THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #174

"The Hitman's Back in Town!"

• Writer: Len Wein
• Artist: Ross Andru
• Inker: Mooney & DeZuniga
• Print Date: Nov, 1977

Featuring:

Plot Summary:

Thieves robbing the 34th Street Armory are interrupted when the Punisher swoops in. The stocking mask-wearing terrorists for the People's Liberation Front are no match for the Punisher, and Frank Castle quickly guns down several crooks, and the remainder are crushed when a bazooka shot goes wild and brings down the roof on top of them. One female thief is left breathing, and we fade on the implication that Castle is planning on 'interrogating' her for more details.

This has all the hallmarks of a shoot 'em film. We've got crooks firing a four-foot long fully-automatic weapon from the hip. We've got bazooka rounds being fired, and in the middle we've got Frank Castle brutally taking down a gang of criminals. I'm kind of surprised that they imply that the Punisher is going to torture/interrogate a female terrorist, but then this was back in the late 70's when the Punisher was supposed to be the brutal anti-hero, and not 'cool' like he was in the 80's.

While the Punisher conducts his private inquiry, let's look in on the wall-crawling star of the book. Spider-Man is just returning back to his apartment from his battle with the Molten Man. Between that fight and the bullet graze on his upper arm, he's exhausted and needs rest. Before he makes it inside however, he gets a face full of ammonia water tossed out the window by his landlady, Mrs. Muggins.

Continuity? Stories that reference prior stories? Things happening in sequence? It's like.. all the things we're missing from Spider-Man today. On the flip side, I really, really need to find an apartment building where the landlady comes in and cleans for me. If she does laundry and dishes too, I'd be in heaven.

As Spider-Man staggers off to bed, we turn our attention to a vacant lot, where the criminal assassin known as the Hitman meets with his client. A representative of the People's Liberation Front is looking to silence a certain newspaper man who has been writing damaging editorials about the PLF. That newspaper man is, you guessed it, J. Jonah Jameson, and the PLF wants the Hitman to deliver him to them.

Cut scene, couple of panels, cut scene.. If they keep this up, this issue is going to be packed full of details. Presumably the PLF is a knock-off of the SLA and other domestic terrorist groups springing up in the early to mid 70's.

Jump ahead 12 hours as Peter Parker leaves his apartment and finds Harry Osborn and Flash Thompson coming up the front steps. Harry is upset because Liz is gone. She moved out and left after being caught helping her fugitive step-brother last issue (and his apparent death). Flash idly comments that Harry might be better off without her which triggers a violent reaction from Harry. Peter breaks up the scuffle, and Peter and Flash hail a cab to take Harry to his therapist.

Wow, Harry has a hot temper. Is this foreshadowing a return as the Green Goblin? Is Liz leaving triggering another breakdown? Actually, this subplot has my interest. As does Harry's therapist, but only because I know what's coming up...

Speaking of whom, Flash and Peter talk with Dr. Hamilton as Harry rests with the help of a sedative. When Flash and Peter leave, Dr. Hamilton thinks to himself: "So that's Peter Parker, eh? He doesn't look a bit like I imagined he would." What exactly has Harry been discussing in their therapy sessions?

As Peter heads to the Empire State University campus, we'll turn our attention to the Daily Bugle. Jonah and Marla return from lunch, and Jonah offers her a tour of the building. The tour is cut short when the Jonah finds the Hitman waiting for him in his office. While the Hitman's attention is occupied by Jonah, Marla smartly turns on the office intercom alerting the rest of the Bugle staff to the situation. Glory calls security just as Peter arrives on the scene. Peter dashes out of the bullpen to change into costume, and to make matters more complicated, the Punisher scales down from the roof of the Bugle looking for Jameson's office. Spider-Man and the Punisher burst in through separate windows simultaneously, making Jonah's office very crowded indeed!

Marla Madison - smart, capable, and attractive. What does she see in Jonah again?

Spider-Man has the Hitman pinned down when the building security crashes in through the door. In the confusion, the Hitman grabs Jonah and holds him hostage. One tear-gas bomb later, and the Hitman and Jonah vanish in the smoke. After attending to the wounded security guards, Spider-Man heads to the roof and finds... A miniature two-man helicopter? I think Jonah speaks for us all when he exclaims "How did you get that here?" Spidey quickly distracts the Hitman with a web-shot to his goggles before grabbing Jonah. Jameson panics and struggles against Spider-Man allowing the Hitman enough time to recover and stun Spidey with a blow to the neck. As the Hitman takes off with Jameson, the Punisher arrives via the stairwell and starts exchanging gunfire with the Hitman with Jameson caught in the crossfire!

Where the heck was the Punisher? Jameson's office was close to the roof already, why did it take him so long the run up the stairs? Did he stop off for lunch or something? And how in the world did the Hitman get Jameson up to the roof? One second they are in Jameson's office, and one tear-gas grenade later, they magically vanish and reappear on the roof. I have no clue how they got from Point A to Point B, but judging from the crowd in the office, it had to been out one of the windows.

Additionally, the issue ends with a cryptic comment from the Hitman "So you've recognized me, he? I was afraid you would..." directed towards the Punisher. Obviously, there is some sort of shared history there. Although, to be honest, I don't know why the writer bothers with that little tidbit as I believe next issue, is the Hitman's last appearance.