reluctantheroine asked: What is your opinion on the theory that Harry’s drug addiction might have started sooner than what was depicted in the comics?

I really like that idea! I think there’s just enough evidence for it (Peter noticing that Harry’s always had bottles of pills around, MJ’s “it’s a long story”) to make it plausible. Not nice, but…plausible.

Although obviously this couldn’t be a plot point or even mentioned in any of the 60s-70s Spider-Man comics, it actually wouldn’t surprise me if Harry, Flash, MJ and maybe even Gwen had taken drugs recreationally at some point. They were teenagers and it’s the kind of thing teenagers actually do, after all. So I can see Harry going to parties and taking drugs with the others, and finding himself getting addicted to them in a way the others weren’t, and not being able to tell anyone apart from MJ because Norman would be disgusted, Gwen was the devoted daughter of the police chief, Flash had joined the army and Peter was just plain never around.

Which would make a hell of a flashback story if any future comic writers fancy re-visiting that period…