Weird cover, weird copy. But it’s probably the best they could do, given what’s going on here. This month, story and art are both credited to “The Hon. John Byrne” for some reason, but Mackie hangs in there to script. Al Milgrom inks, Joe Rosas colors.
It’s gonna be that kinda comic. Swinging around, Spidey thinks that stalker business is “done with.” Did they find a body? These issues have such abrupt endings lately. Then he stumbles on an armored car robbery and does his thing. Meanwhile, MJ is preparing to leave on yet another trip, and she thinks Peter’s forgotten. Aunt May says she can’t just leave with all that’s going on between them.
“Me you, too” is an odd turn of phrase. That guy tied up below is Rocket Racer, and the other guy has pretended to be his friend to steal his gear. He reveals he’s working for someone and takes off in the Rocket Racer gear. Who… would sign off on perhaps months of getting friendly with Rocket Racer just to steal his stuff? Like, just put a rocket on your own skateboard. MJ hops a cab, feeling safe now that her attacker is blowed up, and Spider-Man swings around thinking he’s got it pretty good and should take better care of his life. Then he gets home and finds out MJ’s flight he thought was tomorrow is today. Hey, at least he wasn’t choosing the lives of 2 villains over hers this time.
Fake Rocket Racer spots Spider-Man and decides to go fight him? What? And we see that random guy from page 1, Harry Sloan, working in a diner. Ok. Spider-Man stops a mugging as fast as possible WHILE rehashing his origin to explain as cops burst into the home of the real Rocket Racer who “dialed 911 with his tongue,” and who warns them the stolen skateboard has been supercharged and that guy doesn’t know what he has. Ok!
Fauxket Racer is about to get after Spider-Man when Harry Sloan opens the back door of the diner to take out the trash and he crashes right into it. Uh… ok. No fight for that guy. Will we ever know what he was about? I think the answer is “no,” but that’s just the kind of sloppy this run has going on. Anyway…
Yeah, they did that. Now, I have no way of knowing what was going on behind the scenes here. I haven’t read anything about this period, not sure if any material exists. But as far as anyone reading knew, they sure wanted you to think they just killed Mary Jane. Did they? We’ll have to see. But as far as anyone knows in the books, Mary Jane Watson is dead. And as yet, even Peter doesn’t know…