[center][b]The New Frontier: DC/Marvel One Universe RP[/b]

[img]http://i.imgur.com/Esz5mId.jpg?1[/img][/center]

[b]Name:[/b] [color=0072bc]Peter Benjamin Parker[/color], [b][color=0072bc]Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man![/color][/b]

[b]Alignment:[/b] Neutral Good

[b]Affiliation:[/b] None

[b]History:[/b] Peter Benjamin Parker was born to Richard and Mary Parker, a middle class family living in Queens, New York. Richard worked as an administrator at a local hospital; Mary was an elementary school teacher. Peter, unfortunately, never really got to know his parents. When he was still very little, Peter's parents were killed in a car accident as they drove home from a night in the city. The orphaned Peter fell under the care of Richard's older brother, Ben, and his wife, May.

Ben and May raised their nephew as though he was their own child. Although they didn't have much in the way of money, they made every sacrifice possible to give Peter the bright future he clearly deserved. They encouraged Peter's love affair with science at every turn, even going so far as to let the boy turn the backyard shed into his own personal laboratory slash workshop. In turn, Peter loved his aunt and uncle as though they were his own parents.

At school, Peter struggled to fit in. His inability to relate to his peers and his general clumsiness made him an easy target for bullies like Eugene "Flash" Thompson. The more Peter became a social outcast, the more he escaped into his studies, beginning a vicious cycle of bullying and abuse. While his classmates chose to go to the mall or attend sporting events, Peter chose to spend his time at science exhibits -- which is how he found himself at STAR Labs on that one fateful day.

An escaped, genetically altered spider dropped down on Peter's hand and bit him. Peter spent the next three days of his life bedridden, nursing a fever and suffering through the worst flu-like symptoms of his life. But when the sickness passed, Peter emerged as a changed person. Somehow, the bite had transformed Peter on a genetic level, granting him the incredible abilities of a spider. He was strong, lean, and fast. He could perform incredible feats like crawling on walls. The discoveries brought Peter equal parts joy and terror. He feared the repercussions of revealing his condition and so kept his transformation secret from everyone, even Uncle Ben and Aunt May.

In no time, Peter found himself twisting his new abilities to his own benefit. He stood up to Flash Thompson, humiliating the bully in a lopsided fistfight in the cafeteria one day at school. Not long after, Peter answered the call for new fighters in an underground wrestling league. It gave him an outlet for all his pent-up aggression and let him earn a little money on the side to boot. Peter adopted the identity of the masked fighter "Spider-Man" and quickly rose to the top of the ranks. However, when someone robbed the wrestling promoter, Peter found himself under suspicion, as he was the only wrestler to keep his identity anonymous. Under accusations of theft and the demand to unmask, Peter angrily quit and stormed out.

Heading home in a sour mood, Peter paid no mind to the cries for help coming from down the street. A robber raced past, briefly making eye contact with Peter before continuing to run from the store owner giving chase. The man berated Peter and asked why he made no attempt to stop the robber, but Peter brushed him off and continued home. Later that night, May received a phone call telling her that Ben had been shot and killed in a carjacking attempt. Heartbroken and furious, Peter donned his wrestling suit and took off in pursuit of his uncle's killer.

The Spider-Man tracked the carjacker to an abandoned warehouse by the docks. There, the police were in the midst of a standoff. Spider-Man slipped past the barricade undetected and entered the building in search of Ben's killer. When at last Peter confronted the man, he recognized him as the same robber from earlier that night. Stunned, Peter lost his grip on the robber, who promptly fell to his death while making a desperate attempt at escape.

Wracked with guilt, Peter slowly faded into the gathering darkness, aware at last that in this world, with great power there must also come great responsibility.

[b]Supporting Cast:[/b]

[hider=Empire State University]The first thing you should know about Peter Parker is that there's no one more important in his life than his aunt, [b][color=0072bc]May Parker[/color][/b]. Still, if there's a race for second place, then [b][color=0072bc]Gwen Stacy[/color][/b] is well ahead of the pack. The daughter of one of Spider-Man's lone supporters, [b][color=0072bc]Captain George Stacy[/color][/b], Gwen has her share of suitors -- from Peter's one-time tormentor, [color=0072bc][b]Eugene "Flash" Thompson[/b][/color], to Peter's best friend, [b][color=0072bc]Harry Osborn[/color][/b] -- though she seemingly only has eyes for the enigmatic Parker boy. This unlikely quartet of friends is often joined by Flash's teammate, [color=0072bc][b]Mal Duncan[/b][/color], and his cheerleader girlfriend, [b][color=0072bc]Karen Beecher[/color][/b]. When Peter isn't hanging with friends, he's working for [b][color=0072bc]Dr. Curtis Connors[/color][/b], a renowned biochemist, alongside his antagonistic labmate, [b][color=0072bc]Debra Whitman[/color][/b].[/hider]
[hider=The Daily Bugle]Peter works as a freelance photographer for tightfisted [color=0072bc][b]J. Jonah Jameson[/b][/color]'s newspaper. The pay is mediocre, employee treatment is worse, and Peter must suffer Jameson's constant tirades against masked vigilantes like Spider-Man. Still, there are perks to be had; namely, getting to hang around the desk of Jameson's personal assistant, [color=0072bc][b]Betty Brant[/b][/color]. Unfortunately for Peter, the older Brant only has eyes for [color=0072bc][b]Ned Leeds[/b][/color], one of the Bugle's hottest up-and-coming reporters. Always lurking nearby is [b][color=0072bc]Lance Bannon[/color][/b], the Bugle's star photographer before Peter dethroned him.[/hider]
[hider=Villains]In his three years of activity, Spider-Man has racked up quite the colorful rogues gallery, from mob bosses like the [color=0072bc][b]Big Man[/b][/color] and [color=0072bc][b]Silvermane[/b][/color] to costumed thugs like the [b][color=0072bc]Shocker[/color][/b]. Two villains in particular stand above the rest. Otto Octavius, a vain and arrogant scientist, became fused to mechanical arms of his own creation and became [b][color=0072bc]Dr. Octopus[/color][/b]. Seeing Spider-Man as an inferior annoyance, Octavius will stop at nothing to prove his perceived superiority. Then, there's the chaotic madman known to the world as the [b][color=0072bc]Green Goblin[/color][/b]. Dormant for more than a year, most believe that the Goblin was killed, arrested, or hang up the tights. Only Peter knows the truth. After revealing himself to Spider-Man, the Goblin -- secretly billionaire industrialist Norman Osborn -- was knocked unconscious and lost all memory of his wrongdoings. Peter only prays that the amnesia proves permanent, for the Goblin is the first and only villain to know the truth of Spider-Man's identity.[/hider]

[b]How (if at all) does the New Frontier version of your character differ from the original?:[/b] Well, for the most part, I'm not going to bend over backwards trying to reinvent the wheel. This Spider-Man is going to be [i]the[/i] Spider-Man that we all know and love. What excites me, though, is the prospect of getting to play with a whole new toy-box of supporting characters. As the supporting cast shows, I've already started the process of weaving those threads together, and I have many more plans once the dust settles on who's-playing-who. I'm also interested in the various team-up possibilities. Spidey talking Batman's ear off? Peter ending up in Metropolis on a Bugle assignment and getting a friendly rivalry started with Jimmy Olsen? Sign me up.

[b]Sample Post:[/b]

I've never considered myself a terribly lucky person. In fact, you might've heard me throw around the phrase "Parker luck" once or twice. But then, that's the thing about luck: it's frustratingly fickle. One minute, you're king of the world and riding high, and the next -- as is more often the case in my life -- you crash and burn, finding yourself down in the dumps. So on those rare occasions when things are going well, it's important to sit back and enjoy the ride; after all, you never know just how long it's going to last.

Captain George Stacy's interview is playing on the television next to our booth at the Student Union. He sits across from Sally Floyd, one of the chief correspondents for Frontline -- the television branch of the Daily Bugle News network. Sally sits with her legs crossed and a notebook on her lap. Her eyes flick from her notes to Captain Stacy's gaze, and she smiles, saying, "Let's switch gears for a moment and talk about Spider-Man."

Captain Stacy doesn't flinch. He simply returns the smile and replies, "Let's."

"What your stance on New York's resident wall-crawler?" Sally probes, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

Stacy sits a little more upright in his chair. "Well, it's no secret, Sally. In fact, my stance on the issue is much the same as my department's," he begins, "We believe that Spider-Man currently poses no threat to public safety, and -- moreover -- he has demonstrated a consistent pattern of assistance in the prevention of violent crime and the apprehension of the most serious offenders."

The smile creeping across my face would be noticeable to anyone, if they weren't too busy watching the screen. [color=ed1c24][i]Oh, Gwen. I could kiss your father on the mouth right now,[/i][/color] I think silently to myself. Certain others at the table aren't quite so silent.

"You said it, Captain Stacy!" Flash Thompson declares emphatically. I can't help but appreciate the irony; the man who singlehandedly put Peter Parker through hell in high school is also Spider-Man's biggest fan. It's a fact I used to my advantage once, when my secret identity was very nearly blown to all of Midtown High School. Flash -- with his big mouth -- convinced everyone that there was no way "Puny Parker" could be Spider-Man. It's strange to think that I actually owe him one for that.

Next to me, Gwen bites her lip, and it's all I can do not to swoon right then and there. This girl could ask me to jump off a bridge, and I'd happily ask which one. She watches the television with concern in her eyes. "I just hope my dad is right about Spider-Man," she muses. "I don't know. I just... have a hard time trusting someone in a mask. Look at Superman! He doesn't use a mask."

"Yeah, I'm with Gwen on this," Mal Duncan chimes in. Mal's one of Flash's new teammates on the Empire State football team. Unlike the jocks I knew back in Midtown, Mal's actually a pretty cool guy. He's laid-back, non-confrontational, level-headed... basically, every Flash is not. "Dude dresses like a spider! It creeps me out. I hate spiders."

The girl on Mal's arm -- his girlfriend, Karen Beecher -- smirks and says, "Have you seen pictures of Spider-Man? With that body, he can dress however he wants!"

Mal turns his head and gives Karen a look. "Really, Karen? In front of me like that?"

She narrows her eyes. "Oh, like I haven't had to listen to you and your friends drool over Wonder Woman," she counters.

"Well, she is hot," Flash offers with complete sincerity.

As Mal punches Flash in the arm and Karen simply shakes her head, Gwen turns to me and regards me with those baby blues of hers. "What about you, Peter? You haven't said what you think about Spider-Man."

"If it doesn't come in a petri dish, Parker doesn't have an opinion."

I consider taking a jab at Flash and congratulating him on knowing about petri dishes, but I decide against it. Aside from the occasional snarky comment, Flash's behavior towards me has actually improved since coming to college -- if you can believe it. No need to rock the boat now. At least, not while I'm in this good of a mood.

[color=ed1c24]"I think Spidey's probably just a normal guy, trying to do the best he can with the gifts he's been given,"[/color] I state. My answer brings a small smile to Gwen's lips, and I feel myself reciprocating naturally. As I glance at the clock, I realize that it's gotten later than I thought it was. [color=ed1c24]"Speaking of doing the best we can, I'm gonna have to rush to make it to lab on time. I'll catch you guys around!"[/color] Gwen gives me a pleasant wave, Flash offers his own half-hearted version, and Mal and Karen continue to bicker.

I swear, when things are going well, it's like even the sun is shining a little brighter! Empire State has always boasted a beautiful campus, but today I find myself appreciating it a little more as I power-walk towards the biology building. As I'm crossing the main quad, I feel the telltale sensation of my Spider-Sense on a low tingle. Spider-Sense? At school? My mind begins concocting all kinds of terrible situations that might've provoked it. Before I can figure it out, though, the answer hits me.

Literally.

I tumble to the ground, catching a glimpse of the errant skateboarder who crashed into me. His knee drives into my side and aggravates a bruise I acquired a few nights ago. I let out a stifled groan as I roll through the grass. The embarrassed skateboarder gets to his feet and nervously collects his things, blurting out a quick apology under his breath. [color=ed1c24]"It's fine, dude,"[/color] I offer as I climb to a knee. [color=ed1c24]"That was probably my fault for, y'know, walking down the [i]pedestrian[/i] pathway like that."[/color] But as I look up to see his reaction to my comment, he's already taken off down the quad.

Alright, so maybe not everything is going well for me today.

"Well, well. Look who's actually on time." Debra Whitman. My prickly labmate. Deb -- and she hates it when I call her that, by the way -- brought an Ivy League mentality to Empire State. From day one, she's looked at me like I'm her rival; not that I'd make for much of one, anyway, between my tardiness and my sudden disappearances and the like. Still, regardless of how she chooses to treat me, I've resolved to kill her with kindness. "Well, aren't you going to swipe us in?" she asks impatiently with a nod towards the card reader on the door.

Confused, I pat each of my pockets in succession. [color=ed1c24]"I swear I had my keycard this morning..."[/color]

Deb rolls her eyes. "Of course," she begins, "Even when it seems like you've got your act together, you still find a way to screw it up." With a huff, she digs through her bag and finds her card.

[color=ed1c24]"That's why I have you, partner,"[/color] I reply with a kind smile.

I'm not the only person to be having a good week. Earlier this week, my mentor, Doctor Curt Connors, succeeded in his bid to study a new extraterrestrial virus discovered by the CDC. They believe that the virus was brought to Earth by one of the extraterrestrial heroes that have popped up in recent years, like Superman or that one Martian guy. Dr. Connors faced stiff competition in his bid to be the guy for this project; OsCorp, in particular, made a strong play for ownership of the virus. However, in the end, it was awarded to our lab.

After putting in my time at the lab, I emerge to find that the sun is only beginning to set. There's a pleasant breeze in the air, and I feel the rooftops calling to me. I'll tell you this about being Spider-Man: the fighting and the risking-my-life parts aren't so great, but the swinging? Man, I'd swing all day if I could. I wish I could describe to you just how liberating of a feeling it is. If I hurry back to my apartment, I can get out there with just enough time to watch the sun set over the city...