Edward "Ned" Leeds is a former student at Midtown School of Science and Technology. Upon discovering his best friend, Peter Parker, was Spider-Man, Leeds then focused on assisting Parker's adventures as they attempted to find and defeat Vulture before he could sell high-tech hybrid weapons to the criminal underworld, while also hoping to use the Spider-Man to improve their own social standing at their school. Leeds was a victim of the Snap, but, along with all other victims, was brought back to life by the Hulk in 2023. The following year, Leeds would go on a school field trip to Europe with his classmates, including Parker. When their trip was interrupted due to the Elementals crisis, Leeds would do his best to cover for Parker so that his identity as Spider-Man would not be revealed. Leeds would once more work with Parker as his "guy in the chair" when, due to Doctor Strange's botched spell, visitors from alternate universes crossed over into theirs; Leeds would assist Parker in capturing the visitors, but would then help free them from Strange after discovering his plan involved sending the visitors to their deaths. Using Strange's Sling Ring, Leeds accidentally summoned alternate versions of Parker, who assisted Leeds, Parker, and Parker's girlfriend Michelle Jones in taking down the visitors, who had betrayed them. Tragically, though, instabilities in Strange's spell could only be solved by having the entire world, including Leeds, forget Parker's identity. Leeds exchanged a tearful goodbye with Parker before his memories of him were erased.