THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #173

"If You Can't Stand The Heat...!"

• Writer: Len Wein
• Artist: Ross Andru
• Inker: Frank Giacoia
• Print Date: Oct, 1977

Featuring:

Plot Summary:

The Scene: A sub-basement of Newhope Memorial Hospital The Players: Your friendly neighborhood wall-crawler, and two very agitated security guards

After a skirmish in the hospital sub-basement storage room, the Molten Man has fled leaving Spider-Man to deal with two agitated security guards. As Spider-Man goes to try and web the guards up, one of the fires and grazes Spider-Man across the shoulder. Spider-Man moves quickly and knocks both the guards out before they can get off another shot. He comments to himself, "Normally I don't like injuring cops, even private ones -- but right now, I just can't really care!"

So, I feel like I should be asking, "Who is this and where is Spider-Man?" There's so much wrong with the scene. First, Spider-Man gets shot by a security guard with a quick trigger finger. How does that happen? Is his Spider-Man sense on vacation today? Next, he takes the security guards down almost maliciously. He cracks one with an uppercut to the jaw, and he jams the other's gun with webbing causing it to explode in the guard's hands. I'd expect the Molten Man or someone without a sense of conscience or responsibility to coldly take out security guards this way. But.. Spider-Man?

Spider-Man heads upstairs where he runs into two doctors and a nurse in the hallway. Even though he just used his web-shooters to help subdue the guards, they've suddenly run dry. To compound his problems, one of the doctors knows kung-fu and catch Spider-Man square in the jaw with a round-house kick. Stunned, Spider-Man is tackled by the two doctors, but quickly brushes them aside and sprints out the front door to escape.

Maybe he's woozy from being shot, but a doctor who has been taking "mail-order kung-fu lessons" catches Spider-Man Bruce Lee style across the jaw. And then he's tackled by the pair. Has Spider-Man lost everything - spider-sense, reflexes, strength - in this issue? How many times has he squared off against armed thugs and come out ahead? Gah, the writer goes overboard with the silliness here, and I don't think he was even shooting for that.

Even as our hapless hero refills his empty web-shooters, then swings painfully away towards his Chelsea apartment, we'd best turn our attention to the other side of town -- specifically to the laboratories of the Fenster Pharmaceutical Corporation. As the two security guards deal with a minor fire, neither notices a shadowy figure steal past. The Molten Man races down an isolated corridor and breaks into a lab to find a lab assistant working late. The Molten Man terrorizes the lab technician until she agrees to assist him. The Molten Man knows what needs to be done to develop a cure for his condition, but hit body temperature is much too hot to safely handle the chemicals involved.

The technician injects Molten Man with the formula, and it works. His temperature drops, the liquid metal alloy covering his skin disappears, and he becomes Mark Raxton once more. His happiness is short-live however as the reaction reverses itself and he quickly reverts back into his Molten Man form. In a rage, he starts smashing up the laboratory.

So, the Molten Man breaks into a lab, kidnaps a technician, and forces her to assemble his cure. Seems like a good plan. It worked too for a few seconds.

On that tragic note, we switch scenes to introduce the remaining members of this issue's cast. Liz Allen is walked home by Mary Jane, Harry Osborn, and Flash Thompson. Liz is out on bail, and the whole matter would quickly be cleared up if she explained her actions to the police. She claims she can't however, but Harry vows to support her anyways. The conversation is cut short by the arrival of the police. Mark Raxton is threatening to destroy Fenster Pharmaceuticals unless he can speak with Liz immediately. Harry blusters at the police a bit trying to defend his fiancee, but Liz agrees to go with them.

I should probably go back and re-read the last appearance of the Molten Man. I mean, besides being his step-sister, I don't understand why Liz feels such loyalty to him that she's willing to go to jail and ruin her relationships for the guy.

And, short at the aforementioned (yeah, like 6 pages ago) Chelsea apartment house, Peter arrives home after having his shoulder stitched up (off page) by Doctor Connors. Waiting for him at home is a letter from Empire State U stating that, due to several failing grades, Peter is not going to be able to graduate college with the rest of his class. Why Peter tries to decide how to break this disappointment to Aunt May, Robbie Robertson calls, and asks Peter to head to Fenster Pharma to take photos of the Molten Man situation there.

It was a nice touch having Peter go to Dr Connor (even if off-screen). I think his big "graduates from college" issue is coming up soon, so it will be interesting to see how that sub-plot plays out.

And now that all the players have been assembled, the drama can begin in earnest. The Molten Man is on a rampage threatening to tear to apart the factory unless he gets to talk to his step-sister. Liz feels responsible for the Molten Man's rampage claiming that she should've just done what he asked. Suddenly, it all makes sense to Peter. He realizes that Liz was stealing chemicals for the Molten Man. He coerced her into committing the crime!

Um.. Wait.. What? Wasn't this obvious LAST ISSUE? I mean, I'm not super-sleuth by any means, but let's review what Peter knew up to this point. After working at the hospital without incident, Liz gets caught trying to steal chemicals. Peter goes to her apartment, finds evidence that the Molten Man was there, and catches up with the Molten Man at the hospital trying to steal chemicals. And.. Apparently he didn't realize that this all wasn't a coincidence last issue?

Liz heads into the plant to convince the Molten Man to surrender. Peter sneaks away in the shadows to make sure that she doesn't go in alone. Moments later, Liz is in the evacuated building trying to convince Mark to surrender. Mark claims that it is too late for a cure. He's dying and he knows it. Wait.. Haven't we been through this scene with him before? Oh, I'm guess I'm not the only one who thinks that. Liz points out that the Molten Man thought he was dying once before but obviously survived. However, Mark feels that was a one-in-a-million chance and this time he is dying.. for real.. honestly...

Their conversation is interrupted by the arrival of Spider-Man. Spider-Man grabs the Molten Man to try to convince him to surrender, but gets only blisters and burns for his trouble. Spider-Man creates some fire-proof web gloves, and gets into a boxing match with Molten Man. A solid punch throws the Molten Man towards some tanks of liquid oxygen causing a massive explosion. Spider-Man survives the blast, but Liz has been knocked unconscious. As Spider-Man tries to cope with his injured arm, a rampaging Molten Man, and the spreading fire, the building starts to collapse. Molten Man goes to try and rescue Liz (ignoring the fact that he can't touch her), but Spider-Man grabs here and carries her away from the blaze and destruction. As Raxton rants and raves (for an entire page no less), he is caught in a massive explosion and seemingly is killed and buried under the rubble. In her grief and feeling responsible, Liz runs off leaving Harry alone.