Spoilers ahead for The Marvels #4!
For a brief period, Spider-Man’s disastrous stint as a business mogul and rubbed it in Peter Parker's face.
Spider-Man’s life is one of hard luck; whether it's dealing with bullies at school or having enough money to help Aunt May with rent, Peter's life is a difficult one. But for a brief period, Peter Parker was the CEO of his own company, one devoted to technological innovation. Parker Industries rose quickly in prominence, with locations and employees all over the world. The problem laid in its origin: Peter actually founded it under the Spider-Man as a failure, and reminds him of this in The Marvels #4, written by Kurt Busiek, pencils by Yildiray Cinar, colors by Richard Isanove, and letters by Simon Bowland.
After defeating a pair of giant monsters, the heroes, including Iron Man, Spider-Man, Captain America, and Doctor Strange, are taking a breather to recover and plot their next move at a Stark Unlimited campus. Spider-Man questions Iron Man about the facility, thinking he had sold it. Iron Man says he indeed sold it, but still has “founder” privileges that allow him access. He then takes a jab at Peter’s mettle as a businessman, telling Spider-Man his “buddy Parker” (Iron Man does not know Spider-Man’s identity) bankrupted the company on his way out. Spider-Man protests, saying Parker had to do it. Iron Man is unfazed, dismissing Spider-Man’s objections.
The scene is a brief one, but it is a brutal reminder of Spider-Man’s luck. He is the perpetual hard-luck hero, and seeing him as a high-living CEO, one making an actual difference in the world, was a refreshing change of pace. But things being what they are, Spider-Man’s bad luck manifests itself again, and he lost his multibillion-dollar company with not even enough left for a golden parachute. Yet, it is a testament to Spider-Man’s character that, even after losing Parker Industries, he continues to fight the good fight.
The scene does not do Iron Man any favors either: he does not hesitate to offer his opinions on Parker’s performance as a CEO and when Spider-Man tries to tell the truth, Iron Man casually dismisses him; Iron Man not realizing he actually is talking to Parker adds another layer. Spider-Man’s luck changed for one brief moment, and he almost replaced Iron Man as a business executive. It failed, and Iron Man is never going to let him live it down.
