The terrorist attack during the carnival shocked the entire United States.
Videos of the battle between the Green Goblin and Spider-Man went viral online, garnering millions of views.
Many people were astonished to discover that besides mutants, there were other superpowered individuals living among them.
The White House found itself in an extremely difficult position... The Green Goblin's attack had caused widespread damage with numerous casualties.
While public discourse praised Spider-Man's heroic actions, there was also fierce criticism of the government's failure to prevent such an incident, with many calling it another 9/11 proportion attack that trampled on American values of freedom.
Perhaps the most unfairly treated were the mutants who had been quietly living in human society...
Initially, many assumed both Spider-Man and the Green Goblin were mutants, reigniting debates about the Mutant Registration Act.
It wasn't until a congressman publicly confirmed neither was a mutant that the controversy died down... Though the mutants in Westchester must have been fuming at being scapegoated yet again.
The spectacular appearance of these superpowered beings during the carnival thrust the topic of enhanced individuals into mainstream discussion.
Spider-Man, having bravely fought off the vicious Green Goblin, quickly became beloved by New Yorkers. Nearly every media outlet except the Daily Bugle praised this mysterious hero as "New York's Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man"...
The other party facing severe backlash was Oscorp Industries.
Well-orchestrated leaks revealed that their chief scientist had been murdered and proprietary technology stolen, with helpful hints that the Green Goblin's equipment originated from Oscorp's labs.
The resulting media storm sent Oscorp's stock prices plummeting. The once-promising industrial giant now teetered on the brink of collapse.
Making matters worse, CEO Norman Osborn was conspicuously absent during the crisis, further damaging investor confidence.
While these events unfolded across New York, Sean found himself dealing with a more immediate problem closer to home...
"You're telling me that on your first day of school, you got into a fight and beat up two bullies so badly, their own parents wouldn't recognize them?"
Sean nearly lost his composure when the principal called him about a serious physical altercation involving his 'cousin'.
"They were bullying Rachel!" the little girl protested as Sean lectured her on their way to school, "They were pulling her skirt! And I barely used any strength!"
"Who's Rachel?" Sean asked before continuing his reprimand, "And Mindy, if you must fight, you could have just bloodied their noses. But... kicking them there? That's too cruel, especially for boys."
"Rachel's my first friend at school! She's always being bullied because she's from Hell's Kitchen, and no one wants to play with her." Mindy pouted, genuinely confused as to why she was being punished for helping a friend.
Sean sighed and gently patted her head, "Mindy, you can't keep solving problems the way you were taught before. Standing up for your friend was good, but you need to be smarter about it..."
"...You can teach them a lesson with your fists, but don't get caught by teachers! Otherwise you might get expelled, and your friend will keep getting bullied, maybe even worse than before..."
"So you mean... next time I should ambush them where no one can see?" The little girl looked up at Sean with sudden understanding.
"...Basically, yes." Sean massaged his temples.
Clearly, he wasn't cut out for child psychology.
Transforming a child raised on "violence solves everything" into a normal girl would be a long, difficult process.
"Wait, how did those kids get away with bullying at your school?" Sean suddenly wondered.
The prestigious private school catered to wealthy families, and most parents wouldn't tolerate their children being harassed.
"They said their dads work for someone called Kingpin," Mindy answered before asking, "Who's Kingpin?"
Sean's eyes narrowed. Had he just dealt with Frank D'Amico only to stumble into Kingpin's territory?
While most New Yorkers knew Wilson Fisk as a respected real estate magnate and philanthropist from Hell's Kitchen, Sean recognized the name as belonging to the ruthless crime lord who ruled New York's underworld.
Starting as a small-time enforcer, Fisk had clawed his way to the top through brutality and cunning, eventually consolidating control over all major criminal organizations in the city.
After establishing his empire, the brilliant tactician had reinvented himself as a legitimate businessman, rubbing shoulders with politicians and police commissioners while maintaining his criminal network.
The underworld knew him as "the Kingpin", a title that struck fear throughout organized crime.
"He's just a very powerful bad guy who controls lots of other bad guys," Sean said lightly, though his mind was already calculating possibilities.
Perhaps New York's shadow ruler could unknowingly contribute to Sean's own rise. After all, Hell's Kitchen was prime real estate in many ways...
...
By the time they returned home, the school incident had been quietly resolved through generous 'donations'...
The principled headmaster had magnanimously declared that Mindy was "just a child" after all, overruling other teachers' calls for expulsion.
Thus the matter was settled, and Mindy returned to school as an unlikely celebrity, her reputation as a fierce protector earning her a following among the student body.
For Sean, this was just a minor episode in his otherwise peaceful life...
In this era before superheroes became commonplace, he cherished the relative calm, free from concerns about alien invasions or world-ending schemes.
It also allowed him to build his strength methodically, without rushing. After all, even Tony Stark was still just a playboy billionaire, years away from becoming Iron Man.
The age of superheroes had yet to dawn; the Cosmic Titan who coveted the Infinity Stones hadn't turned his gaze toward Earth. All the great stories were still in their prologue...
"The bread will come, and so will the milk..." Sean murmured as he watched the sunset, his eyes reflecting boundless ambition for the future...