THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #169

"Confrontation"

• Writer: Len Wein
• Artist: Ross Andru
• Inker: Mike Esposito
• Print Date: Jun., 1977

Featuring:

Plot Summary:

On a quiet evening in New York, Spider-Man's been patrolling the city, but so far the evening has been "dull". So dull, the only thing he has to show for it is a hole in boot. How long has it been since we've seen little touches like that in a Spider-Man story? Makes me nostalgic for those 70's stories where Spider-Man runs into little issues like ripped clothes, running out of web-fluid, and other day-to-day hassles that aren't typically shown.

Before he can head home for the evening however, he spots two police officers being thrown out of a passing police van. I'm not sure who carjacks a police wagon, but apparently someone has a lot of nerve. Apparently, car-jacking is a serious crime, but vandalism, in the form of tearing out a light pole, is OK. Spider-Man smashes in the van's radiator with the street lamp, and finishes off the crooks with some fast webs and faster fists. Despite the outstanding warrant on Spider-Man, the rescued officers can't do anything but watch him swing away. Is it just me, or does it seem like Spider-Man always has an outstanding warrant for something or other? Truth be told, I can't even remember what they want him for this time.

Elsewhere, Dr. Marla Madison works to repair her damaged Spider-Slayer while JJJ stands around complaining about the cost to repair the skating rink and the bad PR he's received over the whole fiasco. Instead of releasing the Spider-Slayer on Spider-Man a second time, Jonah decides to use his "ace-in-the-hole". A little something locked away in his desk drawer. I love the scenes with Jonah and Marla here. She's recently been shown in Amazing Spider-Man after a long (like 15 years or so) absence. I think a lot of readers (and several writers along the way) had no idea Jonah was married.

While in a plush office, Harry comes out of another therapy session with Dr Hamilton. Liz Allen stops by to pick him up, and the pair head off. Considering what is in store for him, Dr. Hamilton seems like a pretty non-descript benevolent influence on Harry at this point.

Peter arrives home just in time for company. One newspaper publisher, J. Jonah himself, has stopped by. Jonah plays coy about the reason for his visit until he can get his hands on Peter. Then he announces his intentions to expose Peter for an imposter while he examines Peter closely looking for a mask or other signs of a disguise. Jonah finds nothing (nothing including the Spider-Man outfit Peter is wearing under his shirt - I don't know HOW he could miss that?) and pulls out an envelope and announces that he has prove that Spider-Man is Peter Parker. Although, honestly, he seems to think that Spider-Man has killed and replaced Peter which is probably understandable given the pictures. Jonah has pictures of Spider-Man clearly disposing of Peter's body.

Peter has a trump card though. Knowing that this was coming, Peter's prepared. He hems and haws over the pictures, playing up the moment, and the "EUREKA" pulls out some "old prints" that are strangely similar to Jonah's pictures. In fact, Peter points out how his "old prints" must've been used to make a double-exposure, and phony up some photos of Spider-Man carrying around Peter's corpse. (Reality being that the pictures were taken of Spider-Man disposing of the body of his clone back in Issue 152 or so). Peter easily convinces Jonah the pictures were faked, and an embarrassed Jonah swiftly departs.

With his boot repaired (and apparently forgetting the lack of action earlier), Spider-Man takes to the evening sky. Spider-Man still doesn't know who sent the photos to Jonah, but for now, he's happy just to get some exercise. There's a panel shown with several distinct faces. By distinct, I mean, it looks like they are meant to be specific real-life people, but it isn't clear who. Clancy is one of the names used. Obviously, I'm not up on my 70's pop-trivia.

After a short, off-panel, chase involving the police, Spider-Man holes up for a breather when he see someone sneaking into a condemned building clearly marked "Do Not Enter". While he considers this, another mysterious figure enters the building. And another. And another starts to follow, but with his curiosity piqued, Spider-Man grabs the thug by his coat revealing a garish "bad guy outfit" underneath. What is this? Some sort of uniform? Who walks around in a bright purple and orange jumpsuit complete with helmet, and then throws an overcoat on as a disguise. You'd think the big boss or whatever would let them change once on site instead of risk them being caught or followed like that.

While Spider-Man hangs the hapless thug up for the boys in blue, he sneaks down an abandoned subway tunnel to find a crew of thugs operating some sort of laser cannon. Obviously, they're up to no good, so he crashes the party - feet first!

Spider-Man easily overcomes the thugs with pickaxes and hammers, but the laser cannon gives him a good chase until he gets close enough to put the operator out. "Have to use my wall-crawling powers like they've rarely been used before.." - Y'know, like.. Maybe on a monthly basis or so. Right?

Spider-Man has another brief scare as the thugs try to overcome him with their numbers, but Spider-Man's strength is up for the job. In short order, the thugs are all unconscious, and their boss arrives on the scene. With a distinctive mountainous shape and a cigarette holder, it can only be the Kingpin! Or not.. Wait.. Who is that? Doctor Faustus?