The Most Hazardous Job In The Marvel Universe? Being Peter Parker's Roommate

It's fair to say that Peter Parker's housing situation has been somewhat fluid over the course of his long history. While certain characters are closely linked with one residence - such as Doctor Strange at the Sanctum Sanctorum or Bruce Wayne at Wayne Manor - Peter has bounced between properties, constantly in flux. One minute he's sharing an apartment with a friend, the next he's chilling with superhero buddies in a hi-tech penthouse, then he's crashing in the spare bedroom at his Aunt May's house.

The preview of Nick Spencer and Ryan Ottley's relaunch of Amazing Spider-Man has revealed that Peter's living situation has changed once again. He's back sharing living space with Randy (son of Robbie) Robertson, and the two are having trouble finding a decent apartment in their rather limited price range. Randy's solution is to sublet the third bedroom, but there's just one tiny catch. Unknown to Peter and Randy, their new roommate is Fred Myers, the supervillain known as Boomerang. Secret identity shenanigans will no doubt ensue.

But although Boomerang is the nominal 'bad guy' of the trio, does that also mean that he'll turn out to be the worst roommate of the three? Not necessarily. There's a reason why Peter has bounced between so many properties over the years, and it's one that rarely ends well for the poor souls that he's living with. Just ask the following individuals, who have all had cause to regret giving Mr Parker their spare key.

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Aunt May

It's not difficult to see why Peter loved living with Aunt May, a woman who doted on his every whim and fed him enough Wheatcakes to stop the Juggernaut. Despite first moving out of Aunt May's house during the Stan Lee/John Romita run on Amazing Spider-Man, Peter has returned there time and time again when he's down on his luck, safe in the knowledge that he will always receive a warm welcome and a good feed. But what has May got in return? Only a whole lot of trouble.

There were the numerous occasions where Peter's attempt to hide his secret identity led to health scares for Aunt May, or even left her questioning her own sanity. More troubling was the parade of supervillains that targeted the house due to Peter, including Norman Osborn and Mysterio, with the lowest point coming when Charlie Weiderman burnt Aunt May's house to the ground to get revenge on Peter. Aunt May, we know you love him and all, but next time Peter asks you for a favor, just say no.

Harry Osborn

When Harry and Peter first met at Empire State University, the relationship between the two was initially rocky. Peter's distracted air made Harry think he was rather conceited, while Peter found out that Harry's father Norman was his greatest enemy, the Green Goblin. Nevertheless, the two became best friends and eventually moved in together. Harry may have had visions of sharing a 'swinging bachelor pad' with his best friend, but this wasn't quite what happened.

In short, Peter was both a terrible friend and roommate to Harry. Rarely on purpose it's true, but the effect was the same. He was rarely there for him and constantly missed out on engagements, with superheroing, Gwen Stacy and University all taking priority over his and Harry's bromance. So distant was Peter that he completely failed to notice Harry's descent into drug addiction and his fragile emotional state. Harry may have blown up their apartment during his Green Goblin induced breakdown, but in truth the boys' future as roommates had been doomed long before.

Flash Thompson

In a surprising move, the destruction of Harry and Peter's apartment didn't cause Peter to move back to Aunt May's. Instead, he moved in with his old adversary, Eugene 'Flash' Thompson. Because, really, the guy who spent High School stuffing you in lockers and flushing your head down toilets is exactly who you want sleeping in the next room. But to be fair to the more mature Flash, he showed all the signs of being a great roommate, extending the offer of accommodation to Peter in his time of need.

Peter and Flash's time together was short lived, with Peter always looking for something better. He complained that the apartment was too far from the city and was too plain, and then rented the smallest apartment possible as the thought of becoming Flash's roommate permanently was "too heavy a thought to deal with." Geez, Pete. Could you be any more ungrateful?

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Mary Jane

Here's an interesting conundrum. After Peter and Mary Jane got married, Mary Jane began to become more successful in her chosen field, including increasing recognition within the modelling world and a recurring role on the daytime soap opera, 'Secret Hospital'. This suggests that Mary Jane must have been making reasonable money, but you wouldn't have known it from their living situation, with the two often ending up living with - you guessed it - Aunt May.

Even when Mary Jane and Peter did have a place of their own, things weren't always rosy. Peter's Spider-Man duties often left him unable to perform other tasks around the house, and when Mary Jane's income managed to secure them a swanky penthouse apartment, Peter continually fretted about whether they could afford to pay for it.

Randy Robertson

Having a father like Robbie Robertson must be both a blessing and a curse. While Joe is one of the most morally upstanding characters in the Marvel Universe and a real nice guy, it's a fair bet that others find it hard to live up to this standard. That was certainly the case with his son, Randy, who in a cunning move decided to become roommates with Peter Parker, obviously thinking that he couldn't fail to look good when compared with ol' King of the screw-ups Parker.

Unfortunately for Randy, he got more than he bargained for, seeing sights that no man should have to see. No, not yet another supervillain attack, but the sight of a naked, dripping wet Peter belting out 'Bohemian Rhapsody'. Add in the fact that Peter's main contribution to apartment decor was nurturing a moldy piece of cheese called Kevin and it's amazing that Randy has once again agreed to move in with Mr Parker. The poor guy must be really desperate.

Vin and Michelle Gonzales

Everyone knows what it's like to meet someone on a friend's recommendation. Somehow they always forget to mention some tiny yet incredibly annoying detail. Carlie Cooper sold Peter to Vin as someone with integrity. What she failed to mention was that he was always broke, incredibly unreliable, and had a tendency to disappear. You know - tiny details like that. In a shocking development, Vin's time as Peter's roommate didn't go well. He was kidnapped by supervillains and ultimately sent to jail after a scheme to frame Spider-Man went awry.

Vin's sister Michelle proved a refreshing change - namely, a roommate who saw right through Peter's antics and wasn't prepared to put up with any nonsense. True her methods of retribution might have been a little excessive, but let's be honest - at one time or another we've all wanted to sell our roommate's clothing, padlock the fridge so they can't gain access, and put their microscope down the waste disposal.

The above mentioned are only a small sample of the brave souls who have shared living space with Peter Parker. Others, including Aunt Anna, Mockingbird, Johnny Storm and Brian Braddock have also been through this experience and lived to tell the tale, although none of them were ever quite the same thereafter. Our advice to Boomerang? Keep your distance, go for a walk when Peter breaks out Queen's Greatest Hits, and politely decline any cheese he may offer you. It's for the best.