مرد عنكبوتی بی مرد عنكبوتی

Chapter seven

Spider-Man no more

Harry sat at the bar in the Planetarium.

‘You’re drinking too much, Harry,’ said Peter.

‘It’s a party,’ said Harry, ‘And don’t forget I’ve just lost all my money on a crazy scientist. And then there’s Spider-Man.’

‘Let’s not talk about him tonight, Harry.’

‘Every night, Peter,’ said Harry. ‘Until I find him I can only think about Spider-Man.’

‘PARKER, ‘ shouted Jonah Jameson across the room. ‘Parker, I’m not paying you to sit at the bar all evening. Take photos. Take more photos. Take pictures of me and my wife with the city’s most important people.’

Just then a woman spoke into a microphone.

‘Good evening, everyone,’ she said. ‘Tonight the Science Library of New York welcomes a special American hero - the first man to play football on the Moon. The great, the fine, the good-looking Captain John Jameson!’

The band played and John Jameson came down some stairs. Peter was ready with his camera. But he couldn’t take the picture. MJ was standing next to John Jameson, with her arm in his.

She smiled as she looked at all the faces. But then she saw Peter.

Later Peter found MJ outside the party.

‘Hi,’ he said.

‘Oh, you,’ she said.

‘Listen, I’m sorry,’ he said. ‘There was trouble on the way to the theatre-‘ She stopped him.

‘I don’t know you,’ she said angrily. ‘And I can’t think about you any more. It hurts too much.’

‘Can I get you a drink?’

‘I’m with John. He’ll get my drink— John has seen my show five times. Harry has seen it. Aunt May has seen it. My ill mother has seen it. Even my father has seen it. But my best friend— oh no, he can’t get to a theatre for eight o’clock. After all these years, he’s just an empty seat to me,’

A little later John Jameson took the microphone. ‘I just want you all to know,’ he said. ‘The beautiful Miss Mary Jane Watson has just agreed to be my wife.’ MJ went up to John and kissed him. ‘Shoot the picture, Parker, ‘ said Jonah Jameson. ‘Shoot the picture!’

Peter lifted the camera and took the picture. But he could only think about MJ. Was she lost to him now? He ran outside. He changed into his Spider-Man clothes and started to swing through the city. He felt better. But not for long - suddenly there was no more webbing! He crashed down to the street. He tried again to shoot some webbing, but nothing happened. ‘Why’s this happening to me, ‘ he asked. He tried to go up a wall, but he crashed down again. He sat there for a moment. He saw an old Daily Bugle next to him. His Spider-Man photo was on the front page. The story was about Spider-Man and Doc Ock at the bank - they were taking the money together!

Late that night there was a storm in the city. Peter couldn’t sleep. He was thinking about Uncle Ben. He thought about Uncle Ben’s words - the words he said on the day he died: ‘With great power comes great responsibility.’

‘I can’t live your dreams any more, Uncle Ben,’ said Peter. ‘I can’t be Spider-Man. I want a life of my own.’

Peter got dressed. He took his Spider-Man clothes with him and went out. He came to a small street and threw his Spider-Man clothes away.

‘Spider-Man no more,’ he thought. And he went home.