The Spectacular Spider-Man #137 (April 1988)

Why is Spider-Man one of Marvel's most popular heroes? Well, I think that is because he is the embodiment of Marvel's style of superhero. He's the everyman, the regular guy who manages to get great power, but it doesn't necessarily make his life any easier. As such, Spider-Man is arguably one of the best characters for doing stories that tackle issues that affect regular people. Let's look at Spectacular Spider-Man #137!

The cover is a Sal Buscema piece. It depicts Spider-Man and the Tarantula battling it out in a church. It's an awesome cover.

"Nowhere to Run, Nowhere to Hide!" 
Writer: Gerry Conway
Penciler: Sal Buscema
Inker: Sal Buscema
Colorist: Bob Sharen
Letterer: Rick Parker
Editor: Jim Salicrup
Editor-in-Chief: Tom DeFalco

The story begins with Peter Parker swinging through the city in his black costume. 

He's in a bit of a mood. You see, the old skinflint J. Jonah Jameson asked Peter to get some photos of a gangland meeting. So Pete put his life on the line and got the pictures. And how does Jameson thank him? He gets all, "nah, nobody cares about this story". And he was the one who assigned Peter the job in the first place.

Yeah, Jameson's a jerk. We look in on a Mr. Armando Ruiz. A janitor for the Daily Bugle, he fled his homeland six years earlier. He still fears that the government of his birth nation is after him. Sadly, his fears are proven right.

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This is Luis Alvarez, aka the second Tarantula. The boot spike-packing assassin manages to end the life of Mr. Ruiz. Spidey hears Ruiz's dying screams, and goes to check it out. Spidey can't believe that it's the Tarantula, as the original one (Anton Miguel Rodriquez) died in Amazing Spider-Man #236. The Wall-Crawler's spider-sense saves our hero from being given a bullet buffet from a group of armed men. 

The next day, Jameson demands that the paper's staff look into Ruiz's death. Robbie Robertson is feeling a bit distracted as he saw an old ghost from his past in the form of Tombstone in Web of Spider-Man #36. Elsewhere, Mary Jane Watson-Parker is working on a modeling shoot when she learns that her makeup artist Elvira is an undocumented worker. She fears that the INS (This is a topical reference. In 2003, the Immigration and Naturalization Service was absorbed into the Department of Homeland Security) will come for her and deport her. 

Mary Jane gives her Peter Parker's number. He works for a newspaper, so maybe he can help. And if not him, they maybe Spider-Man can help. A nondescript car containing a nondescript man in black arrives at a garbage scow. 

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This Man in Black is one Gullivar South. He represents certain people in the American government who wish to support Tarantula's people's efforts to bring "stability and democracy" to South America. Unofficially, of course.

South provides the Tarantula with some information about some refugees from the Tarantula's homeland living in New York City...including Elvira and her family.

Peter meets with MJ and they have lunch. Robbie Robertson is getting himself some lunch too, in the form of a New York hotdog from a hotdog stand. Mmmm...hotdog...

Anyway, Robbie's ability to enjoy said hotdog gets ruined by Tombstone. Robbie spots him in the the Kingpin's building and tries to follow the albino assassin. And ol' stoneface is not fond of it.

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Spidey swings to meet Ben Urich. He's been talking with a legal aid lawyer named Maggie Michaelson. She explains to Urich Ruiz's situation. He was a political refugee, but since his homeland is considered an ally to the United States, the US did not recognize him as such. There is an amnesty program, but Ruiz didn't sign up. Like many undocumented workers, he refused because he feared deportation. And for Ruiz, a death squad waited for him if he was. 

Peter's Spider-Sense warns him of a man walking into an alley. Peter finds it odd...unless that man was a potential threat. It had to be the Tarantula! Peter pursues the man, only to be ambushed by a group of angry and frightened youths, mistaking him for an INS man. Peter escapes with the help of his powers. While on a roof, Peter laments the situation. 

That night, the Tarantula and his goons attack Elvira and her family. They flee to St. Jude's Church. Elvira calls Mary Jane for help, and Peter suits up to help. The Tarantula and his death squad blast their way into the church, but an unlikely angel arrives.

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Spidey is able to deal with the death squad, but Tarantula himself escapes. Even worse, Elvira is detained by the arriving police. It leaves Spidey understandably down. Back at his garbage scow headquarters, the Tarantula is enraged with how things have gone. Luckily, South has a man that can help.

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Yup, looks like Captain America himself is providing some backup! Well, not quite. You see, at the time, John Walker was wearing the suit after Steve Rogers gave it up in Captain America #332.

This was pretty good comic. We get plenty of drama from the plotline regarding the Tarantula. The storyline was created in response to then-President Ronald Reagan signing the Immigration and Reform Act in 1986. That law had been criticized at the time as deliberate targeting of Hispanic people and promoting fears of them. It can be seen here in the story. Elvira and her family came to the US not to commit criminal acts, but because they wanted the freedom to make a legit life for themselves. Tarantula and his men cause murder and mayhem, yet Elvira is treated as a criminal. The unfairness of it all. 

Sal Buscema provides the artwork for this story, and