This issue opens with Spider-Man swinging around Atlanta. What? Yes. Rather betraying the era Conway started out in, this is one of those where we start in the middle and then flashback to how last issue’s cliffhanger resolved. Spidey’s actually swinging around holding Robbie’s tape in one hand, which seems like it would make things tough, internal monologuing that one way or another, he’s finishing things with Tombstone tonight. Then he finally gets around to flashing back to the hospital, running to the emergency room to find MJ rather less injured than it was implied last issue.
A flashback within a flashback! Nice of Tombstone to take MJ to the hospital, I guess? Weird, weird interaction. It’s also him on the phone, and he knows Peter will be in ATL tomorrow for a Webs book signing, so he says they’ll meet there. Flashback complete, Spider-Man approaches the place they agreed to meet, thinking how he tried to let The Punisher know about this meeting in case something went wrong, but he couldn’t get ahold of him. That, of course, is because he’s being rigorously brainwashed by The Persuader, in an intense display of his power.
Well, that sure seems like a bad thing. Elsewhere in New York, Joe Robertson is beginning physical therapy. He insists Tombstone broke his back even as the therapist assures him that’s not true. Randy is there to cheer him on, trying to hide how scared he is to see his dad so defeated. Then things get weird, as Robbie starts hallucinating.
There’s our Robbie! But wait, the rest of this page goes completely insane:
This woman who looks like Gwen Stacy is attacked by a flying machine whose occupants say The High Evolutionary wants her intact, but she escapes into a sewer, thinking Peter will save her. If this seems incredibly random and weird, well, that’s only because it is. We’ll get back to that weird detour eventually in an upcoming TAC Annual. Back in ATL, Spidey’s been waiting 40 minutes at a construction site for Tombstone, who finally appears trying to hit him with a crane.
While Tombstone tells Spidey how he’s always wanted to fight a superhero, we intercut with Robbie telling his wife, Randy, JJJ, Ben Urich & Kate Cushing the whole story about his past with Tombstone.
As Robbie reveals his dark secret, in spite of just being a talk guy swinging a pole, Tombstone somehow really beats the crap out of Spider-Man. For a bit, anyway.
Spidey really punches the whole hell outta Tombstone in classic Sal Buscema fashion, and then dumps him in some wet cement. As Spidey finishes up the fight, Robbie tells the assembled Bugle staff that he had his wife call The Justice Department so he can give a deposition, and he’s resigning as Editor-in-Chief of The Bugle.
JJJ always comes through in a tough times. The Arranger may be disappointed with Tombstone, but as the issue ends, we see he’s got his new toy, The Punisher, all ready to go, so things are going to get ugly around here pretty soon. But first, we should finally get back to Web of Spider-Man.