As has been mentioned, 70s comics always wanted you to think the hero couldn’t possibly win against the villain, while pitting him against some really terrible villains. It was a hard sell. The idea that Silverman is a factor in this at all is hilarious. “I’ll never be able to defeat my most dangerous foe AND a regular senior citizen!” Mike Esposito returns this month. The Goblin is all set to turn Spider-Man over to the mob when someone shoots him out of the sky with a bazooka. Just another Friday night in New York!
Silvermane has stationed goons all over town to try to beat the Goblin at his own game. They shot the ordinance at him, and now they’ve followed the falling hero to the dumpster he’s unconscious in and fish him out.
Andru does a lot of physical comedy in this period, and that steering wheel bit is pretty great.
Note that Peter’s wearing the same coat he’s had for Andru’s whole long run on the title, notably scene in the big kiss from ASM 143. That consistency is really cool, even if I doubt many people noticed it back then, reading these things months apart, in an era when getting every issue of a book wasn’t easy and most people didn’t read comics for long, anyway. It’s a nice touch, tho! The Goblin returns to his hideout to get new gear and taunt his prisoner some more before heading out to kill Silvermane, who he’d planted a tracker on. He slaps the hooded figure around and says he’s kept him alive because he feels like he owes him something, but he may share Silverman’s fate. Then he leaves.
I miss the days of Robbie being a father figure to Peter. It’s a great dynamic, long abandoned. Silvermane is attending a show at Radio City Music Hall, and The Goblin has chosen this crowded venue to get his revenge. Back at the hospital, the docs tell Peter Aunt May will be fine as long as she doesn’t exert herself. Then Robbie gets a call from JJJ at the desk telling him to tell Peter to go cover the chaos at Radio City Music Hall. Robbie doesn’t want to to it, but then says, as long as the news is good and there’s nothing Peter can do here, it might help keep his mind off it. So he agrees to go. We cut to GG’s captive inching close to the damaged goblin glider on the floor to try to cut his bonds, and then back to Peter reaching the riot Goblin is causing. He gets suited up and then, just before The Goblin can execute Silvermane, a web yoinks him off his glider.
Silvermane: Muscle Grandpa! They’ve totally given up on our hero’s danger sense, seems like. Silvermane dives for his gun and tries to shoot his costumed adversaries, and then Goblin has his glider swoop in, hops on and drags Silvermane up into the air with him. Spidey webs on to give chase.
Last issue’s cover was the last page, and this issue’s is the 2nd-to-last. Really spoilin’ things, guys. So. The Green Goblin isn’t Harry Osborn. Which… leaves only one, totally ridiculous, completely implausible person who could be under the mask. We’ll see how that goes next time.