Back Issue reviews are back after quite a long time! Thanks to Ron Cardino for the review!

This issue begins with our Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man putting his life on the line to save the beautiful bounty hunter known as Silver Sable. While avoiding multiple laser blasts from above, Spider-Man rescues Sable just in time, while performing a 20-foot leap to reach a roof-top building. Sable then gets a bit hasty with Spider-Man. "That wasn’t necessary, I could have saved myself", she said. The Web-slinger quickly responds by saying, "you may be hot stuff on the International bounty hunter circle, but you’re just a beginner when it comes to avoiding the electro-blasts of the Beetle".

In the meantime, the Beetle is swarming above them, while the Rhino is charging at full speed blow. Both Spider-Man and Silver Sable jump opposite ways, as the Rhino plows through the abandoned building. Sable lands on an amusement ride, just dodging a blast from above, and finds that the villain Boomerang is in hot pursuit of her. While on the other-side, Spider-Man uses his uncanny speed and agility to avoid the Beetles’ electro blasts. Which during that time, an over-confident baddie named Speed Demon rushes full tilt towards our hero. Spider-Man leaps in the nick of time, as the Speed Demon misses his target. While in the air, Spidey responds with some of his witty banter, "Nyah! Nyah! You can’t reach me up here." But out of no-where a watery fist catches him in mid-leap, even though his spider sense warned him seconds earlier of the danger coming. Spider-Man then crash lands into a pile of garbage, as the fifth and final villain Hydro-Man makes himself known. "It’s all over now wall-crawler". "You ain’t got a chance against us". As Spidey lays there he thinks to himself, "what is this? old villain’s week? How’d I ever get involved in a mess like this?

The story now flashes back to two-hours ago. We see a happy Spider-Man leaping from building to building and grateful to be back home in Manhattan. He reflects on the past two days (see Web of Spider-Man #16-18 for more details). Spidey then takes a break to read a copy of today’s edition of the Daily Bugle, where an ad reading "Attention Spider-Man, Silver Sable wants you," quickly gets his attention. According to the paper, when ever Sable’s in town, she stays at the Symkarian mission to the United Nations and that is were the web-slinger heads off to. In the next scene, Silver Sable is casually enjoying a drink while playfully flirting with a client of hers named "Hamed". Within seconds, Spider-Man drops in on their conversation, and Sable quickly discontinues her interlude with Hamad. Spidey then finds out that she wants him to help her apprehend a very dangerous International terrorist named the "Jack-O-Lantern". The thing that Silver does not realize is that he has recently decided to give up being Spider-Man (See Amazing Spider-Man #275), and that the only reason that he is here is because curiosity got the best of him. He responds by saying "Why me"? "Why not the Avengers or the Fantastic Four?" Sable replies "They don’t approve of mercenaries like me!", then she offers to pay Spider-Man a substantial fee...in cash! Spider-Man declines and says that he’s not for hire. "You’ve battled Jack O’ Lantern before!" "Why not get paid for your efforts?". "I don’t fight for money", was Spider-Man's response, then leaves the same way he came in (through the window).

Moments later at the police precinct, which is currently holding accused costume killer Flash Thompson, a cries is directed out to his ex-girlfriend Sha-Shan. "The Police are holding me here, because they’re convinced that I’m the Hobgoblin"! No matter how much Flash pleas with her, she is very reluctant to listen to him, due to the fact that she feels betrayed by him after learning of his affair with Betty Brant Leeds. As she leaves, she encounters Mrs. Leeds, who is on her way to visit Flash as well. Peter then drops by, bumping into Thompson’s Lawyer Sharon, who is waiting outside. She is trying to be optimistic of the situation that her client is stuck in, and she fills Peter in on the crisis that is taking place, and that it would take big money to bring in a good defense team. "I don’t have the necessary funds to provide flash with the kind he’ll need", she replies. "He could really use a guardian angel right now! A rich one!

A few minutes later, we see Peter walking along a sidewalk debating to himself about the current proposal that was offered to him bu Silver Sable. "I can’t hang up my webs, while Flash still needs my help". "I don’t know if he’s really the Hobgoblin or Not! "He’s my friend, and I’ve got to do whatever's necessary to help him"! We then view our favorite web-slinger heading back to visit with Silver Sable. "I’m pleased that you reconsidered my offer"! "May I ask why"? Spider-Man states "Let’s just say I found a use for the Money"! "Do you have any idea were we can find Jack-O’-Lantern"? "He will be at Coney Island Park at Midnight", Sable replies, "Actually he phoned and told me"! "What are you crazy?! He’s obviously planning a trap", blurts out a shocked Spider-Man.

We now return back to the present moment, as Spider-Man quickly avoids another attack from Hydro-Man, before re-grouping with Sable. "The night is turning out so much worse than I ever imagined", cried Sable, "Do the odds concern you"? "No, there isn’t a decent bounty among them!" "Where’s Jack O’ Lantern", she demanded. "I’m afraid Jack was detained elsewhere! "He sent us instead", the Beetle replied. "It’s a pleasure to see you again Spider-Man, especially under these circumstances", replied the Beetle. "We all have a reason to want you dead", added Boomerang. "The broads a bonus", the Rhino yelled! Within seconds, Sable runs the other way, and is being pursued by the Beetle and Boomerang. "Never thought she’d panic like that", thought Spider-Man, who was now left to defend himself against the remaining three. Sable soon finds shelter in an empty arcade building, only to be interrupted by the Beetle, who rips the roof off the building. Meanwhile, Spider-Man eludes Hydro-Man once again, and runs into the path of Speed Demon. Speed Demon then runs circles around Spider-Man, clobbering him each time he goes around. "Speed Demon doesn’t realize that I could have easily avoided him with a leap"! "Just have to withstand his blows for a few more seconds, so that I can get close to him", Spider-Man thinks to himself. Then at the precise moment, Spidey sticks his forearm out, tripping Speed Demon who ends up crashing into a vacant concession both. As Spidey turns around holding onto his arm, with little time to react, he is alerted by his "Spider Sense" that the Rhino is charging full speed towards him from the other direction.

Elsewhere, a limo heads down an unknown street with Jack O’ Lantern inside. At about the same moment in another part of the city, Betty Leeds slowly walks home after her visit with Flash Thompson. The guilt of running into Sha Shan at the police station, the torn attraction for Flash, and the loyalty to her husband weighs heavily on her mind. Within a few steps away from home, she runs into Ned, who is just exiting their home with a packed suitcase and about to enter a cab. "Ned wait"! Betty yells! "I’ve had enough Betty!" I’m tired of waiting around while you decide between me and that criminal Flash Thompson", he angrily replies back. "Doesn’t it mean anything to you"? She asks him "Much more than it obviously means to you"! "Can you honestly say that I'm the man that you love?" Betty then hangs her head down in silence! "I didn’t think so" Ned replies, as he enters the cab. The cab speeds off, while Betty stands alone in the middle of the street. A few blocks away from Coney Island Park at 122-14 South Martin Street Brooklyn, we run into one of Spider-Man’s old enemies the Sandman. He now goes by an alias "Sylvester Mann", after retiring from a life of crime. "I’m so glad that I gave up that part of my life", he thought to himself. Unfortunately his peaceful existence will soon come to an end.

Back at Coney Island Park, the battle resumes as Silver Sable uses her bounty hunter tactics to take down Boomerang. Shortly after her victorious moment, she is quickly pursued by laser blasts from the Beetle. On the other side of the park, Spider-Man managed to avoid the Rhino’s charge, by leaping on top of a small Ferris wheel like ride. Unfortunately, the Rhino eventually plows into the amusement ride, bringing it and Spider-Man down in the process. With his left arm wrapped in a sling made of webbing, he deals with his pain in a different manner, by using amusing banter towards the Rhino. "By the way I like your new duds! "Did your mommy pick them out for you"! The Rhino responds "Don’t make fun of me"! "I hate being a living Rhino"! "I even turned myself into the Government for help, but they can’t do much"! "I’m going to need a series of illegal operations to become human again. That’s why I joined this syndicate to earn money!" As the Rhino continues to tell is woeful life story, Spider-Man springs out from behind the broken down amusement ride and strikes knocks him off his feet. Next, Hydro-man enters the picture, to aide his fallen comrade. In Midtown Manhattan, Jack O’ Lantern is seen talking to a familiar face in an uptown apartment: The Kingpin, who speaks to Jack "Your resume is quite impressive, but unfortunately, I recently hired someone with the similar expertise. A gentleman called "Nuke".

Elsewhere, the lovely Mary Jane Watson is unable to reach Peter at home. "I’m always afraid he’s risking his life as Spider-Man!" Seconds later, another model named Patty asks Mary Jane to tell Roderick Kingsley that they are ready for him. Mary Jane then heads over to Kingsley’s dressing room and knocks on the door. There is no answer right away, but as she starts to walk away, the door opens slightly and his face appears from behind the door. "What is it"? He yells, "They’re ready to begin rehearsing tomorrow’s runway show", she replies. "I’ll be along in a minute"! But that minute will be delayed, because as he closes the door a mystery figure looms in the shadows. "Who was that"? "It was just one of the models, nothing to be concerned with" Kingsley replied. "Don’t be smug! We’ll both go to jail if anyone ever learns out about us!" The mystery figure sternly points out to Kingsley while holding a miniature pumpkin bomb in his right hand.

In another part of the city, Jack O’ Lantern stops by another well know criminals’ office looking for employment, after being denied by the Kingpin. It's the criminal know as The Rose, and Jack offers to bust the Hobgoblin out of jail, and in return receive a reasonable fee for his service. The Rose gives no definite answer, but is willing to consider the proposition. As Jack is escorted to the door, one of the Roses’ henchmen makes a comment "The real Hobgoblin isn’t going to be thrilled to hear that this guy’s trying to beat his time". The Rose acknowledges him in agreement: "But I’m certain that I can use that to my advantage", "It would be a pity if the two of them accidentally killed each other in battle, the Rose added.

Back at Coney Island Park, Spider-Man and Silver Sable continue their battle with the Sinister Syndicate. As the Beetle continues his pursuit of Silver Sable, Sable reaches onto the arm of a ride. She uses it meagerly as leverage to deliver a stunning drop kick that causes him to spiral to the ground below. She then leaps across to the nearest tower: "Feels like I broke both of my ankles when I collided with the Beetle's Beetle suit!" Within that very split-second, a living blur rockets toward the same tower. It’s Speed Demon, and he successfully activates the tower, making it race skyward with nowhere for Sable to run. Spider-Man is aware of what’s happening, with his arm still in a sling, he manages to quickly rescue Sable. Following the tower's explosion, Spider-Man heads for the middle of a wooden roller coaster. He believes the coaster will be a safe haven, so they can have time to allow their aches and bruises to mend. Unknown to Spider-Man, is the fact that the Rhino has spotted them heading to the roller coaster. All five members of the Syndicate then combine their special powers, to help bring down the worlds most famous roller coaster, with Spider-Man and Silver Sable somewhere underneath the debris. Barely a half-a-mile away, a pensive man is violently yanked from his thoughts. "That awful crash! What could have caused that?" Almost against his will, this man feels himself drawn to the site of the massive explosion. It’s an act he will soon live to regret!

At an expensive apartment in the city, our mystery figure appears again with his face shadowed from the light inside. He is having a conversation with the Rose, and it is about Jack O’ Lantern snooping around in his affairs. "Don’t worry! I can safely assure you that he won’t trouble you again". "You can count on the words of the Hobgoblin"! As he leaves his apartment, he ponders heavily on his discussion with the Rose. "The Rose doesn’t fool me for a moment"! "It’s real obvious that he wants me to fight Jack O Lantern". "Perhaps he’s hoping that I’ll get myself killed so that he won’t have to pay me my share of the profits from our criminal enterprise!" As the mystery man is walking down the sidewalk, he runs into a familiar face that greets him with a cheerful smile. "Well, well, look who we have here", she says! "It’s always a pleasure to see you, Mary Jane", he replies back.

Lastly (for this issue anyway), back at Coney Island Park, the wooden debris from the explosion begins to shudder. The wall-crawler frees himself and Sable from the destruction. "It’s a miracle Silver and I weren’t crushed and killed instantly!" He thinks to himself. "Spider-Man, everything is still so quiet!" "Do you think our playmates have given up on us? a battered and weakened Sable asks! "Not a chance Lady! The voice is not of Spider-Man, but instead that of Speed Demon. "Farwell my friends"! "The end has come for you at last", adds the Beetle. Silver Sable and Spider-Man look around, only to see the Sinister Syndicate bearing down on top of them, and eagerly ready to finish them off. With Spider-Man’s ailing arm and Sables two badly sprained ankles, it doesn’t look good for our heroes at the moment. The story is continued next issue.

By Ron Cardino.

Reprinted In:
Marvel Tales #288