Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #8
Jumping the Tracks Part One
Another Time Another Place….[1]
Peter Parker is walking home wondering how he is going to tell his Uncle Ben how he has become the television entertainer they call Spider-Man. However, he figures his uncle won’t give offer many protests when he sees the kind of money that Peter is making from being Spider-Man. However, his thoughts turn to alarm when he sees an ambulance parked outside the place he calls home. Rushing to the door, he finds Uncle Ben waiting for him. He tells Peter that his Aunt May fell down the stairs after something startled her and for someone May’s age, that fall proved fatal.
Later, after Aunt May is buried, Ben and Peter visit her grave. Ben still finds May’s death so random. He believes that God has a plan for them all, but he can’t make sense what his intentions for this tragedy are. He tells Peter that it’s not fair and wishes that the two of them could trade places. Hearing this, Peter tells his Uncle not to think that way. Ben tells Peter that he’s just thinking out loud and as they get back into the car he wonders how they’re going to manage to pay the bills. Peter assures his Uncle that they’ll never have to worry about money ever again. When Ben asks what Peter means, he says they’re getting into business together. When they get home, Peter shows his Uncle that he’s Spider-Man and explains to him how he got these powers after being bitten by a radioactive spider.[2] Peter then explains that Ben will be his agent since Peter wants to keep his identity a secret and this will make it possible for Peter getting paid without having to reveal his identity. After laying out how Ben will accept payment for Spider-Man’s appearance fees, take 10% for himself and give the rest to Peter to put in his college fund. Ben is impressed by all of this, but asks for 20%. When Peter instead offer him a 15% commission, the pair agree.
However, over time, fame starts getting to Peter’s head and he downloads menial tasks, such as signing autographs and answering fan mail to. When Ben points out that Peter used to enjoy answering his fans. Peter quickly loses his temper and in telling his uncle that he doesn’t want to do it, slams his fist so hard on the table that it breaks in half. Peter realizes he lost his temper and apologizes, and feels especially bad when Ben says that the table was the first piece of furniture he and May bought together. Peter continues to apologize, but Ben just wants to know what’s going on in his nephews mind because, to him, it seems that all the money and fame is changing who Peter is. All Peter can think of is how Peter hasn’t used his money to buy a new house. As they argue, Peter keeps on asking what he needs to do to his Uncle Ben’s approval. However, Ben flips it around, saying that Peter hasn’t let him down, but has let himself down. Ben thinks that somewhere, deep inside, Peter believes that he could use his powers for something better than showbiz, like helping people. Peter gets angry again because they always have this argument and he has decided that enough is enough. Going upstairs, he tells Ben that another talent agency is offering him a better deal and he has decided to take it. As Peter packs his things, As Peter is about to walk out the door, the pair agree to remain in touch and Ben will always be there to answer his calls.
However, Peter never does call and when Ben tries getting ahold of his nephew, his agents give him the runaround and they eventually hang up on him. The only way Ben can see his son is going out to see Spider-Man 4 in theaters and it proves to be a terrible film. As he walks home, he prays to May, telling her about how at least one of Peter’s assistants remembered to send him a birthday card this year, even if they did spell his name wrong. When he arrives at his home, Ben is shocked to see that it was destroyed in a fire. He calls for help and gets a police car to pull over.[3] They tell him that the house has been like this for months and when he tells them that he’s Ben Parker, they tell him it’s impossible because Parker has been dead for years.[4] When they tell him how Ben Parker got shot by a burglar some time ago, Ben doesn’t understand any of it. When they ask him if he’s okay, Ben convinces the cops that he’s just an easily confused old man and to pay him no mind. He then goes to the cemetery where he finds Ben Parker’s grave, leaving him to wonder where May and Peter is. That’s when a goblin-like being approaches Ben Parker on a glider and offers to explain everything to him, although he warns Ben to be careful what he wishes for. When Ben asks who this newcomer is, the goblin responds by saying that it is the ghost of Spider-Man’s past, present, and future. Out stretching their hand, the goblin then offers to bring Ben to his nephew. Willing to do anything to see Peter, Ben takes the goblin’s hand and is taken away.
Meanwhile, the Avengers butler Jarvis has called Spider-Man to tell the web-slinger about his and May’s encounter with a man who looks exactly like Ben Parker.[5] The experience deeply upset May and both Peter and Jarvis agree that this must be some kind of trap. After handing off a crook he just caught to the police, Spider-Man tells Jarvis he’ll be at their location soon. After getting off the phone with Peter, Jarvis has to block the door out of the restaurant before May goes running out. He tries to get her to see reason, suggesting that "the man she thinks is Ben Parker could be a Skrull, the Chameleon, or even a Space Phantom and asks her to trust him on this. Taking a glass of wine to drink, May says she doesn’t know what to trust if she cant trust her own eyes. Soon Peter calls back to tell Jarvis that he has found the man that looks like his Uncle Ben. Seeing the man move, Spider-Man is impressed because if this is an impostor they definitely did their homework. When Spider-Man swings down to confront Ben Parker, his thoughts that this is some kind of impostor melt away when Ben recognizes his voice and calls him Peter. The web-slinger asks Ben if he’s a ghost, but before he can answer his spider-sense warns him of danger. He shoves Ben out of the way to evade some pumpkin bombs. They are then confronted by the thrower, the Hobgoblin from the year 2211.
Recurring Characters
Spider-Man, Ben Parker (Earth-6078), Hobgoblin 2211, Aunt May, “Edwin Jarvis”, Peter Parker (Earth-6078)
Continuity Notes
This sequence, of course, happens in an alternate reality. Per the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z #2, this reality is designated Earth-6078. Presuming that Earth-6078 operates on a Sliding Timescale congruous with that of Earth-616, then these events happened roughly 12 years prior to the main events of this story.
I think we can all assume that this Spider-Man’s origins is similar to the Earth-616 version shown in Amazing Fantasy #15.
This is clearly the point where Ben crosses over into the Earth-616 universe where, at the time of this story, the Parker home was ruined after Charlie Weiderman set it on fire in Amazing Spider-Man #518.
4. Here we go. Amazing Fantasy #15. Cue Tobey…
5. The man who appears to be Edwin Jarvis here is actually a Skrull spy as we’ll learn in Secret Invasion #1. The real Jarvis was swapped out prior to New Avengers #1.
Topical References
The Peter Parker of Earth-6078 says its hard to get paid by cheque. However, this should be considered a topical reference as paying by cheque is not as ubiquitous anymore. At any rate, even in this day and age where people are paid electronically you still have to reveal your identity in one way or the other.
Mark Hamill is listed as the star of Spider-Man 4. This is a very topical reference given that as I write this in July 2020, Hamill is pushing 70.
