American Son (comics)

"American Son" is a five-issue Spider-Man story arc written by Joe Kelly with art by Phil Jimenez and published by Marvel Comics. The arc appears in The Amazing Spider-Man #595-#599.

Background

American Son takes place during The Dark Reign event. The story tells AbOUT the personal war between Spider-Man and Norman Osborn.

Plot

Spider-Man confronted and fought Osborn when he plans to recruit Harry and was about to deliver the final blow, when all of a sudden Harry phoned his dad and told him that he accepts, which has angered and disappointed Spider-Man, which unknown to him that he is with a pregnant Lily Hollister. Fearing the safety of his best friend and what his father is planning, Spider-Man, with the help of Susan Storm, kidnapped and imprisoned the Venom Spider-Man by using a sonic generator and poses as him to INFILTRATE the Avengers Tower, where Norman revealed to his Avengers his plans for Harry entitled "American Son". Osborn shows his team the armor Harry will soon wear and a formula that combines both the Goblin formula and the Super Soldier serum. When Spider-Man was sent to level 25, he was ambushed and did battle with Daken, as Wolverine, but managed to defeat him. He was later encountered by Harry who he revealed to Norman that he's not his Spider-Man and was shot in the legs by Hawkeye. Spider-Man once more tried to convince Harry not to trust his father, but Norman brutally punches him, and to everyone's shock Norman took out his gun and shot him. However Spider-Man manages to have taken the impact due to the material of his new suit, but was held captive and repeatedly beaten and tortured with coughing blood out of his mouth and a knife being thrown at him by Bullseye. Norman revealed the reason why Harry joined him is because of Lily Hollister who is pregnant, but also revealed that the child she is carrying is his and not Harry's. Full of anger and hate, Spider-Man broke free and retaliated by ripping off pieces of skin from Norman's face and threw Bullseye out of a window. After Spider-Man tried to find Harry and tell him everything, he slowly began losing strength due to his captivity and was brutally beaten up by an outraged Norman. He was saved by a guilt-ridden and angry Harry, who now knows the truth about his father's relationship with Lily, and began attacking his own father using the American Son armor. During the battle, Norman declares that Harry is no longer his son, and that he has bred a better child to replace the failure Harry. After further taunts from Norman, Harry lashes out and defeats his father. When Harry has the option to kill Norman, Spider-Man goads him to decapitate Norman, as his healing factor may repair a blow to the head. Spider-Man states that by [...] Norman, he would "become the son Norman always wanted." Harry backs down, and walks away from Norman Osborn forever.

We last see Harry in a psychiatrist's office, claiming he is getting over The Effects of a medical treatment he received. The doctor offers to prescribe him oxycodone, a nod to Harry's past [...] abuse, but it is not revealed if Harry takes the prescription.