PETER PARKER, THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #3

"...And There Was Lightmaster"

• Writer: Jim Shooter
• Artist: Sal Buscema
• Inker: Mike Esposito
• Print Date: Feb., 1977

Featuring:

Plot Summary:

His lithe figure is some three hundred feet in the air, arching gracefully between buildings on thin strands of webbing. He is no stranger to grief and hard times, and today has held more than its share of frustrations, but for this moment, he is lost in sheer exhilaration, a man in his element! Of course, just went he was enjoying the air and view, Spider-Man spots something ugly that demands his attention. He interrupts for hoods shaking down an elderly immigrant for money. His appearance not only frightens the hoods into running off but frightens the old man as well. That dampens his mood a bit, and he reflects on the day wasted looking for kidnap victims Gorman and Lansky.

Meanwhile, in a bare storeroom of an otherwise posh gramercy park townhouse, the Tarantula awakens to find him self bound next to his victim, Gorman. His toe-spikes easily cut through the ropes binding, but as he breaks out of the storeroom intending to find and kill the leader who put him there, a bright flash of light blinds him. We are introduced to Lightmaster in dramatic fashion as his glowing aura and solid light bolts overcome the Tarantula. Finding Chancellor Gorman still alive, Lightmaster knocks him out with a diffuse lightburst. Then, Lightmaster leaves to implement the final stage of his plan.

Later, in the somewhat unglamorous neighborhood known as Chelsea, Spider-Man slips in his kitchen window only to find that his apartment has been taken over by Flash and Glory. Sneaking past the two, he slips into his bedroom, dons his bathrobe, and wanders out into the apartment feigning having been taking a nap. After Peter changes into some street clothes, the trio wanders out to one of the local restaurants. There, Flash spots Sha Shan (who I believe made appearances in Amazing Spider-Man before this) waitressing at the restaurant. She panics when Flash grabs her and runs out the door. For disrupting business, Flash, Peter, and Glory are also asked to leave. Outside, Flash says he needs to be alone and walks off. When Glory tries to talk to Peter about it, Peter makes an excuse and runs off himself.

Soon, we find that Peter spotted a suspicious flash of light in City Hall and remembering the earlier attempt on the mayor, he decides to investigate. Peering in the office, he spots Lightmaster standing over the prone figure of city-controller Goldin. Lightmaster spots Spider-Man spying on him and he pummels Spider-Man with several objects (an axe, a hammer) made of solid light. Spider-Man manages to dodge several of him, but eventually, a solid light beam blasts him out the window and onto a ledge. A split second later, Lightmaster flies off with Goldin and Spider-Man's attempt to land a spider-tracer fail.

After a somewhat painful journey home and a restless night, the morning finds Peter Parker in Joe Robertson's office. Peter asks for Joe's help investigating the kidnapping, and Joe digs out the files of the victims for Peter. A single glance at a single file tells Peter what he needs. He heads out of the Bugle offices in a hurry, and soon we see Spider-Man sailing towards a familiar townhouse. Crashing in through a skylight, Spider-Man confronts an unmasked Dr. Lansky wearing the Lightmaster outfit. Lansky claims to have adopted the Lightmaster identity in order to replace Chancellor Gorman and all the corrupt city officials who were denying the college the funds it needed to operate. At least, that was the original plan, now that Lansky has more power than he dreamed of before, he's not going to settle for being a petty chancellor!

As the battle rages outdoors, Spider-Man realizes he can't match Lansky's sheer power, and Lansky's suit is too thick and well insulated for Spider-Man to get any good blows in. Ducking inside a theater, Spider-Man suckers Lansky into firing his solid light bolts into an electrical panel. Good old bookworm that he is, Peter Parker read Lansky's theories on solid light and recalls that solid light is a conductor. The shock knocks out Lansky and blacks out the neighborhood. As the police haul Lansky away, Spider-Man celebrates his well-earned victory.