Webspinners #7 synopsis
Webspinners #8 synopsis

the plot: Big things are happening. Since coming into contact with Peter's untested chemical science project, the Sandman has mutated into a two story tall mud-man. Flash Thompson has taken to drinking to get over his rejection from his girlfriend Liz Allen, who left him to go to the prom Peter Parker. Peter's girlfriend, Betty Brant, however, is also planning on going to the prom with Peter and quits her job at the Daily Bugle to go to the prom. And Liz Allen is destroying anything of Flash's she has, a sign of her new beginning with Peter.

While all of this is going on, Peter himself is trying on his late Uncle Ben's old blue tuxedo with his Aunt May, who, by the way, has made a third prom date for Peter with her friend Anna's neice Mary Jane. Managing to duck out of his tux fitting with Aunt May, Peter heads over to Flash's house as Spider-Man to get his science project notes back. However, when Spidey begins his search he quickly sees Flash and his father training in the kitchen, Flash with two crates balanced on either arm, his father with a metal pole to hit Flash with. Having seen that Spider-Man decides to leave without his notes and heads back to the science lab. Back at the Parker household, as Aunt May is discussing Peter's date with Mary Jane on the telephone, Betty Brant arrives, in tears over her having quit her job to go to the prom with Peter. Not surprisingly Aunt May is surprised by this news. In the city the Sandman continues his walk to find Spider-Man, though he has deteriorated into a large sandy creature, barely able to speak english, and he has now decided that he's going to die.

Liz Allen has now arrived at Aunt May's house with a piece of cloth matching her dress so Peter can get a corsage to match. As Liz runs off to get her hair, make-up and nails done, she tells May to get film for her camera, since she won't want to miss the night's festivities. Aunt May replies "I'm sure I won't, dear...". Still in a slump, Peter makes his way back home, still wondering how he's going to deal with Sandman, three dates and not getting the college grant. He fortunatly walks by his science teacher's house. The teacher, Mr. Del tells Peter the truth about the whole science grant mess, that Peter is going to be getting the grant, and that he was just feeding Blake lines to humor him. Mr. Del tells Peter that he's a good student deserving of the grant and if he gets his project together, the grant is his.

Despite the good news surrounding the grant, Peter is brought down when he gets home, since Aunt May has found out about Peter's three prom dates, and she reminds him that when people hand over their emotions they must be treated with responsibly. Aunt May does offer some comfort though; Mary Jane cancelled her date with Peter, not wanting to be seen at some prom with a sqaure she doesn't know. Aunt May tells Peter to multiply his pain from that rejection by a thousand, and that's how awful Betty or Liz will feel tonight. Speaking of Betty and Liz... Both of Peter Parker's dates are getting ready for the prom, Betty, catching a glance at her old high school yearbook, realizes how young she looked back then, and Liz shares a moment of happiness with her mother, who went to the prom with her future husband.

Everyone has arrived at the Bridgewalk arena now, Flash already hanging over the edge waiting for Peter. As Peter looks around at everyone around him he realizes that the only way to get Flash off the faulty side of the bridge is to break his date with Liz, so sadly Peter uninvites Liz, saying that he made the date partially because he wanted to take Liz to the prom, and partially because he wanted to be the guy who said 'no' to Flash Thompson. Liz begins to tear up, and then slaps Peter. Flash, taking great delight in this scene loses his balance and falls off the edge, Peter's notes scattered about, Flash barely able to hold on. Luckily though Peter ducks away and puts on his Spider-Man suit, grabbing Flash just as he's about to fall. Flash gives Spidey a big bear-hug, and has a word with his hero. Flash explains that he's just like anyone else, afraid of change, that so many different things are happening so quickly and that he went to all of this trouble to put things back in order, and with that Peter understands exactly what Flash means. Liz runs up to the saved Flash and the duo end up going to the prom together. Before Spider-Man slings off he asks Liz if she can handle things and Liz replies, a tear running down her right cheek, "I always do. And I guess I always will... Some things never change."

So, when all is said and done Peter is able to create an antidote for Sandman based on the recovered notes, Liz and Flash are crowned prom King and Queen, Betty decides that she's out grown the prom, despite what she felt otherwise and no one actually ended up going to Blake's party anyway. An ending, yes. But as Peter says at the end, "if that was high school... I can't wait to see what comes next."

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