Suddenly, Roger Stern is back to finish this weird story, and he’s joined by the late, great Marie Severin. Apparently Marie was meant to be the new regular artist on this title, but her many duties in the Marvel Bullpen prevented her from long runs on any title for her decades with the company, so she pops in and out. We join the story already in progress from last issue, as the Vulture now going to kill a helpless Spider-Man like he said last time, to seal his attempt to control the mob. The New York underworld sure seems to change hands a lot in the absence of the Kingpin. People in this era only do mob stories if someone else has taken over the mob, or is trying to. Anyway, Spider-Man probably ought to work on breaking out of this trap.
Meanwhile:
Marie Severin was known for her chameleonic artwork, able to mimic other artists, a fine cartoonist and caricaturist in her own right, a real jack of all trades. Here she seems to be both trying to follow the look established last issue and going for a Ditko feel, which last issue also kind of had. Black Alfred only appears in these 2 issues, so if he took over from Boss Morgan after MTU 88, it happened off panel. But, as things go sour with Alfred, Spider-Man smashes through the wall, and the fire from the furnace quickly sends the place ablaze.
Spidey smashes through the ceiling, then shoots a web down for the others to climb out, complaining and in-0fighting the whole time. So ungrateful. Once everyone’s safely outside, Spidey webs them all to a street lamp for the cops. Vulture and his nephew regroup in an alley, but unfortunately for them, Alfred fled to the same place. He goes to shoot an unsuspecting Vulture, but Malachai sees him and jumps in front of the bullet.
Then it’s an all-out battle with an elderly crazy person. I’ll never really be able to buy the Vulture as a villain, no matter how many times Spider-Man thinks about how his power pack makes him super strong. It’s just silly. Then the cops show up and it’s time once again for “Spider-Man shoots a web on the Vulture and gets flown around behind him.” Like every Vulture fight. I am getting a little off track, I guess. They fly all over town trading punches and insults in a prolonged fight scene, and eventually crash into Grand Central Station, where the fight gets closer.
Vulture flying into a window like a bird is pretty funny. I wonder if that was Marie’s idea. So our hero won the day, but he’s left feeling down about it. The ol’ Parker luck. And so, in typical this-blog fashion, Stern’s 2nd issue of TAC is also the last issue I had to read. Pretty confusing. Next up: an unusual detour.