#spider-man: no way home spoilers

[pandadrake]

Spider-Society and The Day of Lots of Involuntary Trips to Earth-19999. (Finally finished this, god damn.)

I hadn’t seen any takes on what Spider-Society was like during Spider-man: No Way Home (2021), so I thought about it too hard.

I.e. I pulled up a clip of No Way Home to see what the Peter-abduction spell would look like from Miguel’s POV, then realized he'd have no idea what he's looking at and would probably mistake it for something else.

[nyeddleblog]

Unrequited. [Part 1]

Pairing: Andrew! Peter Parker x Fem!Reader. Warnings: Felicia Hardy, a little suggestive, interrupted. Summary: You're Peter Parker's roommate and you're so done with the amount of women that come into your apartment.

Chapter 1: Thin Walls.

"Please, please, please" he begged, hips jerking upwards as she let her hips grind against his. His eyes were hazy, lingering on the way her arms stretched, wrapping around his shoulders, "I promise to make you feel good, baby. Please, I need to feel you."

She left a kiss on his jaw, then another on his cheek, and when she reached the edge of his lips, he let out a whine that would have made him embarrassed in any other situation. Right then, however, it just made her let out a breathy laugh against his mouth and he could feel his pants growing tighter. 

She was everything.

"You sure you want this, Peter?" 

He nodded mindlessly, he didn't really hear what she said, he would just agree to anything that woman asked if it meant being hers, and when she dropped to her knees, another whine left him.

She was being so sweet, softly pushing him against the bed, playing with his zipper, palming him through his jeans. Peter threw his head back, a lazy grin forming on his lips as she settled her eyes on his. He reached for a strand of her hair, and played with it. 

She left a chaste kiss on his hipbone, another on his lower stomach, and when he felt the sloppy kiss against the fabric of his boxers, he groaned.

Then he heard the loud thud on the wall, and finally recognized the presence of his roommate on the next room. He incorporated quickly, but Felicia was pulling on his boxers and he couldn't help the "Fuck" he whimpered at her touch.

"Peter, for fucks sake!" you yelled, and he bit his lips cringing, "Stop being a slut!"

Felicia looked up at him and she didn't seem annoyed, no, she looked absolutely angry. He licked his lips, ready to explain but she was already standing up and picking up the thin blouse he had taken the sweet time of unbuttoning.

"Sweetheart...!"

"Don't fucking 'sweetheart' me, Parker" she hissed, carefully clasping her stilettos, "You told me you lived alone!"

"I told you I was alone." he corrected her gently, zipping up his jeans as he tried to reach for her, "She wasn't supposed to be here, Felicia. Please"

"I'm sorry, darling, but I don't like having an audience."

She gracefully walked out of his room and guided herself around his apartment. Peter heard the dim laughter inside your room as he followed her, a laughter he could only pick up because of his heightened senses, and he was going to confront you about this.

"Honey, we can just be quieter..."

"I'm not a teenager to be playing around like this" Felicia took a hold of the doorknob and turned to look at him, "Maybe make up a code next time? Put a sock on your door or something, I don't give a shit."

And she left.

Peter turned to look at his roommate's door. He inhaled sharply.

He called for you.

He saw the doorknob move, then saw you peek your head out behind the wood and give him a small smile, "Yeah?"

"Was that necessary?"

"I mean," you took a good look at Peter, eyes scanning him up and down shamelessly. You would never admit it, but he looked delicious all hot and bothered, "It was to me."

"You say that like it happened often" he tried to argue, but you raised an eyebrow and leaned against the door frame, making him remember the other times. He sighed, "Okay, I can understand how that can be annoying..."

"You know, Peter..." Your voice was laced with a mix of amusement and irritation "There's a whole world out there full of people who don't involve me in their intimacy, yet I came to live with the only one who does, and not in the good way."

Peter ran a hand through his hair, feeling the blood run to his cheeks. "Look, I'm sorry, okay? It won't happen again, I don't even think she'd..."

You cut him off waving your hand, "You're something else, Parker" you said, shaking your head as your gaze softened, "Seriously though, knock it off. I'm not your personal filming crew, and, like she said, I'm definitely not your audience."

Peter opened his mouth to respond but you turned around, "Don't bother. I'm going to bed. And next time, maybe try a motel room? Or, better yet, invest in some self-control." NEXT PART.

[jayrealityv1]

Look, I know any & all similarities that Molly might have with Tom Holland's Spidey are purely coincidental. And that the comparisons we like to make as a fanbase are usually nothing more than just facetious memes.

But at this point, I can't help but find it hard to deny that this scene alone has truly solidified Molly as Tom Holland.

[broadwayfan92]

Same vibes

[starpunz]

ABSOLUTE SPIDER-MAN

to summarize his story

In the Absolute DC continuity, it’s based on the idea of a character losing a fundamental aspect regarding their character, that is tangent to their existence, and to see the outcome. Spider-Man was hard, because he’s currently a cuck in the comics, so, the only real thing he could lose is his identity of Peter Parker. Not that everyone knows who he is, not that he only does Spider-Man in his life, but the identity of Peter Parker is literally dead.

In this world, without Peter Parker, he is essentially raised by loving parents, leading to him to pursue greater lengths in his education, without any of his relationships, he changes essentially everyone in this universe. The Jackal works with the US government to develop a new team for them, codename: SINISTER SIX. Peter was currently an undergraduate of Jackal’s and uses his DNA from a science experiment he assigned to make the clone of Peter, Ben. He does this with other classmates of his who all dawn identities of iconic villains, forming the superhero team: the sinister six. However, due to the lack of Peter humanity, after being sent a mission, the hero department known as SHIELD is bought out by Osborn industries for needed funding as their field work was too expensive. Ben finds out about Norman wanting to use their team for essentially terrorism against other countries for exploitation of their resources, and effectively kills Norman. Harry sees this event unfold and without his mask, frames Peter Parker who dies by the hands of the Sinister Six, who now have a new leader, Green Goblin (Harry). Ben and Jackal go into hiding in the sewers, and New York falls into 24/7 viewing by the Sinister 60, a team of 10 in each territory of New York while the actual 6 go out on Norman’s original idea.

With a Spider-Man with no ties to his own humanity, how does he find the will?

[matthew-macfadyens]

He's just a Ken!

[cindersongblog]

is this anything

[floyds-posts]

Just saw" acros the spiderverse " and i can honestly say that not only this is way better than the first one but it completely shit on no way home

Ps : even thought the story was mainly focus on miles, gwendolyne maxine stacy carried this movie on her fucking back.

[nftdaisy]

no.1

i can live without you now, but i’m not sure if it’s living.

[tomhardymyking]

My face when I read that there were people who still believed the supposed and absurd leaked plot of 𝑽𝒆𝒏𝒐𝒎 3, the one about *"SPOILERS"?* the little boy that supposed is going to be saved in 𝑴𝒂𝒅𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝑾𝒆𝒃, who would be 𝗣𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗿 from 𝑽𝒆𝒏𝒐𝒎's universe, and that then 𝗘𝗱𝗱𝗶𝗲 𝗕𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗸 would take care of him as his stepfather 😧

I hope that with the photos of the 𝑽𝒆𝒏𝒐𝒎 3 filming and with what I will say they know that it's 99% false, since the 𝑴𝒂𝒅𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝑾𝒆𝒃 movie is set in 2003, the boy, by saving him, would be about 17 years old in 𝑽𝒆𝒏𝒐𝒎's movies, well, like 𝗧𝗼𝗺 𝗛𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱's in 𝑴𝑪𝑼, almost an adult 🙏🏻 (and it comes from 4chan ... )

But, I wish and hope, that plot never comes true at any time in any way... 😅

⠀⠀⠀⠀

Mi cara cuando leía que había gente que aún se creía la supuesta y absurda trama filtrada de 𝑽𝒆𝒏𝒐𝒎 3, la del *¿"SPOILERS"?* niño pequeño que supuestamente va a ser salvado en 𝑴𝒂𝒅𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝑾𝒆𝒃 sería 𝗣𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗿 del universo de 𝑽𝒆𝒏𝒐𝒎, y que después 𝗘𝗱𝗱𝗶𝗲 𝗕𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗸 cuidaría de él como su padrastro 😧

Espero que ya con las fotos del rodaje de 𝑽𝒆𝒏𝒐𝒎 3 y con esto que diré sepan que es 99% falsa, ya que la película de 𝑴𝒂𝒅𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝑾𝒆𝒃 está ambientada en 2003 y el niño, al salvarlo, tendría unos 17 años en las películas de 𝑽𝒆𝒏𝒐𝒎, pues como el de 𝗧𝗼𝗺 𝗛𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 en el 𝑼𝑪𝑴, un casi adulto 🙏🏻 (y viene de 4chan ... )

Pero, ojalá y espero, que nunca se haga realidad esa trama en ningún momento de ninguna manera... 😅

⠀⠀

[nyeddleblog]

Unrequited. [Part 5]

Pairing: Andrew! Peter Parker x Fem!Reader; Mentions of past Gwen Stacy x Andrew! Peter Parker; Mentions of Mary Jane Watson x Fem!Reader. Warnings: Swearing, shower tension, misunderstandings and a tiny bit of angst. Summary: Dinner with Gwen Stacy.

PREVIOUS PART.

Chapter 5: Late night memories.

The water in the shower stopped running. As soon as you realized this, you jumped out of the couch quickly to get in the shower yourself. The chicken, despite how incredibly cliché it sounded, was already in the oven and who knew when your guest would arrive, so you didn't take into mind that Peter was still in the bathroom.

"Jesus fucking Christ?"

"Move, I need to take a shower" you stated, not even looking at the way he grabbed the towel against his crotch, barely even covering him. 

You let the water run once more and took off your shirt, making him gasp. You frowned then, looking back at him like he was the one acting weird. Peter was blushing, taking slow flustered steps back and out of the bathroom. You raised an eyebrow.

"It's not your first time seeing me shirtless."

"I guess I'm not used to it" he stammered, looking away.

"Yet I have to be used to you being shirtless."

He leaned in, taking a hold of the doorknob and settled his eyes on your bare shoulders. You, instead of shying away from his weak attempt of teasing you, untied the string on your sweatpants and slid off them with ease. Peter froze for a second and slammed the door shut. 

He could hear your laughter when he did.

Of course he'd seen you in your underwear, you'd been living together for seven years and had spent countless summers with no air conditioning. But one thing was seeing you walk around in your panties and an oversized shirt two years ago and a completely different thing was seeing you now, getting ready for a shower.

You'd always been incredibly hot, but it had been some time. If you weren't you, he would be begging to be suffocated by your thighs. Of course, being you he was weirded out he even begun to think about it.

"I don't think there's any hot water left" he yelled, just to be casual. Just to come back to your usual roommate/best friend banter.

"I'm taking a cold shower" you yelled back. 

He bit his lip at that. He looked up at the ceiling until he heard his phone buzz inside the bathroom and remembered he was butt naked because he'd gotten kicked out of there. He didn't want to get in, but his decent clothes were in fact neatly folded on top of the sink.

"Hey, sweetheart!"

"Yeah?"

"My clothes are in there!"

He heard you giggle and he rolled his eyes.

"Come in, then."

Peter thought about it, considered waiting until you came out of the bathroom. Then the bell rang and he swung the door open. He heard you whistle behind the curtain, letting his towel drop to the floor to quickly get a hold of his boxers. 

"I'm coming!" he yelled out. 

He had a bit of practice with changing quickly with the whole Spider-Man thing, but he was still nervous about Gwen. It was Gwen Stacy, for fuck's sake.

Peter greeted her with wet hair, an inside out t-shirt and barefoot. She smiled playfully, same big green eyes and freckled nose. He held his breath.

"Hello, Peter."

He let out a nervous laugh, "Gwen, how...?"

The oven rang. He cringed, making the woman in front of him laugh that adorable laugh of hers. He guessed he had a fun reaction, so he laughed with her.

"You cooked?"

"No, uh..." he opened the door a little bit more, expecting her to come inside, and explained that you did.

"She's here?" she asked in excitement, taking a look around.

"Yeah, she lives here."

Gwen's eyes widened, he wasn't sure what that meant but he really hoped she wasn't judging him. He heard the bathroom door slid open and relief washed over him.

"I won't say hi yet," you stated casually, towel wrapped around your body as you crossed the hallway towards your room, "'m naked."

The blonde frowned in response, turning to scan Peter's disheveled clothing and his wet hair. She raised her eyebrows after a while and he finally noticed the strange look, "What?"

"Nothing." she simply let out. 

The rest of the evening went incredibly well. He stopped feeling nervous when you took a seat next to him, putting your hand on his shoulder comfortingly to show him that you were there for him, if anything. And Gwen, well, she was still this charming, charismatic, funny person that he'd fallen in love with so many years back. 

"So, Gwen" You begun the first conversation, leaning on the counter to reach for the empty plates that you'd taken out for the occasion, "What brought you back to New York?"

Peter realized that you may need some help with taking out the food, so he stood up, holding your waist to let you know that he was passing by, and started cutting the chicken.

"Well, my youngest brother is graduating college" she begun to say, gaining a small hum from you as you set the table, "And I thought it was as good of an occasion as any to come and say hi."

From then, the conversation only escalated. First there were some casuals, 'Oh, and what did he study?', 'How's your mom doing?', 'How's it like living in London?' But then you were lost in thought, frowned, looked at your empty glass thoughtfully and let out...

"Does Philip still have a crush on me?"

Gwen bursted out laughing and Peter's light bulb lit up as he remembered exactly what you meant, "Oh my god! Fuck, you're so right!"

You smirked in response, eating a spoonful of your expertly cooked chicken, "He used to get so nervous whenever I came over. It was adorable!"

"I remember that one time... You want some?" he started saying, interrupting himself by gently filling your glass with wine, "...That one time I went over Gwen's for dinner, and you were there, and he didn't know you were there and he tripped over the couch when he saw you!"

"Oh man!" Gwen took hold of her forehead, chuckling, "Poor thing, we had to take him to the hospital because he actually broke his nose..."

"He actually-?"

"He did?!"

"Yeah," she nodded with a smile, "He made me promise not to tell you..."

"Oh, you're such a bad sister!" you exclaimed, pointing at her with your fork, "I will let him know that you betrayed him!"

It was easy to recall fun memories between the three of you, because every time you hung out, something just seemed to happen. Like when you arrived to the Midtown, and Gwen was assigned to stay with you or, in your words, "assigned to be your friend". Or when you had to be Peter's lab partner for a whole semester, and aunt May was so convinced that you'd end up together because she had never seen Peter bring home any other girl. Or when Peter defended a kid from Flash, and he got beaten up, and was saved by Gwen. 

And that conversation led to a bunch of anecdotes of how Peter was as a boyfriend, but seeing your roommate tense up, you came in to the rescue.

"Oh, I bet..." you were preparing yourself to tell some really embarrassing stories about him, when Gwen raised a fierce finger towards you and yelled:

"And don't get me started with you!"

She told Peter, to your dismay, about the amount of times you had stolen the answers for your exams to sell them to lower grades, or that you'd always figure out the latest, hottest gossip going around school. He had almost completely forgotten about the way you used to be. 

Less feisty, a lot quieter, shorter and as cunning as you could be. 

"Okay, I'll give it to ya', I was way worse than this boy..."

Peter didn't know, however, that you once tried to ask Flash fucking Thompson out on a date so your father would stop pestering you about not dating anyone.

"In my defense...!" you begun, leaving the glass on the table and raising your hands in mock surrender, "You guys were too busy smooching each other and I felt left out!"

"But Flash Thompson?" Peter inquired, indignation conquering his face.

"He was my first kiss!" you exclaimed. Both Peter and Gwen gasped in unison, "And I knew you guys would hate the idea! It's the reason why I was doing it in the first place!"

"I need to know more about that..." Gwen nodded, taking a small sip of her wine, "You never told me about it."

You sighed, "Since you stopped tutoring Flash when you started dating Peter, I was asked to do it and..." You looked away, feeling the blush creeping up your neck, "And I... Wasn't used to guys paying attention to me back then, so it took like two cute compliments for me to fold."

"Okay, but what did he say?" Peter wanted to know, still in utter shock.

"I don't remember?" you let out in an obvious tone, "I think something very cringy like 'You look so beautiful without your glasses' or 'You're not like other girls', something like that!"

"And you kissed him?"

"It was Flash Thompson!" you blurted out, blushing more, "And, actually, he kissed me."

Gwen let out an incredulous laugh. Peter rolled his eyes, shaking his head. He couldn't believe it, whispering, "I'm so glad you don't like men..."

"Aw, someone's jealous!" the blonde smiled sweetly. You frowned, tilting your head, but you smiled back nonetheless. It was a bit obvious that Gwen was getting tipsy, "You know? From all the people in New York City that you guys could have ended up with... I'm just glad you ended up together."

Peter choked on dessert. Your eyes widened. You expected him to be okay, but after thirty seconds of coughing, you had to pat his back awkwardly and begin to form the idea in your head.

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, well..." Gwen shrugged, "I always thought you had a crush on him, which was the reason why I stopped talking to you when I left" To her complete obliviousness, your smile faded, "But now, thinking back, it was a bit of a dick move on my part, because of course you didn't jump on him right away. Now I'm just happy for you two!"

Peter drank half of his glass of wine and looked at Gwen, "We're not together."

The face that Gwen made was priceless. You bursted out laughing first, just because of her reaction. Yes, it was bittersweet that you were just finding out why you lost contact, but you could also understand how it must have sucked for her. 

"We just live together" he clarified, then pointed in your direction and stated, "She's a lesbian."

You frowned again, "'m not. I'm bisexual."

"You're bisexual?"

"Yeah!"

"How come you've only dated women?"

The face that you made left him speechless. You added, "As a fellow bisexual, I could ask you the same fucking thing."

Gwen bit her lip. She looked down at her food and then back at you, "So you never had a crush on Peter?"

Peter looked at you too. 

You seemed so done with both of them and immediately replied, "No." 

You lied, he took notice of it. 

Neither of you told Gwen the truth, as she kept speaking, "God, I'm such an idiot..."

But you changed the subject, finally asking about her husband. Her eyes lit up then, and she told you the whole story of how she had met Dane, who was apparently a sweetheart. She explained in depth how they had become friends first, then fallen in love, and how they've been married for a year. You felt Peter almost vibrate beside you. 

"What about you?" Gwen inquired, "Have you met anyone special?"

You immediately thought back to MJ, "It comes and goes, I guess."

Gwen pouted, then looked at Peter and you opened your mouth to speak again, to save him.

"Though, I'm talking to this girl..."

TAGLIST: @marcspectorondeeznuts @slutfortheblog @chaoticaptendytelet me know if you want in or out of the taglist<3

[count-horror-xx]

One of my friends while we talking about spiderman: ATSV said "of course they make one of the black guys punk 😒" (she's not black btw) so I asked wtf she meant and she said "they always stereotype black people with the "darker/edgy aesthetic" HUH? Black people literally created the punk scene?? Also black people are part of the alt scene and seeing black alt rep on screen is probably amazing to see. Also, ONE OF THE GUYS WHO MADE SPIDER PUNK IS BLACK???? 😭

[alperen1emre]

SPİDER MAN 2099

👉🏻🫵🏻👈🏻

[a-sin-to-be-rin]

Coffee of Unspecified Size for Peter Parker

******SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME SPOILERS AHEAD*******

Michelle doesn’t know the guy who comes to the donut shop every day with a sad puppy expression and crumpled dollar bills. Well, she does know him. He’s the guy who comes to the donut shop every day with a sad puppy expression and crumpled dollar bills. But today, he might be a little bit more than that.

Post-No Way Home

---

MJ scanned the tray of glazed donuts, searching for the best looking of the bunch. Glazed was Ned's favorite, but the morning crew was also notorious for botching the glazed donuts. MJ wasn't sure how one of the simplest donuts got ruined so frequently, but her coworkers always found a way. Last week, they'd been fried until they resembled (and tasted like) spare tires. Last Tuesday, the glaze had melted off and solidified onto the wax paper. And yesterday, MJ had found a tooth (a real, human tooth) among the donuts. She didn't even want to know how that got there. All she knew was that she had to be extra careful when grabbing Ned's breakfast.

The donut in the uppermost corner of the tray seemed safest. The color was right, the glaze was intact, and MJ couldn't see any teeth upon closer inspection. She plated it and slid it across the counter to her best friend.

"No teeth today," she announced triumphantly, but it only made Ned shudder.

"Don't even joke about that," he scolded, spinning the plate slowly so he could inspect the donut from all sides.

MJ shrugged. "Yeah, whatev-" She cut herself off suddenly. Call it what you will - hypervigilance, paranoia, reasonable concern - but MJ thought she had a sixth sense for knowing when she was being watched.

And if there was one thing Michelle Jones-not-Watson didn't like, it was people watching her.

MJ scrunched her eyes shut and pressed her lips together in frustration, because she was almost certain of who was staring at her. She dared a peek, and sure enough, there was Peter Parker, standing at the register once again, brown eyes boring into the back of her skull. He immediately looked down as he saw her turn towards him.

Ned raised an eyebrow before following her gaze and sighing. "Him again?" he whispered.

MJ rolled her eyes, returning Peter Parker's awkward wave with a halfhearted flick of the wrist. "Are you really surprised at this point?" she muttered under her breath.

Ned just shook his head. "Do you… want me to tell him to back off? Or something?"

MJ appreciated the offer. She really did. But Ned was about as intimidating as a day-old puppy. They both knew MJ was more than capable of taking care of herself, but it was nice that he offered, even if the offer was the result of centuries of patriarchal influence.

"I got it."

On the clock, MJ had no choice but to walk over to the register and address Peter. "What can I get you?"

Peter stared at her. He was practically gaping, and honestly, MJ felt a bit embarrassed for him. Clearly, the guy was severely lacking in social skills.

After too long of a pause (as usual), Peter ordered a coffee (also per the norm). His voice cracked on the first word (as it always did), and he failed to indicate the size or roast of the coffee (just as she had come to expect).

MJ didn't mind that part so much. She knew she was technically supposed to ask about those sorts of details, but she honestly didn't want to go through the hassle. Particularly with Peter, MJ had begun to experiment. Some days she'd give him a small cup of the house blend. Other days, she'd opt for an extra-large blonde roast. But no matter what size or brew she gave him, Peter didn't seem to notice.

Or care, at the very least.

He'd always pay without question, even if she charged him for extra things like whipped cream or caramel syrup. It didn't seem to make a difference to him. He was just glad to pay.

And for someone with a jacket too thin for a New York winter, it seemed odd that Peter didn't mind paying extra.

But that didn't really matter. Who was Peter Parker anyway? The sad dude who would sit by himself and flip through GED practice books? The loner who always introduced himself with his first and last name?

It didn't matter. MJ didn't really care. He was just another customer.

She poured him a medium roast and secured the lid on the cup.

"$2.40," she announced simply, handing Peter the drink.

As always, he tried to strike up a conversation as he fumbled in his pockets for spare change. Today it was about the Rockefeller Christmas tree.

"- seems bigger than last year. Which, I dunno, seems impossible, but I can't shake the feeling, you know?"

MJ didn't know. Not really. But the poor guy seemed like a good guy, even if he was more than a bit awkward. She figured she'd humor him at the very least.

"Yeah," she agreed. "At least a few feet taller."

Peter nodded emphatically. "Yeah… yeah! My landlord thinks I'm losing it, but I'm certain it's bigger."

The odd detail made MJ pause.

He's discussed this with his landlord? Doesn't he have any friends? she wondered. 

But the question answered itself. Peter Parker was so odd - from the way he carried himself to the strange things he'd mention offhand - that there were likely very few people who enjoyed his company. It was a rude thing to say, but that's why she didn't say it. She only thought it, and that wasn't nearly as mean, even if she did feel a bit guilty for the thought.

Change clattering in the tip jar shook MJ from her thoughts. Peter was holding out a few wrinkled bills, patiently waiting for her to take them.

MJ offered an apologetic half-smile, accepting the money and beginning to count out his change.

"Something on your mind?" Peter asked, and the question threw MJ for a loop. He was usually so stilted and tentative in his delivery, but this time, he spoke with such genuine concern that she thought Ned had asked her from down the counter.

But he had not. He was swiping through his phone, eyes trained on the screen.

MJ glanced up at Peter, who was still looking at her, eyes warm with compassion.

“For me, MJ, please just take this.”

The voice was pleading. MJ would have looked for the source of the voice if she didn’t already recognize it. If she didn’t know that it wasn’t real. It was all in her head.

The voice from her nightmares.

MJ’s heart missed a beat, and she quickly dropped Peter's change in his hand.

"Nope!" she assured him, breaking eye contact and hurrying away. "This mind is completely empty. No thoughts. Have a good day, Peter."

Rather than sweep the floor or clean off the tables or any number of tasks that she was supposed to do, MJ went straight to the walk-in freezer. The hair on her arms rose immediately, struggling to fight off the chill, but she didn't care. It was the best place to get away.

And she needed to get away. Her eyes were watering now, little tears leaking down her face. She swiped at them with her sleeve and sat on an overturned milk crate.

MJ didn't know what was wrong. She didn't know why her heart was pounding or why her nose was running. All she knew was that it was weird and oddly vulnerable of her. She didn't cry in public. Especially not over something as silly as… nothing.

She was crying over nothing, and it was weird.

MJ closed her eyes, trying to ignore how bad the frigid air made her chest hurt. Her thoughts were swirling, and she needed to either sort them out or tamp them down.

"Something on your mind?" he had asked. His concern was raw and genuine, like if she was upset in the slightest, he'd move Heaven and Earth to make it better.

But she wasn't upset.

… or she hadn't been until he asked.

"I've only had one week where my life felt normal. That was when you found out."

MJ couldn't place the voice, couldn't place the words in her head. The context was missing, and the origin was muddied. She didn't know where the words came from. Before now, she'd only heard those words in nightmares.

Nightmares, not because the dreams were scary, but because she always woke up from them feeling uneasy and a bit nauseous.

And now she was hearing them during the day.

Brilliant, Michelle, she scolded herself. You're losing it.

"I've been trying to find your friend since I got here. He needs my help."

This voice was different. Brighter and a bit smoother. But it was still coming straight from MJ's head. She knew it wasn't real, but she could almost swear she was hearing it with her ears, not her mind.

She pressed her palms to her forehead, slowing her breathing. Whatever was going on, there was an explanation for it. She was simply remembering old dreams. Dreams that were probably borne from falling asleep with the TV on. Of unfamiliar actors speaking their lines directly into her nightmares.

… yeah. That was it.

MJ wiped at the last remnants of her tears before rising to her feet and returning to her job. She was okay. There was no other option.

---

Peter felt bad. He really did. He was going at this all wrong, and he knew it.

"Something on your mind?" Peter replayed the moment in his head bitterly, watching MJ's face fall as she shoved the change into his hand and rushed off.

It made Peter want to pull his hair out. Why was he so stupid?? He knew he shouldn't even be here. He should be as far away from MJ and Ned as possible. He shouldn't be pulling them back into the messy, dangerous world of Spider-Man. Even if he kept quiet about his identity, even if he never really sought out his friends, he was still putting them in danger.

Spider-Man - Peter - was a curse, and MJ and Ned had already suffered from that curse once before. He couldn't endanger them again. He ruined everything he touched. Everyone he loved died. He couldn't, couldn't, couldn't put them through that again. Not ever.

So why was he here?? Why did he come to the donut shop every day??

To make sure his friends were okay? To see if maybe they still sort of remembered him? To get a cup of lackluster coffee?

Peter dropped his head to the table, hands braced behind his neck. He needed to get a grip. He was never going to get his old life back, and he needed to accept that.

"Peter? Peter Parker?"

The teen sat up only to see Ned Leeds (his best friend… sorta) sliding into the opposite side of his booth. He felt pangs of fear and elation strike him in the chest. Peter tried to speak, but his breath caught in his throat. Ned had never approached him before. In fact, neither of his friends had ever initiated contact before. It was always Peter on the outside, begging for them to remember. To let him in.

"What did you say to her?"

Peter blinked, trying to process the accusation in Ned's tone. "I… I just asked her how she was doing."

His best friend (former best friend, Peter, your former best friend) didn't look convinced.

"Look, I don't know what your deal is, but you gotta leave her alone. She isn't interested."

Again, Peter was struck dumb, unable to find the appropriate words. Apparently, he was giving off major creeper vibes, and that hadn't been his intention. Not in the slightest.

"I… I'm sorry, I…" he fumbled.

"Yeah," Ned agreed, something akin to surprise lighting his face. Like he was amazed that he'd scared Peter to speechlessness. But Ned quickly composed himself, clearing his throat. "Um, yeah. You better be. Leave her alone."

Peter shook his head. "I never meant to…" How could he explain it? He barely understood it himself!

"...I just… don't have a lot of friends," he tried. "I didn't mean to freak anyone out. I just… I'm just trying to survive, man."

Peter hadn't meant to sound so desperate. Or pathetic. But that was how it came out. Desperate and pathetic. Just a desperate, pathetic guy who was desperately, pathetically (and accidentally) hitting on a donut shop employee in his desperate, pathetic search for friendship.

Old friendship, but Peter couldn't say that. Not without endangering them again. In fact, this conversation was borderline dangerous. And all because Peter was too selfish to stay away.

"I'm sorry," Ned apologized, expression softening. "I hope you find some friends."

The words were sympathetic, but they stung like knives.

Sorry you're a loser, Peter, but I can't help you.

Peter knew that Ned wasn't trying to be rude. How could he possibly know that he was? For all he knew, he was talking to a stranger who started hitting on his friend. Honestly, from Ned's perspective, Ned was acting more than fairly. He was being generous.

But it didn't make his words hurt any less.

"Yeah," Peter agreed, taking a sip of his coffee to hide the watering of his eyes. "Thanks."

Ned rose from the booth and hesitated, like he was going to say something else. But then, instead, he offered a brief wave in dismissal and returned to his seat at the counter. Peter watched him go, barely able to look away.

But Ned was right. It was getting creepy.

Peter forced himself to look down at his hands instead.

There had to be something he could do. And if he was going to do it, he had to do it soon. In less than a year, MJ and Ned would be off to MIT, leaving Peter back in New York.

Completely alone.

Maybe that was why he came to the coffee shop so often. MJ and Ned really were the last of his family. Aunt May, Uncle Ben, Tony - they were gone. No parents to speak of. No guardian of any kind. Just him and a couple of best friends who didn’t realize they were his best friends. And also they hated him and had zero interest in talking to him.

What a trade-off. Peter wondered if maybe he’d been better off just… just never asking for the spell in the first place.

He took another sip of coffee, letting it burn his throat the whole way down. He’d made mistakes before, but never like this. Never on this level.

If only… If only Peter had forgotten himself too. Maybe… maybe he could deal with that. At least then he wouldn’t miss his friends so much. At least then no one would be left to mourn the loss of Peter Parker.

[ironrad]

Peter: Maybe the real magic is the geometry we learned along the way.

[clueless-fan-critic]

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse: The Edge of the Sony’s Spider-Verse.

Alright. Let’s get to the meat of the business sandwich.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is the sequel to 2018 smash hit film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse that honestly broke all of my expectations about the film being a two-parter with too much info. I honestly loved the movie just as much as the first with its iconic animation style, charming characters, and impactful story. Directed by Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson, it felt like the film was greatly cohesive without any confusion to the plot. It feels as if the film was not just a mandatory assignment but also a passion project made in the years before it was production. While I’m a fan of Marvel and the MCU (to some degree), I’ve definitely became a Spider-Verse fan.

Let us get into this Spider-Man classic once again.

The Animation

Alright. Let’s get this out of the way.

The animation was incredible and awe-inspiring much like the first film, but pushed into overdrive. Each animated world has its own style that reflects a different version of Spider-Man. From Hobie Brown’s collage-like style to Pavitr Prabhakar’s bollywood inspired environment. Gwen’s dimension is especially colorful with the watercolor style reflecting her comic book covers. Almost every character has a distinct style to their animation from 1960s campy to 90s angst. While the movie visually stunning and dynamic, let’s get into what’s going on story wise.

The Characters

The main characters of the movie are definitely Miles Morales and Gwen Stacy. They both are different sides of the story that reflect the theme of who someone is as Spider-Man and what kind of story they have or what they want out of life. In a way, it continues the ideas and themes about expectations with choosing their own path in spite of others’ opinions and expectations.

Afro-Latino protagonist Miles is someone who’s dealing with the crossroads of who he wants be while grappling with the expectations from his family. He’s also struggling with balancing his two lives as a teen and a superhero with his responsibilities to his family. When face-to-face with Miguel O’Hara, the Spider-Man of 2099, and the fact about canon events, Miles chooses to go against it believing he can save people without risking the Spider-Verse. The phrase “I can do both” is what caught my attention because it is possible for some people, but not a choice for Spider-People in that they must experience canon events for the sake of the Spider-Verse.

Gwen is faced with the rigid expectations of what it means to be Spider-Man and how she faces the choices she makes. Gwen makes the decision to go against Miguel and the Spider-Society to save Miles on the wrong Earth, deciding to become her own hero that she wants to believe in.

The Spot, Johnathan Ohnn, is the main villain of the movie with his power to make dimensional portals after the collider exploded in the previous film. They at first portray him more of a joke character, but then slowly build him into a terrifying threat with colossal amounts of power at his hands. This is shocking because I always thought of him as a lackluster villain despite having a cool power. They actually made what could of been a joke into someone more terrifying in concept alone.

The numerous cameos from the Spider-Society range from interesting to hilarious. One of them is an obscure spider-person in a wheelchair and with crutches named Charlotte Webber or Sun-Spider of Earth-20023. Others include a cowboy, cat, t-rex, and even dune buggy. They all could just be glorified cameos with no substance, but they actually bring out the abstract craziness of the Spider-Verse and what it means for future of the franchise as a whole.

The Story

The whole story centers around Miles Morales and his journey into becoming Spider-Man, but also Gwen’s journey and how the Spider-Verse is being threatened by the Spot.

The villain is definitely the Spot and his crusade to destroy Miles, but the antagonist is Miguel O’Hara’s ideology about the Spider-Verse. Miguel’s insistence of maintaining the order of the Spider-Verse goes directly against Miles’ idea of what it means to be Spider-Man. Miles wants to save his father from a fated death as a police captain, but Miguel wants to let it play out so that the universe isn’t destroyed because of canon events.

The idea of canon events creates the division among the Spider-People where they choose to let people die to preserve the universe or risk its destruction. This idea is pretty similar to what Doctor Strange presented in No Way Home with letting the villains die than risk the universe. I think because Miles doesn’t follow the canon, he can break the cycle that all the Spider-People endure and have them even question the very system they follow.

I liked how the story left us on a cliffhanger that made us crave more of the movies and possible spinoffs. Leaving us wondering what will happen to Miles on Earth 42 with his evil doppelgänger or what Gwen’s plan is now that she’s leading a splinter team against Miguel and the Spider-Society.

Afterword

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is a miracle in the landscape of sequels and two-parters. It has pushed itself to a whole new level of animation with unique colors and styles. The story and characters are pushed to their limits with dilemmas of preservation and duty along with freedom of choice and finding one’s way. It reminds us that no matter who you are, you can still be unsure of what you want and still be okay with questioning things.

Now I can’t wait for Beyond the Spider-Verse next year.