Spectacular Spider-Man #107 (October 1985)

While not Peter David's first professional comic book story (this actually was his second story), this story allowed David to break into writing as a full-time career, a career that would cement him as a living legend in the industry until his passing in May 2025.

This story came about because of Jim Owsley, whom you may know better as Christopher Priest. He was editor of the book at this time. In fact, he was the first African-American editor of mainstream comics. Priest was not a fan of the book's more whimsical tone at this time under scripter-artist Al Milgrom. As such, he replaced Milgrom with David and artist Rich Buckler. The three took the book in a darker, more serious direction. This storyline was meant to cement that.

Priest wanted to shake things up in the book, so he decided to kill off Jean DeWolff. Yeah, killing her off was not David's idea. It was Priest's. David actually did have plans for her as a living character. Priest and David worked the story out, with David contributing ideas of his own, mainly the idea of Spider-Man being pushed over the edge by a villain that was much more heinous than the costumed villains he faced at the time. He also wanted to underscore differences between Spider-Man and Daredevil, which is why he appears in this story. 

So, who was Jean DeWolff? First appearing in Marvel Team-Up #48 (August 1976), created by Bill Mantlo and Sal Buscema, DeWolff was a tough-as-nails, acerbic cop with a love of 1930s fashion who would become a prominent ally to Spider-Man. She would also encounter other superheroes in her lifetime, most notably Iron Man and Doctor Strange. She was one of the few cops that seemed rather appreciative of the superhero set, 

The story begins with a look back on the life of Jean DeWolff. The daughter of a police inspector, he was never happy with the idea of being a dad to a daughter. He had wanted another son like her brother Brian, the future Wraith. He blamed her mother for it, leading them to split for good when she was six months old. In the divorce proceedings, Brian ended up with him, she ended up with her mother. 

Her mom remarried, her new husband being a patrolman named Carl Weatherby. I'm guessing her mother had a thing for boys in blue.

Unlike her biological father, Weatherby adored Jean. They grew close, him inspiring her to want to be a cop just like her dear old stepdad. When she graduated from the police academy, Weatherby did not smile, but it didn't matter to her. She knew he was incredibly proud of her. She rose through the ranks, collecting commendations like they were Pokémon cards, yet he stayed a sergeant. He wasn't bitter about it. In fact, the opposite. He wanted her to not only surpass him but also become a commissioner. The first woman to be one. Sadly, that doesn't look like it will be in the cards for Captain DeWolff. 

Page 7, Panel 5

So, where is Peter Parker in all of this? Well, he's taking some photos around New York City, hoping to make a bit of cash off of them. He then runs into a Mr. Ernie Popchik, who was rooming in May Parker's boarding home at the time. He's gone to cash his Social Security check so he can do some shopping. Unfortunately, he gets ambushed by some pickpockets.

Page 9, Panels 4-6

An infuriated Peter Parker sees this and goes to check on the man. He ten tells someone to call an ambulance while he goes to get help. Remember, this is the 1980s. Cell phones are not as ubiquitous then as they are now. Peter switches into his Spider-Man togs and pursues the pickpockets.

Page 11, Panel 3

Yeah, this version of the Black Costume is not the symbiote that would eventually become Venom. This was a regular cloth version given to him as a gift by Black Cat, I believe. Spider-Man easily takes care of the pickpockets. The police come by to pick them up and tell him that the man (Mr. Popchik) they mugged is on the way to the hospital to get checked out. It's then they also inform him about Jean deWolff being murdered. Spider-Man is naturally shocked, as he just saw her the other day. 

Over at a church, a man goes to a confessional booth. He has some sins to confess. 

We next go to the Daily Bugle, where Robbie Robertson and J. Jonah Jameson discuss DeWolff's death. Jameson laments that he'll never get used to a headline like this one. He calls her a fine officer, which amuses Robertson as he believed that Jameson didn't like DeWolff that much. Jameson didn't, but that doesn't mean he can't be genuinely sad for her death. You can tell that DeWolff's death has shaken him as he states that as much as he hates Spider-Man, he doesn't consider him as bad as the person that killed DeWolff.

It's then that a man arrives at the Daily Bugle, a man of the cloth: Reverend Jackson Tolliver. He was hoping that his new ministry in New York would get some notice by the Bugle. Jameson remarks that he was mentioned in the "Atlanta child slayings" some years earlier. Yeah, this is a topical reference, one to the murders of Atlanta children from 1979 to 1981. It was believed that the majority of the murders were committed by alleged serial killer Wayne Williams. Williams was convicted for the murders of two adult men and was never tried for the child murders, even though police did attribute many of the child murders to him. To this day, Williams has claimed he is innocent of the child murders. It's some dark stuff, so be careful before clicking the Wikipedia links. 

That evening, Spider-Man visits the police station, wanting to speak to whoever is investigating the killing of DeWolff. He learns it's a Sergeant Stan Carter. The two meet and discuss the case. Carter doesn't mind superheroes very much, as he sees them as nuts. Well, they're nuts, but they're obvious about it. It's the quiet, hidden nutjobs that worry him. Stan reveals that Jean was actually quite well-liked by the force, and she was fond of them too. She was also rather fond of Spider-Man, which is why Carter is willing to talk to the Web-Slinger in the first place. Peter admits he liked her, too.

With a new dawn comes a new day. And with the dawn comes the Man Without Fear, Daredevil, swinging through the rooftops. Matt Murdock not here to fight a supervillain, though. He's working pro bono, playing public defender to the punks that attacked Mr. Popchik. In that role, he gets the punks released on their own recognizance. Popchik is understandably outraged, despite May assuring him this is arraignment (formal reading of the charges a defendant is accused of), not an actual trial. Peter confronts Murdock, and this allows Murdock's super-senses to discover that he's Spider-Man.

Matt confers with the judge, a Horace Rosenthal. He points out that he was taught that everyone had to be treated equally under the law. And yet, he now feels terrible about his letting the punks go. Horace waves it off, telling Matt that he dislikes getting his hands dirty. Maybe working a few years as a public defender would help with that. He heads out to use the little judge's room. That is rather convenient for Matt.

Why? Because his radar sense picked up someone in the judge's study. He goes to investigate and finds a man there. His pulse and perspiration indicate he may be on something. The man points a shotgun at him, and introduces himself as the Sin-Eater.

Page 24, Panel 8

The sin-eater takes his name from a British isles ritual in which someone eats a ritual meal to take on the sins of a deceased person, absolving their souls. 

The Sin-Eater shoots at Matt, but he's able to get behind a desk. Unfortunately for Matt, Judge Rosenthal peeks in.

Page 26, Panel 2

Matt is paralyzed. He could leap up and stop the Sin-Eater, but it would jeopardize his secret identity. Rosenthal pleads for his life...and the story ends with the Sin-Eater giving the judge some hot buckshot.

It feels a bit tamer compared to many comics today, but I can imagine that in the mid-80s, this was quite a shocking way to start a run. 

Jean DeWolff's death would have some major impact on the Spider-Man mythos. The Sin-Eater would return in a later storyline (also written by David), and most notably, the investigation into the identity of the villain would lead to Eddie Brock becoming Venom. Her friend, fellow officer Yuri Watanabe, would become the latest Wraith (the first being DeWolff's brother Brian) In the Dead no More: The Clone Conspiracy event, Jean DeWolff would be brought back to life as a clone of the original, one of the many deceased friends and allies of Spider-Man by the Ben Reilly Jackal to win over Spider-Man's allyship. This Jean would give her life aiding Spider-Man in stopping him. 

If you want to read this for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2013 trade paperback Spider-Man: The Death of Jean DeWolff. Thanks for reading this blog entry!

Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #125 (April 1987)

Superheroes are known more often than not for fighting. Fighting all day long. Punching, kicking, throwing superpowers around, etc. Superheroes fighting supervillains is one of the most exciting and fun parts of superhero comics. But occasionally, superheroes get into fights with other superheroes. Let's look at Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #125!

The story begins a week earlier at the offices of the Daily Bugle. J. Jonah Jameson is in a happy mood as usual.

Page 1, Panel 3

See? Livin' up to the nickname "Jolly Jonah"! Jameson is none too happy about the fact that there's a brand new Spider-Woman running around. This is the Julia Carpenter one, who first debuted during the original Secret Wars story. Naturally, Jonah is calling upon the man who's name headlines this comic, a Mr. Peter Parker, to get some pics of her. He's going to go on a trip to Denver, Colorado, where she was last seen. He thinks Julia and Spider-Man are criminals in cahoots, and he wants pictorial proof. Peter takes the assignment, as it allows him to kill two birds with one stone. He gets some money, and he can find out what's really going on with Julia.

As Peter swings off as Spider-Man, wearing his black costume at the time, he recalls he barely knows Julia. Since returning to Earth after the Secret Wars, she's seemingly become a criminal (Jameson did mention she worked with the Brotherhood of Mutants, but at that time, they had become a government task force known as Freedom Force). 

So, what is Julia up to? Well, she has snuck her way into a storage area full of computer discs. A man named Clemson has given her the task of finding a particular disk. The arachnid-lady is searching for the right one, when some trouble erupts.

Page 5, Panel 1

Yup, it's the Wrecking Crew! They themselves are after the disk, presumably the same one that Spider-Woman is after. Thunderball finds the disk, but Julia is all alike, "I'll be having that, thank you!" 

Page 6, Panel 4 "Yoink!"

This leads to a fight between Julia and the Crew. The supposedly-former heroine puts up a good fight, but the Wrecking Crew overpower her and have the numbers advantage. Four of them and only one Spider-Woman, after all. The Wrecker plans to finish her off, but Thunderball convinces him doing so would only create more problems for them...and mess with Thunderball's own plans. Yeah, he's been plotting against Wrecker here. 

Julia wakes up, but this isn't something she's too happy with. Evidently, this Clemson fellow had her over a barrel for some reason, and she needed to get him that disk so she could live a normal life. She returns home, and gets some Riot Act from the baby sitter and her ex-husband over her not being around for her daughter Rachel very much due to her Spider-Woman work (although they don't know that).

It's here that we get a real idea of what happened to her after the Secret Wars. In Uncanny X-Men #206, she joined the Freedom Force because the pay was good...even though she never felt like she fit in with them. After all, they were all villains who only worked for the government to get out of jail time. In Avengers Annual #15, Freedom Force brought down both the East Coast and West Coast-based Avengers teams and brought them to the superhuman prison known as The Vault. Julia realized Freedom Force's actions were in the wrong, and helped break Earth's Mightiest out. This labeled her as a fugitive.

This is where the mysterious "Clemson" steps in. He's Mike Clemson, Julia's government handler. Julia had turned herself in, and had started doing clandestine missions for him. Publicly, she's still a wanted woman. 

Yeah, I get it. It's a lot. The next day, Peter wakes up to hammering at his door. Turns out he's a bit behind on his rent. As in, four months behind on his rent. His landlady wants the money, or he's out.

At a hunting lodge, the Wrecking Crew are laying low, and it's here that we learn what this disk contains: plans for a super-bomb. Yes, a super-bomb. As in, it can make one massive kablooie.

We also get a bit of a prelude to the Avengers storyline Under Siege as the Crew discuss joining up with Baron Zemo's newest Masters of Evil to take on the Avengers in New York. We also get a small moment of humanization for the Wrecker as he is talking to his dying mother.

Page 12, Panels 5-6

Awww. Thunderball is doing a bit of plotting. You see, in Amazing Spider-Man #246-247, Thunderball got to have a bit of a taste of the power that the Wrecker can access with his enchanted crowbar. Combine that with the power he already has as part of the Wrecking Crew? Yeah, he can do some real damage.

That was three days ago. Since then, the Siege of Avengers Mansion has happened. This is a big disaster for Julia.

She should have taken the plane. Now, with the Crew under lock and key, she has no leads to finding the disc. She reports this to Clemson, who is actually thrilled. He can use this to keep Julia under his thumb for a little while longer. He tells her that the Wrecker is still free, which means he likely has it. She spots the Wrecker in Astoria, hiding on a roof near his mother's house. The house is under police guard, as they think he'll come by to visit her. 

The Wrecker sneaks his way into a hotel. Julia follows him and spots the disc.

Page 16, Panel 5

Now, Julia could easily shoot one of her psi-webs to grab the disc quick and get the heck out, but nah. She decides to play Kool-Aid Man.

Naturally, this leads to them brawling. Spider-Woman puts up a good fight, but Wrecker is just tto strong. Peter Parker hears about this on a cab's radio, and swings into action. Spidey engages Spider-Woman, and manages to defeat her. The Wrecker then shows up and picks a fight with Spidey. Man, just fights upon fights here.

(fight fight fight)

Both of the Spiders are weakened, so Wrecker is able to beat them. He's about to finish them off, but then he hears the police. As such, he figures that escaping is more prudent. Peter gets Julia out, figuring he owes her for saving his life from the Wrecker. They talk a bit as they recover some blocks away. Julia tries to get Peter to see that she's not really a criminal. Peter wants to believe her as she sounds sincere. And he gets people thinking that he's the bad guy. He pulls out his camera and exposes some of the film, mainly his taking a photo of her unmasked. It's then that the Wrecker busts in. Turns out that in the fracas, the disk got, well...wrecked.

Page 19, Panel 5

Oops.

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.

Page 8, Panel 6

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. 

Page 14, Panel 6

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.

Page 17, Panel 7

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.

Page 23, Panel 6

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.

Page 28, Panel 8

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 

Spectacular Spider-Man #147 (February 1989)

Last week, for Halloween, I took a look at Spectacular Spider-Man #148 (March 1989). It was a nice character piece exploring Flash Thompson and Betty Brant overcoming their own demons, both literally and figuratively. I wondered where Spider-Man himself was during all of this. Well, we did see him deal with a wild factory in my review of Spectacular Spider-Man #146 (January 1989). But that was not the only trouble the Web-Slinger found himself in. As a nice Halloween bonus, I thought it would be awesome to show how the Daily Bugle staff were dealing with this crisis. So, let's take a look at Spectacular Spider-Man #147!

The cover is awesome, depicting J. Jonah Jameson and Spider-Man fighting demons together. If you know these two characters and their traditional relationship, this gives the idea that something really serious must be going down if these two are actually joining forces for something.

"When the Bugle Blows"
Writer: Gerry Conway
Penciler: Sal Buscema
Inker: Sal Buscema
Colorist: Bob Sharen & Wilcox
Letterer: Rick Parker
Editor: Jim Salicrup
Editor-in-Chief: Tom DeFalco

The story begins with the Hobgoblin (the Jason Macendale Jr. one), flying around New York City, grumbling about how unfair things are.

You see, in Amazing Spider-Man #312, he got beaten by Spider-Man teaming up with Harry Osborn, who was using his father's Green Goblin equipment. Hobgoblin is furious about it as...well...his equipment and experience as the Hobgoblin was superior to Harry. He sees himself as the true heir to the Goblin legacy, not Harry Osborn. However, the Hobgoblin has other problems.

Yup, a bunch of demons erupt from a billboard and attack the Hobgoblin. I can imagine they're also not happy about this guy running around dressed like one of them. An angry Hobgoblin blasts them away and basically hands them their butts. He rants that he doesn't care about the demonic madness of Inferno as long as he's left alone. He grumbles about the demons taking umbrage to him dressing as one, but then he gets hit by a bolt of inspiration as he glances at the demonically-mutated Empire State Building...

Across town, Spider-Man is witnessing the demon invasion in shock. Last issue, he dealt with a living fan vent and Osborn's factory trying to kill him. He swings towards the Daily Bugle so he can check on his co-workers. He also plans to visit Mary Jane who is doing a photo shoot at a studio. A strange wind blows out of nowhere. Spider-Man's Spider-Sense couldn't detect the dangerous wind, so it's able to catch the web-slinger and slam him into the a building hard. A groggy Spider-Man is able to catch a gargoyle. But the gargoyle turns into a monster and instead of taking a bite out of crime, it decides to take a bite out of the crimefighter.

Spidey falls to the ground and goes unconscious. He wakes up and finds himself near the Daily Bugle building, so he staggers towards it. Inside, J. Jonah Jameson has got the Daily Bugle staff preparing the building for another demon attack. He's got Kate Cushing making barricades, and Ben Urich putting out fires. Heh. Just last issue, he was going on about how all the reports of the craziness of Inferno was all just cranks looking for attention. Life comes at you fast, JJ.

JJ orders Joy Mercado to organize a first aid group to help any injured, as it could be a while before they could get anyone to a hospital. Jonah is turning out to be a surprisingly good leader when the Bugle staff need one, but he's also trying to cover up his own fears. After all, he's not dealing with criminals or corrupt politicians here. However, JJ's fear gets replaced with rage when he sees Spider-Man stagger in. However, he calls for Mercado when the injured webhead collapses in front of him.

Back in Manhattan, Mary Jane Watson is affected by the chaos, too. The photography crew are barricading the door. Despite this, a demon bursts in. He attacks one of the crew, but MJ is able to fight it off by beating it with a pipe. She notes that the demon seemed to be fragile, as it shattered under a single blow, like it was made of glass. She and the crew get back to work rebuilding the barricade, but she worries about Peter.

In the skies over New York, Harry Osborn, having once more donned the gear of the Green Goblin, is heading home to his family. He's amazed that he managed to beat the Hobgoblin. A water demon erupts from the ocean to attack Harry, but he's able to easily destroy it. He then decides to take a detour to May Parker's house to check on her.

In Queens, the streets are running with madness, as people are fighting demons...and each other. A crazed man with a chainsaw attacks Joe Robertson.

Robertson is able to dodge, which makes the man drop his chainsaw. The weaponized tool then shatters when it hits a wall. Joe feels something is rotten in the state of New York, and it makes his own legal troubles seem unimportant. His son Randy and daughter-in-law Amanda arrive. They want to take Joe and Martha home so they'll be safe with them during this craziness. However, Joe refuses. He's done running. There's a mob coming, and he's going to fight back. Yeah, maybe now is not the best time, Joe.

In the city, the Hobgoblin approaches the eldritch-mutated Empire State Building. He tries to sneak into this building, but the sidewalk demons have something to say about that.

They think the Hobgoblin will make a tasty little snack. However, he is able to convince them to let him see their master. He wants to make a little deal. The demons agree, as their master N'astirh will find this amusing. And the man...or more appropriately, the demon of the hour arrives. Hobgoblin offers his soul for the power of a demon. The sidewalk demons' prediction turns out to be dead on, as N'astirh bursts out laughing. What would he want with the Hobgoblin's soul? Keep in mind, Jason Macendale Jr. is the Hobgoblin at this point. He was an amoral man with a violent nature. He was a mercenary who also previously operated as the supervillain known as the Jack O'Lantern. His soul is not exactly pure.

However, the Hobgoblin did manage to make N'astirh laugh, so he figures that the former mercenary should be given something. He blasts the Hobgoblin, sending him flying. Back at the Daily Bugle, some demons burst their way into the building, and the Daily Bugle staff valiantly try to fight them off. One demon tries to attack Ben Urich, but a waking and injured Spider-Man is able to save him with some webbing and a Mighty Punch.

Spidey is able to get up to see J. Jonah Jameson fighting off some demons. Spidey is able to even the odds for the old man, and this does lead to a rather funny moment when JJ is forced to team-up with the Wall-Crawler.

Spidey and the Daily Bugle staff are able to fight the monsters off. It helps that the demons are very fragile. Spidey jokingly asks if they won. The veteran newsman looks like he's trying to keep every blood vessel in his body from undergoing rage-inducing explosions. Jonah notices that Spidey's wound is bleeding, and the Webhead faints.

Meanwhile, the Hobgoblin wakes up from his little trip, and notices something is wrong. His eyes seem to be screwed up. He can barely see, and what he can see looks all wrong. The story ends with the Hobgoblin's face revealed.

Yeah, all the plastic surgery in the world isn't going to make you pretty again, Jason. The Hobgoblin has paid a price for his little deal with the devilish N'astirh. He got the power of a demon, alright. He actually ended up merged with a demon, who would eventually get separated from the Hobgoblin and become the Demogoblin.

This issue is pretty good. I loved seeing the Daily Bugle gang fighting demons. It was also neat seeing Hobgoblin attempting to make a deal with N'astirh, and paying for it. The demons that the Bugle staff were fighting did seem awfully fragile, though. I mean, Spider-Man has superhuman strength, so his being able to shatter a demon with one punch is more believable. To be fair, it can be argued these demons aren't meant for combat. I also wish that we did get a scene of the aftermath with MJ. Sal Buscema's art is spectacular, and he's very good at making the demons look freaky. I also loved that full page of the Hobgoblin's demonic face. I highly recommend this comic for Halloween!

Hope you all enjoyed this little Halloween bonus! Next time, we see Captain America being forced to give up the shield...

Spectacular Spider-Man #148 (March 1989)

Spider-Man is no stranger to horror, as my previous reviews have shown. When the Inferno raged, he was not unaffected by it. He saw the city itself turn against people.

If Spidey himself could be affected by the Inferno, then what of his supporting cast? The demonic invasion of New York would prove to be some bad times for one member of the Webhead's supporting cast: one Betty Brant. At this point, the poor woman had gone through some rough times. She had recently lost her beloved husband Ned Leeds, which also led her to being part of a cult for a while. So, the Inferno is really not something she needs in her life right now. However, the demons do not care where it's a good time for them to bother her or not, and so we'll see how she and Flash Thompson deals with the demonic invasion in Spectacular Spider-Man #148!

The cover is awesome. You got Ned Leeds, Gwen Stacy, and Spider-Man erupting from their graves, all zombified. It has that spooky vibe, perfect for a tie-in to a crossover about demons in New York.

"Night of the Living Ned"
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 a dark and stormy night. We look at the grave of one Ned Leeds, who was killed in the one-shot Spider-Man Versus Wolverine (February 1987). A hand seemingly erupts from said gravesite.

A zombified Ned erupts from the grave, basically saying "Hey, Betty! Hubby's home!" And he's not alone. A zombie Gwen Stacy also bursts out of her own grave, saying she is back. And she's accompanied by a zombie Spider-Man. But wait, Spidey's not dead. No, but he does have a gravestone. Thank the events of Web of Spider-Man #31 (October 1987), part of the Kraven's Last Hunt storyline for that. The zombies call for Betty, asking her to join them in death. And Betty Brant can only scream.

However, it's only a vision Betty is having. She's actually in Flash Thompson's apartment's kitchen, as she has been staying with him for a while. The former high school jock runs in and gives the freaked-out Betty a hug. They had been boarding up the windows and door in his apartment when she had her vision. Flash tries to tell her it wasn't real, but Betty is left wondering if she is going insane.

Flash can understand why. Betty had gone through a lot. Her brother Bennett seemingly died years ago back in Amazing Spider-Man #11 (April 1964). Betty had a nervous breakdown after Ned died, she nearly got killed by the Sin-Eater in Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #109-110 (December 1985-January 1986) and joined the Cult of Love in Web of Spider-Man #40-43 (July-October 1988). It's why she is staying in Flash's apartment. He took her in so she could get back on her feet. Flash, however, doesn't think Betty is going mad. He thinks it's more the city itself is going mad. Weird weather, blackouts, riots, the Empire State Building is growing in size, cars trying to eat people...the Inferno is here, and madness comes with it.

Flash eyes a gas heater that Betty is running. She was cold, which was weird as the morning was sweltering hot. He shuts it off, as running a gas heater in a closed apartment is very dangerous. Fire hazard, and all that. Betty feels like she can't think straight. In a nice heartwarming moment, Betty thanks Flash for letting her stay with him until she can get her own place again, and Flash is happy to do so. After all, they knew each other for years, and friends always help each other out, regardless of the years and the changes. They hug, but are watched by a pair of demons.

The demons decide to have some fun with the two, as their master N'astirh says they can do that now. The two demons vanish. Flash Thompson goes to get some more boards, noting how cold the building is despite the heat outside. The phones are down, power went out, and he saw a riot on the corner. He is left feeling useless and wanting to do something about it. He hears someone greeting him.

It's Flash's hero, Spider-Man! Flash perks up. Hey, maybe the web-slinger wants him to help out with a team-up with the Avengers or something! That would be awesome! Flash is wondering how we're going to get out of this mess, and the webhead has an answer...in the form of a mighty backhand to the former jock. Flash is understandably confused. Spider-Man is a hero! He's one of the good guys! Why is he attacking?!

As if things can't get any more insane, Betty Brant hears a tapping at the window. Thinking it's just a bird, and trying to assure herself that she is not nuts, Betty opens the window.

Neddy's home, and he's looking...a bit decayed. A little moisturizing cream could fix that right up. Ned bursts into the apartment, and Betty flees for her life. Ned follows her, taunting her about him being back and why she's not happy to see him. She manages to lock herself in a room, wondering why Ned is back and he's doing this to her. Flash Thompson himself is...not doing much better.

As you can see, he's a bit tied up. Spidey explained that he tied Flash to the TV antenna because, well...TV antennas can make great lightning rods. And Spidey just removed the building's lightning rod, so when some lightning hits the antenna instead of the rod...Flash will get...flash-fried. I know, bad joke. Flash wants to know why Spidey is doing this. Why? Well, Spidey explains it.

He thinks Flash is annoying. He is sickened by the former football player's whole 'hero-worship' routine. To him, Flash is nothing more than a pathetic loser. Flash reaches for a screwdriver in his tool belt, distracting Spidey by keeping him talking. Spidey says he doesn't consider Flash a friend, just a thorn in his side that he's finally going to deal with once and for all.

Back with Betty, she thinks about how she has always needed someone to lean on to save her, and how she has lost almost everyone she has loved, like her brother Bennett (who didn't really die, but that's another story) and her husband Ned. She needed them, and they're both gone. But she gets a visit from...Ned Leeds.

Whether it's Ned's actual ghost (which is certainly plausible considering what's going on), or something from Betty's own mind, it's never really revealed. I like the ambiguity of it. Anyway, Ned tells her that she depends on others too much. He reminds her of the love they shared, and assures her she's stronger than she thinks. She can do it. She has to save herself now. Ned disappears, and the words seem to light a fire in Betty Brant.

Back on the roof, Spidey is gloating about how he's going to kill Flash. He gets a hammer to the back of the head, and tackled by Flash. Flash is convinced that this Spider-Man is a fake, because Flash was easily able to cut his way out of his web trap with a screwdriver. Also...the real Spider-Man would have been able to dodge the hammer Flash threw because his Spider-Sense would have warned him of the hammer heading towards his head. Another detail I noticed. He starts beating on the fake Spidey, screaming that the fake Spidey is lying about his friendship with Spider-Man, and he is no loser. He tears off Spidey's mask, and "Spider-Man"'s real face is revealed.

Not quite as scary as I expected. The demon Spider-Man starts to strangle Flash, taunting him about his glory days of being a high school football star having long passed him by. Flash is a boy who fears growing up, because he's nothing. He has no potential, and is not worth anything to anyone, as far as the demon is concerned.

Betty returns to Flash's apartment, and found a ton of lit candles all over the place. The wax smell is overwhelming. She grabs the gas heater, as she has a plan. Zombie Ned returns and reveals that he lit the candles. Betty tells him that he's not really Ned. The zombie Ned returns to its true demonic form.

Ahhh, that's a nice creepy face! The demon, feeling sporting, gives Betty a chance to run and hide. She refuses, as she's done with that. He tells her to scream. He likes it when they scream. She won't do that, either. Instead, she turns on the gas heater. On the roof, Flash is grappling with the demon Spidey. A bolt of lightning hits the antenna, causing it to collapse. Flash grabs a wire attached to the antenna and uses it to swing himself and demon Spidey into his apartment. Flash gets a whack in the mouth from the demon impersonating Ned, but Betty jams the gas heater into "Ned's" body, grabs Flash, and gets out of there. You see, when Flash and demon Spidey burst into the apartment, they knocked over some of the candles, causing a fire. And Betty turned on the gas heater. You can guess what happens next.

Yup. The apartment goes up in smoke, and it takes the demons with it. Betty and Flash laugh in relief about surviving. They notice something else, too. The screaming, the craziness...it's over. It's all over. Even the Empire State Building is back to normal. This is due to the events of X-Factor #38 (March 1989), in which the X-Men and X-Factor were able to defeat N'Astirh and his demon horde. Betty is overjoyed. They survived the night by themselves. Just themselves. But Flash thinks of it another way. They had help. As he watches Spider-Man swing by, he points out that it was not the superheroes who saved himself and Betty, it was the heroes within themselves that allowed them to survive.

This issue is awesome. I love that the creatives took the opportunity to take this tie-in into a crossover event and make it into a nice little character piece. I liked that we got to see Betty Brant discover her own inner strength and Flash find his own internal hero. I also liked that it was kept ambiguous whether it was really the ghost of Ned Leeds that visited Betty or just her imagination. It would have been easy to say it was Ned's ghost considering the circumstances, so I think that it's very clever that they decide to let the reader make their own interpretation. Betty Brant overcame both her metaphorical and literal demons in this story, and it's a joy to read.

Sal Buscema's art makes some great creepy sights, like the zombies at the beginning and the demons. He also is great at making characters rather expressive. I still got a bit of a chuckle at his portrayal of a terrified Betty Brant. He drew her eyes very big and wide with small pupils, like she's a cartoon character. It's amusing.

I hope you all enjoyed this little Halloween treat I made for all of you. You know, I can't help but wonder. What was Spider-Man himself doing during the Inferno? Well, let's find that out in a nice little Halloween bonus! Next time, Spider-Man deals with a demonic siege of the Daily Bugle...

Spectacular Spider-Man #146 (January 1989)

Inferno. What do you think you think of when you hear that word? I bet you think of a raging fire, right? Well, that makes sense. An inferno is a raging fire. But for fans of the X-Men, the word "Inferno" has a different meaning. For them, the word Inferno meant Hell had come to New York City.

In 1989, Marvel released the crossover event called Inferno. This was a crossover that mainly centered around Marvel's mutant titles at the time: Uncanny X-Men (The main book), X-Factor (The title that focused on the reunited original five X-Men, I reviewed the first issue here), Excalibur (An offshoot team based in England), New Mutants (A book focusing on the "next generation" of mutant heroes), and the four-issue X-Terminators miniseries (A mini focused on X-Factor's own mutant wards). Yeah, in the 80s, the X-Men got so big that there were five books focusing on them.

Unlike, say, Crisis on Infinite Earths, this crossover didn't have a main mini-series with tie-in issues. This event stuck to the X-Books, but it did have tie-ins with other books. This made sense, as one of the plot points of Inferno was a demonic invasion of New York City, and many of Marvel's heroes tended to be situated in the Big Apple. Spider-Man was no exception. He would have to deal with the raging Inferno as well. So let's take a look at Spectacular Spider-Man #146, and see how Spidey's world handles the demonic madness.

The cover is pretty cool. You got Spider-Man grappling with some snake-like living pipes in a factory, and some of them have got Harry Osborn in their grip. They don't want to hug him. It's a great cover.

"Demon Night"
Writer: Gerry Conway
Penciler: Sal Buscema
Inker: Sal Buscema
Letterer: Rick Parker
Colorist; Bob Sharen
Editor: Jim Salicrup
Editor-In-Chief: Tom DeFalco

The story begins with Spidey swinging around Manhattan, feeling pretty good.

He has had a great day today. His class at Empire State University was fun, his relationship with Mary Jane has never been better, and J. Jonah Jameson actually paid him early for his photos of his battle with Mysterio. However, Peter is aware of his "Parker Luck", and feels like something is going to wreck it in some way. He makes a landing, when he gets attacked by some sort of monster.

Peter is shocked at the sight of this metal snake-like fanged beast, as his Spider-Sense didn't warn him of this thing. Spidey wonders if this is something Mysterio cooked up, as he had just battled him in Amazing Spider-Man #311 (January 1989). Spidey is able to easily kill the monstrous fan vent by ripping it out of the building.

He examines it for mechanical components, but finds only...air vent. It's literally just an air vent. As Spidey arrives home, he notes that he heard about weird things happening like the fan vent monster, and that there's a strange feeling in the air, like there's a big storm on the way. Yeah, unknown to Spider-Man, the events of Inferno are causing the city itself to suffer from demonic corruption, causing inanimate objects to turn into monsters and attack people.

At Columbus Avenue, Mary Jane and her young cousin Kristy are out getting dinner. Mary Jane believes that Kristy is staying with them because her parents want her to stay with family while they're out traveling Europe. However, Web of Spider-Man #58 (December 1989) would eventually establish that she actually came to MJ on her own. MJ is in awe of Kristy's appetite, as the teenager appears to easily pack away food and not seemingly gain weight. Kristy explains that she is just lucky. In actuality, Kristy is struggling with bulimia, as will be revealed in Web of Spider-Man #54 (September 1989). Kristy is curious about MJ's modeling work, but MJ thinks she's just being overexcited. Kristy is also really enjoying staying with Peter and MJ. Nearby, the effects of Inferno are continuing to show themselves, as a nearby streetlamp mutates into a monster.

Night falls, and we go to Jackson Heights, in Queens. Mr. Joseph "Robbie" Robertson is walking home with the aid of a cane. He's feeling proud of himself as he managed to make it around the block on foot. He was injured by Tombstone in Spectacular Spider-Man #139 (June 1988), which I recently reviewed here. His body is healing nicely, but his wife Martha's heart is not. JJ called her this morning, saying he's given up trying to convince Robbie to not plead guilty on an accessory to murder charge. But Robbie is steadfast. He saw Tombstone kill a man, and didn't say anything.

Martha points out that Robbie is not the bad guy here. Keep in mind, Robbie was terrified of Tombstone growing up, and the man had become more of a monster over time. He also had a family to protect, and reporting Tombstone's killing would have put them in danger. Despite this, Robbie remains steadfast, breaking her heart.

The scene shifts again to Hicksville, Long Island. It's midnight, and Harry Osborn is trying to get some sleep...emphasis on trying. He wakes up from a nightmare, screaming about faces. He was dreaming about his father's face, then his own...the face of a monster. His wife Liz Allan-Osborn assures him that he's alright. She then remarks that they should have stayed in their place in New Jersey. They moved to the old Osborn homestead in Amazing Spider-Man #311 (January 1989). The commotion also woke up their baby: Normie Osborn. Harry agrees with Liz that moving back to the old Osborn home was a mistake, and they'll go back to New Jersey this weekend.

Liz is grateful for this, as she fears Harry's past is coming back to haunt him. After all, he's been through a lot, like witnessing his father apparently die in Amazing Spider-Man #122 (July 1973). She thinks the old house gives her the creeps. It's like there's some evil permeating the house, waiting for Harry to lose it. Unknown to her, the Hobgoblin (the Jason Macendale incarnation) is flying by.

The next morning, Peter is getting a morning shower in. He gets some soap in his eye, and asks MJ to give him a towel. He gets one, but not from MJ.

Heh heh, poor Peter. The Parker Luck can get him in ways that are hilarious. MJ teases Kristy about flirting with her man. Anyway, after that little bit of embarrassment, Peter gets a call. It's Harry Osborn, and he wants to talk to Peter at his chemical plant in Manhattan. He doesn't sound good. We next go to the Starlight Room down in Midtown Manhattan, and Ben Urich is checking out a rather gory scene.

Urich is horrified by this. He's witnessed his fair share of brutal stuff, but this is new for him. The detective, Frank Farrow, explains that some of the bodies were cut up badly, but they have managed to identify some of the victims as some local mob lieutenants. Evidently, they were probably having some sort of party, but someone decided to crash it.

The Arranger shows up, demanding to know who is in charge, and he and Urich snark at each other. Farrow wants to know who did this. Arranger only tells him that this building is one of Fisk's investments and he is a respectable businessman. Farrow thinks Arranger is full of it. There's a big-time gang war about to erupt, and he's not going to stand by and watch people die. While he throws some threats, Ben calls Joy Mercado, a fellow reporter. Glory Grant, J. Jonah's secretary at the time, says Jonah wants to talk to Urich.

Speaking of the skinflint himself, Jameson angrily bursts into the office, demanding to know where Kate Cushing is. She shows herself, and Jameson is not happy about the headline about poltergeists. He thinks it makes the Bugle looks like a cheap supermarket tabloid instead of a legitimate newspaper. Cushing points out that there are lots of reports of possibly supernatural events (as shown in the X-Books at the time), but Jameson writes it all off as crazies wanting attention. This part does not make a ton of sense, as Jameson lives in a world where superheroes and mutants and wizards exist. You'd think that a newsman like him would get the idea at some point that maybe something weird IS going on. This whole thing reminds Glory of an old dog her uncle Cal owned: More bark than bite.

Glory's heading out, wanting to pick up a teddy bear for her niece Yvonne at F.A.O. Schwartz. I went to that toy store once. It was so cool. She accidentally knocks into a man, and drops her purse. The man picks it up for her, and he offers to buy her lunch to make up for the inconvenience. Glory finds the man kind of cute.

Yup, Glory's caught the eye of Eduardo Lobo, one of the infamous criminal mutant werewolves known as the...Lobo Brothers. Meanwhile, at the Osborn chemical plant, Harry Osborn and Peter are doing some talking. Harry's feeling stressed, and he has no idea why. he should be feeling over the moon. The plant's doing very well business-wise, Liz and Normie are doing well, but Harry's been having nightmares ever since he and his family moved into the old house in Hicksville a week ago. Peter asks why he moved there, and Harry says he felt drawn there, like there was unfinished business connected to that house.

Peter is worried about this, as Harry's had his fair share of problems. He struggled with drugs in the past, and overdosed in Amazing Spider-Man #96-98 (May-July 1971), and relapsed in Amazing Spider-Man #121 (June 1973). This, alongside Harry witnessing Norman's supposed death fighting Spidey, would lead to him going mad over the course of Amazing Spider-Man #123-137 (August 1973-October 1974) and becoming the second Green Goblin. However, he would end up forgetting all of that after getting some help for his problems. This leads Peter to worry that maybe he's starting to remember all of that, including learning his secret identity as Spider-Man.

Peter tells him to move back to New Jersey. Sell Norman's old house, and go take a trip. I say Harry should go for it. Sell the old house. Have some fun, take Liz and Normie on a nice vacation. Hawaii's nice this time of year. But before Parker can be the helpful buddy any further, his Spider-Sense is going utterly bananas.

Thanks to the growing demonic influence in New York, the factory is literally attacking the workers. Peter is able to slip away and change into Spider-Man. The webslinger is able to save Harry from some pipes trying to hug him to death, but Osborn is unconscious. It has led to Peter having a theory, though. Could Harry's nightmares be linked to the weird happenings around New York thanks to Inferno? That certainly would make sense. The demonic influence could affect people just as much as it affected objects. Heck, the X-Men themselves suffered from demonic corruption during the event.

The chaos causes the factory to erupt into flames, and the people flee. Spider-Man's Spider-Sense goes off again, and he spots the Hobgoblin flying by.

The day is saved, but Osborn's plant is a wreck. Harry is understandably down about it. This plant was one of the only happy links between him and his father. All Harry had ever wanted was to please his father, and now this. Peter tries to assure Harry that the plant is insured, and they can rebuild it. Harry is still down about it because even though the plant can be rebuilt, it won't be the same. All Harry ever wanted was to make his father proud of him, despite Norman Osborn not being the best of fathers to Harry. That's the understatement of the century.

Peter is understandably worried about how Harry will take this. He's been in some bad states before, so it's understandable why people would be worried about his mental state after something like this. That night, Harry is having another bad nightmare. As he gets up to get a drink of water, he thinks that Peter is right about leaving. Tomorrow, he and the family are so packing up and heading back to New Jersey.

But as he looks into the mirror, he gets the fright of his life...

He sees his father Norman, taunting him as the Green Goblin. Harry will never escape his past, nor will he ever escape him...

This issue is really good. I do like that the issue tries to keep ambiguous whether Harry's nightmares are related to the demonic madness of Inferno or not. Spidey thinks so, but that doesn't mean that's the case. It could just be tragic coincidence. It would have been easy to just say Inferno is the cause of Harry's torment, so the idea of keeping it ambiguous was a very good one.

The one big complaint I have about the story is the whole thing with Jameson angry about the headline. Considering that numerous Marvel books about the time have shown that the demonic craziness is real, I feel that the whole thing with him acting like the craziness of Inferno does make Jameson look like a bit of an idiot. He lives in a world where people can literally be born with superpowers, and aliens and magic exist, but he can't believe tons of credible witnesses saying demons are attacking the city? Heck, I'm surprised he wasn't blaming Spider-Man for the Inferno! Still it's a minor complaint, but it does stick out to me.

If you want to read this for yourself, as I said in my review of Spectacular Spider-Man #139 (June 1988), I recommend getting the trade paperback The Amazing Spider-Man: Tombstone. It's a great trade that captures a fun era of Spider-Man. I love this trade.

Next time, the Crisis on Infinite Earths rages on!

Spectacular Spider-Man #139 (June 1988)

By the late 1980s, Spider-Man had shown himself to be one of Marvel's most popular characters. He was such a hit with readers that he actually had three ongoing series around him and his supporting cast: his main title Amazing Spider-Man, Web of Spider-Man (which replaced Marvel Team-Up. This title is also known for first teasing the eventual appearance of Venom), and the title we're going to look at here: Spectacular Spider-Man.

At the time of this issue, Gerry Conway had been writing the book. He wanted to focus on the lesser-known characters in Spider-Man's supporting cast, as many of the main members of the cast, like Aunt May, Mary Jane Watson, and J. Jonah Jameson, got spotlight in Amazing. He also had a desire to give Spidey a ruthless gangster much like the old Spidey villain Hammerhead, but not Hammerhead himself. And thus, Tombstone was born. His storyline would go over quite well with readers, and the albino gangster would be a menace to New York since.

But how did Tombstone come to be in the Marvel Universe itself? What made him into the gangster he is today? Well, let's find out as we take a look at Spectacular Spider-Man #139! 

The cover is really awesome. The stark white cover makes you focus directly on the man himself. The facial expression, the way he holds his hands, the bodies at his feet. It all gives the message that this is a man who is not to be messed with. The cover does a great job selling how scary Tombstone can be. I can imagine he killed on these men on the cover with his bare hands.

"Grave Memory"
Writer: Gerry Conway
Penciller: Sal Buscema
Letterer: Rick Parker
Colorist: Bob Sharen
Editor: Jim Salicrup
Editor-in-Chief: Tom DeFalco

The story begins with, well, a dark and stormy night. Peter Parker is swinging through the city, just on his way to Robbie Robertson's office, and he just dodged a sniper's bullet.

Thank everything for the Spider-Sense. Spidey spots the gunman and swings after him. The sniper tries to flee, but Spidey webs the door, and flashes the Spider-Signal at him. Spidey demands to know who hired him, but the sniper refuses to tell him, so he gets knocked out by a light tap from the Webhead. When the sniper wakes up, he finds himself hung from a flagpole.

Spidey warns him the rain might make the web melt, so he'd better start talking. The gunman quickly explains that it was a blind hire. All he was told was he was supposed to shoot Robbie Robertson. Spidey just was in the way. Typical Parker luck. Spidey swings away, telling the gunman that the cops will pick him up. As for the melting webbing...Spidey lied. Heh.

Spidey arrives, realizing that "blind hire" is an underworld term. Basically, someone anonymously hired the sniper to kill Robertson. That leaves Spidey with a big question: Who would want Robbie Robertson dead that badly? Peter finds Robbie's office deserted, except for a file folder and a cassette deck. Yeah, it was the 80s. The Wall-Crawler notices that the tape has his name on it. Curious, he plays it.

The tape is of Robbie speaking. He's got another commitment to fulfill tonight, so he made this tape to explain to Peter why he's not there to meet him. Robbie has a confession to make, one that could destroy his career. Since Peter works freelance, he has no vested interest in protecting either Robbie or the Daily Bugle itself. Well, Peter does care for Robbie and the Bugle seems to be the only paper that will hire him, so maybe he has something of a vested interest. But what is this confession Robbie has to make?

A figure known as "Tombstone" is back in town, and there are some deaths connected to him. Robertson clearly blames himself for those deaths, to the point where he considers himself an accessory to those murders. He hears Daily Bugle City Editor Kate Cushing calling for Robbie, and Spidey decides its time to make himself scarce. She and J. Jonah Jameson arrive at Robbie's office and find it deserted. They're worried about him. Thing about Jameson, he can be a loud skinflint with serious envy issues towards Spider-Man, but he is capable of caring about others.

The scene shifts to a building owned by Wilson Fisk, aka the Kingpin. A man named Roland Rayburn is getting himself slapped around the pale powerhouse known only as Tombstone. The Arranger, Kingpin's right-hand man, has followed Rayburn's career as a Wall Street trader for several months, and it's allowed him to make a discovery. You see, Rayburn is a mutant, with the power to persuade people to do what he asked them.

However, Rayburn thinks the Arranger is crazy. And Tombstone gives him another whack for it. Rayburn tries to convince the Arranger to release him. It starts to work, but Tombstone points out he's using his power. Realizing this, Arranger shakes it off, and Tombstone dislocates Rayburn's arm. He then gets a call from Robbie Robertson.

Tombstone leaves, as he has some personal business with Robbie in Battery Park in an hour. A nurse comes in and helps fix up Rayburn. The Arranger states that Rayburn's power will be used in the Kingpin's service, one way or another. Spider-Man swings through the city, listening to Robbie's cassette. Robbie has been keeping a secret for thirty years. Back in high school, Robbie Robertson was editor of the school's newspaper. He was over the moon, as he got a scholarship to the Columbia School of Journalism. His teen years did have a dark side, embodied in one Lonnie Thompson Lincoln.

Born an albino, Lincoln's pale appearance made him the object of mockery and torment by other kids. He would be given the nickname "Tombstone" because...well, he looked like a tall slab of rock. However, he was bigger and tougher than the other kids, and often would physically abuse others in response. However, he did consider Robbie Robertson a friend...in his own way. On a Friday night, Robbie was finishing up work on the school paper. When he left, the school was empty...expect for Tombstone.

The big albino found Robbie and dragged him outside. He's learned that Robbie is writing an article about him in the school paper. Tombstone at the time was very worried about his image. Robbie tells him he can find out by reading the school paper. Tombstone doesn't like what's being written about him, and he expresses his issue in the only way he knows how.

He decides that he considers Robbie a friend. Lincoln's idea of friendship is basically, "Do what I say, and I won't beat the tar out of you.", though. As such, he considers Robbie a friend. Tombstone's beating has an effect, and Robbie kills the story. From then, he vowed to never do that again. But in his own words, "Kids are so naïve."

Eight years later, Robbie was married and working for a paper in Philadelphia. He worked the night desk, so any tips he got usually were from wacky people. However, he got a serious call once. A tipster called, saying he saw who killed a local crime figure named Ozzy Montana. He wants Robbie to meet him, as he feels the phone is unsafe. Robbie arrives at the tipster's location, only to find...

Tombstone got to the tipster first, taunting Robbie by winking at him. The old nightmare of Robbie's past came roaring back into his life. Utterly terrified, Robbie fled. He managed to make it home, but Tombstone gives him a call, telling him he does good work. He knew how much of a monster the man was, and he was understandably afraid. Eventually, Robbie would go to New York and be hired by the Daily Bugle. He would spend the next twenty years following Tombstone's career as a Philly mob enforcer. He would get arrested, but never tried. Presumably due to the big pale powerhouse's talents for intimidation and murder.

Robertson then recalls when he saw Tombstone outside a pub near South Street. This happened in Web of Spider-Man #36 (March 1988). All of Robertson's old fears came roaring back. The monster that was Tombstone was haunting him again, and he lost his focus. He would encounter and speak with his old bully again in Spectacular Spider-Man #137 (April 1988). On this night, he was at a bar that Daily Bugle employees regularly frequented. He overheard Ben Urich discussing Tombstone, explaining that the man had been rumored to be hired by the Kingpin. Robertson snaps at Urich, saying that reporters deal with facts, not rumors.

He goes outside and spots a newspaper stand, showing a paper with a headline about Tombstone. He angrily punches the stand, and holds his bleeding, injured hand. He blames himself for all the deaths Tombstone caused. Robertson believes that if he had faced down the hitman twenty years earlier, when maybe those people would be alive. He can't change the past, but he's going to end this. He's going to make sure Tombstone never kills anyone else again.

Spider-Man bursts into the Arranger's office, demanding to know where Tombstone is. Arranger states that Tombstone is not under Fisk's employ. Spider-Man doubts this, but if that is the truth, then the Arranger is off the hook. Arranger warns Spider-Man that this is pure speculation on his part, but he suggests that the Webhead check Battery Park.

The Arranger's speculation is right on target, as Robertson meets Tombstone there. The two share some small talk, and Robbie pulls a gun on the gangster. Tombstone is amused by this, and lunges at the reporter. Robbie shoots him, but Tombstone was wearing a bulletproof vest under his suit. He decides to give Robertson a break, for old times' sake.

A break in his spine. Spider-Man swings into the park, where he hears Robbie's scream. He finds the man lying on the ground in pain, and Tombstone has seemingly vanished. He tries to help Robbie up, but Robertson's back injury makes that a problem. And that's how the story ends.

This issue was really good. I liked that we got a look back at the younger years of one of the Daily Bugle's regular cast members. The Tombstone storyline helped give the character of Robbie Robertson, in my opinion, much more prominence in the Spider-Mythos. Sal Buscema at this point had been an old veteran artist for Marvel, having drawn for the company for about two decades. His experience shines through in the issue. I especially like the way he draws facial expressions.

Tombstone himself would go on to be a further source of torment in Robbie Robertson's life, including making life for Robbie in prison miserable (Robertson was jailed by a crooked judge for suppression of evidence). He would also go on to have encounters with Daredevil and the Punisher, and even gain superpowers of his own. In Web of Spider-Man #66-68 (July-September 1990), Robertson shot Tombstone at the Osborn Chemical Plant, trapping him in a chamber filled with an experimental gas. The gas mutated Tombstone, giving him superhuman strength and durability. In gratitude for this, he ended his vendetta with the reporter.

He would also be part of a supervillain legacy. His daughter Janice would go on to be the second woman to wear the armor of the Beetle.

Tombstone himself is not one of the most famous of Spider-Man's rogues, but he isn't completely obscure either, as he has appeared in other media. He appeared in the 1990s cartoon Spider-Man: The Animated Series as a mob enforcer, voiced by Darian Harewood. His albinism in that series was a side effect of his gaining his powers. He would also appear in 2008's The Spectacular Spider-Man, voiced by Keith David and Kevin Michael Richardson. This version was portrayed as a Kingpin-esque mob boss who posed as a philanthropist in the public eye. Interestingly, he was amalgamated with another mob boss Spidey faced in the comics: The Big Man. If you want to read this yourself, I recommend picking up the trade paperback The Amazing Spider-Man: Tombstone. You won't regret it. It's some good late 80s Spidey.

Next time, we return to the DCU as the Crisis on Infinite Earths takes the fight to the beginning of time..."