SPIDER-MAN: TEN SECONDS, ISSUE 1

A lot can happen in ten seconds…

We begin our story with Peter Parker, the Amazing Spider-Man, web-swinging through the fine city of New York. It is a beautiful day, the sun is shining and our hero is in high spirits.

He is singing (to the tune of the Batman TV theme), “Na-na-na-na na-na-na-na, na-na-na-na na-na-na-na, Spider-Man… Spider-Man… Here-comes-Peter-on-a-web-line, but-his-name’s-not-Peter-it-is, Spider-Man… Spider-Man…”

He happens to look down an alley while he is swinging by and notices a mugging taking place.

“Whoa, looks like someone didn’t get the memo that today is my day off, so no mugging is allowed. And this poor soul didn’t get the memo that you shouldn’t walk down alleys in New York. Lucky for him, his Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man happened to be swinging by. Lucky for me too, my rent is due in a couple of days and I’m almost out of web fluid, not to mention food. It’ll just take me ten seconds to web my camera to the corner of the building, angle it toward where the action will take place and set the timer. There, all…”

BANG!!

“What the!?”

Spider-Man turns his attention from his camera to the alleyway just in time to see the victim lying on the ground and the mugger running out to the street.

“Oh no…”

Less concerned with stopping the mugger, Spider-Man jumps into the alley to check the condition of the victim.

“Hey, are you ok? Can you hear me? Oh my God, I don’t think he’s breathing. I better get him to a hospital. There’s so much blood. This web bandage should help in the meantime.”

Spider-Man gently picks the man up and puts him over his shoulder. He web-swings as fast as he can without jostling the man too much. He arrives at the hospital in less than five minutes.

“HELP! Please, I need a doctor! Hurry, this man has been shot!”

“Here, I’ll take him. What happened?”

“I saw him getting mugged so I was going to help him. I just stopped for ten seconds to…”

“Ok, I’ll take it from here.”

“I’ll be here waiting, I need to know he’s ok. Please, let me know when he’s ok.”

“Someone will let you know.”

“I don’t care if it takes all day…”

It does not take all day however. Within minutes, the doctor returns.

“Doctor, how is he? Is he ok?”

“I’m sorry Spider-Man, but I’m afraid we lost him. He’d lost too much blood by the time you brought him here. We tried, but could not revive him. Now if you’ll excuse me, we need to contact his family.”


Spider-Man returns to the alley to get his camera, and starts to think out loud.

“It’s all because of this. All because I just had to stop and set up my camera. I just had to make sure I got pictures of me being a hero. If I had just stopped the mugging as soon as I got here, that man would still be alive. Once again, someone died because of my inaction. I’ve been so selfish, making a living off of these crimes and other people’s misfortune. From now on, I am only about the mission. No one else will die on my watch!”

Spider-Man swings off to patrol, purposefully leaving his camera behind.

TO BE CONTINUED…