Vulture

Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #4-5

by Sal Buscema, 1976

After being shaken down for protection money by a local gang lord, the Vulture makes a statement by dropping the mobster in the garbage strewn waters of the Hudson River. Later, he's visited by the local would-be gang lord, Mr. Morgan, where Mr. Morgan offers him a position in his organization. Enraged and contemptuous of the local mob, the Vulture humiliates Mr. Morgan by leaving him dangling on a light pole.

Driven into action, the Vulture begins kidnapping pedestrians off the streets and stranding them on the peak of a nearby skyscraper. He claims he's going to take a hostage every 15 minutes until Spider-Man faces him. Spider-Man appears and lures the Vulture away from the civilians and into a local, unoccupied office building. In an attempt to disable him, Spider-Man grabs the Vulture's powerpack, but is shocked into unconsciousness by the powerful electrical field. As the Vulture swoops in to finish off his foe, the Hitman appears and interrupts the fight. The Hitman announces that Mr. Morgan hired him to deny the Vulture his revenge by killing Spider-Man himself. Spider-Man ducks out as the Vulture and Hitman grapple with each other. The Vulture is eventually forced to flee when the Hitman sprays mace in his eyes.

Later, as the Vulture broods, the Hitman fire several shots at him to get his attention. Riding on a jet-powered motorcycle, the Hitman lures the Vulture into another confrontation with Spider-Man. As the three-way skirmish moves into a construction area, the Hitman wings Spider-Man with shot. As Spider-Man dangles, stunned, the Vulture swoops in for the kill. The Hitman waits and fires at the last moment, intending to finish Spider-Man off. However, Spider-Man, playing possum, grabs the Vulture and twists him into the path of the bullet. After the bullet shatters his powerpack, the Vulture falls to the ground where he's arrested by the police.