In the new Ultimate Universe, twenty years have passed since The Maker prevented a radioactive spider from biting a young Peter Parker. He likewise prevented the creation of any other superheroes and formed a secret council to rule the world from the shadows.
Three months ago, Tony Stark (now going by Iron Lad) sent Peter - a married father of two - that same radioactive spider along with a "picotech" suit and warnings of The Maker's Council.
The spider's bite gifted Peter amazing powers that he used to aid a masked vigilante called the Green Goblin against an assassin sent by Wilson Fisk, an agent of the Maker's Council. Somehow, the Goblin was able to take control of Peter's suit and expose his identity. However, he also revealed himself as Harry Osborn, the billionaire heir of Oscorp Industries.
In today's Ultimate Spider-Man #4, Peter and MJ go out for a meal with Harry and his wife, Gwen Stacy. The couples get to know each other a little better, but as their evening draws to a close, the Green Goblin offers the web-slinger some sage advice:
"With great power comes great responsibility."
Yes, in this reality, it's Harry who gives Spider-Man the mantra we've known him to live his life by. Uncle Ben is alive in Ultimate Spider-Man, and there's nothing to suggest he'll meet his maker anytime soon. With that in mind, perhaps it will be the Goblin who dies, inspiring Peter to embrace his newfound identity as a wall-crawling superhero.
Norman Osborn and Aunt May are both already dead, and Jonathan Hickman continues making some sweeping changes to these characters in his new Ultimate Universe. Fans have spent years demanding Marvel Comics give them a married Peter, but whether this was what they envisioned is hard to say.
Ultimate Spider-Man #4 ends with Peter still not telling MJ about his superpowers and, given Harry's advice, it feels like that might cause problems for the hero down the line.
Check out an excerpt from today's issue below.
WHO IS THE GREEN GOBLIN? Peter Parker's secret life starts fraying the edges of his personal life! J. Jonah Jameson and Ben Parker's pursuit of truth - or, at least, the news - stirs unrest with the world at large… And now that Spider-Man may not have to operate alone, the real work of rebuilding this corrupt world can begin!
ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #4
Written by JONATHAN HICKMAN
Art by DAVID MESSINA
Cover by MARCO CHECCHETTO