#the lizard doesn't even KNOW that it is curt connors

[kiloude-city]

I think Curt Connors/The Lizard is a underrated Spider-Man character: a hot take by me.

[sciderman]

Ok real question here, HOW IN GOD GREEN EARTH DID HE HIDE 4 arms???😭😭

Like I know for a fact that an oversized shirt covers only so much. Even binders with a hoodie can’t hide some stuff. So without them comically disappearing what does he do?

the fact is he sits in his room and broods for most of it

he is so good at brooding. undefeated olympic brooding champion since 1963. he is so good at sitting on his bed and spiralling it is what peter parker does best (i am not joking)

he breaks off plans with everyone (senior flake)

– opts (reasonably so) that peter parker can't be seen with six arms but hey, spider-man is a freak already. so he puts on the mask

and seeks a cure from curt connors (old buddy old pal old lizard)

here is a panel out of context that i think is funny

hahahehehe. hahehe.

he doesn't have his six arms for very long, and he never has to make any sort of appearance as peter parker with those six arms - you know, the comics do such a wonderful job at coming up with contrivances that make it so peter parker's secret identity is always intact.

i think it's kind of funny, that - peter might be dealing with actual cataclysm - literally sprouting additional arms - but to everyone he knows ever, he's just a normal guy who's just freaking terrible at keeping plans and keeping friends.

i wonder what it would be like for a peter parker that had to cope with four additional arms in his day-to-day. hm. hmmm. something to think about.

[the-cooler-vigilante]

GOD I am so hyped for the Spider-Man 2 Trailer, even if I'm not gonna be able to play it until it releases on PC.

The Gameplay looks amazing, I can't wait to see how the new gliding mechanic works, let alone the new combat abilities.

I LOVE how much more savage Peter's moveset is while he's wearing the symbiote, some more of his frustration and anger bleeding into his moves.

As for Miles...

MY MAN HAS LEARNED HOW TO DO THE KAMEHAMEHA. I also love the new blue energy look he's got going on. I wonder if that's a side effect of the NuForm reactor or his abilities maturing.

Gameplay aside, I really want to talk about the little chunk of the story we're given, I'm not gonna talk about the whole thing, but there is some interesting stuff that flies by pretty quick.

First off, we get a look at the Targets Kraven has chosen to potentially hunt:

In order we see Black Cat, The Prowler, Wraith (Yuri Watanabe), Tombstone, Peter Parker Spider-Man, Miles Morales Spider-Man, The Lizard, Tombstone, and finally a last character that we don't get to fully see.

Now this character could be anyone, but I do have a few theories. It is NOT Norman Osborn. Norman's definitely going to show up as the Green Goblin, either in act 2 or 3 of this game, or as the main antagonist of the 3rd game. But he's not on the radar. So whoever it is, it's not him.

One possibility I think is more likely is that this target might be Otto Octavius, either as Doctor Octopus or the Master Planner. In the time between the last game and this one, he may have escape and is formulating a plan to once again terrorize Norman Osborn.

It could also be Mister Negative, after all we never saw him get sent to prison, just batted away by Doc Ock after his fight with Spider-Man. I could be wrong though.

Now, only in my most wildest hopes and dreams could this happen. But I hope it might be someone we haven't seen before; Deadpool. He could be a source of challenges akin to Taskmaster or Screwball, or the minor antagonist of the story, which Shattered Dimensions did very well.

Moving on from that detour I really want to talk about the Black Suit. Hell, we're all gonna be talking about the Symbiote after this.

The black suit looks. so. damn. good.

I didn't know how to feel about it at first, but the more I got used to the look the more it works for me. It feels so alien and wrong. It's shines too much, and just looks wet. Like, all of the time. Aside from that, the way it has a thicker, more armored looking outside protecting and intricate, nerve-like looking inside feels perfect for this interpretation.

I think we can assume that at this point in the story, Peter has had the Symbiote for a while, and it's getting more and more of a hold on him. His anger bleeds out during the fight at (what I'm assuming is) Curt Connor's house, beating the ever loving spaghetti out of Kraven's Goons.

He acts more reckless too, single mindedly going after the attack chopper, which definitely would have ended poorly his Miles hadn't been there to pull him out of harm's way. Hell, I don't think he's even considering what could happen to everyone around that fight should things get messy.

I can't post too many more images, but I didn't see him swooping in to save anyone in this sequence, just going after the attack chopper. again. In fact, looking back at the video, he doesn't even seem to try to stop that sign from falling, more concerned with taking down the chopper with Miles, even then only giving "Fine" as a response to Miles.

But this is where it really hit for me.

These two scenes, the one where Peter almost goes after the Lizard, instead of helping the people back on the pier. And the scene where he says, "So do I." in response to Miles comment about the Lizards bigass chompers. Just look at those eyes man, even now Venom is taking form.

To me it feels like the Symbiote is lowing Peter's inhibitions, and raising his levels of frustration, of anger. Letting the venom out. Except it's not just aimed at Peter's enemies, but also his friends and family as well.

I don't think Peter's going to be doing too well at the start of the game, I mean, yeah he's got Mary Jane and Miles, but he's also lost Aunt May, been betrayed by Yuri, and is on the verge of losing Harry, whose only hope is Curt Connors, the very same man he just let escape.

The Symbiote is feeding on not only his anger, but his fears. I think that in this version of the story, it's going to take a little more than church bells and sheer will to pry it off of him. But that's just speculation. Either way, whatever path this game wants to take with the symbiote is going to be one hell of a trip, no doubt.

[writers-requiem]

How Dr. Curt Connors (AKA, the Lizard) would behave in different situations with his s/o

Warnings: None! :)

At work: He would be real focused on his work. Grading papers, working on different formulas, (and if he knows you're Spider-Man or Spider-Woman depending on your gender) he'll help you come up with new types of web fluid to fight crime.

At Home: Very docile with you. He knows he's stronger than you (even if you have super-spider powers) and so he tries to be very gentle with you and all objects around him. He also likes to cuddle with you in bed and on the couch. If you're having a stressful day, he'll sit you down on the couch and make your favorite home cooked meal.

After a Fight (anyone else): He will tend to your wounds and make sure you get some rest. Lots of medicine, soup and sleep.

After a Fight (Lizard): Poor Curt can only watch as his own body is forcefully used to fight against you, his lover. When you got home he would still tend to your wounds, but would apologize profusely. After gaining control of his Lizard form, he only lightly spars with you, and even then he tries not to be too rough on you. Man's got the heart of a puppy underneath his reptilian shell.

In Public: He is fairly confident as a human, but as the Lizard he's ready to throw down with anyone that irks you the wrong way, but still tries to be civil at first. But if the person bothering is an absolute pervert or just doesn't take the hints, they will promptly be shitting themselves when the Lizard steps up and intimidates them with his appearance alone. The man is 7 feet tall in his Lizard form after all.

Panic Attacks: He is initially panicked but once he recomposes himself, he helps you work through it and come out the other side. Afterwards you two sit down on the couch and have a nice cup of hot cocoa and the man just downright spoils you.

If You're Kidnapped: Immediately turns the entire city upside down to try to rescue you. And if it's early days Lizard, he'll begrudgingly team up with Spider-Man to save you.

At a Party: He just tries to enjoy himself and people find it pretty cool that he can turn into a lizard on command. They think it's the sickest thing ever and they treat him like he's the life of the party. He'll try his best to share that glory with you but the other party goers don't see you as particularly interesting. That is until he says that you're his spouse. Then they treat you like royalty.

In Bed/On The Couch: Human or Lizard, Curt is just a big cuddle bug. He will just keep you as close to himself as he can while still being gentle with you. But as the Lizard, he is extra about it. Purrs like a cat, softly scratches your back, strokes your hair, gently squeezing your leg with his tail, and giving you gentle kisses all the while too.

Your Birthday: Organizes the whole thing, duh, he wants it to be perfect for your special day. If someone is being rude to you for some stupid reason, he ain't having it, and will unfurl the arm of his coat and let them know he means business. If the Lizard is in control, he will not invite anyone and will just make it a day of cuddles, kisses and cakes.

If you're hurt: Curt, being a gentleman, will patch you up and send you to bed to rest. But Lizard on the other hand, he is extra protective of you. He will take you to the bed or couch and pile up newspapers, pillows, cushions and blankets to make a pseudo nest for you and will not leave your side until you are better.

[inhcritance]

— character info sheet.

(repost, don’t reblog)

name: Harold (Harry) Theopolis Osborn

name meaning: Harold, from old English "Army Commander"

alias/es:  Harry, Har, The Green Goblin

ethnicity: White American

one picture you like best of your chara:

three h/cs you never told anyone:

Harry developed the Goblin Serum from the Lizard Serum in under three weeks, mostly in secret, and he took it when he was alone because he knew that otherwise they'd stop him. It almost killed him.

He greatly admires Peter and MJ's moral fortitude, while knowing he cannot match it. He knows his principles are not unshakable, and he knows that for most matters, he does have a price (such as for joining Oscorp and becoming yet another of his father's pawns). The only moral matter in himself that he's certain of is his own loyalty to his friends.

A part of Harry still feels somewhat bitter by the fact that his friends believed his lies about going to Europe, for all he was also very relieved about it.

three things your character likes doing in their free time: 

Science. It doesn't really count because he already spends a lot of time in a lab already, but he genuinely enjoys working on personal projects.

Going to musicals. He doesn't have time to go watch as many as he'd like, but when he has the chance, he'll be there.

Playing the piano, and learning songs from the aforementioned musicals as well, and from his favorite bands.

eight seven people your character likes / loves:

Mary Jane Watson and Peter Parker: His best friends, his favorite people in the world. The people he trusts above everyone else, despite his secretiveness, and the people who inspire him the most.

Curt Connors, Harry's doctor and his mentor. Someone he values and respects deeply.

Felicia and Anya, Harry's asistant and bodyguard, and yet another will-they-won't-they couple in his life. People Harry values deeply, trusts fully in regards to his job and security, and genuinely likes working with.

Bernard, the Osborn family butler. One of the few people Harry has ever gone to for advice.

Norman Osborn, Harry's father. He loves him, and is loyal to him, but he doesn't like him a lot of the time, nor trust him, and he absolutely abhors his controlling ways. Its... complicated.

two things your character regrets:

Not having told Peter and MJ about his illness in person, and trusting his letter would get to them. He doesn't regret hiding it for so long, but he wishes he'd at least told them why he was disappearing.

In any post-reveal verse, not having talked to his friends before resorting to villainy.

two one phobias your character has:

He doesn't do well restrained or caged, and it's worse in any verse in which he's traveled the multiverse. And being contained in unfamiliar spaces is even worse for him. This also means that the easiest way to get a furious Goblin is to manage to web him up.

Tagged by: @xenjoyedthat and @redhead-reporter Tagging: @lvebug @arachnidiots (liam?) @itmeanspeace @2kyears @vulpuslunae & whoever who wants to steal it :3

[spider-xan]

'Connors loves his secrets' does so much heavy lifting for Insomniac!Curt's characterization, even though it's just an off-hand line from Peter in reaction to his secret basement laboratory, and it's interesting to think about how being extremely secretive is arguably a huge part of his characterization in the game compared to just about every other version who is otherwise more open beyond the Lizard thing for understandable reasons.

Like, there's the whole secret symbiote project, and how since the way he lost his arm is directly linked to that and Norman being a horrible person, he probably couldn't be honest about it to anyone who wasn't there on Norman's orders, which brings up the question of how much about his work and disabling event he kept secret from his wife - maybe she was the one person he was honest with, maybe not, but it's interesting to speculate; then there's the off the books secret Oscorp lab in the sewers and his secret lab at his house, and ofc the Lizard thing until the Daily Bugle outed him, and it felt like him working for Oscorp directly was a secret due to the nature of the symbiote project.

And then there is his relationship with Harry, which is so interesting to me from the moments we do get that I wish the game had developed it more, especially if Curt doesn't return as Harry's doctor in the next game, given that Harry had a new doctor in the ending - they do seem very friendly with each other, more than a typical doctor-patient relationship, and Curt is obviously a good person, but going back to the secrets thing, he obviously wasn't honest about a lot of things with him, even if that's probably more Norman's fault - like, Curt obviously told a half-truth to Harry about the symbiote being a self-learning exosuit, which isn't entirely false, but he didn't tell him that it was actually an alien and a dangerous living organism, and either lied about creating it or left it vague enough that Harry inferred it; and we don't know how the conversation where Curt had to get Spider-Man's phone number from him went, but presumably, he had to pretend he was going to get the suit back from Spider-Man to give back to Harry for Harry to agree to it bc I can't imagine that conversation going well if Curt had been honest that the suit was dangerous and he was going to have it destroyed, and Harry doesn't act like he was told that when he confronts Peter at Oscorp later.

[bledf1rst]

AN INÉS CONNORS DRABBLE : the day the music died.

it's overcast, but not rainy. inês hasn't had any contact with her brother for over twelve hours, but she does not worry. curt tells her not to. he reminds her that oscorp has some of the most advanced security on the planet due to the sensitive research that goes down there and ines- does not worry. but that does not mean she doesn't keep busy so that she can actively avoid it. she stops a purse snatcher here, a car robber there, and even spends a half hour coaxing a poor tail-tucked puppy that got spooked by some unlawful firework usage in the nearby park. she gives the perpetrators a good scolding and returns the dog to it's owner.

it's almost two in the morning before things really, really wind down. there's a new silence settled over the city, and her good mood is so intoxicating that she's practically preening from her perch, keeping a keen ear out for any calls for help. the past six months have been good to her. telling her brother about recluse, thwarting his corrupt boss at every twist and turn. with their insider's knowledge, she's spent the last several months disrupting shipments, destroying supplies, and getting potential sellers for osborn's modified super soldier serum arrested. they've been carefully collecting irrefutable evidence of osborn's crimes in the process, and they're probably a week out from locking him up for good. he's her first actual villain- not some thug, or criminal wannabe. he's done real harm and will keep doing it if he isn't stopped. and inês will stop him.

( what inês doesn't know : osborn is sick and tired of the games. he pumps himself full of his own off-brand serum and loses his mind in the process. he becomes obsessed with recluse. so obsessed, that after a week straight of pouring over the available footage of her appearances, he discovers her identity. he remembers curt connors. and when he threatens his life, sneering and snarling in curt's face, her older brother refuses to give her up. osborn plunges a needle into curt's neck, which was just as good as killing him. )

she's deep in thought over it, perhaps too deep, because it takes her second to realize what she's hearing isn't the city's white noise, but rather screams of terror. she tears out between the buildings, using her momentum and her webs. she comes across an overturned manhole, an almost-flattened car, and perhaps the most inhuman creature she's seen in her entire life. it's hulking, green, over eight feet tall. he's got fangs and claws and when he roars it reverberates in her bones. she realizes she can't let this problem go on for much longer and swings into the fray.

it's her first mistake.

whatever this thing is, it's STRONG. stronger than anything she's encountered thus far. she's caught mid-swing and claws catch the soft flesh of her stomach, and for a blinding, white-hot second-

she thinks she's going to see her intestines spilling out. the pain is so intense, and inês is too present, but when she rolls into the concrete and presses her fingers into the concave of her stomach, it's in ribbons but it's in one piece.

" do mutant lizards talk? " she quips, blinking through the pain. she climbs to her feet and readies her stance again, " 'cause this feels like a conversation we should be having while we're BOTH sober and i'm not delirious from blood loss. " mutant lizard doesn't respond to her. that's okay. rolling with the punches is what she does- will do, now that she has a better idea of how far his reach is and how strong his claws are. they juggle blows for a bit before inês decides they aren't getting anywhere and need a change of scenery. she needs range. she remembers seeing a construction sight nearby when she was just arriving, and it looks well-abandoned like a bookcase layered in dust. she spouts some more venomous, clumsy taunts, drawing him away from the streets. there'll be a lot of loose building to throw when they get there, she thinks, catching about ten feet of air and then roughly TWO TONS OF MUSCLE.

mutant lizard and inês land inside a swathing of decrepit tarps and rebar. she's getting tired and starting to slow down, trying to take him higher in the structure where she has the advantage. inês is lithe, all balance, and she can find bigger gaps in his defense if she can just stay away long enough. it works for a time, they're ten stories up, but then the supports wobble and the floors collapse and they're both falling, falling, in a cloud of dust and dirt.

she gets back up in what she assumes is only moments later, groaning and trying not to claw at the wrongness still wrenching her stomach. she's never fought this long on a wound this bad before and it's taking it's toll, making her take a whole TEN MINUTES before she's back on her feet. she wonders where mutant lizard is if he isn't attacking her, if he's dead- which he can't be. he looked sturdier than fifty inês' combined. but when she really focuses her hearing, on the other heartbeat on the property with her-

it can't be mutant lizard's. it's too human. and slow, dying-

shit fuck fuck fuck fuck.

inês had known for a FACT that there was no one at this construction site when she decided to lure mutant lizard here. she had listened for it. the place had been completely devoid of life. how the hell had someone gotten caught up in the crossfire? the thought is incredulous and daunting, she can't believe she'd gotten someone killed-

but when she enters the clearing. when she sees who it is.

she's got to be DREAMING, surely. that's not her brother's body splayed out across a spattering of red-soaked rock, a metal bar perforating right through the meat of his thigh, the jut of his shoulder. he's pinned. he's breathing. he's-

" -curt? " she knows what she must sound like. a scared child, as she limps across the distance and collapses at his side. she takes his hand in hers, " oh my god. curt, " her brother. her brother. the man her raised her, the man that took her in when she'd had the audacity to SURVIVE what their parent's couldn't. the horror roiling beneath her ribs is all-encompassing, bitter and acidic and she can still taste the penny-metal-blood on her gums. she clenches his fingers harder and tries again, " curt? curt, please wake up. please. please. "

blond lashes flutter and she's seeing in his eyes, finally. curt looks like he's seeing somewhere far away, but he returns her grip albeit with a bit less intensity. his face is as white as a sheet.

" inês, " he finally says, a curl on his lips. he got one of the kindest smiles she's ever seen on a person and seeing it here, amidst the blood and dread, making her choke on her next gasp. she's sobbing, next. openly. she pulls her mask off her head and tosses it somewhere to the side, " . . . hey there, buttercup. it'll be alright. " it won't be, but she knows he's just trying to reassure her. she brings their joined hands up to her cheek and rubs the salt of her tears on the back of his hand, trying to calm down and breathe. but she can't- she can't.

" listen to me, " and GOD she tries to. it doesn't feel real. she doesn't feel real, " -with great power, comes great grief. you will want to punish yourself over who you could and couldn't save. don't let that grief destroy you. don't let your grief over me destroy you. just keep doing what you've been doing, inês. new york needs you. it needs RECLUSE. "

he speaks steadily, calmly, firmly. she knows that in order to remember every detail of this moment, she'll carve it on the inside of her skull if she has to.

" . . . okay, " she says, voice like sandpaper. his grip his getting weaker, going slack. his eyelids close and his breathing starts to slow, " okay, curt. i'll do it. for you. i'll do it for you. "

she holds his hand long after the sun rises and the sun sets. her knees ache where she's leaning on them, and she only has the strength to gather curt's body in her arms when HOURS pass. when she tips his weight into her chest and stands up, his body is cold.

her brother is dead.

[oscxrpceo]

Harry likes Felicia, enough so to recognize her competence over the rest of the board in running his company when he's not there, but he, admittedly, doesn't know anything about what she does after work hours. It should be embarrassing, that he considers her one of his five friends, and he doesn't know anything about her personal life. She could be an international thief, and Harry would be none the wiser.

"What is it with New York and bioweapons?" He asks, mostly rhetorically. "Curt Connors did the same thing, back home. Tried to turn the city into giant lizards, before I came back from Europe."

Harry does not know that the other used that as an excuse, once upon a time, to hide Oscorp's experiments.

He pauses in his bite of pancake as the other speaks, an eyebrow raised, before remembering to finish his bite before he opens his mouth again. "You have two Spider-Men? Was the one not enough?"

His New York already has her hands full enough with Peter. He is careful not to reveal too much -- after all, even if this is a different universe and it may not be the same people behind the mask, he doesn't want to risk Peter’s biggest secret.

"Really makes me wonder what else is brewing under the surface in my universe."

Felicia Hardy indeed, and Harry allows himself a moment of surprise, showed only through an arched eyebrow, at the reveal. Quite an assistant to have, he thinks, but then again names do not mean all they could. She is probably not a thief in the other's universe, he expects.

"Feel free to ask." He offers, however, at the mention of Octavius... and then he decides to be nice, and give something for free. Not that it's anything far too hidden. "He simply unleashed a bioweapon on the city." He reveals, tone easy enough.

As if Harry himself didn't carry quite a big part of the guilt over that, for all he's aware he wasn't around by then. He still holds himself responsible for so much of it.

But those are not topics he wants to dwell on for too long, for all that he'd been intrigued about the other's universe... and he's even more so, as he notices the shifts in the other's expression at the mention of Spider-Man. And that... does Harry not know? Or are things far less unsteady with the Peter of his universe?

"Good old Spidey." He replies, after a piece of bacon. And as much as he wishes there was nothing but ease in his tone, there's still something bitter in it. "Always there at the nick of time. We do have one of those as well. Actually," he corrects himself, "we have two of them. They make the city rather more eventful."

[ambermation]

hi, could i please rq a one-shot w curt connors? possibly some domestic fluff? feel free to play around w this request as much as you'd like tho :) thank you!

Hi anon! I'm assuming this is meant for Human Curt so that's who I wrote for :D If you want Lizard!Curt then just let me know! Also I hope this is domestic enough, I wasn't too sure if I was getting that right.

(I couldn't think of a title, so I went with something I thought sounded loving)

All I Need is You (Curt Connors x GN!Reader)

Summary: Curt doesn't have work, and neither do you. It's just a relaxing day off :)

Today was a lovely day. The sun was shining brightly, and the air was pleasantly warm. There wasn't a cloud in the sky for miles. The day promised that nothing bad could happen, and you and your husband were certainly enjoying it. Curt has spent the past few weeks consumed by his work, and while you weren't working nearly as much as he was, you were still busy with your job too. The two of you only really saw each other in the evening and early morning, little moments you cherished. Now, however, you two had the day off. For the first time in a while you could completely relax with Curt.

And Curt, despite being quite the workaholic, seems to be finally be tied of working so much, seeing as he hasn't even tried to do anything on the computer like he usually does on the weekend. Instead he was laying on the couch, trying his best to understand what was happening in the movie you two were watching. His left arm was wrapped around you.

"That is... not scientifically accurate whatsoever. How could they even think that to be remotely true?" Curt questions, eyebrows furrowed, head slightly forward to perhaps gain a better understanding somehow by being a centimeter closer to the TV. You just giggled. Shifting slightly, you peck a kiss onto his cheek.

"They probably thought it sounded cool, love."

More inaccuracy happens on screen. "I understand that, most movies do this, I know, but how could they be so far off from the truth?"

"Because they didn't care to do their research."

"Clearly," he said, rolling his eyes at the terrible explanation being given on screen. You could feel his annoyance bubbling up inside. You couldn't blame him. It wouldn't kill Hollywood to be scientifically accurate once and a while in their movies. Frankly even you were getting annoyed by this movie.

You planted another kiss on Curt before slipping out of his embrace. "Why don't we go out and get lunch? It'd be much better than finishing this movie," you suggest, already grabbing your wallet. Almost immediately after you said that the TV was turned off, Curt right beside you. You laughed. "Where do you wanna go, honey?" He asks, a relieved smile on his lips. "Anywhere is fine, really." You grab your car keys. Curt, being the gentleman he is, has the front door already open for you.

"After you, your Majesty," he winks as you walk by him. You laugh again. "Why thank you, my Lord." You stop and turn around to give Curt a sweet kiss on the lips.

You ended up picking where you'd eat for lunch, not that you really minded. It was some Italian place named Leo's. The inside hardly let in any natural light save for the windows near the entrance, the majority of the inside being warmly lit by light bulbs hanging high above you.

As you waited for your order Curt was ranting about the movie from earlier. Turns out he was truly angered by how incompetent the movie's scientists were, how inaccurate the science was, and how much misinformation was in the movie.

While Curt talked you found yourself admiring the way his hair moved, how his eyes lit up with such passion. His eyes were a beautiful sky blue, yet almost like an approaching storm. They were always pulling you in, trapping you in an awed trance whenever you found yourself staring into them. It's like being in a dream you never want to wake up from. A wide, goofy love-struck smile spreads across your face. God, this man was truly remarkable.

"Y/N? Are you listening?"

Suddenly you realized those gorgeous eyes you were staring at were filled with concern. You blush, not really remembering where you had stopped listening to him. "No," you mumble, sipping on your drink. Curt chuckles. His hand reaches across and gently rests on top of your free one. "I don't blame you. Frankly I wish I could forget all about that movie."

"I was just admiring you, Curt. I love it when you're passionate about, well, anything. You're quite handsome when you are." You lovingly squeeze his hand. He smirks at you. "Am I just as handsome when I'm not?" He teases, leaning closer. You lean in as well. "Of course," your voice is soft, almost a murmur, as you speak. "Always, my love."

Your lips meet in sweet, delicate kiss.

[traincat]

hi traincat! i hope you’re having a good week. i was just wondering if you had any thoughts about the upcoming zed wells and romita jr spider-man run! i’m excited about romita and i’m guessing you are too but i know nothing about wells and if he’ll be a good fit so i was hoping to know your thoughts going into the series

This is a tough one to answer because I'm feeling really up in the air about it. You're right that I'm totally excited about JRjr, and the preview pages look great, and it's so great to have one of my favorite Spidey artists back on the book. His body language for Peter has traditionally been really unmatched, and comics are a visual medium, so I think for me there's a little bit of a belief that even if the Peter writing isn't the greatest we've ever seen, the attitude JRjr has typically brought into his portrayals of him can elevate it. I don't know if I'm sold on the colors, I think that's an area where I'll need to see a full issue to determine how I feel about things.

I'm a little up and down in how I feel about Wells, because I know Wells can write a good Peter. His first issue of Beyond has some of the strongest Peter writing we've seen on the main title in years:

(Amazing Spider-Man v5 #75) I've been pretty clear that I think a lot of modern writers really overwrite Peter's rambling in his day-to-day life -- he's not a rambler without purpose, he rambles in the suit for reasons. So the more clipped, punchy dialogue here -- "I was a crap businessman." "Of course Otto trademarked the name." -- and the yelling at the guy stealing the tip are really perfect. He has a short temper! It's good to see it leaned into again.

And while I do have problems with some of Wells' previous Spider-Man works, they're not my typical problems with a lot of modern Spider-Man writers -- I don't think Wells has historically gone way too light at all. Wells' best known Spider-Man story is a three issue arc called Shed, which I've talked about a little before, but tl;dr in this storyline Curt Connors' Lizard persona fully takes over which sparks a series of events that culminates with the Lizard killing (and partially eating) his teenage son Billy Connors. If I have a problem with Shed, it's the opposite problem I have with a lot of modern Spider-Man stories -- if anything, Shed is too dark and too hopeless, which is, granted, the point of it, since it's taking place in a point in comics where the goal is to wear Peter down to the point where the Kravinoff family can easily defeat him. So it's not grimdark without a goal -- but Shed to me has always felt particularly cruel as a storyline, and I'm not sure that killing Billy Connors was necessary to advance the greater storyline. (Curt's wife, Martha Connors, had also previously been killed offscreen, which is another decision I have issues with.) I feel it really permanently altered the character of the Lizard in a way that maybe doesn't suit the malleable nature of comic book storytelling -- what do you do with a Jekyll and Hyde style villain after he has killed and eaten his own child? And unfortunately the Marvel answer to that was, "The same thing we do every night, Pinky. Ignore the ethical weight of our own narrative."

So I have a really big grudge against Shed as a story because I feel it should have altered the trajectory of the Lizard and it should have Peter's relationship with Curt Connors in this really irrevocable way that Marvel then didn't commit to -- I can't see Peter ever having warm feelings again towards someone who killed their own child -- but the issue with that isn't necessarily Shed the story on its own. The issue is that Shed put the Lizard's storyline on a really unavoidable path, and then Marvel yanked proverbial the steering wheel to the side and drove the Story Car into the river. So this isn't really entirely Wells' fault. The same thing with my greater issues with the current Beyond arc -- I really don't love how Beyond has raised these big ethical questions and then danced around facing them. But again, Wells is one writer out of like, five or six on Beyond, several of which I've criticized in the past for having particularly weak Peter (and therefore Ben) voices. So it's hard to say Wells is the problem or even a problem in Beyond when I think the actual problem is way too many cooks in the kitchen, a super sped up production timeline, and a writers' table that don't all seem to want to be telling the same story. (A lot of them seem to want to be telling Nextwave. I like Nextwave but Spider-Man should not be Nextwave.)

So in the one corner, we have Wells, who I know can write a very good Peter, even if I have taken issues with some of his previous stories. But the thing with comic books is that even when you have a story you don't like or agree with, it's hard to put the sole blame on the author (unless they appear to have an extraordinary amount of creative freedom at their respective publisher or on a specific book, which some do) because comics are a collaborative effort -- you've also got publishers, editors, series architects, etc. And we know with Spider-Man in particular there's a lot going on in the background. I think Zdarsky is probably the most interesting (and vocal) example in this case, where as a writer I don't like his Peter voice when he's writing Spider-Man books, but I LOVE his Peter voice when he's writing Daredevil books. Stunning stuff, so I know he can do it, and then you factor in his various interviews where he's talked about the challenges he faced from editorial when he was writing Spider-Man.

(Daredevil #11)

So the question becomes, how much of current Spider-Man's generally weak voice and direction can we blame on individual writers and how much of it is a company decision at Marvel? And I think a lot of it is a company decision because there probably isn't a writer out there who wouldn't want to be the one who, say, fixes the Spider-Marriage, if only because that's going to get your name down in the Spider-Man history books -- and yet in Spencer's run a future repair was only consistently hinted at, not actually enacted. And the Spider-Marriage is really just one example here, like, there's things that could and should be done and they're not being done because, I suspect, Marvel doesn't want them to be done for whatever reason.

(ASM v5 #75)

Bottom line is, I think, that I'm excited to see where Wells is taking the story, because I know he can write a good Peter, he's got one of the greats on art, and the whole "what did Peter do that was SO horrible" angle is intriguing, especially if it can really get Peter back to his roots and away from all the damage that's been left behind by the most recent two runs. The question is, will Marvel actually let him do that? And that's the bit I get stuck on. The one thing I know I'm definite on is that I wish they were returning to legacy numbering, because I can't even remember what volume of Amazing Spider-Man we're on anymore and it's so tiring. It isn't actually less confusing to have a thousand Issue #1s.

[elfantix]

Devil Dancefloor (OctoGoblin Part 1)

Clever as the devil is how Otto Octavius would describe Norman Osborn. Quick-witted with a silver tongue almost as smooth as his slender form on the dancefloor.

Doctor Otto Octavius isn't one for dancing; never has been.  He steps off his right foot and has two left feet.  Otto counts every fourth beat as a third and every third as a fourth.  If it's too hard to tell; the doctor doesn't quite understand the concept of rhythm.  Many times Otto has attempted to dance; many times he has failed.  His hips just never snapped right, waist never twirled.  At weddings Otto sits the dances out, and he avoids work gatherings like they're the red death.  So to find himself standing here before the doors of a convention center in a masquerade mask came as a surprise to Otto Octavius as much as it came to the one observing from the balcony.  Otto's fellow doctor, Curt Connors begged Otto for weeks to come to this event.  Curt had claimed it would be 'fun' (much to Otto's disagreement) and gave Otto that look he just couldnt resist.  It wasn't until yesterday he finally agreed to join Connors at the Masquerade, and how does he regret that decision.

Otto stares at the large mahogany doors, contemplating his next move.  If he just turns back now Curt would never know that he even came.  Otto could just go home, take this blasted suit and mask off and call it a night.  Of course that would leave Curt disappointed, and probably angry that Otto stood him up. Would leaving be considered standing up?

"You planning on going in or just standing there all night?"  A familiar voice chirped from behind Otto.  He quickly turned around to see none other that Curt Connors dressed in a stark-white tail coat suit with a bronze mask that took shape of a lizard in hand.  Connors outfit contradicted Ottos own pure black puff collar and wrist one like they were yin and yang.

"Doctor!"  Otto exclaimes with a nervous chuckle.

"Please, Otto.  No formalities here.  You should enjoy yourself." Curt interrupts with a dismissive hand.

"Connors-"

"Curt." Curt interrupts again.

"Curt."  Otto tested.  He could feel heat from embarrassment spike at the tip of his ears.  "I didn't expect to see a man such as yourself at a place like this." 

"I could say the same for you, Otto."  Curt chuckled with a handsome smile.  He then gestures towards the door with his white-gloved left hand, making Ottos heart skip nervously.  There was no backing out now, now that he had Curt Connors persisting he enters.

"Shall we?"  Curt suddenly questions with a raised brow.  Otto gulped, eyes flickering between the doors and his fellow doctor.  No; Otto does not want to go in.  He would rather go home, curl up in his plush yet cold bed and sleep for all of eternity than be here. 

"Lead the way." Otto's says with little to no thought.  Big mistake, Otto knew that already; the night would only end in embarrassment.  He still forced a smile for Curt though, nodding his head toward the door.  Curt twisted the handles, pushing the heavy doors open.  Ottos ears were instantly filled with the sound of violins singing and flute chirping.  The song was one of a waltz, hence the circle of couple twirling across the white and bronze checkered dance floor.  They moved with grace, skirts flowing and tails gliding to the steady rhythm of Khachaturian.  The room is ethereal, decorated in many religious arts.  The walls were white under toned with gold and bronze pillars shooting straight up onto the overhead arch that held rose quartz chandeliers.  They glimmer with grace, nicely complimenting the color scheme of the whole place.  Balconys over head held men and women sitting at tables enjoying drinks of only the richest names, chatting and falling in love.  Otto stares for a moment longer, just barley catching a glimpse of a figure wearing what appeared to be a green mask in the shape of some devil or creature.  From what Otto could see, the undertones were bronze like the room they stood in with... horns?  Antlers?  Sticking out of the top of it.

"Beautiful place, isn't it?"  Curt distracts Otto by his side, making Otto look towards the blond who now bares his mask.

"Uh yes-"  Otto said gruffly, quickly putting his own mask on.  Just like his suit, the mask is black.  It's design is unique, circuits, bolts, and screws making up the look.

"How'd you find a place like this?"  Otto asks with a fake curiosity. Otto looks back up towards the balcony.  Dispiritedness bubbled in his chest when the masked figure was no longer standing there; a couple sitting where he or she once was.

" Courtesy of none other than Quentin Beck.  Did him a favor a year or two back."  Curt explains.  Otto hums in response. 

A waitress in a golden suit and full-coverage mask flows by carrying a tray of expensive looking sparkling wine and was quickly stopped by Curt.  He grabs two glasses for the both of them before dismissing the girl and hands the one off to Otto. Otto brings the glass to his lips and takes a sip, humming in the process.  Not only did the wine look rich, but it tasted suite. 

"Doctor Connors!"  A voice calls from behind them.  It was loud and giddy, but alas, unrecognizable to Otto.  He turns around to look at the figure approaching and was left stunned.  He wore a long green steam punk suit jacket that blew behind him as he walked with black dress pants and shoes.  The mask the slightly shorter figure wore was black atop, green on the lower half and was only a half coverage mask, much like Otto's. 

"Speak of the devil."  Curt whispered, taking a large swig of his wine.

"Who's this, doctor?  You didn't tell me you were going to bring a date!"  The man that Otto could assume to be Quentin Beck exclaimes.  Both Curt's and Otto's eyes widen in embarrassment and Otto nearly spat out his drink

"Not a date!"  Curt quickly dismissed Becks final statement.  "Quentin, this Doctor Otto Octavius.  Otto, this is Quentin Beck."  He then introduces the two in hopes of discarding whatever happened a few moments ago. 

"Doctor Octavius!  Curt has told me much about you!"  Quentin chirps, reaching out a white-gloved hand for Otto to shake.  Otto accepted with a firm hand, shaking Quentins before letting go.

"All good things I hope."  Otto chuckled.  He gave Quentin a kind smile who simply nods his head.

"Of course all good things!  I've heard plenty on that renewable energy project you have going."  Beck explained. 

"Ah yes- I am very proud of my research.  I'm glad people are hearing about it.  Perhaps one day you can stop by the labs and give it a look?"  Otto offers with a tilt of his head.  Beck nods his head again, smile growing impossibly brighter.

["Oh that would be lovely!  But If you'll excuse me I have a dance to catch"  Beck concludes.  He brings both hands out for Curt and Otto to shake.  Curt and Otto thanked Beck his farewells, observing as the man took off into the void of the dance floor.

"Well- I'm going to catch my own dance.  Feel free to join."  Curt speaks up after a moment of silence.  Otto looks down at the slightly shorter man with a worried expression, not wanting to be left here alone.

"Oh uh... alright."  Otto says softly, looking away from Curt in shame.  Listen, Otto would join if he could.  But he thinks Curt is better off with no broken toes.  Curt grasped Ottos beefy upper arm in a friendly embrace, eyebrows knitted with sincerity for his friend.

"Come get me if you need anything, yeah?"  Curt questioned, a small smile on his lips.  Otto returned the look, giving Curts hand a pat with his free one. 

"Yeah."  Otto nearly whispered "Go have fun.  Ill be here waiting for you.  Might even talk to a girl- or a guy.  If I get lucky that is."  With that, Curt gave Otto's arm a squeeze.  He let's go of Otto and waltz off onto the floor, leaving Otto in his lonesomeness.

[poems-of-a-lover]

WE'RE BACK BABY. I NEED TO FINISH THIS MOVIE KJAHGKJAHGKJSHLGK

alright peters. breaking in. to connors house. KJHGKJSHGKSJ house? office? office.

OH SHIT HI CONNORS jumpscare

also peters school uses tracks which i dont understand but its whatever

peters asking about lizards and reptiles which isnt obvious at all

this conversation is so. like curt is not hiding anything very well right now. and peters just not saying like anything so he doesn't lead onto anything. smart guy

police timeeee peters now at the station to talk to mr stacy

hes trying to convince this man that this scientist is changing himself into a giant lizard which is the truth cmon it sounds completely bonkers when u hear it

the way he says "he lost one arm and hes trying to grow it back" is the EXACT SAME DELIVERY STYLE as when harry says "you submitted designs for the grid and now you want them back" in the second film and it was completely unintentional and just how they read the lines or something but i make the connection every time i watch these bc theyre so similar and it makes me sad anyway back to the plot

even tho mr stacy acts like he doesnt believe peter he still runs a background check on connors just to be sure and i think thats such a good call sakjfhsjk

WHY IS CURT WORKING IN THE SEWER i know why but its just hilarious still

okay peters in the sewer to catch this lizard guy and hes in this weird intersection thing of the paths and he shot webs into each of the pipes to feel vibrations of each one and now hes chilling in the middle of his web playing bubble blaster jksdhfkjsdf me fr

TINY LIZARDS TINY LIZARDS

ive always wanted to at least like hold a gecko or something NOT THE POINT PETERS BEING KILLED BUT STILL

owwww he just sliced peters chest i have such a low pain tolerance id be sobbing my eyes out dude

peter getting beat to shit then just falling in thru gwens window is so real

this scene is EXACTLY what i mean when i say men covered in blood are attractive. i wanna look like him.

CAPTAIN STACY IS A GOOD DAD AND ILL SAY THIS FOR THE REST OF MY DAYS

"easy, bug boy" "what did you call me?" THEYRE SOOOOO

peters just. argh. the man u are, andrew garfield. he was honestly probably my gay awakening bc jesus christ

oh yeah peter says he created lizard but. all he did was give him the equation bc he thought that he was helping a man grow his arm back. agh.

"its what my father had been working on secretly. now i know why he kept it a secret. JUST U WAIT MR PARKER

okay theyre out on their date i love petergwen

ANYWAY. CONNORS IS GOING INSANE. AND HE KNOWS WHO PETER IS.

"would you give it all up after all you know you can do?" if i had a nickel for every spiderman villain who heard voices in their head encouraging them to do what they do. jesus.

oh yeah. connors shows up to the high school. to kill peter. lovely plan my guy.

peters plan to get him to stop is the whole "look into my eyes doc this isnt u ur better than this" and it is NOT working peter pls just hit the man

GWEN LEAVE GIRLYPOP WHAT ARE U D O I N G

nvm peter throws her out the window shes fine =]

like shes swinging on a web out there still so shes fine but he still threw her out the window

THIS STAN LEE CAMEO IS SO GOOD hes there in the library with headphones on and all we hear is classical music while lizard and peter fight to the death behind him

connors is goneee off he goes back to oscorp

that one shot of flash sitting outside the school alone while everyone else is being tended to makes me so sad

PETER FOUND CONNORS LITTLE SEWER LAB this can only go well

again. if i had a nickel for every time peter found a secret video diary from a man he looked up to explaining their secret works. id have two nickels. (one as of where we are chronologicaly but still. two.)

connors is at oscorp lets see how this goes

okay yeah so essentially he made this formula into a gas that hes gonna spread over the city to turn everyone in nyc into giant lizards

peter says mother hubbard and i love him for this

AND THE POLICE ARE STILL AFTER PETER. LEAVE HIM BE.

like they shot him with a tazer gun and theyre gonna arrest him this is so stupid

but guess what. skjfhksjh peter reveals himself to mr stacy and tells him that gwens at oscorp so he'll let him go (which she is i just forgot to mention that part)

AM I GONNA BE ABLE TO FINISH THIS FILM IN THIS POST. PLEASE.

oh yeah peter still gets shot in the leg either way love that

the fact that connors doesnt attack gwen or anything when shes right there is so interesting. like he just leaves her.

OH OH the guy whose kid was the boy peter saved on the bridge? he works in construction and him and his buddies use cranes to help peter get to oscorp bc hes injured its so incredibly sweet

gwen is so worried about peter that shes like almost in tears telling her dad to make sure hes safe they mean so much to me

okay peter and lizard are fighting. again. its been such a busy day for these two.

not much to say rlly its another fight scene and peters trying to put the antidote into the gas machine thing and lizards trying to stop him

"poor peter parker. no mother, no father, no uncle. all alone." "[INCREDIBLY LOUD GUN COCKING IN THE BACKGROUND FROM MR STACY] hes not alone!"

so yeah mr stacys stabbed but peter gets the antidote in the machine in like the last second so everythings fine

lizards back to being human so thats chill, everyones back to normal, all that stuff shfjksdf again not much to say

stacys dying forgot about him for like a split second sjdhfs theres no way hes getting out of this

"you're gonna make enemies. people will get hurt. sometimes, people closest to you. so i want you to promise me something, okay? leave. gwen. out of it." so guess if peter does that .

AND PETER. PETER DIDNT GET THE CHANCE TO PROMISE IT. BC HE DIED TOO FAST FOR PETER TO RESPOND. SO HE JUST SCREAMS. AGHKSJGHKJHG.

yippee everyones back to normal! also peter gets home. after a citywide evacuation and a monster attack. walks up to may without a word. and hands her a carton of eggs. bc he forgot to get them last time. then just melts into her arms and hugs her like shes all hes got. these two.

he also doesnt publicly go to mr stacys funeral bc he was told to stay away from gwen so he hides on top of a building to watch instead

FLASH WAS AT THE FUNERAL gwen shows up to peters house to ask why he didnt come and he just says that he cant do it. he cant see her anymore. doesnt say why doesnt explain anything doesnt say sorry. just pushes her away completely. bc thats easiest. and then she just "he made you promise, didnt he? to stay away from me? so that id be safe?" no response. she just leaves.

"what a pretty girl." "yeah, thats what uncle ben said." I LOOOOVE HIM AND MAY DUDE

ugh this conversation makes me sooooo emotional

"im just no good for her." "peter parker, if theres one thing you are, its good. and anyone who has a problem with that can talk to me." YESSSS QUEEN I LOVE HER

I FORGOT ABOUT THE GOD DAMN VOICEMAIL FROM BEN FUCKING CHRIST

my senior quote came from this, its "you owe the world your gifts, you just have to figure out how to use them"

PETER AND FLASH ARE FRIENDS NOWWW JSHKJGHSKGJ THEY MEAN SO MUCH TO ME

"dont make promises you cant keep, mr parker" "yeah, but those are the best kind" YIPPEE HIM AND GWEN ARE GONNA BE FINE

END OF THE MOVIEEEEEE WE DID IT. ON TO. MY FAVORITE FILM IN THE WORLD IM SO EXCITED AJKGHKJADHGKLJHALGKHALGJ

nick watches spiderman (cont.)

im gonna make another post bc i have a feeling im close to hitting the text limit on my other one but we're still on the first movie!! im gonna try and get thru this movie soon bc i HAVE to get to the second ones before my demons get me

okay where we are rn ben just died and peters in his evil era tryin to find the guy who did it

like hes just goin up to random dudes and beating them up bc he thinks its The Guy when its not

and every time i watch this movie i forget if they find him or if the plot point is abandoned bc peter has bigger problems by then KJGSHLKGJHSKH guess we'll remember together

peter falls thru a roof and these guys just let him go. like they leave him there. to be fair what were they supposed to do but still.

this is where we get the inspo to make a suit!! he sees a wrestling poster and is like "that could be me =D"

agh i wanna look like him so BAD bro i wish that were me

shoutout to him STEALING FROM OSCORP to make his web fluid thats so funny

this handstand moment is apparently judged by a lot of fans as him becoming spiderman but theyre SO wrong that doesnt happen until later in the film in my opinion

like thats just my opinion but other ppl can be wrong ig /lh

also how did he get this police radio. how do any of the spidermans get their radios. did they take them from officers. can u buy them. whats goin on here.

omggggg its captain stacyyyyy he'll be important later

like. incredibly important. GKJHSGKJSHGKJ we'll get to him in a minute.

"spandex.....spandex.......everything.......spandex......" i love peter so much

HE'S MAKIN THE SUITTTTT HES GOT THE SUIT NOW!!!!! THE SUIT OF ALL TIME!!!!!!!!!

i love this suit sooooo much its so textured and i love the logo its so fun

this car thief scene is rlly the scene of all time i love it

so many good peter lines from this scene

"seriously? u rlly think im a cop? a cop in a skin tight red and blue suit? yknow, u have got the mind of a true scholar, sir" PETER PLEASE BE NORMAL

this head tilt. the peter head tilt. in this context its kinda menacing but hes so me coded bc i also do the head tilt thing KHGSKJDHGKJ

the first time i saw this scene and for a while after i thought he told the cop "i just TOOK 80% of ur job" after he took the gun but he actually says "i just DID 80% of ur job" bc he webbed the criminal and i was so disappointed bc i rlly thought he was making a solid dig at the police force but hes just being petty KJGHSKJGHKSJ

ugh him talking to may here makes me sooooo sad. "u dont have to wait up for me, yknow" "yes i do" SHE LOVES HER NEPHEW PLEASEEEE

shes so worried for her nephew. seeing him hurt just destroys her. this boy is all she has. she lost her husband, her brother, her sister in law, and seeing her nephew come home at god knows what time just beat up and wounded must be so heartwrenching and she cant do anything bc he wont talk to her. i love tasm may shes so interesting.

"aunt may please, please go to sleep." "i cant sleep! dont u understand? i cant sleep! peter, listen to me. secrets have a cost, theyre not for free. not now, not ever." SOOOOO TRUE QUEEN. I SENSE A THEME.

AND THEN HE JUST WALKS OFF. LEAVES HER THERE. AJHGJSKGJAGFSJHF

oh yeah they're pushing curt to start human trials when they cure isnt ready, oscorp is so incredibly corrupt and its done so well in both films

"people die. even norman osborn." AKJGHKJSAGH SOOOOOO TRUE. YES. I HATE NORMAN SO MUCH.

also sorry for just quoting this movie so much it has so many good lines that i could talk about for the rest of my life

oh yeahhhhh this guy wants to start human trials??? at the veterans hospital?????

ugh theyre talking about plot that we dont learn until like the second film so its not important yet but its such a cool thing later on

PETER AND GWENNNNN I LOVE THEM

she really cares about him and it makes me so happy

shes inviting him to dinner!!!! with her family!!!!! its a family hes never met eating a meal hes never heard of but still its with the girl he really likes so hes gonna just deal with it and show up anyway

ugh normans doing things /neg

hes doing human trials. on himself. lets see how this goes HGKJSDHGKJL

oh hi peter. dinner date time.

he brought gwens mother flowers???? KWHGKSJGHSKJHGK theyre a little messed up bc they were in his bag while he was swinging but still!!! he brought flowers for this girls mom hes so sweet

"you must be peter" "dad this is. peter." thank u gwen

oh yeah i failed to mention that the captain of the police department is gwens dad if u didnt catch that from his last name

curt has his arm back!!! the cure worked!!!! hoping and praying that nothing bad happens and he just gets to live a normal life and be happy from now on

he has to go catch the one guy that i forgot the name of (edit its dr ratha) from going to the veteran hospital but the cure is backfiring so hes like. goin thru it. lizard moment.

anyway peter cant cut fish corrcctly

hes never had a fancy meal like this!! hes a little dumb!!!

uh ohhhh theyre talking about spidermannnnn yikes

this is what it feels like to talk politics with relatives

"if i wanted the car thief off the street, he wouldve been off the street" "so why wasnt he then?" PETER. CHILL. UR TRYING TO DATE HIS DAUGHTER PLS BE NICE

"its called strategy, im sure ur aware of the term strategy? maybe u learned about that in school?" MR STACY U ARE ALSO NOT HELPINGGGG

"i think he stands for what u stand for, sir. protecting innocent people from bad guys." banger line right there skajfhksjd

peter still apologized and said that he didnt mean to insult mr stacy but still ksajdfhkjsd cmon peter be nice

BIG PLOT HOLE HERE. peter webs gwen and pulls her closer and she goes "youre spiderman?" before he kisses her. HE HASNT GOTTEN THAT NAME YET. NO ONES CALLING HIM SPIDERMAN YET. WHERE DID SHE GET THAT.

ugh it gets me every time like where did that come frommmm

peter pulling away completely and turning around when her mother catches them is so funny hes trying to be respectful

uh oh crime time

HE JUST JUMPS OFF THE ROOF. BYE.

so yeah curt connors is now a giant lizard monster thing trying to find dr ratha and?? kill him???? okay yeah kill him he just threw his car off the bridge

peter has this moment of either going after lizard or helping save this mans son and he goes to save the kid and i love peter so much

hes also very very good with kids. he convinces this little boy that his mask has special powers to help the kid get out of the car safe and its so sweet

like this kid is terrified and honestly so is peter but hes staying calm and convincing this kid that this mask will make him stronger so he can save him. THIS is the moment i was talking about. this is when peter becomes spiderman.

the moment he gave that kid back to his father alive and safe is when he became a superhero. thats also when he coins the name. but this exact moment is what made him into the actual hero rather than just having the name. he gets home and he stares at his mask bc now he knows he has an immense responsibility to save peoples lives and keep them safe.

i love this movie

oh yeah mr stacy issued an arrest warrant for spiderman after the bridge attack thats so silly of him.

more petergwen lets goooo

"does it scare you? what you can do?" "no." "...youve got to lay low." "no, cant do that." "youve got to. i mean, why?" "because of last night. those people on the bridge. whatever was attacking them wouldve killed them. so i gotta go after it." "thats not your job." "maybe it is." SUCHHHHH A GOOD CONVERSATION. UGH.

OKAY IM GONNA. LEAVE THIS ONE HERE. ive finally got motivation so im gonna keep it going in a reblog like right away but im gonna stop this post here before it gets too long skjhfksjd

[ty-talks-comics]

Best of Marvel: Week of March 15th, 2019

Best of this Week: Daredevil #5 (Legacy #617) - Chip Zdarsky, Marco Checchetto, Sunny Gho and Clayton Cowles

The “Man Without Fear” miniseries brought Matt Murdock low, but Chip Zdarsky managed to bring him even lower.

Beginning right after the end of the last issue, Matt goes after The Owl and his crime ring, hoping to put a stop to whatever big plans they have going on. Still wearing Punisher’s shirt, Daredevil takes on all comers. With expertly drawn art by Checchetto, he manages to take down a guy with Iron Man level armor using the momentum of a speeding truck and a hook, sending the truck careening into the air and letting the guns and drugs spill out. Soon after, Matt grabs one of the doors and storms through a hail of gunfire and begins tearing through Owl’s men before getting overwhelmed and being saved by the other Defenders; Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist.

He passes out and wakes up later in Danny’s apartment and breaks down, saying that he just wanted to do one last good thing as Daredevil before they take him in for accidentally killing a criminal. What I liked best about this is that they’re there for him. Jessica assures him that they’re not going to take him in and they’ve all been in the same position. Jessica’s likely killed people under Killgrave’s influence, Luke’s killed one or two of his villains and Danny’s entire Immortal Iron Fist run by Ed Brubaker and later Matt Fraction was dark. They know what it’s like to work through all of that pain and guilt.

Matt, however, struggles with the idea that they’ve all killed people and runs away from his friends because of it. One of the biggest themes of this run thus far is how Matt is coping with what he did and his religion on top of it. Murder is a cardinal sin to Catholics and Matt Murdock has more Catholic Guilt than any of them have ever had. He dresses as the devil for chrissakes and uses the mask to blind himself to the violence he commits out of his personal sense of justice.

When he returns home, he senses the presence of someone strong. Someone he says has immense power, but doesn’t know it. The best of them. Spider-Man then confronts him in his home, telling him that he can see that Daredevil’s not all there. He wouldn’t have been able to follow Daredevil home if he were and acknowledges everything that Matt’s done up to this point, calling his attack on the Owl a “suicide mission.” He tells Daredevil that he’s done and if anyone sees him out there, they will stop him.

All of this scene was a work of art. When we see Spider-Man he’s shrouded in shadow. Spidey is often considered one of the biggest beacons of light in the Marvel universe and having him stand in the dark drives home the message of how serious things are. Every close-up shot with Daredevil feels even more personal as the weight of his actions are drawn on his also heavily shadowed face. It feels personal, depressing and as he slumps back into his wheelchair - gut wrenching.

It breaks my heart to see Matt like this again. He’s tried so hard to pull himself out of the hole he’s been digging for long, but the whole time we’ve been reading, the hole’s just gotten bigger and bigger. Eventually just engulfing him in darkness as his mistakes catch up to him.

I don’t know where he goes from here. Back to the life of a lawyer? He’s been disgraced and was serving out of a broom closet the last time he tried. Another position in city office? Wilson Fisk would NEVER risk that again. Maybe a position in the church? I don’t know, but whatever the future holds, I know it’s going to be an amazing and somber one.

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Kraven has always seen Spider-Man as his greatest opponent.

Runner Up: The Amazing Spider-Man: Hunted pt. 5 #21 (Legacy #822) - Nick Spencer, Gerardo Sandoval, Victor Nava, Erick Arciniega and Joe Caramagna

The Spider has thwarted his greatest plots and schemes and proven himself to be the stronger man half of the time. The only time that Kraven has ever felt superior was when he “proved himself better at crime fighting” than Spider-Man in Kraven's Last Hunt, killing himself soon after. He found peace in the dark only for it to be ripped away years later and surmises that the only way for him to achieve true death was for Spider-Man to kill him.

This Hunt that he set up with the animal themed villains served three purposes. To rid the world of these undeserving hunters, to kill off the more pathetic animal themed villains and to finally push Spider-Man over the edge.

Swarmed by clones of Vermin, Spider-Man monologues internally about how “this is it” and apologizes to Mary Jane, thinking that the Vermin are going to kill him only for Kraven to come to his rescue. He passes out and later wakes up, injuries healed and chained to the floor in a new Black Suit. (Not actually the Symbiote, just what Kraven considers Spider-Man's most significant costume, unknown how many he's made)

Doctor Curt Connors is also in there with him. He explains that the collar around Spider-Man's neck is rigged to explode and that his inhibitor chip won't let him rip the collar apart as it prevents him from hurting people. Kraven then shows a live feed of his son catching up to Black Cat and Billy Connors, almost certainly with a killing intent.

Dr. Connors says that the only way that he can save his son is by taking the chip off, but given that it’s attached to his spine, Spider-Man thinks it'll kill him. In a great moment, Connors says that it's a chance he's willing to take and hearkens back to Peter's power and responsibility speeches and that Spider-Man doesn't know what real responsibility is because he doesn't have kids yet.

It's a good character driven moment that brings Connors full circle. When he didn't have control of the Lizard, he actually killed Billy. After his resurrection, he wondered if his son remembered what happened, but was too fixed on just having his family back to ask. And now he has the chance to make up for his horrible actions by becoming a beast again? It's good stuff.

Peter begrudgingly agrees to help, but this is what Kraven wanted. He needed to test Spider-Man to see if he could go the extra mile, to see if he was finally ready to face the Hunter. By removing the chip, he's also removed a part of himself; the part that would have held back, the part that would have found another way, the part that wouldn't rip kraven apart.

Garardo Sandoval's art absolutely smashes this issue. It's visceral and makes everything look so much more serious while still maintaining an almost 90s look. The thick jagged lines give everything an edge, making you feel when Peter's being attacked by Vermin. Kraven showing up in his iconic clothing has weight to it as he's portrayed in ominous shadow and The Lizard looks absolutely horrifying.

This story is almost at its conclusion and I'm so excited. In story time, all of this couldn't have been more than a few hours, but it will have aged Peter considerably. As much as any story has pushed him to the brink, everytime he has to deal with Kraven at his most dangerous, he loses something major in himself. Honestly at this point, I want to almost say that Kraven is absolutely one of Spider-Man's archenemies and Hunted is the cement of that.

[spider-xan]

I personally like when Curt is one of Peter's profs in college, which I was kinda expecting in the Insomniac game. It was mentioned in the first game that Peter was a teacher assistant at the ESU and I thought it was for Curt's classes. I think it would've added more emotional weight in Peter's quest to cure Curt in the second game, and would make players more invested if they've had some history together besides the Lizard thing. They didn't need to be super close, but Curt could've been someone that Peter respected and was familiar with.

Oh well.

Same, anon!

I'm very happy overall with what we did get in the Insomniac sequel game with Curt and he's definitely one of my favourite versions, but I was also disappointed when his intro scene at the EMF seemed to confirm that he and Peter don't have a relationship between their civilian identities, regardless of whether Curt knows he's Spider-Man or not; like you, I also thought that given Peter having been a TA, the official blurb for the Lizard on the PlayStation site saying they had first met in college (which could be interpreted in a few different ways), and how Peter obviously really cares about him in the gameplay preview that we were going to get them being close outside of Spider-Man things and that Curt was one of his ESU professors, but I guess not; it's also weird bc there was a post-release interview where they talked about how what makes the Spider-Man villains great is their personal relationships with Peter, and they specifically cited how Connors has that element of oh, he's not just a monster to beat up, but also Peter's professor whom he really likes and doesn't want to hurt, though I guess they were speaking more generally there.

At the very least, I think it would have been helpful to have a character bio provide more background information bc we really don't know much about their history and relationship, and every cut scene they had was focused on advancing the plot rather than developing their relationship - which is fine, but I do think it's part of a broader issue with the game feeling rushed and underdeveloped at times, especially in the third act, and I would have loved if they had some more personal scenes together outside of the Lizard campaign.

Something else that felt a little muddled was how there were moments where I wasn't sure if Peter actually cared about Curt for Curt's sake bc Peter does see him as a friend (beyond Peter being a hero who helps everyone) or if he only cared about him as a means to an end to help Harry, if that makes sense? Like in the church scene when he says, 'I'm just here to save my friend', it makes the most direct sense for him to mean Curt, but then I was like, wait, does Peter even see him as a friend in this universe, and if not, does he mean he's just here for his actual friend Harry and the serum only matters in the sense of bringing Curt back to help him? Especially considering how after the failed zoo rescue, the trio doesn't seem too concerned about Curt being stuck as the Lizard until they realize they need him to help Harry, which is weird writing, now that I think about it.

Anyway, I wonder how much of the seeming lack of closeness may be due to the fact that they didn't want to repeat a mentor relationship like the one the first game had between Peter and Otto, with the irony being that the Peter and Otto relationship in the Insomniac games is just like the Peter and Curt one in the 616 comics and some adaptations, namely the 90s animated series; I think it's completely possible for Peter to have two mentors in different areas though, instead of only one or the other - but I also wonder how much was also bc they had him be an Oscorp scientist involved with the symbiote, possibly with a previous day job as a medical doctor until the Lizard thing, and couldn't have him be a professor as well; I'd love to know at what point they decided to have him tied to that plot bc the symbiote was obviously there all along, and it's common in adaptations for Connors to be the symbiote expert, but I can't tell if he was linked to it from the start or if they had other possible ideas for him until deciding on that one.

[spider-xan]

Every time I see comic book readers refer to Connors as one of Peter's father figures in the 616 universe, I'm like, where???!!

Even keeping in mind that Curt doesn't know that Peter and Spider-Man are the same person (not counting the stupid identity reveal in Civil War and the continuity issues in the Quality of Life mini-series and the Lizard's Tale arc), he's always treated Spider-Man as an equal, even though he met Spidey when Peter was in high school (I think people forget that it's not obvious that Spider-Man was a teenager early in his career); then he doesn't meet Peter as Peter until Peter is a graduate student and one of his TAs, where Peter is already an adult in his twenties; after that, they clearly interact as long-time adult friends, and Curt doesn't treat Peter as a surrogate son, nor does Peter act like he's another father figure, like Uncle Ben and maybe George Stacy.

The closest thing to a father-son relationship in 616 I can think of is the What If? issue where Peter accidentally kills the burglar and runs off to Florida for the summer to work as a lab assistant for Connors, and he's treated like a member of the Connors family, but even then, I wouldn't say it's a father-son relationship, and it's an alternate universe anyway.

I think fandoms often have an issue where any and every relationship a character has with a man even a few years older automatically makes the older man a father figure, even though surrogate parent-child relationships are not the only types of relationships people with an age difference can have with each other.

[spider-xan]

@inky-axolotl: Not to mention Curt getting exposed by the Bugle and making things even more difficult for the family (particularly a target on Curt’s back now that everyone knows). I’m certainly curious exactly when and how the split went down since it could be possible they stuck around after the first lizard rampage then left later, but either way it’s interesting people hold Martha to that “responsibility”-

Yeah, exactly! I wish the game had gone into it more, though I understand why it didn't, but before we knew how early on in the Lizard timeline Martha and Billy had left, I had assumed that potential harassment and bullying due to that expose would have made it very understandable for them to leave and distance themselves as a means of self-protection, in addition to the danger Curt himself poses.

And yeah, I'm curious how the split happened too! I think we're meant to take Peter's word for it when he speculates what happened at the Connors house or else his dialogue is meaningless, but technically, he's either talking about things he heard second-hand or guessing at Curt's motivations, and I thought Curt building the lab and panic room to protect his family whenever he had an episode doesn't make much sense if they were already long gone by then and wouldn't be in immediate danger, unless he feared he would try to find them as the Lizard; if I were to come up with a Watsonian explanation for the discrepancy, either Peter was wrong about them leaving after the first incident and it was actually a later one that confirmed it would be a recurring problem, or they had gone back and stayed initially, during which he started construction on the lab and panic room, but they still left before his second transformation.

Definitely agree as well on people holding Martha responsible for leaving and implying that she's an awful and disloyal wife who didn't stand by her man when it was no one's fault and it's completely understandable why she did what she did, and while we barely know anything about her in the game, it's completely possible she still loves Curt and doesn't blame him for what was obviously an accident, but had to protect their son first, like any responsible parent would, as well as herself - and he seems to accept that, even if it's obviously depressing.

'The Insomniac version of the Lizard SUCKS!! His wife and son leaving him is NOT accurate to the comics, where they always stay with him no matter what!! They would NEVER leave, omg Insomniac is the WORST, they don't understand Spider-Man AT ALL!!!'

Leaving aside that it's completely understandable for a woman to take her son and leave if her husband accidentally turned into a feral lizard monster endangering their lives, that did happen in the comics though, between Amazing Spider-Man #252 and Spectacular Spider-Man #127, with it being referenced as a flashback in the latter.

Also, the sequel game definitely has influences from the Ultimate/1610 comics, like the symbiote working as an organic exosuit to treat terminal illnesses, and while it's possible Insomniac just did their own thing and wasn't drawing directly from the comics on this, Curt and Martha did get divorced in that universe after the Lizard origin story, so that's another comics precedent, though in that case, it was Curt who left his family instead of the other way around.