Getting a hold of this one was a real challenge. When I finally found a copy I could afford, it was this UK edition (somehow). The only difference is the currency in the corner box, so that’s fine with me! Look, it’s got a coffee ring on the cover. I didn’t notice before now. Classy. Last issue (Covered some 5 years ago!), Spidey fought some guys with magnet shoes in the beginning of the issue that didn’t end up being part of the plot. And here they are on the cover of this one. Ditko’s gone wild and added running plot elements to the series! And for that, he’s punished by losing his plot credit this month, I guess, ‘cuz it’s gone.
These guys are making me feel vindicated about something really dumb and obscure, but I can’t talk about it yet. Guess they get their gas from the same store as Crime-Master.
Spidey outwits his archnemesis, gas. The Master Planner! I think who that is has been spoiled on the blog, more than once, but I’m gonna act like it hasn’t. Back in the chopper, all the goons are just flooding the space with gas, assuming Spidey can’t hold his breath forever, and he can’t. So he webs a piece of the door he broke and chucks it into the rotors. That’ll change a goon’s perspective. The chopper goes into the drink, but since Spidey doesn’t know The Master Planner has a secret underwater base yet, he’s really puzzled when no one surfaces from the crash. He swims down to save them, only to find the chopper empty. The Master Planner, speaking from inside long shots of his base, says he didn’t expect Spider-Man and no one must know who he really is and I’m certain this came up just recently. A lot of secret identity villains lately. Green Goblin, Crime-Master, Master Planner. Anyway…
But later, as Peter’s getting ready to go to bed, May collapses. Dr. Bromwell comes to help, but doesn’t know what’s wrong, so Aunt May is taken to the hospital. She responds well to medication, but is still very weak, and all she’s worried about is how Peter should be in bed for his first day of school.
A rough start with the new gang! Including Mr. No Name Zero Shirt Man. Harry decides they should play a prank on him, because “me and Flash Thompson both hate squares!” Gwen is against it. We’re right back where we were in high school. Peter’s doing an experiment, but so wrapped up in worrying about May he barely notices Gwen being sent to distract him.
They have no idea what’s wrong with Aunt May, and have to keep her for tests. Her doctor tells Peter at her age, “we just can’t be too optimistic,” and also that he can’t let her know how bad it is. Jeez, doc! Then he goes home and finds a mailbox full of bills. Classic Peter Parker stuff. So, he feels he has no choice but to try to go make some news. But true to his luck, he’s out all night and comes up empty. And then he has to go to school on no sleep. He once again ignores everyone, Gwen still sticking up for him. Meanwhile, at The Daily Bugle, JJJ’s demanding everyone find some news. He wants Foswell to look into all these scientific robberies by the purple goons, and wants to know why Peter hasn’t been in lately. Betty doesn’t know, either. Ned comes by to see if she’ll say yes to his marriage proposal, but she thinks she can’t until she finds out what secret Peter keeps from her. Soon, Foswell, in his goofy guise as “Patch,” overhears a goon he knows asking what’s coming into the docks tonight, and being told “nuclear devices,” and knows something is up. And then, back at school, Gwen Stacy tries her best to talk to Peter Parker, who once again brushes her off.
And so, Spider-Man is on the scene when the purple patrol comes up out of the water and gasses some guys. Spidey is quickly gassed himself, but he’s prepared and dives through the cloud, punching out goons as he goes. And he leaps around taking out goons, one of them maneuvers a huge cargo net over him and drops it.
What a dense issue! So much going on, so many subplots, new characters, and still 2 fight scenes! They don’t make ‘em like that anymore, altho in this case, that’s maybe for the best. Perhaps a little overcrowded this month. Things heat up next month as we run headlong toward one of the most famous issues of Spider-Man ever. Dapper Don McGregor gets another letter in the back of this issue. He was not the first correspondent to be very taken with the title “Bring Back My Goblin To Me.” Very popular.