Ultimate Spider-Man 1

Powerless
October 2000
Written by Brian Michael Bendis and Bill Jemas

I have decided to fully dive into the Marvel Ultimate Universe (also known as Earth-1610) after having read a little bit of a Ultimate Fantastic Four title. I then researched what was the first title and I found out it was good ole webhead himself; huzzah.

This first issue begins in Osbourne Industries where Norman Osbourne is hard at work with his genetic technicians. They are using various subjects, such as spiders, on the OZ project. As Norman hastily has to talk with his lawyer over the phone, his assistant fails to cap the container on the spider case and the arachnid escapes. Elsewhere, in Queens, readers are first introduced to nerd Peter Parker as he is reading a science book in a mall food court. As he tries to study, some rowdy teenagers pester him by throwning food. A sympathetic red-head (Mary Jane Watson) looks on with sadness. Before the other teens can stir up more trouble, Peter's uncle, Ben Parker, shows up and wrangles Mary Jane into a conversation with Peter and him.

The next day at his public school, Peter is further instigated by Flash and his big friend, but Harry Osbourne shows up and helps the guys to leave Peter alone. Peter and Harry are friends even though Harry is on the team with the other lugs. Later that evening, Ben and May Parker discuss the possibility that Peter may have S.A.D., but Peter just shrugs it off. Harry comes by so they can study and it is revealed Peters parents had died in a plane crash. When Peter trails off about an adhesive invention his father had worked on before dieing, Harry ends up leaving. Norman is too busy to be bothered with Harry when he tries to remind his father his class will be in the lab the next day. As the class is going through Osbourne Industries, Peter is bitten on the hand by the same spider shown at the beginning. Even though he has a seizure, he recovers after blacking out. Norman has a meeting to discuss what to do about Peter, decides to pay his hospital bill, and notes that we wants to keep an eye on the boy.

In school the next day, the heckling continues but as Flash's pal Kong is about to trip Peter, Peter reacts instinctively and flattens him onto the ground. Peter faints again and is taken to the hospital. He has blood taken, but the sample is replaced by one of Osbourne's men. As Norman examines the blood, he notices the toxins will kill Peter. He decides to send his goon Shaw to kill him before that happens to that no one finds out he will die because of his Industries. When Shaw tries to run down Peter with his car, Peter reacts for some reason (spider sense), and leaps over the car. When Shaw reports back in, Norman aborts the kill so that he may study the boy further. Peter begins to research and realize the spider has affected him somehow. After a confrontation with May and Ben, Peter wakes up in the middle of the night and tries to climb the wall. The issue ends with Peter hanging upside down from the ceiling.

I am not sure what I think of this issue. I know it is suppose to be a re-imagining of the comic, using some of the first movie as the basis mixed in with the original Amazing Fantasy comic as well. However, it felt like it was a bit of a struggle to get the story into the pages it did. Some of the plot points were done on one page, with the next going to a later time. While they have Pete playing the angsty teenager right now (at 15), the character I like the most so far is Mary Jane. She is the beautiful and smart person she is meant to be, but you can see how she is sort of infatuated with Peter as well. Anyway, I hope the story of the next issues flow a bit better than this one.

Score: 3 / 5