JRJR is paired with the legendary Fantastic Four inker Joe Sinnott as the new “art team supreme” starting this issue. And things are already in high gear on page one, as Rupert Dockery is prepping a team of goons to attack a meeting at the Daily Globe! Alright. So all this business is finally coming to a head. Cut to Peter Parker out for a walk with Deb Whitman who’s going to see a psychic called Madame Web. Hey, we saw her on the cover!
Peter doesn’t buy into the whole psychic bit, but he has to go to a staff meeting at the Globe, so he can’t hang around to see what happens. When he gets there, the elevators are out, so he Spideys his way up. Meanwhile, the mysterious publisher of the Globe, KJ Clayton, finally stands revealed, and she says she’s here to turn control of the paper over to Dockery. Right about then, his goons bust in.
And then, of course, Spider-Man smashes through the window. He beats up a bunch of them, but some still escape with Clayton, thanks to Dockery “accidentally” getting in Spidey’s way. But…
“That fake Deb was falling for!” So repectful. Spidey swings on over to Madame Web’s apartment, and here she is:
The crazy equipment is all that’s keeping her alive, she says. Spidey hands her the flyer from the Globe and she is able to tell him it belonged to a recent student of hers, and actress who’s taken a job that has put her in danger. It’s “KJ Clayton” from earlier, of course, but Web senses danger for both her student and the real KJ.
Look at that perfect, classical Spider-Man. Between Romita, Jr. taking after his dad and the inks of a legit titan of the biz like Sinnott, it doesn’t get much better. Anyway, Web sees the actress near a pile of trains, but can’t say more. Spidey, now totally on board with her powers, rushes off. Peter owes Deb an apology (Or forty). The actress in question is being held by the goons in a toy store, next to a pile of toy trains. She was hired by them for this job, but is now being held until further notice. Back at the Globe’s penthouse suite, Dockery lays out his plan…
The he tells the goons to kill the actress, but Spider-Man’s on the case. He tells them how he found them…
A little hard to believe, but sure. He saves the actress, but she lets him know that Dockery is gonna kill Clayton, so he’s off again. He gets to the Globe to find the penthouse on fire. He scoops the real Clayton up and swings her down to the street, where Dockery thinks he can just drive away.
He cannot. Dockery is ready to confess after this, and so we cut to Peter Parker at home, reading the New York Times…
Peter helped himself right out of a job. The ol’ Parker luck. Then Madame Web calls. She knows who he is, thanks to her powers, but vows to keep his secret. She’s calling to tell him that even now, someone wants to employ him. That someone being JJJ, who can’t call Peter because his line is busy. Feel like Madame Web should have seen that coming and stayed off the phone. I guess psychics do as they please.