She looks at me every day.
Mary Jane Watson.
Oh, boy. If she only knew how I felt about her.
But she can never know.
I made a choice once to live a life of responsibility.
A life she can never be a part of.
Who am I?
I'm Spider-Man, given a job to do.
And I'm Peter Parker, and I, too, have a job.
Parker. Parker!
No, no, no, stop! Stop!
Parker, you're late, man. Always late.
I'm sorry, Mr. Aziz. There was a disturbance.
Another disturbance. Always a disturbance with you.
Come on, 21 minutes ago, in comes order.
Harmattan, Burton & Smith. Eight extra-large deep-dish pizzas.
In eight minutes, I am defaulting on Joe's 29-minute guarantee.
Then, not only am I receiving no money for these pizzas...
... but I will lose the customer forever to Pizza Yurt.
Look, you are my only hope, all right? You have to make it in time.
Peter, you're a nice guy. But you're just not dependable.
This is your last chance.
You have to go 42 blocks in 7 1/2 minutes or your ass is fired.
Go!
Hey, what, are you stupid?
Whoa! He stole that guy's pizzas!
I'm gonna get it!
Hey, you guys. No playing in the streets.
Yes, Mr. Spider-Man.
See you.
Way to go, Spidey!
Pizza time.
You're late.
I'm not paying for those.
Joe's 29-minute guarantee is a promise, man.
I know to you, Parker, a promise means nothing. But to me, it's serious.
It's serious to me too, Mr. Aziz.
- You're fired. Go. - Please, I need this job.
- You're fired. - Look, give me another chance.
You're fired.
- Parker, hello. You're fired. - Why?
Dogs catching Frisbees?
Pigeons in the park? A couple geezers playing chess?
- Boss. - Not now.
The Bugle could show another side of New York for a change.
We got six minutes to deadline, Jonah. We need page one.
I don't pay you to be a sensitive artiste. I pay you-- Still not now!
I pay you because that psycho Spider-Man will pose for you.
He won't let me take any more pictures. You turned the whole city against him.
A fact I'm very proud of.
Get your pretty little portfolio off my desk before I go into a diabetic coma.
- It's your wife, she lost her checkbook. - Thanks for the good news.
Please, isn't there any of these shots you can use? I need the money.
Miss Brant. Get me a violin.
Five minutes to deadline, Jonah.
Run a picture of a rancid chicken. Here's the headline:
"Food Poisoning Scare Sweeps City."
- Some food got poisoned? - I'm a little nauseous.
All right, Mr. Jameson.
It stinks. Robbie, there's your page one.
"Masked Menace Terrorizes Town."
I told you, he's not a menace.
- I told you-- - I'll take care of it.
- I'll give you 150. - Three hundred.
That's outrageous.
Done. Give this to the girl.
Thank you. Bye-bye.
Hi.
Hey, Pete.
I don't think this covers the advance I gave you a couple weeks ago.
- Right. - Sorry.
Hey.
Chin up, okay?
Watch it, jerk!
Dr. Connors. Sorry.
Where were you headed, Parker?
To your class.
My class is over.
See me standing here?
I'm sorry. I'm trying. I wanna be here.
Then be here.
Look at you, Peter.
Your grades have been steadily declining. You're late for class.
You always appear exhausted.
Your paper on fusion is still overdue.
I know. I'm planning to write it on Dr. Otto Octavius.
Planning is not a major at this university.
Octavius is a friend of mine.
Better do your research, Parker.
Get it done, or I'm failing you.
Surprise!
Well, say something.
What's the occasion?
Really, Peter. It's your birthday!
Whether you want to remember it or not.
He lives in another reality. Don't you, Pete?
- Hi, M.J. - Hi.
- Hey, buddy. - Hey.
Long time, no see.
So how's the play? I read a great review.
It's going fine. It's going good.
She's brilliant in it.
Harry sent me roses.
So where you been, pal? You don't return my calls.
I've been busy.
Taking pictures of Spider-Man? How's the bug these days?
The less you see of that man, the better.
Now, let's all go into the other room and have something to eat.
I'll get the hors d'oeuvres.
So how are things going at Oscorp?
They're great. I'm head of Special Projects.
We're about to make a breakthrough on fusion.
How lovely, Harry. Your father would be so proud, rest his soul.
Thank you.
We're actually funding one of your idols, Pete. Otto Octavius.
- I'm writing a paper on him. - You want to meet him?
You'd introduce me?
You bet. Octavius is gonna put Oscorp on the map...
... in a way my father never even dreamed of.
M.J., could you give me a hand?
She's waiting for you, pal.
What do you mean?
The way she looks at you or doesn't look at you.
However you want to look at it.
I don't have time for girls right now.
Why, are you dead?
I've been kind of busy.
Taking pictures of your friend?
Could we get off that subject?
I want us to be friends, Harry. I want us to trust each other.
Then be honest with me.
If you knew who he was, would you tell me?
May.
Oh, what, Ben?
Wait.
- Aunt May. - Oh, my.
Oh, Peter. Oh, for a second there, I thought I was years ago.
Everybody's gone, aren't they?
Did they have a good time?
I'm sure they did.
- You okay? - Of course. But you go home.
And be careful. I don't like that scooter thing you drive around.
I'm worried about you.
You're so alone. And I saw the letter from the bank.
Oh, my. You did?
Oh, well.
So?
I'm a little behind.
Everybody is.
Anyway, I don't want to talk about it anymore.
I'm tired, and you better start back home.
Here, kiddo. Happy birthday.
You need it more than I do.
- No, I can't take that from you. - Yes, you can!
You can take this money from me.
For God's sake, it's not much. Now, take it!
And don't you dare leave it here.
Oh, I'm sorry.
It's just that I miss your uncle Ben so much.
Can you believe that it's two years next month since he was taken?
I think to myself at times...
... were I to face the one responsible for what happened, I'd....
Oh, I don't know what I'd do.
Now...
... you better take the rest of your cake home.
Hey.
Hey. You're still here.
I saw your billboard on Bleecker.
Isn't it funny? I'm really kind of embarrassed.
Don't be. It's nice. I get to see you every day now.
I liked seeing you tonight, Peter.
Oh, boy, yeah.
"Oh, boy, yeah" what?
Nothing.
Do you want to say something?
I...
... was...
... wondering if you're still in the Village.
You're such a mystery.
Peter.
What?
Happy birthday.
I'm seeing somebody now.
You mean, like a boyfriend?
Well, like I like him.
What?
Nothing.
That's good, you know? Companionship....
May be more than that.
More?
I don't know.
I'm coming to see your play tomorrow night.
- You're coming? - I'll be there.
Don't disappoint me.
I won't.
Rent.
- Hi. - Hi. What's "hi"?
Can I spend it?
I have a paycheck due this week and--
- You're a month late again. Again. - I promise as soon as--
If promises were crackers, my daughter would be fat.
I'm really sorry, Mr. Ditkovitch. All I got is this 20 for the rest of the week.
"Sorry" doesn't pay the rent.
And don't try to sneak past me. I have ears like a cat and eyes like a rodent.
- Thanks, Mr. Ditkovitch. - Hi, Pete.
Hello?
Rent?
Doctor? Mr. Osborn's here.
Nobel Prize, Otto. Nobel Prize. And we'll all be rich.
It's not about the prizes, Harry.
But you need money. You need Oscorp.
Who do we have here?
This is my good friend I called you about.
He got me through high-school science.
Peter Parker, sir. I'm writing a paper on you for--
I know what you're doing here...
... but I don't have time to talk to students now.
But Oscorp pays the bills, so....
That's why I have to take off. Board meeting.
But my job is done here. Got you two geniuses together.
Good luck tomorrow, Otto. Nobel Prize. We'll see you in Sweden!
Interesting fellow, your friend.
I won't take much of your time.
Now I remember you. You're Connors' student. He tells me you're brilliant.
He also tells me you're lazy.
I'm trying to do better.
Being brilliant's not enough, young man. You have to work hard.
Intelligence is not a privilege, it's a gift.
And you use it for the good of mankind.
You want to try it back there?
So is that it?
Yes. My design to initiate and sustain fusion.
I understand you use harmonics of atomic frequencies.
Sympathetic frequencies.
Harmonic reinforcement?
Go on.
An exponential increase in energy output.
A huge amount of energy.
Like a perpetual sun providing renewable power for the whole world.
Are you sure you could stabilize the fusion reaction?
Peter, what have we been talking about for the last hour and a half?
This is my life's work.
I certainly know the consequences of the slightest miscalculation.
I'm sorry. I didn't mean to question you.
Rosie, our new friend thinks I'm gonna blow up the city.
You can sleep soundly tonight.
Otto's done his homework.
Come to the demonstration tomorrow, and you'll see for yourself.
And you need to sleep soundly tonight, Otto.
Did Edison sleep before he turned on the light?
Did Marconi sleep before he turned on the radio?
Did Beethoven sleep before he wrote the 5th?
Did Bernoulli sleep before he found the curves of quickest descent?
Rosie, I love this boy.
Peter, tell us about yourself. Do you have a girlfriend?
Well....
I don't really know.
Well, shouldn't you know? I mean, who would know?
Leave him alone. Maybe it's a secret love.
Love should never be a secret.
If you keep something as complicated as love stored up inside...
... gonna make you sick.
I finally got lucky in love.
We both did.
But it's hardly perfect. You have to work at it.
I met him on the college steps, and I knew it wasn't going to be easy.
He was studying science, and I was studying English literature.
That's right. I was trying to explain the theory of relativity.
And Rosie was trying to explain T.S. Eliot.
I still don't understand what he was talking about.
- Yes, you do. - I'm serious.
T.S. Eliot is more complicated than advanced science.
But if you want to get a woman to fall in love with you, feed her poetry.
Poetry.
Never fails.
A tall and slender maiden All alone upon a prairie
Brightest green were all her garments
And her hair was like the sunshine
Day by day he gazed upon her
Rent!
Where is my money?!
You seem jittery tonight.
You never know who's coming.
Ladies, five minutes. Five minutes.
How'd you do that?
Work out, plenty of rest.
You know, eat your green vegetables.
That's what my mom is always saying. I just never actually believed her.
Come on. Go.
Keep it steady.
It's a web.
Go, Spidey, go!
We got trouble!
Get me down!
I am more than content with what Mr. Moncrieff said.
His voice alone inspires one with absolute credulity.
Then you think we should forgive them?
Yes.
I mean, no.
Hey. Hey. Hey, chief. You park there, I'm towing it.
Whatever.
Shoelace.
You might want to....
- Can I help you? - Yeah, I've come to see the show.
Oh, I'm sorry, sir. No one will be seated after the doors are closed.
It helps maintain the illusion.
Miss Watson, she's a friend of mine. She asked me to come.
But not to come late.
I have to see this show. Just let me in, I'll stand in the--
A Spider-Man A Spider-Man
A-does whatever a spider can
A-spins a web, any size
Catches thieves a-just like flies
Look out Here comes the Spider-Man
You sure you don't wanna come tonight?
Yeah, I'm sure.
- Okay. Call me. - I will.
- You were great tonight. - Thanks.
May I have an autograph, please, miss?
What are you doing here?
You hungry?
Starved.
What was that?
Okay.
Cool Spidey outfit.
Thanks.
Where'd you get it?
I made it.
Looks uncomfortable.
Yeah, it gets kind of itchy.
And it rides up in the crotch a little bit too.
Hi. It's me. Sing your song at the beep.
Hi, M.J.
This is Peter.
I was on my way to your show and....
Well, I was on my bike....
Are you there?
I really was planning on it all day.
And...
... I know you predicted I'd disappoint you.
Bingo.
It's amazing, isn't it?
How complicated a simple thing...
... like being someplace at 8:00 can become.
Actually, there was this obnoxious usher.
Somebody has to talk to that usher, M.J.
Your time has expired.
Please deposit 50 cents for the next five minutes.
I wanna tell you the truth.
Here it is.
I'm Spider-Man.
Weird, huh?
Now you know why I can't be with you.
If my enemies found out about you...
... if you got hurt, I could never forgive myself.
I wish I could tell you how I feel about you.
Ladies and gentlemen...
... my wife Rosie and I would like to welcome you this afternoon.
But first, before we start...
... has anybody lost a large roll of 20-dollar bills in a rubber band?
Because we found the rubber band.
It's a terrible joke.
But thank you for coming.
Today...
... you will witness the birth of a new fusion-based energy source.
Safe, renewable energy and cheap electricity for everyone.
And now let me introduce my assistants.
These four actuators were developed and programmed...
... for the sole purpose of creating successful fusion.
They are impervious to heat and magnetism.
These smart arms are controlled by my brain through a neural link.
Nanowires feed directly into my cerebellum...
... allowing me to use these arms to control fusion reaction...
... in an environment no human hand could enter.
Doctor, if the artificial intelligence in the arms...
... is as advanced as you suggest...
... couldn't that make you vulnerable to them?
How right you are.
Which is why I developed this inhibitor chip...
... to protect my higher brain function.
It means I maintain control of these arms, instead of them controlling me.
And now on to the main event.
Give me the blue light, Rosie.
Precious tritium is the fuel that makes this project go.
There's only 25 pounds of it on the whole planet.
I'd like to thank Harry Osborn and Oscorp Industries for providing it.
Happy to pay the bills, Otto.
Ladies and gentlemen...
... fasten your seat belts.
Doctor, we have a successful fusion reaction.
This is a breakthrough beyond your father's dreams.
Thank you.
We're producing a thousand-megawatt surplus.
The power of the sun...
... in the palm of my hand.
Keep calm! It's only a spike!
It'll soon stabilize!
Ladies and gentlemen, please clear the room.
We have a containment breach!
Otto, please get back!
Shut it off, Otto! Shut it off!
It will stabilize! It's under control!
I'm in charge here!
It's my money! I'm in con--
This doesn't change anything.
- What are you doing? - Pulling the plug.
No!
Rosie!
Watch it.
That was too close.
If he had more than a drop of tritium, he could have destroyed the city.
I'm ruined.
I have nothing left, except Spider-Man.
He saved your life, sir.
He humiliated me by touching me.
The press will be here soon. I suggest we move on.
What was he doing here anyway?
Molten metal penetrated the spinal cavity...
... and fused the vertebrae at multiple points...
... including the lamina and the roof of the spinal column.
We won't know the extent of the damage until we get in there.
I suggest we cut off these mechanical arms, slice up the harness...
... and, if need be, consider a laminectomy...
... with posterior spinal fusion from C7-T1 to T1 2.
We're ready, doctor.
Anybody here take shop class?
Help me! Help me!
No!
It's all over town, Robbie. Gossip. Rumors.
Panic in the streets, if we're lucky.
Crazy scientist turns himself into some kind of a monster.
Four mechanical arms welded right onto his body.
Guy named Otto Octavius winds up with eight limbs. What are the odds?
Hoffman!
What are we gonna call this guy?
- "Dr. Octopus." - That's crap.
- "Science Squid"? - Crap!
- "Dr. Strange." - That's pretty good.
But it's taken. Wait, wait! I got it. "Dr. Octopus."
- I like it. - Of course you do.
Dr. Octopus. New villain in town. "Doc Ock."
- Genius. - What, are you looking for a raise?
Get out.
Chief, I found Parker.
Where you been? Why don't you pay your phone bill.
Mad scientist goes berserk, we don't have pictures!
I heard Spider-Man was there.
Where were you? Photographing squirrels? You're fired.
Chief, the planetarium party.
You're un-fired. I need you, come here.
What do you know about high society?
- Oh. Well, I-- - Don't answer that.
My society photographer got hit in the head by a polo ball. You're all I got.
Big party for an American hero. My son, the astronaut.
Could you pay me in advance?
You serious? Pay you for what? Standing there?
The planetarium, tomorrow night, 8:00. There's the door.
My Rosie's dead.
My dream is dead.
And these...
... monstrous things should be at the bottom of the river...
... along with me.
Something...
... in my head.
Something talking.
The inhibitor chip!
Gone.
Rebuild.
No.
Peter was right.
I miscalculated.
I couldn't have miscalculated.
It was working, wasn't it?
Yes.
We could rebuild. Enlarge the containment field.
Make it bigger and stronger than ever.
But we need money.
Steal it?
No, no, no, I'm not a criminal.
That's right.
The real crime would be not to finish what we started.
We'll do it here.
The power of the sun in the palm of my hand.
Nothing will stand in our way.
Nothing!
- That's the social security. - Yes, I see.
My Uncle Ben's life insurance.
Yes, but I'm afraid...
... it's just not sufficient to refinance your home.
Oh, but I'm giving piano lessons again.
You are?
We appreciate that you've just opened up...
... a new supersaver account with us today.
But the fact is...
... you do not have the assets to justify this loan. I'm sorry.
Well....
At least we get the toaster.
Actually, that's only with a deposit of 300 or more.
Oh, yes, I see.
Okay.
Don't worry, we'll figure it out.
Peter?
Don't leave me.
Oh, that boy of yours is a real hero.
Hold it!
Put your arms up! All of them!
Here's your change!
Oh, no. Come on!
- You're getting on my nerves. - I have a knack for that.
Not anymore.
- Freeze! Don't move! - Freeze!
- Hold your fire! - Don't follow me.
Wait a second.
- Hand her over. - Of course.
Easy, now.
Butterfingers.
Look out!
Help me!
- Help me! - I'm coming!
Hang on!
Help!
Thank you.
Aunt May.
You've stuck your webs in my business for the last time.
Now you'll have this woman's death on your conscience.
Come on.
Shame on you.
There you go.
Thank you. Oh, have I been wrong about you.
We sure showed him.
What do you mean, "We"?
- Take me with you, Spider-Man. - Take me.
- May I? - Sure. Go ahead.
Penny! Over here!
Leave it.
Hey. Might wanna take it easy, buddy.
Why? It's a party.
Wouldn't you be drinking if you lost a bundle on some crackpot...
... who you thought was gonna take you with him to fame and fortune?
Not to mention your friend the bug.
Not tonight, Harry.
Every night! Until I find him, it's 24-7.
Parker!
Parker! What, are you deaf? I called you twice.
Think I'm paying you to sip champagne?
Get a shot of my wife with the minister.
Beautiful tie.
Get a shot of us with the DA.
Beautiful dress.
Here, get a shot of the mayor and his girlfriend.
Wife.
Ladies and gentlemen, good evening.
The committee for the Science Library of New York...
... is pleased to present our guest of honor.
He's the first man to play football on the moon.
The handsome, the heroic, the delicious...
... Captain John Jameson.
Hi.
- You. - Listen, I'm sorry.
But there was a disturbance.
I don't know you.
And I can't keep thinking about you. It's too painful.
I've been reading poetry lately.
Whatever that means.
Day by day he gazed upon her
Day by day he sighed with passion Day by day--
Don't start.
Can I get you a drink?
I'm with John. He'll get me my drink.
John.
By the way, John has seen my show five times.
Harry has seen it twice. Aunt May has seen it.
My sick mother got out of bed to see it.
Even my father.
He came backstage to borrow cash.
But my best friend, who cares so much about me...
... can't make an 8:00 curtain.
After all these years...
... he's nothing to me but an empty seat.
It pisses me off, your loyalty to Spider-Man and not to your best friend.
I find him with my father's body, and you defend him.
- Take it easy. - Don't push me.
Don't act like you're my friend.
You stole M.J. from me.
You stole my father's love.
Then you let him die because you didn't turn in the freak. Isn't that right?
Huh? Isn't that right?
Huh, brother?
Ladies and gentlemen, I just want you all to know...
... that the beautiful Miss Mary Jane Watson has just agreed to marry me.
What a surprise.
Parker, wake up! Wake up! Shoot the picture!
Oh, no. No!
Why is this happening to me?
You seem very okay to me.
My diagnosis?
It's up here.
You say you can't sleep. Heartbreak? Bad dreams?
There is one dream where...
... in my dream...
... I'm Spider-Man.
But I'm losing my powers. I'm climbing a wall, but I keep falling.
So you're Spider-Man.
In my dream.
Actually, it's not even my dream. It's a friend of mine's dream.
Somebody else's dream.
What about this friend?
Why does he climb these walls? What does he think of himself?
That's the problem. He doesn't know what to think.
Gotta make you mad not to know who you are. Your soul disappears.
Nothing as bad as uncertainty.
Listen...
... maybe you're not supposed to be Spider-Man climbing those walls.
That's why you keep falling.
You always have a choice, Peter.
I have a choice.
All the things you've been thinking about, Peter...
... make me sad.
Can't you understand?
I'm in love with Mary Jane.
Peter, all the times we've talked of honesty...
... fairness, justice....
Out of those times, I counted on you to have the courage...
... to take those dreams out into the world.
I can't live your dreams anymore.
I want a life of my own.
You've been given a gift, Peter.
With great power comes great responsibility.
Take my hand, son.
No, Uncle Ben.
I'm just Peter Parker.
I'm Spider-Man...
... no more.
No more.
- You punk! - Sorry.
- Thanks. - You're welcome.
Hurry up!
And when the borderline is tau equals zero, the eigenvalues are...?
Someone, please?
.23 electron volts.
Excellent work today, Parker. Keep it up.
I'm not really wicked at all. You mustn't think that I'm wicked.
If you are not, then you have certainly been deceiving us all...
... in a very inexcusable manner.
I hope you have not been leading a double life...
... pretending to be wicked and being really good all the time.
That would be hypocrisy.
Of course, I have been rather reckless.
"I am glad."
Are you glad to hear it?
I am glad...
... to hear it.
In fact, now you mention the subject...
... I have been very bad in my own small way.
You were so wonderful. That was such a great play.
You could've told me you were coming.
I was afraid you'd say, "Don't come."
You look different.
I shined my shoes, pressed my pants, did my homework.
I do my homework now.
You wanna get some chow mein?
Peter...
... I'm getting married.
I always imagined you getting married on a hilltop.
And who's the groom?
You hadn't decided yet.
You think just because you saw my play...
... you can talk me out of getting married?
You once told me you loved me. I let things get in the way before.
There was something I thought I had to do. I don't have to.