Codename: Spider-man
Name: Peter Parker
Age: 17
Affiliation: Independent, Occasional Avenger/Fantastic 4 member, New Yorker
Powers: Possesses the proportionate powers of a spider, including superhuman speed, agility, stamina, and strength. Also possesses enhanced reactions due to his “spidey sense” which alerts him to nearby dangers or threats. Can also crawl on walls with a super strong grip. He also has a limited healing factor as a result of a heightened metabolism, allowing him to recover from things such as broken bones in a matter of days rather than months.
Mechanical wrist mounted webshooters. Shoots a super strong polymer based web-like material designed by Peter. Strong enough to hold multiple people swinging on a single strand.
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Peter Parker was orphaned at the age of six when his parents died in a plane crash. He was taken in by his aunt May and uncle Ben Parker in New York. While there he excelled academically, however found trouble fitting in socially with others his age, opening up to only two peers. Gwen Stacy, who saw some promise in Peter that few others did, and Harry Osborn. A friendship and occasionally not so friendly rivalry developed between Peter and fellow prodigy Harry Osborn. Harry introduced Peter to the affluent lifestyle, and Peter continually challenged Harry to push himself in their brilliance.
The notoriety of these two brilliant students incited Doctor Curtis Connors to invite Peter’s class to tour a laboratory studying the X-gene and its effects on various species. There Peter was bitten by a genetically modified spider, gaining his signature powers. Putting his newfound abilities to the test, Peter entered into a local wrestling circuit in order to win a cash prize, where the announcer dubbed him Spider-Man.
Elated from the win, Peter failed to stop a thief, claiming it was not his responsibility. However when Peter returned home, he learned that the same burglar from the robbery had murdered Uncle Ben in his absence. Feeling so guilty over his inaction which had led to the death of a loved one, Parker vowed that as long as he was capable he would serve and protect others. As Uncle Ben had told him: "With great power there must come great responsibility."
Thus Peter Parker took up the mask in order to protect others. Designing his own costume and web shooters he began to fight crime in the city. However his early outings came under flak from the press, labeled a rogue vigilante and just another mutant freak. When he was offered an internship at the Daily Bugle, Peter jumped at the chance to change the public’s perception of Spider-Man from the inside. However the Bugle is under the grip of J. Jonah Jameson and any pro-superhero sentiment is quickly stomped out.
Peter has been recently pushed to the breaking point, first bearing witness to Norman Osborn’s descent into madness, as the father of Peter’s best friend attempted to replicate the super soldier serum by manipulating the X-gene. Norman Osborn was transformed into the Green Goblin, and in the ensuing battle Gwen Stacy was killed when Spider-Man attempted to stop her from falling by using his webbing, breaking her neck. A series of confrontations ensued, one of which ended with Harry Osborn badly injured.
Despite, having been involved of the death of one of his friends, and the hospitalization of the other, as well as the fact that Spider-Man is vilified by the media, Peter continues to try and clean up the streets as Spider-Man. The one bright spot in his life is Mary Jane, the niece of a friend of his Aunt May’s who seems to have taken a liking to the awkward nerd.
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“Spider-Man, Menace or Monster? Can you believe that?” Spider-Man read aloud from the front page of the Daily Bugle. The only reply being some indistinct grunts from the tied up mobster below him, as he hung upside down from a webline. “That’s news media today for you though. Just once I’d like to read the headline with something like Spectacular, Amazing, Astounding, or even Ultimate. Is that too much for a hard working crime fighter to ask for?”
It had been a long day for Peter Parker. Getting yelled at for not knowing how Mr. Jameson liked his coffee, trying to find a birthday present for MJ, and nearly missing an after school study session with Harry, who didn’t seem all that interested in studying to begin with. Peter couldn’t blame him, given what had happened, it was hard to look Harry in the eye and not tell him about what had happened with his father Norman.
For Spider-Man however, the night was just beginning, nothing like beating up on some two-bit criminals to put one in a better mood. A short time web slinging through the city had brought him face to face with Marko here, a low ranking mobster who just couldn’t do anything right. Or keep his mouth shut. Speaking of which, Spidey sprayed another layer of webbing over Marko’s mouth to quiet him down. There was a certain tingle in his spidey sense that meant Marko’s friends were nearby. He placed the newspaper in Marko’s lap where the other had been reading it while supposed to be on lookout duty.
“Marko, where are ya man!” There were two of them, the shorter loudmouthed one in a dirty coat and the taller well muscled quiet one in a wifebeater. Standard mob fare, the muscle, the brains, and the lack of self respect. Or maybe the dumb brick, the big mouth, and the screw-up, that was more likely. “We got the money, now let’s scram.” They stepped around the corner and Spidey waved from his position.
“Hey guys, I don’t suppose I can convince you to give that money back and turn yourselves in?”
“It’s the goddamned Spider-Man!” Screamed the shorter one, pulling out a gun.
“See!” Said Spider-Man, swinging through the air towards the mobsters. “This is exactly what I was talking about. What’s a Spider have to do to earn some respect.”
Shots rang out as the shorter mobster opened fire. Peter shot a strand of webbing towards the shooter’s eyes, the mobster crying out and trying to claw at the sticky adhesive, only to get his hands stuck in it.
“Didn’t your mother ever tell you that you’ll shoot someone’s eye out with those things?” Quipped Spidey.
The larger mobster made a jump for Spider-Man, but Peter simply pulled himself out of reach on the webline before shooting another strand of web straight down into the back of muscles as he reached the arc of his leap. Muscles started swinging for the wall-crawler, but Spidey simply shook his head.
“Keep trying Muscles. In case you missed today’s Physics lesson, all that pumping iron won’t do you much good without any leverage.” Another few strands of webbing quickly disabled the mobster.
“Ohhh man Marko, we’re in it now, the Kingpin is going to be pissed at us.” Squalled the short one as Spidey relieved him of his gun and the bag of cash they’d extorted with pinpoint weblines.
“Kingpin eh?” said Spiderman, dropping down closer. “Tell me more...”
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Additional Character Information: As Peter Parker he remains a shy, nerdy student more at home with books than other people, though still willing to do the right thing. He gives off the air of a nervous rule follower, and grade A dork. Still, he will stand up to anyone who insults his family, and genuinely cares for those who have included him in their affections.
As Spider-Man, he lets loose with all the bottled up snark and sarcasm. Peter isn’t sure if that’s the real inner him, or the mask he’s putting on at times, but it’s keeping him sane while it seems everything has been falling down around him. Either way, this wall crawler is never without a quip.
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Suggestions on How They Could Be Introduced?: Perhaps Peter comes to see the X-men to learn more about his mutation, or could be introduced by helping the Avengers if they ever battle in New York city. Or even recruited for the Avengers.
