GENERATION X SPIDER-MAN (Issue #33)

REMEMBER WHEN?

APRIL 1992

After a long two hour drive from New York to Connecticut, Peter Parker was eager to make a quick change into his Spider-Man suit and stretch his legs. The flexible, skin tight bodysuit allowed him to do just that. It was custom made, from Oscorp Industries. Originally designed for stealth missions, it was colored black and gray. However, Peter dyed the spandex polymer garment red and blue. It covered his entire body and evoked a sense of mystery, with a pair of almond shaped polarized lenses for eyes on the mask portion. Black stylized webbing designs were etched into the red portions of the costume, with a black spider symbol imprinted on the center of the chest. The teenage vigilante pulled it on and leapt from tree to tree, deep in the Connecticut woods. It had been a month and a half since he had first set foot here, tracking the Scorpion to a secret government research facility. What followed was a nightmare for the young hero. The two missing Oscorp scientists were here, but were gunned down by several flying drones before Spider-Man could get them to safety. Even worse, it appeared as though it was all under the direction of the company's vice president, Zoltan Amadeus. Before he could apprehend this man, a team of security personnel arrived and the hero had to retreat.

"What the hell?" Spider-Man whispered after finally reaching his destination.

It was empty. The massive facility had been cleared out. When Spider-Man was here last month, the hundred thousand square foot building was teeming with activity. He hadn't had time to explore the location thoroughly, but it appeared to be a secret government site used for scientific research. What type of research was being conducted was a mystery. However, Adrian Toomes was here and he escaped with something of value. Possibly, another component needed to construct a particle accelerator.

"This is weird," the masked teenager muttered to himself while passing through the empty hallways of this enormous industrial complex. "Anybody here? This is like something from the Twilight Zone."

An awful feeling had gripped the young man when he was here last month. It was something that Zoltan had said to him, a warning. An end to everything you've ever known or loved. That phrase had already been stuck in the hero's head. Someone had said that to him before. Spider-Man just couldn't seem to remember who had said it, or when. It was disconcerting, to say the least.

"Well, this was a waste of time." he uttered while exiting the building.

There was a large observation tower that jutted out of the main portion of the facility. Last month he stood outside the building, looking up at Zoltan Amadeus. Now, he looked up at the same structure and recalled the unsettling conversation he had with the man.

"Whatever you're planning, it's not going to work." he had said to Amadeus.

"Really?" the conceited vice-president of Oscorp asked on that cold, dark night.

"Like I said," Spider-Man had said to the man who stood up high above him at the top of the large observation tower. "You're going to prison like any other criminal."

"Well, I trust not." Zoltan Amadeus disagreed. "But, as they say: let the games begin."

It was a month later now. The snow covered woods were replaced by leaves and shrubs. A sure sign that spring was underway. Spider-Man looked up and saw the afternoon sun hanging in the cloud covered sky and decided it was time to leave. He wanted to search the abandoned facility again, but it just seemed like a waste of time. Besides, his girlfriend was back at the car waiting for him. Twenty minutes later, he returned to the side of the road where Mary Jane had parked her aunt's Ford Tempo. She was there waiting for him with Scrappy. The rambunctious English Springer Spaniel had also been eager to stretch his legs and ran around the side of the road with Peter's lovely girlfriend. As she ran in pursuit of the precocious puppy, the teen girl heard the familiar sound of Spider-Man's webbing. Thwip! A long strand of adhesive cable soon wrapped around her waist and she was pulled up into the warm embrace of her costumed boyfriend. They sat together, perched on the branch of a nearby tree while Scrappy looked up at the pair of teens with curiosity.