The Lurking Threat
Flashback - Oscorp’s Laboratories
Deep within the sterile white walls of Oscorp, Dr. Curtis Connors stood in front of a towering glass chamber, his heart pounding with anticipation. The project he had been working on with Winter Parker, Richard Parker’s daughter, was nothing short of revolutionary. A formula that would finally allow him to regrow the limb he had lost years ago. Together, they had refined it—Winter’s genius with biotechnology had been instrumental in making this dream a reality.
He injected the serum into his arm. At first, the results were promising—his missing arm slowly began to regenerate, bone and tissue knitting together at an incredible speed. Connors watched, stunned, as his once-bare shoulder filled in with muscle and skin.
"Yes! It's working!" he exclaimed, eyes wide with elation.
But then something went wrong.
His body began to convulse violently, his bones cracking and reforming. His skin started to turn a sickly green, growing scaly and hard. Connors stumbled, falling to the floor as his body morphed into something unrecognizable. His breathing became labored, and before long, he wasn’t breathing at all—he was hissing.
Staring back at him from the glass reflection was not the human he once was, but a monstrous, hulking lizard.
He let out a guttural roar that echoed through the lab, his mind slipping further into the primal instincts of the creature he had become.
---
Present - Karina’s Family Dinner
Winter adjusted the collar of her shirt nervously as she sat at Karina’s family dinner table. Karina had invited her over, and as much as Winter loved spending time with her, the prospect of meeting her family—especially her father—had filled her with anxiety.
Across the table sat Captain Yu, Karina’s father. He was the chief of police, a man of few words but a stern presence. He eyed Winter with suspicion, sizing her up as he sliced into his steak.
"So, Winter," he said, his tone neutral but probing. "What do you think of this... Spidermin?"
Winter froze mid-chew, her heart thumping in her chest. This was the question she had been dreading. She glanced at Karina, who gave her an encouraging smile, but it didn’t ease her nerves.
"Uh... well," Winter began, trying to sound casual. "I think Spidermin’s doing a lot of good for the city. You know, helping people in need, stopping criminals."
Captain Yu’s expression didn’t change. "Is that so? Because from where I’m standing, Spidermin is a vigilante—a masked figure who’s undermining the authority of the police. What makes Spidermin so different from the criminals she’s chasing?"
Winter felt her stomach twist. She wanted to defend herself—Spidermin—but she knew she couldn’t be too obvious.
"Well... I think Spidermin’s doing what needs to be done," she said carefully. "Sometimes, the police can’t be everywhere, and Spidermin can help fill those gaps. She’s not against the police—she’s just... helping."
Captain Yu narrowed his eyes. "Helping by breaking the law? How many times has Spidermin caused more chaos than order?"
Winter opened her mouth to respond, but Karina jumped in, sensing the tension rising. "Dad, you know she’s been saving lives. It’s not all black and white."
Captain Yu sighed, clearly not interested in continuing the argument. "All I’m saying is, vigilantes like Spidermin create more problems than they solve. The law exists for a reason."
Winter sank into her chair, grateful for Karina’s intervention, but the conversation had left her shaken.
---
Later that night - On the Rooftop
After dinner, Karina led Winter up to the rooftop of her apartment building. The sky was clear, and the city stretched out before them, glittering under the night sky.
"I’m sorry about my dad," Karina said, leaning on the rooftop railing. "He’s... well, he’s just really strict about anything outside the law."
Winter chuckled awkwardly. "Yeah, I can tell. It’s okay, though. I get where he’s coming from."
Karina turned to face her, her eyes soft. "I’m glad you came tonight."
Winter smiled, her anxiety easing in Karina’s presence. She loved these moments—just the two of them, away from the craziness of her double life. She opened her mouth to respond when suddenly—
Her spider sense flared.
Winter’s body tensed. She could feel something was wrong. Something nearby. Her senses were going haywire.
"Winter?" Karina asked, noticing the change in her posture. "What’s wrong?"
Without thinking, Winter glanced toward the bridge visible from the rooftop. Her instincts screamed at her, and she knew something was happening there. Something bad.
"I—I have to go," Winter stammered, stepping away from Karina. "Something’s... wrong."
Before Karina could ask further, Winter leaped off the roof, swinging away with her webs, leaving Karina standing there in shock.
---
At the Bridge - The Lizard Emerges
When Winter arrived at the bridge, she was met with chaos. Cars were overturned, people were screaming and running in every direction. In the midst of it all, Winter’s eyes locked onto the source of the destruction—a massive figure, hunched over and covered in thick, green scales.
The Lizard.
Winter’s heart skipped a beat. She hadn’t expected to face something like this so soon. Dr. Connors had always been kind to her—this couldn’t be him... right?
But there was no time to think. The Lizard let out a deafening roar, its tail whipping through the air and smashing into a nearby car. People screamed as the vehicle was sent flying.
Without hesitation, Winter swung into action.
She shot her web at the Lizard, attempting to tie it down, but the creature was fast—faster than she anticipated. It dodged the web fluid and lunged at her with a feral snarl. Winter barely managed to flip out of the way, her heart pounding as she realized just how dangerous this fight was going to be.
"Okay, big guy," Winter muttered to herself, trying to keep her composure. "Let’s dance."
The battle that followed was brutal. The Lizard was stronger and more aggressive than any foe Winter had faced before. It swiped at her with its massive claws, and when Winter tried to web it again, it tore through the webs like they were nothing. The fight raged on across the bridge, cars screeching to a halt as the two combatants clashed.
At one point, the Lizard sent Winter flying into a car, her body slamming against the metal with a force that knocked the wind out of her. But she got up, refusing to back down.
The Lizard roared again, charging toward her, but this time Winter was ready. She shot a web at a nearby light post and swung herself up into the air, dodging the creature’s attack. With a flick of her wrist, she shot another web that stuck to the Lizard’s back, yanking it backward.
As the creature stumbled, Winter saw her chance. She launched herself at it, landing a powerful kick to its side. The Lizard let out a furious hiss and swiped at her again, but Winter flipped out of the way just in time.
Despite her best efforts, though, the Lizard managed to escape, diving off the bridge and disappearing into the water below.
Winter panted, her body sore from the battle. She looked around at the destruction the Lizard had caused—overturned cars, broken streetlights, and panicked civilians. But amidst the chaos, she heard a small voice.
"Help! My son—he's still in the car!"
Winter’s head snapped in the direction of the voice. A man was frantically shouting, pointing toward an overturned car that was hanging precariously off the edge of the bridge. Inside, a young boy was trapped, crying for help.
Without hesitation, Winter swung toward the car, landing on its roof and carefully pulling the boy out. She used her web to secure him to her side, then shot a line to the bridge and swung them both to safety.
The father ran up to them, tears in his eyes as he hugged his son tightly. "Thank you, thank you so much!"
Winter gave a small nod, still trying to catch her breath. "Just doing my job."
As she turned to leave, the father called out, "Wait—what’s your name?"
Winter hesitated for a moment before responding with a small smile. "Spidermin."