Peter Parker would have a better life if Tony never approached him
I don't know how anyone could deny this. If Peter had never gotten involved with Tony, he'd have developed as his own person. And been the Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man who protected the little guy, instead of an Iron Man fanboy who spent most of his time cleaning up a multi-billionaire's messes.
Note: Set before Civil War.
***
Peter sat on a secluded bench and reviewed the video he'd taken of himself swinging and testing his strength. He could barely wait to upload his first videos and let the world know about Spider-Man.
Suddenly a voice nearby said, "You may want to rethink that plan, Queens."
Peter whirled around, glad he was still wearing his mask. A gray-haired man smiled at him. Peter asked, "How--how did you know I was from Queens?"
The man's striking blue eyes twinkled. He said, "Let's say we've met before, in another life."
Then the man sobered and asked, "Mind if I sit down?"
Peter shrugged.
After the man sat, he nodded at Peter's phone and said, "I guess you're pretty excited to put yourself out there."
Peter replied, "Well, yeah."
The man said, "Get yourself some attention, make your name."
Peter nodded.
The man shifted to look directly at Peter and said, "I'm not going to tell you not to do it, but I will ask you to think about just what that attention could mean."
Peter frowned and asked, "I'll get the wrong sort of attention?"
The man shrugged and answered, "Or attention from the wrong sort of people. Someone who would involve a teenager in a superhero battle, but not even tell him what he was fighting for."
That didn't sound good. Peter looked at the video, then asked, "Did I get anything out of the deal?"
The man sighed and said, "A high-tech suit. But you used it mainly to keep a rich man's property and reputation safe. And it cost you...everything."
Peter thought about the conversation. He had the strange feeling that when the man said everything, he really meant EVERYTHING.
Peter turned on the bench and said, "This is kind of like some cryptic fortune cookie message, but thanks. You've given me stuff to think about."
The man nodded and stood. Then he said, "I'm also going to give you this." He handed Peter a super old phone. When Peter opened it up, he saw one contact: Brooklyn.
After a quick smile, the man turned to go. He said, "Good luck, Queens."
As the man walked away, Peter couldn't help feel like he was at a crossroads. As he canceled the video upload, he thought he'd chosen the right path. For everyone.