roof access.
Meanwhile, on the roof, Monty rushed out of the roof access in full Shadow garb. He looked around.
"You are sloppy, Shadow," a voice said. It sounded like it came from the rear. "You have not used your power to cloud my mind."
"It doesn't matter, Khan. You can use your own to counteract it."
"Perhaps. But I enjoy the fun of the exercise," Khan said, stepping out of the shadows in the corner of the building. "But now, we end this charade. For now, I will take vengeance upon you, and your father!"
"You're starting to take this a little personal. As if I was my father," the Shadow replied.
"Ours is a generational conflict, a legacy to be continued."
"Unless we end it here and now, tonight."
"Perhaps we will," Khan said, holding up his hand, revealing a gun.
The Shadow laughed, pulling out his own guns from their holsters. "I thought you criminals all learned that a mere gun will not kill me."
"Maybe this gun is not my true weapon," Khan said with an evil grin on his face. "Goodbye, Shadow." He pulled the trigger.
In the same instant, the Shadow pulled the triggers on his guns. However, he would not be able to see the result of his shots, as Khan's hit on the mark, his upper arm.
"Cranston!" Just then, Richard had run out of the roof access, running towards the fallen Shadow.
Monty tried to prop himself up on his left arm, but it was in no condition to support his weight. He collapsed back down. Richard came up, and ripped the sleeve off of Monty's coat and shirt, exposing the arm.
"He missed the bone."
"But that wasn't a normal bullet," Monty replied back. "There's . . . *-cough-* something on it."
Khan stepped closer, this time holder a much larger weapon. It was a very futuristic looking gun. "You can't get rid of me that easily, Shadow."
"You think I'm that stupid, Khan?" the Shadow asked, standing up. "This isn't the first time we've done this dance."
"But it will be the last," Khan replied, looking through the scope on the side of the weapon, his finger tensing on the trigger.
Both the Shadow and Richard realized what they were facing. This was the weapon they had been chasing down for months.
"Doomsday," Richard whispered in shock.
"Parker! Get out of here! Go see your baby!" the Shadow shouted, pushing Richard away, running towards Khan.
Richard found that he could not control himself other than to do exactly what the Shadow had ordered, so he rushed over to the roof access door.
"Heh," Khan said, pulling the trigger. The energy burst forth from the weapon. But just then, the Shadow leapt in front of it. The energy started to hit him square in the chest, spreading around his entire torso.
"What is this?!" Khan exclaimed as the Shadow slammed into the weapon, knocking both the weapon and him backwards, over the ledge.
"Don't stand near a forty story ledge with a big massive weapon, dumbass."
"NO!" Richard shouted, rushing over to the edge in time to see Khan and the Shadow freefalling down the side of the hospital.
A second later, the weapon let out its full energy potential, creating a flash so bright, it lit up the entire block as if it were daytime. Richard covered his eyes. Before he could uncover them, he heard the crunching and crashing of glass and metal.
"Get down there!" he shouted into his comm device. "All agents, street side now. I want a full report."
"Agent Parker, we have visual. The Asian does not appear to be breathing."
"Never mind him, what about the Shadow?"
"Shadow?"
"The other man. What about the other man?"
There was a pause. And then, "Um, he's breathing, barely. But, it's . . . it's messy, sir."
"Damn it."
"I truly thought Monty was done for that night," Richard said. "In fact, I never learned that he recovered before . . . well, you know."
He looked over to see Peter and Victor sitting with shocked expressions.
"This is just so much to take in," Peter said, yawning.
"Yeah," Victor added quietly.
"It's late," Monty said, "and you boys still have classes to go to."
"But there's so many questions," Victor pleaded.
"There's plenty of time to go over them," Richard said. "Later. But right now, I think we're all tired and can use some sleep."
Peter shook his head. "Can't argue with that logic."
"Okay," Victor said, stretching. "I'm just gonna crash here."
"And you can stay at May's," Richard said to Peter.
"Alrighty," Peter said. "I'll see you tomorrow, Vic."
"Take it easy, man."
A few hours later . . .
Jason Todd looked at his watch. It wasn't like Mary Jane to miss a class, even if it was an 8 AM. He knocked furiously on her door, hoping that things were okay. He knew that she had not fully recovered from her rough weekend. To make things worse, Peter wasn't around either. Jason didn't know what was wrong, but he didn't want to see Mary Jane end up in trouble.
After two solid minutes of pounding on the door, Jason sighed and leaned his head back. He put his hand on the doorknob and turned.
The door opened.
"Damn," he muttered, wishing he had thought of that a minute ago.
Jason walked into the dorm room cautiously, not wanting to disturb anything in case Mary Jane really was out and about.
But as he looked around the corner at her vanity area, he learned very quickly that Mary Jane was, in fact, not gone. Instead, she was passed out on the floor, surrounded by pills and a bottle that they had all spilled out of.
"MJ!" Jason exclaimed, rushing over, squatting down and lifting her head.
"Huh?" MJ asked, beginning to come to.
"Mary Jane, it's Jason. You missed class."
Mary Jane opened her eyes, and began looking around for a clock. "Really? Damn."
"Mary Jane, what the hell did you do, girl?"
Mary Jane looked around at the mess around her, and began to cry. "Don't tell Peter," she sobbed.
Next issue: The event you've been waiting for since our first issue finally begins. The countdown to issue fifty begins with part one of Spider Wars!