Spider-Men # 3

 By Mark Rodriguez

Where we last left our Spider-Men, Miles was going to take Peter to the place where the Ultimate Parker died, when suddenly the helicopter they were in was blown up by the Ultimate Mysterio. The web-heads save the pilot and are ready to face the villain.

Issue 3 starts with the heroes being confused, while Mysterio is also  wondering how these two Spider-Men found each other so quickly. Miles recognizes him as an online character called El Mysterioso. Miles tries to attack him but is easily thrown back into Peter. Mysterio decides that the universe has decided that this day he will get revenge for all his humiliations by taking out two Spider-Men for the price of one.


He blasts them into the river and considers running. Then he remembers, his avatar form can hurt them but they can’t hurt him back. The heroes come back and Peter mentions the Ultimate East River is as disgusting as the one he knows. He realizes that this is the Mysterio he knows and tells Miles that he’s the guy that sent him to this universe in the first place. Before they can escape… Mysterio summons a mixture of foes, both from the normal Marvel and the Ultimate universe, amongst them Venom, Carnage, the Green Goblin, The Lizard and Doctor Octopus.

Peter tells Miles that these are just illusions and they should be ignored… until Doctor Octopus’ arms grab him and slam him down hard. As the Spider-Men struggle, Miles is surprised to see the Ultimate version of The Prowler, who is his uncle Aaron and supposed to be dead. Before he can get hurt, Peter webs Miles and pulls him out harm’s way. Miles is confused as to why these guys can really hurt him if they’re supposed to be magic tricks. He then decides to take the fight to the source.

As he heads towards Mysterio, he conjures up the Hulk of all people. However, Miles is determined and leapfrogs over the Hulk and kicks Mysterio down. This also knocks the real Mysterio on his ass. Miles demands him to stop while Mysterio struggles with him. Peter realizes that the illusions use chemicals that pulls their fears out. He uses his webs to snatch some sort of bracelet away from Mysterio.

Mysterio decides it’s better to just leave Parker trapped in the Ultimate Universe and unplugs himself. Miles is confused by all the villains disappearing and puts his hand inside the avatar costume and yanks out some wires. Doing so causes a big explosion.


Miles awakens to find Nick Fury and the Ultimate Avengers scouting the area. Iron Man recognizes Mysterio’s outfit as an avatar casing. Iron Man knows that whoever is using it is safe in his hideout, but the tech is above what he can understand and he will need time to figure it out. Miles asks about the other Spider-Man, and Nick Fury tells him the answer is obvious. He went out for answers and to find out if all of this is real.

Parker tries to retrace his steps and goes to one place that Mysterio wouldn’t know about, where he lives. However, in the Ultimate Universe, there’s a mini-mart in the place of the apartment he used to live in. Spider-Man asks the lady inside if there was ever an apartment building where the mini-mart currently is. Just then a guy comes in with a gun, asking for money. After Spidey takes him out, the lady lets him borrow her tablet. Spidey does a quick search and is shocked to find the article about the Ultimate Peter’s death.

Peter notices the lady is wearing a Spider-Man necklace, and asks her about it. She says she’s just respecting the guy. Spidey asks her if she knows what happened to Parker. Later he arrives at the house of the late Peter Parker, where Aunt May and Gwen Stacy are just stepping out. They see Spider-Man standing in front of the house and are enraged, thinking it’s some guy wearing the classic outfit to mock Peter Parker. In tears, Peter removes his mask, much to the shock of Aunt May and Gwen Stacy.

My Thoughts- 

It was a great issue and we got to see an intense mix of villains from both universes. In my case, this was my first time seeing the Ultimate versions of Electro and Omega Red as well as Doctor Octopus on his life support device. 

Peter is taking the fact that he died in some alternate reality pretty hard, especially since it's not really him. You would think he'd be used to different worlds, different dimensions and different realities, especially this late into his career, but he's treating the scenario as if it were a version of 'It's a Wonderful Life'. 

The fact everybody knows that Spider-Man was Peter Parker after his death makes me wonder if that's what they do whenever superheroes die, in a more permanent fashion. I haven't read the Superman 'Death and Return' saga so I have no idea how they got away with explaining how Clark Kent vanished and then suddenly returned at around the same time Superman did. If anything, Peter should take solace in the fact that he became a legend of sorts and despite everything, people think of him fondly.

I'm not sure Pete going to see Aunt May was a good idea. Imagine being grief-stricken, then seeing your nephew alive again, but finding out it's an alternate nephew from another reality. And it seems Ultimate Gwen Stacy is still alive. I know 'The Night Gwen Stacy Died' was decades ago in our world, but to Peter, she died a few years ago. This next issue should be emotional.