It is a time of great controversial change. Due to declining sales and critical reaction, then Marvel EIC Bob Harras made the decision to 'reboot' the Spider-Titles in order to attract a new target audience for the web-spinner. Writer/Artist John Byrne, writer Howard Mackie and artist John Romita JR were given the duties of redesigning the world of the web-slinger so as to appeal to a new audience. Hence, in late 1998, promising plot developments were swept aside in order to make way for the 'Gathering of Five' and 'Final Chapter' storylines. In the conclusion of these story-arcs, the Spectacular Spider-Man and Sensational Spider-Man series were brought to a close, and Volume One of Amazing Spider-Man and Peter Parker: Spider-Man were brought to an end. In January 1999, both Amazing and Peter Parker began with a new Volume, and a new #1. John Byrne was writing and penciling Spider-Man: Chapter One, a 13-part maxi series that redid the classic, early work of Stan Lee and Steve Ditko on Amazing Spider-Man Volume One. The intention was to create a new continuity for Spider-Man, this continuity would be integrated into Volume Two of Amazing and Peter Parker. As you can imagine, hardcore Spider-Man fans were none too happy with this apparent bastardization of the character of Peter Parker, but for them, the worst was yet to come.

Issue #2 of Amazing Spider-Man, (that is, Volume Two), begins with the new Spider-Man, (who previously appeared in Amazing Spider-Man V2 #1 and Peter Parker: Spider-Man V2 #1), leaping across spires and rooftops while thinking whatever became of the hero he is emulating. What is interesting is that this Spider-Man obviously has a lack of web-shooters, something he himself notes as he foils a downtown robbery. Over at the new, luxurious Parker residence, (as a result of Mary Jane's successful new modeling career), Peter and Mary Jane playfully fight, while she questions her husband about whether or not he is keeping his promise to be Spider-Man. (Peter made the momentous decision to quit being Spider-Man in Peter Parker: Spider-Man #98, following his Aunt May's 'resurrection' in #97. ). Just to prove he has, Peter unbuttons his shirt to show he is hiding no Spider-Man costume underneath. Jill Stacy arrives to pick up Mary Jane to bring her to the airport, who is traveling as a result of her modeling career. While talking about Peter's new job at TriCorp, (which he got hired in Amazing Spider-Man V2 #1), Jill remarks "Maybe I can find a cute guy with a brain for a change!" Peter leaves to head the work, and promises to meet Jill later, to which she replies "It's a date Peter!"

At the old Parker residence in Forest Hills, (now home to Anna Watson), May is talking and drinking tea in the living room with Anna and a few of her old friends. Anna asks May why would anyone want to make to world think May Parker was dead. (May was believed dead since Amazing Spider-Man #400, when in fact it was a genetic actress in a plot by Norman Osborn, the Green Goblin in order to break Peter's spirit. It was revealed how Norman did this in Spectacular Spider-Man #263). May answers "I'm too old to explain more than half of what goes on in this world, Anna dear. But...what's past and thank the lord I'm back where I belong." May thanks to her friends for helping Peter and Mary Jane through the troubling times when she was gone, but says she's still worries about Peter who, ugh, "was always so frail and sensitive." A little later, in the kitchen, May and Anna discuss Peter and Mary's new apartment. We switch to Osborn Industries, now struggling for it's very survival, following the mess left by Norman Osborn, the company's founder. New CEO John Stone receives a phone call from security downstairs, who inform him of a strange, man clad in bandages asking for Stone at reception. The guard tells Stone "Trust me...he's suspicious". The guards tell the bandaged man to leave, and whose eyes under the bandages suddenly glow red and he replies. "No...I CAN'T!" The bandaged man grabs one of the guards by the neck and make an impromptu demonstration of his power by causing the guard to set alight. The other guards begin shooting the bandaged man, while one onlooker, a rather suspicious looking man, thinks the bandaged man is a "Weak minded imbecile!" and promises "I want that which Norman Osborn stole from me...and NOTHING will stand in my way!"

Across New York, on a lone rooftop, the new Spider-Man is listening on a micro police scanner and hears the report on the ruckus being caused at Osborn Industries. "Looks like I'm in!" The new Spider-Man thinks, as he heads to Osborn Industries. We then cut to TriCorp, where Peter is giving his new colleagues a demonstration of his scientific genius, with a new formula. Dr. Ted Twaki, the head of TriCorp, enters the lab and jokes with Peter over the amount of paperwork he has to do. A little later, Peter finds Javier Caldrone examining Peter's new formula and greets him, "What's up, Javier?" "I don't know Parker..." Javier says, as he looks at the formula. "There's something about your configuration that makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Call it a sixth sense." Peter says he can walk Javier through the process, but the other man is insulted by this, saying "Excuse me? You'll walk ME through the process?" "I was only trying to save you from embarrassing yourself!" Javier shouts as he storms off, much to a confused Peter's surprise.
Later, in the TriCorp cafeteria, Peter discusses Javier's behavior with Terry, who tells him that Javier is an "acquired taste, with more history then I have time to go into, but you should try to use him. He knows his stuff." EVEN later, Peter is conducting the final part of his experiment wearing protective clothing but somehow sets off a lab explosion which throws him across the laboratory. "I don't what could have gone wrong." Peter says. But somewhat cryptically, Javier tells Peter "Tough break Parker, but....I did tell you something didn't feel right to me." "You DID -- didn't you?" Peter realizes, as he fixes a glare at Javier. But in the middle of all this, out in the corridor, several of the TriCorp scientists are getting excited over a television broadcast, showing Spider-Man battling the mysterious bandaged man at Osborn Industries, who's shooting a gust of flame at the impostor. "Amazing! Simply Amazing!" once of the scientists says. "I want a team on the scene NOW! And, if someone can get me a DNA sample, they can expect a generous Christmas bonus!"

We now cut to the scene in question, as the new Spider-Man madly dodges the flames being directed at him by the mysterious bandaged guy. The man then fires a blast at the ground and creates a hole for himself, and dives down, with the new Spider-Man close behind. There are in a underground tunnel, lined with metal, and the new Spider-Man finds the bandaged guy raiding a safe of Norman Osborn's. The impostor then notices a stray bandage having unraveled from the man, and pulls at it in order to get his attention. "Pay attention to me!" The new Spider-Man demands, as he swings the guy around by the bandage and wallops him off the wall. "You can start be telling me who I'm going up against!" "I...am...SHADRAC!" The man proclaims as he rips of the bandages, revealing his true visage - a flaming skeleton! "HE gives ME no choice!" Shadrac shouts, as he lifts up Spidey by the neck. "The pain! It's unbearable! I am dying! Feel the pain!" The villain then flings the wall crawler up through the roof, out onto the street, and it's such a throw, it sends the impostor high into the sky! "Oh no! THIS is what I was afraid of!" Peter thinks, as he watches from the crowd of onlookers. (Gee, someone recovered from his lab accident pretty quick!) Peter suddenly remembers he could have prevented his Uncle Ben's death but didn't, and knows he can't live with himself if something similar occurs again. As the onlookers watch Spidey plummet to his death, Peter, in civilian clothes but unseen to no-one, quickly climbs up the wall of a nearby building and leaps across to capture the new Spider-Man in his arms. "This guy's as light as a feather!" Peter remarks, as he lands on a nearby rooftop.

Peter attempts to see if the unconscious hero is seriously injured, and attempts to take of the mask, revealing he, or rather she! "Omigosh! It's a girl! Just a kid!" Peter thinks. It's no-one Peter has ever met, but it's someone the readers have seen before! It's Martha Franklin, the fifth participant in the mystical Gathering of Five ceremony in Amazing Spider-Man #440. It was believed Martha received Knowledge, but the revelation that Norman received Madness, and not Power, through the true recipients of each of he gifts into question. So what did Martha, or Mattie actually receive? What did everyone else receive? We're soon to find out. Mattie awakes, and Peter frantically protects his identity by putting her Spider-Man mask on. Mattie can't believe it was her idol that saved her! While Mattie tells Spidey her praises of him, she says. "You know...someone's got to go stop that Shadrac guy and....I'm thinking it's going to have to be you.", but her hero isn't paying attention. Instead, Peter is staring at a billboard of Mary Jane with the caption "Don't Do It, Tiger!", and Peter sighs to himself, "This is so, unfair!"

Mattie mistakenly believes Spidey is complaining of his lack of spandex, and proceeds to give him her really stretchy Spider-Man suit that should fit him. Peter falters, but relents when Mattie says "Where's your sense of responsibility?" While he puts the costume on, (and Mattie shuts her eyes), Peter asks her how she got her spider powers. Mattie explains "Well, he [Norman Osborn] had this thing called the Gathering of Five...and...well, he thought he got the Ultimate Power but went like nuts! I would up getting the Power, and, when you did the disappearing act, I thought...". Peter assures Mattie he'll get her paramedics, while he jumps off the rooftop in order to head into battle against Shadrac! "Go for it, Spider-Man!" Mattie shouts after him, as the issue ends.

Instead of 'the whole new era' that the Reboot promises, the creative team decides to return to the mysteries left dangling by 'The Gathering of Five' and 'The Final Chapter', which in all honesty were never really particularly interesting to begin with. This is the beginning of a three part tale, which runs into Amazing Spider-Man #444, and finally, Peter Parker: Spider-Man V2 #3, where we gain some insight into what truly happened during that infamous ceremony.

Still nothing enjoyable, but there is an moderately interesting plot point in Javier's feud with Peter at Tri-Corp, which is explored more in the next issue. Sadly, it is obvious editorial, (most likely the then-EIC Bob Harras), are doing all they can to keep MJ and the 'Spider-Marriage' out of the books as much as possible, as they send the redhead around the world because of her modeling career. Spider-Historians will note that this shunting aside of the 'Spider-Marriage' will begin to play prominently in the books n the next few months all the way up to the controversial Amazing Spider-Man V2 #13. Which is a shame because up until the reboot, MJ was still an interesting member of the supporting cast, as she stood by her husband during those months in which Norman Osborn had returned. (Remember when she helped Peter make the Ricochet and Prodigy costumes during the 'Identity Crisis'?). But hey, we have Peter FINALLY back as Spider-Man, because, after all, isn't that we wanted all along?!

By Gerry Sparling

Alternate Cover by Andy Kubert