Web of Spider-Man #2

0.65 USD @ May 1985

"Treasures!"

Writer: Louise Simonson
Illustrator: Greg LaRocque
Inker: Jim Mooney
Colorist: D.R. Martin
Letterer: Phil Felix
Editor: Jim Owsley

Synopsis: The Vulturions group vowed to have another rematch with Spider-Man. This time they will utilize poisoned darts from a blow gun.

A week later, Spider-Man is swinging through Manhattan still thinking about his battle with his costume the previous issue. He shot a web to a pickpocket's hand preventing theft in the streets of Manhattan while he was swinging away in deep thought. And he was thinking who were the Vulturions that he encountered in the previous issue also. Anyways, he was on the way to the hospital to visit Aunt May, but not before he bought her a hat as a present.

Elsewhere, the group of Vulturions were flying above the city and practiced shooting their blowguns to the civilians below with good results as they hit their targets, including a policeman on foot patrol.

Meanwhile at the Daily Bugle, J. Jonah Jameson and Robbie Robertson were doing their usual argument. Peter Parker arrived and was welcomed by Jameson, as he had Peter in mind to provide pictures for a new secret publishing venture he had in mind. Peter apologized to Robbie that he didn't mean to walk in on them, while another employee came running in to report to Robbie that Vulture Men above the sky where shooting darts from the sky and almost killed the people they hit. Peter Parker went someplace to change to his Spider-Man costume and swung away in search of the Vulturions.

Elsewhere, the Vulturions took to the sky, with the leader telling the crew they will have the media see them take down Spider-Man so The Kingpin can see them on television and hire them as well. And after a a while, they found Spider-Man swinging through Manhattan skyline. Unknown to him, he is being followed by the Vulturions who are keeping their distance before they pounce right where they think he'll be for someone's view.

Inside a Manhattan Skyscraper, The Kingpin of Crime was watching television when he received a phone call from one of his men. He told The Kingpin that the winged Vulture Men who did the robbery in the previous issue where applying for a job with him, and they claimed they will destroy Spider-Man in his view from his skyscraper. Good news thought the Kingpin, he can get rid of that menace. And we see his softer side towards his wife, as she improved as the film they're watching made her smile, and perhaps to a recovery where she can recover her voice.

He looked outside his window, and just in time to witness as the Vulturions pounched on an unsuspecting Spider-Man, whose Spider-sense warned him in the nick of time and was able to avoid the darts from the Vulturions blowgun attack. And maneuvering in the sky while gripping his webbings, he was able to take pictures of the action while pouncing and taking down three of the five Vulturions, but he got hit by a dart by one of the two remaining men, making him groggy.

In a home in Queens, Aunt May is with Nate, her boyfriend, as they were talking about their financial difficulties and that she and Peter are not on speaking terms, thus Peter not knowing she has been released from the hospital.

Meanwhile, back in the battle, a groggy Spider-Man continued to battle the remaining Vulturions when he dropped Aunt May's hat and elected to temporarily quit the battle to go after the falling hat. The Kingpin witness this happen and thought it was very odd. But Vanessa Fisk appeared bothered by the commotion outside, and this pissed off the Kingpin. He vowed Spider-Man will punish the Vulturions for this, if not, then he will. Spider-Man recovered the hat but got hit with another dart in his back. He maneuvered with the other arm and stuck a webbing on the other Vulturion and got the dart and threw it at him. He dropped the hat again and went after the last Vulturion and took him down but he also crashed below in the street as the hat disappeared with the wind carrying it elsewhere. Kingpin was satisfied that Spider-Man won the battle against the five winged men. And he went back to look after his wife but vowed he will take down Spider-Man one of these days, but he's glad that Spider-Man got rid of his enemies today. He ordered a chopper and left the building. Spider-Man regained consciousness an hour later and was surprised The Kingpin didn't attack him as his Skyscraper was nearby. He found Aunt May's hat, but still thought who were behind the Vulturions.

Comments: This is a pretty standard group of villains that wanted to showcase them taking down a superhero like Spider-Man to gain employment with the crime lord of New York City. The battle is interesting in that it took longer than usual as Spider-Man was busy trying to recover Aunt May's hat which he kept losing during the battle. And it also show's Spider-Man's resistant to poison, even though he was groggy when he got hit by the darts and even lost consciousness. He was still able to recover consciousness. And let's not forget the deus ex-machina that Spider-Man was unconscious for an hour, and The Kingpin didn't even have someone investigate and kill and unconscious Spider-Man. Perhaps he was too concerned for his wife's welfare. Really?

Web of Spider-Man #4

0.65 USD @ July 1985

"Arms and the Man"

Writer: Danny Fingeroth
Illustrator: Greg LaRocque
Inker: Vince Colletta
Colorist: Julianna Ferriter
Letterer: Phil Felix
Editor: Jim Owsley
Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter

Synopsis: In the evening somewhere in NYC, Spider-Man followed the criminals to their warehouse headquarters. He webbed up the warehouse lift gate, and then projected his belt's Spider-beam warning the criminals. Then he took them out one-by-one in the dark as he was too fast for them. They were shooting and missing while Spider-Man connected with his punches and kicks while providing the classic Spider-Man wit. He took down everyone with the exception of one who took one of the trucks and tried running Spider-Man over, which he avoided. The truck crashed through the gate and escaped in the streets of NYC with Spider-Man in pursuit and attaching himself to the truck's roof. The driver tried to get rid of Spider-Man by ramming the bottom part of an overpass ahead, but Spider-Man's spider sense warned him in advanced and commenced a maneuver where he ended up kicking the driver off his seat and driving the truck to a stop causing more damage, and waited for the arrival of a police car who can then secure the knocked out criminal.

Again, Spider-Man retrieved his camera which was webbed up to a side of a building which took pictures of Spider-Man in action.

He took the pictures the following day to the Daily Bugle. He had a little chit-chat with Betty Brant, not letting her know he knew she had bigger problems. He then proceeded to Robbie Robertson's office, who turned down the pictures he was selling because the quality of the lighting at night won't even print well in the newspaper, besides seeing the same thing of Spider-Man taking care of two-bit hoodlums.

On his way out, Peter dropped the pictures because he bumped into J. Jonah Jameson who picked up the pictures and liked what he saw. If the pictures can be portrayed with Spider-Man as a menace, he can use these pictures for his special project in reviving Now Magazine. He can feature double paged spreads showcasing Spider-Man as a menace.

Downstairs, Peter couldn't stand working for JJJ again, but he can actually make a bundle of money. Perhaps he should invest on better camera equipment and take a photography course in ESU to strengthen his photography skills and be serious about it.

In a south Brooklyn psychiatric facility, Dr. Octopus is having a therapeutic session with one of the psychiatrists. It appeared to be progressing well and being productive Dr. Octopus can be released. We find out that Reed Richards tried to help him get started to a more productive and rehabilitated life, until his obsession with Spider-Man put an end to all that. At this time he's confused but the psychiatrist is endeavoring to help the super-villain be mentally rehabilitated in order to rejoin society in general. Other workers in the facility thinks it would take a miracle to rehab Doctor Octopus. Escorted to his room, Dr. Octopus slept but then woke up and saw a spider and its webs in the corner ceiling. This brought him a flashback battling Spider-Man and losing to him in their most recent battle, and his experience of seeing the Molecule Man's enormous power of bringing them home from the Secret Wars world. His hallucinations caused his robotic octopus arms to power up and react since he is linked to them psionically.

The eerily crazed movements of the secured robotic arms were not taken seriously by the facility's guards, downplaying them and will not hurt anyone.

Meanwhile Dr. Octopus's paranoia gets the best of him as the spider before him brought back memories of Dr. Octopus being tortured by being trapped in webbings. The robotic armed crashed through a wall and broke free, while Dr. Octopus regained his super-villain rage and squashed the spider in his hands, bringing the psyche of the super-villain Dr. Octopus back to life.

At the same time, the robotic octopus arms broke through another wall making its way to the corridors. Guards sounded the alarm, and more armed security guards rushed to where the robotic arms escaped the maximum security holding cells. They battled it but to no avail. It took down several of the guards, then broke out of the building and into the streets.

Doctors and orderlies went to Octavius's room and injected him with a sedative thus putting him to sleep.

Meanwhile, in the streets of NYC, the robotic octopus arms made its way to Brooklyn while leaving a carnage and mess in its wake, including downing police officers, and taking down cybernetic battle armored law enforcement personnel.

At the Brooklyn psychiatric facility holding Dr. Octopus, law enforcement now knows the robotic octopus arms are heading their way, and get ready to try and guard and prevent the Dr. Octopus being sprung by using S.H.I.E.L.D. weaponry.

In Lower Manhattan, Peter Parker tried to buy more expensive camera equipment but couldn't afford it. He overheard on a radio broadcast regarding the robotic octopus arms causing havoc in the streets of NYC. He left money and took the gadget with the police band broadcast and changed to his costume and swung to pursue the problem, as he swung towards the Brooklyn Bridge to crossover.

Meanwhile, the robotic octopus arms arrived and broke an unconscious Dr. Octopus out of the holding cell with the armed guards and law enforcement unable and inept to preventing this break out. Spider-Man arrived at just about the same time and battled the robotic octopus arms, but it caused ceilings to collapse on workers. Spider-Man allowed it and the unconscious Dr. Octopus to escape as he held and prevented the collapsed ceiling to crush and kill the workers on the floor.

In a an empty apartment room, Dr. Octopus slowly woke up, and he summoned his robotic octopus arms to come to him. He realized he subconsciously called them when he had the hallucinations. These were the instruments that have saved him, and has also been the instrument of defeat, suffering mental anguish and repeated wretched defeats at the hands of Spider-Man. He can go back to the psychiatric hospital and digging deep within himself can cure him and become the peaceful scientist he was before, but the tempting power of the robotic octopus arms, the power to make others afraid and fearful, the power of Doctor Octopus is too hard to refuse. He shall attain the peace of mind he craved... after the death of Spider-Man

Comments: Spider-Man takes a backseat in his series this issue, as the central figure in the story is Doctor Octopus. Aside from being a super-villain, he is also a sympathetic character. We found out other superheroes like Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four tried to help Octavius in the right path to mental recovery in order to rejoin society as he was before becoming a super-villain. Unfortunately, his paranoia and obsession with Spider-Man, coupled with his psionic connection with his robotic octopus arms will always prevent him from total rehabilitation. Deep down he wants to be back to the normal peaceful person he was before, but he is mentally unhinged and prefer to surrender himself to the strong temptation of making people tremble at the power of Dr. Octopus. Ironically, there is only one thing that can bring him peace of mind, the death of Spider-Man.

Thanks for taking the time to post the reviews & cover pics., etc. of WOSM. I was a mild fan of this series back in the '80's - I remember collecting the first several issues, but remember keeping up more with the ASM & PPTSSM titles (I couldn't collect all three at the time).

The iconic Charles Vess painting for the issue #1 cover is amazing; this is fantastic, and I could easily see this framed in a museum - it's that good.

I would definitely be interested in a series of Omnibuses - or Trades - collecting this entire series. AFAIK, Marvel has never collected this series in color.

Web of Spider-Man #6

0.65 USD @ September 1985

"Gold Rush!"

Writer: Danny Fingeroth
Illustrator: Mike Zeck
Inker: Mike Zeck, Bob Layton, Dave Simons, Jim Mooney
Colorist: Bob Sharen
Letterer: Phil Felix, Rick Parker
Editor: Jim Owsley
Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter

Synopsis: Wilson Fisk is with his men regarding materials needed to be tested, and to prevent a Depression Era, and at the same time make a profit. He arranged to make a call to a certain contact.

Elsewhere that night in Manhattan, Mary Jane is unable to sleep, thoughts about why being a bachelorette isn't as appealing now as someone with a husband, kids, and a house. But she had a shot with Peter Parker and she couldn't have asked for a better catch, but she figured out he's Spider-Man, and she knew she couldn't marry him because he may not come home alive one day. As she went to the kitchen to get some coffee these same thoughts crossed her mind, even when she went back to bed. Outside her window, she saw that there is a big fire several blocks from her and it's blacked out too, and wonder what is going on there.

At Park Avenue, a office building made of steel and glass was transformed into the impossible, transformed into gold. This was witnessed by Spider-man. It couldn't support its own new increased weight and collapsed on itself sank thirty yards into the ground, causing the fire and black smoke that MJ saw in the foreground from her apartment window. The disrupted electricity for miles around, ruptured gas, ruptured water mains, flooding, explosions, was watched by an unbelieving Spider-Man.

He recalled how it happened. The Beyonder appeared to him in human form and asked Spider-Man about understanding being human. Then, the Beyonder summoned Power Man & Iron Fist in its attempt to quench its thirst for understanding. Luke Cage told him life is about cash, and anyone can get just about anything, and without it, nothing. The Beyonder basically told them, "Multiplicity results in incompleteness! Incompleteness results in desire! Desire may be sated, but some must pay! Cash is for paying! Cash stands for gold, of which there is not enough! I... understand!" And with that the Beyond touched the side of the building and turned it into solid gold, then the Beyonder, Power Man, and Iron Fist disappeared.

And now back to the present, Spider-Man is challenged with saving the people inside the building. He used his wall crawling ability, gadgets (Spider-beam light from the belt), and proportionate super strength of a spider going through every inch of the building, moving and ripping golden walls to help surviving security guards that are trapped.

The building transformation to solid gold was witnessed by many New Yorkers surrounding it, from lovers on a date in a building rooftop, to drunk drivers who crashed into each others cars because of intoxication, to greedy people who want to get a closer look at the collapsed solid gold building on fire. But the majority of others were not bothered my the chaos and noise, and slept through the night.

Meanwhile, Kingpin just got off the phone with Bainbridge, an official in Washington D.C. to have hundreds of his men to take care of this problem since there's going to be chaos and panic, and the federal government forces are taking too long to be mustered. Kingpin won't allow his city, his economy, to be be jeopardized.

Bainbridge walked into the office where government officials were burning the midnight oil in a meeting, and advised them the bargain has been done with the devil. The man in charge was adamant they stay calm in this crisis, and more plans are made in Washington D.C.

Meanwhile, police squad cars arrived at the disaster scene in Park Avenue. Inside, the restless Spider-Man continued to rescue trapped security guards throughout the collapsed building. The policemen outside can't believe there aren't any mob of people with picks and axes approaching the building to get a piece. It changed quickly as hundreds of people gathered around the disaster area of the collapsed solid gold building. The policemen with guns drawn tried to keep them back. But what is a few armed policemen going to be able to do against several hundred armed goons now approaching the solid gold building.

A newly arrived government agent, Charles Anderson, who brought along a lot of armed men behind him, told the couple of police officers that he'd like them and these men to form a a human barrier around the area. Another man in a suit arrived claiming he's the building's owner, and was happy that his building has turned to its worth after seeing it made of solid gold. Unfortunately for him, Anderson told him he has a government check for him, the building owner, made in the amount of a generous assessment of the value of the building and property in its original condition. But the building belongs to the federal government now, with the building owner trying to disagree with him. Spider-Man emerged from the building with the men he rescued and noticed some of the Kingpin's goons in the crowd and wondered what's going on.

And Spider-Man witness the building owner dragged by two men, whom the government agent said will explain to him that national and world security is at stake here. Agent Anderson saw Spider-Man who is curious about how roughly they treated the building owner, told the Webslinger to take off from government property. Spider-Man agreed as soon as he sees anybody else needed rescuing, which the agent told him, they'll take care of and they'll take that responsibility. Spidey was about to tell him off when his spider-sense was going off stronger than usual. Big danger! Spider-Man dodged multiple bullets fired his way, and he jumped back inside the collapsed building. The agent told him they're not playing around, then he told his men to hold their fire.

In Aunt May's house, May told Nathan she wished that he didn't tell Peter about their money woes. She thinks he's worry-prone, unlike them old folks.

Later on, back at the now federal owned collapsed solid gold building, it is now surrounded by army tanks, helicopters overhead, constriction equipment vehicles, ambulances, and various media newspaper reporters covering the event trying to find out whether the various rumors are true about nuclear waste spillage to terrorist attack to space invasion.

Rumors don't concern the Amazing Spider-Man. He worked through the night up to just before dawn rescuing many people from unconscious children, to men and women pinned by fallen debris, and unfortunately, to people that was too late to be saved and are recently decease from this tragedy.

Getting just about everyone out of the building that needed rescuing, Spider-Man sat inside the building at dawn contemplating the events of the night, and surrounded by gold and thinking it all belonged to the government now, while the police and Kingpin's goons shot at him while rescuing these people, why couldn't that agent offer him a couple of gold coins for thanks instead of having his men and goons offer him lead bullets instead. He saw a garbage can and saw a lead notepad. Someone threw it in the garbage, if he took it, could he be prosecuted for taking garbage? He still rationalized it would be stealing. Then a trapped person asked for help, but his pockets were full of his things which were now gold. He refused to relinquish it after Spider-Man told him he had to leave it as it is no longer his property, and the ceiling suddenly collapsed. After a few seconds, Spider-Man lifted the heavy golden rubble from them, and the man left his golden items, to which Spider-Man told him to tell himself its for the greater good, almost believing what he said himself.

Outside, the dismantling of the building continued when one of the soldiers told agent Anderson the individual he wished he didn't meet just arrived in a limousine as Anderson approached it.

Spider-Man was webbing rescued people down from the top of the building and finished swung away, but noticied the limousine and overheard Anderson and the man talking, and the word "Fee" was mentioned. And Spider-Man recognized the incognito man's voice. The Kingpin. He told Anderson that several golden typewriters his men are probably bringing out now, would cover his expense for his timely assistance to the government. Pissed off, Spider-Man swung back inside the building, that criminals like the Kingpin are rewarded golden typewriters while he gets shot at for saving people, no thanks to J. Jonah Jameson's hate campaign against him by the Daily Bugle. And Kingpin being the most successful criminal in NYC gets rewarded millions of dollars by the government for being corrupt. He dug out the golden notepad from the garbage can earlier and took it thinking he's getting his now.

As the limousine carrying the Kingpin drove away from a dejected looking agent Anderson, Spider-Man called to him and told off Anderson. And no, he's not going to chase after Kingpin because what was a crime, is now government sanctioned criminal activity is rewarded by the government, while he, Spider-Man, gets shot at for rescuing and saving all those people that got hurt. He took out the golden notepad and told off Anderson that he's rewarding himself, and swung away amidst the super-busy activity going on the area (ambulance crews taking in injured people and loading in ambulances, army personnel on radio, other army personnel busy giving orders and directions regarding the building, while a dejected agent Anderson looked up to a Spider-Man swinging away from the premises, where only the two of them know what actually happened there.

Comments: This is a Secret Wars II tie-in, as the story in this issue followed after what happened in Secret Wars II issue #2. Secret Wars II gets a lot of crap and negative reactions throughout the internet. But I recall as a kid reading them being fascinated by the omnipotent Beyonder, and trying to be human commits follies by someone who is trying to understand what it is like to be a person, but with the total power of an omniscient being.

Web of Spider-Man continued to show why people in general would rather read a Spider-Man story and why it is so popular among its readers. We have Spider-Man who is saving people and yet instead of being rewarded, is punished and almost killed by the government. He tried to do the greater good, but at the end did what we all wanted to do. Stick it to the government and reward ourselves. Not too much, but just enough to make it worthwhile.

What is also endearing about Spider-Man, is his supporting characters. He is so much loved by his relatives, and his eventual wife (which will be retconned by Mephisto decades later as ordered by Marvel Editorial chief & co.) Mary Jane. They try not to burden him with their problems, even though he knows about it.

The thing I remember about this time is when Spider-Man's alien black costume was really so popular, and a revolutionary look on Spider-Man ever since Amazing Spider-Man #252 debuted it. It just captivated readers like me. And as a kid at the time, I was just drawn to it. Compared to the red and blue costume, the alien black costume gave Spider-Man an edge. It was just a really really cool look. 

I think if the black and white costume was utilized with crime fighting that occurred at night and in the shadows, and partnered with an artist that stylized in crime noir like let's say Alex Maleev, that would have suited a great mood utilizing that particular costume. But it wasn't.