2004

The events that occurred in the year **2004**.

## Events

### April

* Peter Parker is struggling to balance his double life as Spider-Man and his normal civilian life. He loses a job at Joe's Pizza, faces financial diffiiculties and struggles to maintain his grades at Columbia University.
* Peter is told by his professor, Curt Connors that if he does not get his research done on time or turn to class on time, he will fail him. Peter sells photos of Spider-Man (himself) at the *Daily Bugle*.
* Peter celebrates his 20th birthday at the Parker Residence with Harry Osborn, Mary Jane Watson and May Parker. Peter learns that Oscorp is funding Dr. Otto Octavius' work for fusion reaction and May is facing foreclosure from the bank. Peter promises Mary Jane to come to her play the next night.
* Peter and Harry meet Octavius in his lab and are invited to the demonstration the following day. Peter washes his Spider-Man Suit and heads to Mary Jane's play, but is forced to catch two criminals from escaping in a car. This leads to him missing Mary Jane's play as a result of a Snooty Usher. Mary Jane meets John Jameson and dates him.
* Peter swings off as Spider-Man and suffers a web block, which causes his webbing to stop shooting out, resulting him to fall onto a building and to awkwardly take an elevator.
* After a failed call with Mary Jane, who is upset over Peter missing her play, Peter heads to the demonstration to witness Octavius' fusion reactor being tested. The experiment ends up in a failure, resulting Octavius' mechanical arms being fused to him, the death of Rosalie Octavius and the ruined reputation of Oscorp's funding.
* **Doctor Octopus' Campaign** begins:
	+ **Attack at Manhattan General Hospital** - The mechanical tentacles attack and kill several hospital staff and escape with Octavius to an abandoned warehouse.
	+ Becoming influenced by the arms A.I and (possibly) by brain damage from the accident, Octavius vows to rebuild his device at all costs, becoming Doctor Octopus. The *Daily Bugle* dubs him Doc Ock for short.
	+ **Robbery at the Manhattan Bank** - Doctor Octopus robs the bank to fund for his experiments and fights Spider-Man. Spider-Man saves May Parker from Doctor Octopus, who escapes with the money, total of $2 million and a manhunt for Doc Ock ensues. Doctor Octopus begins rebuilding his device.
* Peter attends a formal as a photographer at the Rose Center for Earth and Space. Harry gets drunk over the ruined reputation of Oscorp's funding, John Jameson attends the formal as the man of honor, with Mary Jane. John and Mary Jane get engaged, leaving Peter upset.
* Spider-Man suffers another web block and loses his powers due to an emotional breakdown. He checks with a doctor, who tells him it is due to stress. Peter reflects over his doubled life and gives up being Spider-Man, throwing his suit in the trash bin. The suit is later picked up by a garbage man and takes it to the *Daily Bugle*, Jameson keeps the suit on a wall.

### May

* Peter managed to make up for his declined grades and attends Mary Jane's play. He talks with her and learns she is getting married to John Jameson in a church.
* Peter and May attend the memorial for Ben Parker's death that occurred two years ago and Peter musters up the courage to tell May he was responsible for Ben's death, including how he wanted to earn some money to buy a car to impress Mary Jane. May was let down but she later forgives him after seeing how brave he was for telling the truth.
* Doctor Octopus completes his second fusion reactor and needs more tritium to fuel it. He goes to Harry Osborn, who at first refuses but relents when Doctor Octopus attempts to drop him from his penthouse. He offers him the tritium if he brings Spider-Man to him, with help from Peter Parker, who is supposedly friends with Spider-Man. Doctor Octopus agrees.
* The crime rate goes up to 75% in New York City. Peter saves a little girl from a burning building but when the fire is out, he learns that a person got trapped on the fourth floor and never made out, making him extremely guilty for not trying to save that person.
* May decides to move to a small apartment in Manhattan when the bank gave her another few weeks to pay the rents. She gives an inspirational speech to Peter, including how much the city is noticing his absence. He retakes the mantle as Spider-Man, but his powers fail to return when he attempts to jump from one building to another, making him hurt his back.
	+ **Attack on Mary Jane Watson:** Mary Jane decides to talk to Peter about what he said to her the other day and asks if he loves her. When he says he doesn't to ensure her safety, Doctor Octopus suddenly arrives and throws a car through the cafe window. He orders Peter to find Spider-Man and to tell him to meet Doctor Octopus at the Westside Tower at 3pm. Then, he abducts Mary Jane to lure Spider-Man into a trap. Peter's powers return and he dons his costume again, by stealing it from the *Bugle*.
	+ **Duel on the Subway Train:** Spider-Man confronts Doctor Octopus on the Westside Tower before the fight moves to a subway train. Doctor Octopus destroys the brakes, leaving Spider-Man to rescue the runaway train. Spider-Man successfully stops the train, but it leaves him exhausted as Doctor Octopus returns and captures him.
* After Doctor Octopus delivers Spider-Man to Harry, he is provided with the tritium which is larger than the previous one. Harry discovers that Spider-Man is his best friend Peter, and tells him of Doctor Octopus' whereabouts.
	+ **Battle at the Fusion Reactor:** Spider-Man tracks Doctor Octopus in his hideout and engages in a fight with him. Stunning him with an electric shock, Spider-Man fails to switch off the fusion reactor which is growing unstable. Spider-Man reveals his identity to Doctor Octopus and persuades him to turn the machine off. Dr. Octavius returns to his senses and in an act of redemption for his crimes, drowns the reactor in the river along with himself.
* Peter saves Mary Jane, who discovers his dual identity and finally understands why he cannot be with her, because of his future enemies. He returns her to John Jameson and swings off.
	+ **Doctor Octopus' Campaign** ends.
* Harry sees a hallcination of his father, who orders him to avenge him by killing Peter, but Harry refuses. He discovers his father's hidden lair where all of the Green Goblin's equipment is stored there.
* Mary Jane leaves John Jameson at the altar, heads to Peter's apartment and reveals her feelings for him. She tells him that she wants to be with him, no matter what risks can be caused. Peter accepts this and they begin a relationship just as police sirens are heard. Mary Jane encourages him to go and fight for justice.