MTU 97 wasn’t a Spider-Man comic, so this is the next issue for our purposes. And I am baffled to say it’s got a story by Marv Wolfman. What is going on? I thought he quit Marvel. Roger McKenzie scripts over Marv’s plot for pencils by Will Meugniot, inks by Bruce Patterson and colors by Bob Sharen. On page 1, Spider-Man has randomly come across Black Widow watching some guys load a van.
Weirdly combative. Seems like a real wave of Ditko-eqsue Spider-Men lately from many different artists. Spidey rides on top of the van to their hideout, leaving Natasha behind despite this being her thing. Goons say their haul is worth millions and “the hit’s on for tomorrow night.”
I think at this time, Roger McKenzie is writing Daredevil, so he should have a good feel for Natasha. I have no idea who this Simon is she works with. As things are looking wrapped up, the local leader of the baddies sets the place on fire, causing a huge explosion Spidey has to tackle Black Widow out of. He not only killed most of his men, but as Simon runs out to tackle him, the leader shoot shim in the gut. A goon says he just winged him, and they take Simon as a hostage. Believing they killed Spider-Man and Black Widow, they take off. Inside, Spidey has kept them form dying, but they’re pinned behind a collapsed wall and the heat is rising.
That Trout guy wakes up to find himself dangling from The Brooklyn Bridge, and is scared into telling the Spider folks gangs are teaming up under a mysterious leader. What, like in the Vulture story in TAC? They drop him off at a police station on their way, then split up to look for clues around town. Spidey tries to be cavalier to lift Natasha’s spirits, and she thinks he’s insensitive and only this for the thrills. Whoops. Spider-Man learns of a meeting of top goons at “Long Tom Stoneham’s estate,” that being some famous smuggler. Black Widow whups a bunch of dudes and gets more info out of them.
Oh, hey, continuity. MTU 73 may have been almost 2 years before this issue, but it was on the blog relatively recently. Owl’s so intent on killing Spider-Man Black Widow almost sneaks up on him, but then his goons come busting in and start shooting, so it’s a big brawl. Back in the other room, Simon just decides to snap all the ropes binding him. He couldn’t have done that earlier? Tho he says his side is killing him, he has to go try to help. Back at the fight, Owl’s zapping at Natasha now, and shoots through the line she’s swinging on.
An abrupt ending, but I guess everything turned out. This issue felt pretty rushed. A lot to do in a small space. Speaking of endings, we’ve reached the end of this block, and thus, the end of this era. Another one in the books. Next post, we return to 1986 for more endlessly dragging out the Hobgoblin mystery and other shenanigans.