Ultimate Spider-Man: Average Bear
Issue: #40
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Pencils: Mark Bagley
Inker: Art Thiebert
Colors: Transparency Digital

Peter is having costume problems. His Spider-Man outfit was dissolved when he was engulfed by Venom, and he has no way of getting a new one. He can’t sew. He and Mary Jane have broken up, so asking her to make him one is not an option. The salesman at the sporting goods store doesn’t sell tights. As Peter heads to school, he’s considering breaking into the original wrestling organization that gave him his first one and, er, borrowing a couple more. As Peter and MJ sit in class, MJ writes a note asking him what’s wrong. Peter writes back and the two continue until they are caught by the teacher, who reads the notes aloud to the class.

Later, Peter calls a wrestling corporation to ask about a costume, but the rep on the other end hangs up. Peter turns to find Flash Thompson behind him—Flash claims he wants to talk to Peter outside, but Peter refuses to go with him, believing Flash just wants to humiliate him as usual.

Elsewhere in New York City, a gang of teens chases a woman into an alley. One of them pulls a knife on her, but his hand is suddenly webbed. Dressed in street clothes and a Spider-Man mask, Peter drops down and confronts the teens. He ends up webbing them all to a wall. The woman he rescued points out that one of his eyepieces is missing.

Later, Peter is trying to figure out how to get the eyepieces to stay in the mask when Gwen Stacy knocks on the lab door. He hastily shoves the Spider-Man stuff into a trunk before letting her in. She asks him about going to a party at some guy’s house, and finally persuades Peter to go with her. At the party, Peter and Gwen find themselves alone in the crowd. Peter is about to leave when he sees MJ and Liz Allen walk in. Both cause a sensation because of the revealing way they’re dressed. MJ and Peter exchange glances, but neither speaks. Gwen finally tells Peter they can leave.

Suddenly something outside the house explodes. Peter looks out through a window and sees a teen-aged boy staring at the wreckage of a car. A crowd of onlookers is chanting, “Geldoff! Geldoff!” The young man’s hand glows and suddenly a second car explodes. For the first time we see Geldoff’s face.

Submitted By: Seldes Katne