[Peter] Ever since I got my body back from Doc Ock,
it's been nonstop-- defeating Venom,
saving the Avengers, taking down the ultra-powerful Regent...
Spider-Man has been in rare form.
But Peter Parker, on the other hand--
Let's just say Ock did some serious damage to my personal life
when he was pretending to be me.
Most of my friends won't speak to me and, even worse,
Ock, as me, quit Horizon High
and seriously offended the school's founder, Max Modell,
who now won't even take my calls.
So, first thing on the "Getting My Life Back on Track" checklist:
convince Max to let me reenroll at Horizon High.
And there he is. Same train, every day, like clockwork.
Now I just have to accidentally bump into him, and--
[man] Coming through!
[Peter] Hey! Oh, come on! Really?
I got this. I got this.
[pants] Funny running into you, huh? Max?
Max?
[pants] He must have not heard me.
Max! What a coincidence.
And look.
Huh?
I accidentally bought two drinks.
Stop following me.
Wha-- This is a total accident.
The things you said to me, Peter, were deeply offensive.
You have no idea how sorry I am.
No, no. Sorry's not good enough.
Given everything you've done, not to mention your tuition problems,
you're not getting back into Horizon.
Give it up.
Sorry, Max,
but giving up is not a skill Peter Parker is any good at.
I'm not dropping anything from my checklist.
Things like "Get people to like Spider-Man again."
See how aggressive he's become?
This angry web-spinner is a hero!
And get J.J. to hate Spider-Man again. Huh?
[explosion]
[sirens wailing]
Whoever that is might not be on Peter Parker's checklist,
but he just shot straight to the top of Spiderman's.
Hey, buddy, you got a permit to turn New York into a skating rink?
[grunts] Webs didn't stick!
That's, like, 75% of their job!
Frictionless suit. Nothing can touch me.
Can't say the same about you. [grunts]
Huh? Aah!
[groans] So what's your deal, Slippy Pants?
Bank robbery? Jewel heist?
World domination? All of the above?
I only believe that what goes around comes around.
And this city is gonna rightfully pay for what it did to Slyde.
Wait. So this is revenge?
Look, if you've got a nefarious scheme,
at least have the courtesy to explain it!
You must be really new at this.
[grunts]
I'd worry less about me and more about them.
[bystanders exclaiming]
Not cool. Figuratively. Literally.
[creaking]
[fire escape crashes to ground]
Whatever-ly.
No sign of Slyde anywhere.
Wait. Beemont Chemical?
And Allan Beemont himself?
Uh, he's a brilliant innovator, but I read he almost never leaves his lab.
What's going on here?
And does it have anything to do with that clown?
Slippery little dude.
Yes! Awesome!
[chuckles] What are you watching, Flash?
...acting like a reckless idiot,
endangering lives!
I thought he'd changed, but maybe Spider-Man's
returning to his old ways!
J.J. hates Spidey again? Nice.
What? [scoffs] Nah, not that.
This! Spidey's back in his classic red and blue costume,
not that weird red and black one.
And on top of everything else, he's a miserable failure!
Maybe Jamison's right.
Spidey got his butt kicked by some newbie.
I mean, it's great that he seems less aggro, but--
Pfft. I don't know. Maybe he's lost his edge.
Peter, got a minute?
Everything okay, Anna-Maria?
It's Otto.
I haven't seen or heard from him in days,
not since we helped you fight the Regent.
Has he been in touch with you?
No.
And given the mess he made of my life,
it's probably good we don't run into each other.
Peter, I know Otto regrets everything he put you through.
And he did the right thing in the end.
But I'm the one stuck trying to fix all the damage he caused.
I'm sure Ock's fine.
I wouldn't worry about him.
Mr. Parker? Your project?
Uh, p-- p-project?
Your term project.
You do have it, correct?
[sighs]
And your excuse?
My mind wasn't in my body when the assignment was given out.
I, uh, left it at home, Mr. Salerno.
I'll bring it tomorrow?
It was due today.
That's ten percent off your grade.
[Peter] Max won't let me into Horizon.
Midtown's a total disaster.
My best friend Harry's still in Europe.
Gwen and Anya pretty much hate me.
It's like the world I built is completely gone,
and I don't know what to do, Uncle Ben.
I had no control of my life when Ock was me,
but now that I'm back, I still have no control.
And there's no one I can talk to who could possibly understand how this feels.
[clears throat] Parker.
[scoffs] What are you doing here?
Same as you, I suppose.
Looking for some... direction.
From my Uncle Ben?
I share your memories.
So, in a strange way, he's my uncle too.
No, he's not.
You stole him from me, Otto.
You stole my life.
Now have the decency to stay out of it.
I have been trying just that.
But how can I deny this man's influence?
Ben Parker is now as much a part of me as he is you.
And you, above all others, know what an inspiration he could be.
Yeah. Yeah, I do.
No matter what kind of trouble I got myself into,
no matter how lost I was, Uncle Ben always knew how to lift me up.
[device beeps]
Huh?
Hmm? Slyde has been sighted again.
How do you know that? And how do you know his name?
My spider-bots are still keeping an eye all over the city.
I saw your last interaction.
Slyde is now moving through Central Park.
What are you waiting for? Go stop him.
You're Spider-Man, aren't you?
And you, at least, have a purpose.
Otto, I...
I've gotta go.
[bystanders clamoring]
[Spider-Man] This is your brilliant revenge scheme?
Blowing up a statue? What's next?
Seesaw? Roundabout?
What's next is New York pays for what was done to me.
It's time to spread fear.
No one is safe!
Maybe if I can accelerate my velocity
and focus the impact points-- [yells]
[grunts, groans]
How can you stop me
when you can't even stop yourself?
He's made me frictionless,
but he didn't count on my webs.
[web-shooter deploying sounds]
His chemicals jammed them?
Guess I can't count on my webs either! Whoa!
[horn blaring]
Whoa!
[horn blaring]
Aaah! Aah!
Whoa! And the award for Most Annoying Power
goes to... Slyde, ladies and gentlemen.
Also, never forget the web-wings, kids.
I bet this is surprising!
[grunts] How am I not rid of you?
Is that a rhetorical question?
It's gotta be, 'cause I don't think you really want to hear
about my adventures as a human bobsled.
[horn blaring]
[grunts]
Whoa!
Aah!
[grunts]
Enough of this!
[grunts]
Hey! Huh?
[yells]
Aah!
[grunts] Spider-Man, bitten by a radioactive spider
and given the power to take humiliation to a whole new level.
[J. Jonah Jameson] Spider-Man fails yet again!
Has he lost whatever mojo he found?
But more importantly, I wanna know who this sliding guy is
that's causing New Yorkers to live in fear!
You and me both, J.J.
[sighs] But without my lab at Horizon,
I don't have any of the tech to run a proper analysis
and produce a counter-chemical.
Ugh. Ock,
why did you have to mess everything up so badly?
Wait. That's it!
Hey, uh-- Oh, whoa!
This place is amazing.
Was this your headquarters when--
When I was you?
Yes. The Spider's Nest, as I called it.
Proved to be a vital central lab.
But now this is all... irrelevant, isn't it?
If it's so irrelevant, why are you still here?
I have nowhere else to go, Parker.
The world that I had built is completely gone.
Yeah. I know the feeling.
Please do not waste my time any further.
Inform me of why you called.
Slyde. I need your help developing a counter to his chemical powers.
First you demand that I stay out of your life,
and now you come asking for my assistance?
Yes. [stammers]
I realized we could maybe make a good team.
I couldn't have defeated the Regent in the Cellar without your help.
I need it again.
I was once Spider-Man.
I will not be Spider-Man's sidekick.
Okay.
Guess it's my bad for thinking
there might still be a hero left in you somewhere.
Parker, hold it.
As I said, Otto Octavius is no one's sidekick.
But the science behind Slyde's power-set intrigues me,
and it would surely expand the parameters
of my knowledge if I could understand it.
I don't have the right lab gear to fully process it at home,
but I managed to derive this from the chemicals Slyde sprayed on my costume,
which was kind of totally humiliating.
[device clicks]
Yes, I also found that being a hero
was not as glamorous or respectable as I had imagined.
Yet it was still strangely worth it.
[clears throat] I recognize several of these chemical components.
There are only three companies that make them--
one in Frankfurt, one in London,
and one here in Manhattan.
Is the one in Manhattan the Beemont Chemical Corporation, by chance?
Allan Beemont is brilliant.
I would not be surprised if he was the source of these chemicals?
Then Spider-Man has to get to work. Thanks, Ock.
You... are welcome.
But do not expect my help to become routine.
I know you're trying to resist what Uncle Ben taught you, Otto.
But you were right. You can't.
[rustling]
[gasps]
How did you get in here?
Spider-Man? Does whatever a spider can?
Well, spider yourself back out again.
I'm not here to make any trouble.
Well, maybe a little. It's kind of my thing.
What's the connection between your company and that lunatic Slyde?
I have no idea who you're talking about.
Funny. I could have sworn I saw you and your men
at the scene of Slyde's first attack.
Those chemical explosions?
Beemont Chem was there to assist in the cleanup--
something we've done many times over the years to help law enforcement.
Now get out before I have my entire security force up here.
Whoa. No need for that.
You seem a little aggravated for someone who apparently has never heard of Slyde.
Out!
Okay, I can take a hint.
[growls]
I seem to have struck a nerve with Beemont.
He's hiding something. But what?
Maybe a quick look in his lab, and--
[man] Spider-Man.
We don't have much time.
Please, listen to me.
Sure thing, Mr.--
Doctor.
Dr. Joseph Rockwell, Chief Technical Officer at Beemont.
He's afraid you'll discover the truth.
Look, I've given my life to this company,
but safety and justice are more important than a corporation.
So, there is a connection between Beemont and Slyde?
Yes. His name is Jalome Beacher.
Former employee. One of our most brilliant researchers.
Then what went wrong?
[Dr. Rockwell] Beemont's ego.
You see, a good part of his global reputation
has been built on other people's work.
He wanted credit for what Beacher developed.
When Beacher objected, Allan had him fired.
So that crazy suit, the slip-sliding chemicals,
the thermite bombs-- all developed here?
Mm-hmm.
Why the rampage? I don't get it.
Imagine what will happen if the world learns
the maniac attacking New York
created his tech here at Beemont?
Tech that Beemont has full credit for.
That's a scandal you might not be able to recover from.
Slyde wants to ruin this company,
so Beemont has been trying to cover any connection to him and Beacher--
erasing e-mails, corporate records...
He fears if and when Beacher is captured, it will ruin him.
Beacher might have been ripped off by Allan Beemont,
but as Slyde, he's putting people's lives at risk.
That's a formula I developed that could counteract his powers.
Slyde needs to be stopped, even if it might destroy this company.
[explosion]
[both exclaim]
That sounds like Slyde again.
Only you can save New York, Spider-Man.
[web-shooter deploys]
[grunting]
[bystanders exclaim]
[grunts]
[both whimpering]
You're welcome! Beacher!
You know who I am? Good.
Soon everyone will know the truth,
and Beemont will pay for what he did to me
and all the others whose work he claimed as his own! [grunts]
You're attacking the city like this so everyone will blame Beemont Chemicals?
Isn't this a tiny bit of an overreaction?
It was just a job!
It was my life!
I know Beemont's trying to keep our connection hidden,
but he won't be able to ignore this.
A video game controller?
Color me... unimpressed.
It's time for New York to fall.
[beeps]
Okay, now can we say this is an overreaction?
[bystanders clamoring]
[grunts]
[gasps]
[Spider-Man] Didn't Beemont Chemicals have a work complaints department?
[grunting]
[clamoring continues]
Everyone, this way! Get to safety!
[grunts]
That should do the trick. Barely.
What? How can I stop all this?
- [bystanders cheering] - Spider-bots?
[Dr. Octavius] I will control the fires, Spider-Man.
You need to focus on Slyde.
[clicking]
If you do not stop him, his plans will only get more dangerous.
[beeping]
[Spider-Man] Ock? I thought you were done helping me out.
Your points were valid, Parker.
I could not turn my back on Uncle Ben's teachings if I tried.
However, I am your equal, not--
My sidekick. Got it.
And totally cool with it.
[communicator beeps]
I'm sending you a formula that's supposed to counter Slyde's powers.
Can you turn this into a serum?
Hmm?
This formula is rudimentary, but with some tweaks,
I can make it more effective.
[sirens wailing]
[sighs] No sign of Slyde anywhere.
[horn blares]
My spider-bots can see that he is heading to Beemont Chemical,
which is not surprising in the least.
You expected Slyde to face Allan Beemont head-on?
No. This situation is more complicated than that.
Based on security footage I accessed before I sent in the bots,
Slyde has returned to Beemont Chemical after every one of his rampages.
Why would Slyde do that? That doesn't make any sense.
Only because you are thinking like a hero, Spider-Man.
If one were to think like a villain,
which I might have some experience with,
there are a number of reasons to hide in plain sight.
Ock, that's genius!
I need you to research one more thing for me.
So this is your secret Slyde-out.
[chuckles] Get it? I can come up with names like that all day.
[growls]
Aah! [grunts, groans]
Rough crowd.
You're ruining my plans, Spider-Man.
[grunting]
There's been a lot of friction between us
and it's time we resolved that. [grunts]
[groans]
Imagine that.
Jalome Beacher defeating Spider-Man.
[Dr. Octavius] There is only one man on this earth who could defeat Spider-Man,
and you are not him, Beacher.
Aah!
My chemicals...
You rendered them inert? Impossible!
[Spider-Man] "Impossible" is our specialty.
[grunts]
Aah! [groans]
[grunts, strains]
Spider-Man!
What-- What's Slyde doing here?
Spare me the act of surprise, Beemont.
I know you kept this city in danger to protect yourself.
But you're not the one I'm really after.
Dr. Rockwell. Waiting to see the results of all your plans?
What are you talking about, Spider-Man? I helped you stop Slyde.
Exactly. So you could take over Beemont Chemical for yourself.
What? Is this true?
I was surprised, too,
until I was reminded to think like a villain.
I had a friend look you up, Rockwell.
Wasn't easy, but he accessed encrypted security footage
of you giving Beacher the chemicals he needed.
[growling]
You wanted this company to fail.
So Allan Beemont would be fired, stocks would plummet,
and a group of rather mysterious investors
would buy Beemont Chemical, put you in charge,
and take complete control of this place.
This is the part where you say, "And I would've gotten away with it too!"
You're the one who convinced me Beacher should be fired
for accusing me of stealing his ideas, which wasn't true.
You and I were friends. Why would you do all this?
Friends?
I owe loyalty to no one--
only to the Goblin Nation!
[Spider-Man] I've seen that symbol
all over the city,
but barely noticed it.
And that is the intention of the Goblin Nation.
[handcuffs click]
We hide in plain sight.
But just as I've revealed myself to you,
the Nation is ready to reveal itself to the world!
And it's too late to stop us, Spider-Man!
Hey, Ock, this Goblin Nation thing sounds more than a little sinister.
Think you can do some research?
Absolutely! [clears throat]
Schedule permitting, of course.
Thanks, Ock.
[Anna Maria] So, Otto called me, and we're going to meet for lunch.
I talked to him.
He's been feeling a little lost.
But I think he's getting better now.
Question. Would Midtown be interested
in hiring a brilliant new teacher?
You know what? It just might be.
I see you've got your Spider-geek back on pretty huge.
Did you see the way he took down that Slyde guy?
[laughs] It was epic!
I'm not gonna argue that.
And your enthusiasm also helps me make progress
on a personal assignment.
"Get people to like Spidey again"? Check.
Oh, I almost forgot the newest one I added--
"Help Ock find a purpose."
Otto, I have a question for you.
Big check.
[beeps]