Alpha is a young man named Andy Macguire who runs into Peter Parker at Horizon Labs and is in the wrong place at the wrong time, much like Peter was 50 years ago. He gets “zapped” and gains powers.
Parker – haunted by the way he got his own super abilities and how his failure to use them led to the murder of his beloved Uncle Ben so many years ago – feels an even greater responsibility to help young Andy. He feels he must help him discover his powers and teach him how to use them responsibly.
“Part of it is that Spider-Man is grown up,” said Axel Alonso, editor-in-chief of Marvel Entertainment. “He’s older, more seasoned, but young at heart. He’s still a young man, but he’s been around. It’s interesting because it flips the paradigm. Teen hero Spider-Man is now responsible for this teen hero sidekick. He’s responsible because one of his inventions caused this kid to get his powers. He’s directly responsible for the responsibility this kid now has with his new powers. He feels he has a responsibility to make sure this kid walks the right path, which won’t prove easy.”
The character will premiere this August in “The Amazing Spider-Man” #692.
