GENERATION X SPIDER-MAN (Issue #31)

THE GOOD STUFF

FEBRUARY 1992

     This Valentine's Day was going to be different. That's what Peter Parker thought to himself as he leapt from telephone pole to telephone pole soon after the sun had set for the day. What had transpired last year was an absolute nightmare. It was supposed to have been his very first date with Mary Jane Watson at the Midtown High School Valentine's Dance. Unfortunately, that never happened. Being defeated by Kraven the Hunter was only the beginning. Then, he was kidnapped and unmasked by the evil and sadistic Norman Osborn. The deranged owner of Oscorp Industries tortured the young man for the better part of three days. It was only through sheer will that he was able to escape from his tormentor. Peter missed out on his chance to make a connection with the girl of his dreams. But, that was last year. This was 1992, and it was  a brand new year. A brand new chance to make things right. It was an unusually mild mid February night in Forest Hills, New York. The seventeen year old boy was careful not to get noticed. Naturally, residents of this small suburban town would be stunned if they saw Spider-Man leaping across trees and telephone poles with a beautiful bouquet of long stemmed roses in his hands. Eventually, he reached the Watson residence which was not far from his home on Ingram Street. Her second story bedroom window was unlocked as she was expecting him for their date. The costumed teenager crawled across the outside of the house just like a spider before peeking his head into the window. Peter wasn't disappointed by what he saw. His lovely girlfriend was combing her long reddish-brown hair. Those words echoed in his mind and warmed his heart. His girlfriend. It was true. About two weeks ago Mary Jane broke up with Harry Osborn, ending their second stint as a couple. This time however, they had been engaged and his abusive behavior was more than she could stand. Shortly after their relationship ended, Peter arrived just in time to save them both from the villainous Hobgoblin. Spider-Man was able to defeat this enigmatic new adversary, then he and Mary Jane declared their love for one another. They stood atop the College of Mount Saint Vincent and kissed. It was pure magic. Without a doubt, it was the happiest moment in the life of Peter Parker. One that had been nearly two years in the making. Now, he stared at his beautiful and intelligent girlfriend. Once again, he liked the sound of that. His girlfriend.

"Are you going to come in here or are you going to keep me waiting all night?" Mary Jane asked after turning away from her vanity mirror and facing her boyfriend. "Come on in, Spider-Man."

"Sorry about that," Peter said after crawling in through the window. "Didn't mean to stare."

"I think that you did mean to stare," she chuckled.

"That dress is something else," the young man remarked. "It's very... Well, it's very shiny."

"Glad you like it," Mary Jane mentioned. "It's funny. This reminds me of last year when you walked in on us wearing our bras and panties. By the way, I love what you're wearing, too."

"What I'm wearing?" Peter stuttered, lost in thought. "Sorry, I'm just a little distracted."

"Yeah, no kidding." she giggled.

It was with good reason that he had been distracted. Mary Jane Watson was an absolute vision of beauty, wearing a red silk dress. She smiled at her new boyfriend, trying not to get choked up. This was an emotional night. One that was long overdue. While they had been a couple for two weeks, their busy schedules kept them from being together for any extended period of time. A recent crime spree in New York had Spider-Man spending alot of time in the city. Meanwhile, Mary Jane had a considerable amount of things to do as well. Her responsibilities as student body president of Midtown High School kept her very busy. In addition, her extracurricular activities like Amnesty International were preventing her from enjoying too much time with her boyfriend. The lovely teenage girl thought about those words and it made her smile. Her boyfriend. Peter Parker was her boyishly handsome new boyfriend. She was so happy that they were finally together. The last two weeks had been truly amazing, but unfortunately, just as frustrating. They were both so busy. There just didn't seem to be enough hours in the day for Peter and Mary Jane to be together. But, tonight was different. It was Valentine's Day. These two star crossed lovers had all night to spend with one another.