The four-part "Legion of Light" saga comes to an end here, as Spider-Man and friends make a desperate last stand against the Man-Beast and his mind-warped followers. First, a quick recap: Flash Thompson discovers that Sha Shan, the girl who saved his life back in Vietnam, is now married and being forced by her new husband, Achmed Korba, to serve as a leader of his religious cult, the Legion of Light. Together, Korba (AKA Brother Power) and Sha Shan (now Sister Sun) have gathered quite a following for their mysterious, behind-the-scenes leader - the Hate-Monger. Flash and Spidey are joined in this fight by Razorback, a truck-driving hero from Arkansas who has come to New York to rescue his sister, a recent convert to the Legion of Light. As Peter Parker The Spectacular Spider-Man #14 ends, Flash has just ripped off the Hate-Monger's hood to reveal his true identity - the immensely powerful creature known as the Man-Beast!

At the start of this issue, the Man-Beast blasts the heroes through a wall in the basement area of a stadium, stunning all three. Above them, Brother Power, with a reluctant Sister Sun at his side, whips the assembled crowd into a frenzy. The rally will be broadcast on live television and the Man-Beast intends to use the same technology he has employed to brainwash his followers on the television audience, giving him a hate-filled army of millions at his command. The Man-Beast is a being from Counter-Earth, the world created by the scientist known as the High Evolutionary. On that world, the Man-Beast battled the Hulk and Adam Warlock and was turned back into his original state - an ordinary wolf. However, he changed back into the highly evolved Man-Beast and disguised as an astronaut, found his way to Earth, where he appeared to Achmed Korba in Vietnam. After explaining his origin, the Man-Beast weakens a metal support underneath the stadium bleachers. He intends to kill hundreds of his own followers, which will generate hatred which he can in turn project to the television audience. He walks away, intending to reveal himself to the crowd. "Today, the Earth -- tomorrow, Counter-Earth will fall to the Man-Beast!" he proclaims. But Spider-Man recovers in time to momentarily stop the bleachers from collapsing. Razorback wakes up and helps brace Spider-Man, giving the people on the bleachers time to move before they are crushed.

Spidey goes to face the Man-Beast, while Razorback tries to buy him some time by holding off the Man-Beast's army of followers. "Holdin' the rear seems t'be my specialty these days!" he says. But despite putting up a fight, Razorback is overwhelmed by the odds and taken to the stage. There, with the moment of the Man-Beast's ascension at hand, Brother Power finally turns against his noble wife and attacks her. She resists as hard as she can, while Razorback resumes his battle with the Man-Beast's followers. Downstairs, the main event begins. The Man-Beast is in his chambers, which are filled with the equipment he will use to transmit his hate-filled message to the world. Spider-Man tries to stop him, but it looks like the villain will prove to be too strong. However, Razorback's sister, Bobby Sue, sees the truth about her "mentor" and his message. She hits a control button on the Man-Beast's equipment, distracting him momentarily. Spider-Man takes advantage of that opportunity and knocks the Man-Beast into his own equipment, creating a massive explosion that apparently destroys the evil cult leader. The explosion also takes out Brother Power and with the Man-Beast's mind control no longer in effect, the maniacal crowd calms down and leaves. Spider-Man and Bobby Sue emerge from the smoldering rubble (much to the delight of Razorback), as well as Flash and Sha Shan (who is now no longer Sister Sun). While grateful for her brother's aid, Bobby Sue decides against returning to Texarkana with Razorback, saying she still has to find herself.

After the fight, Spidey puts it all into perspective, telling Razorback "After all you've done today, you're a grade-A, bonafide super-hero!" When Sha Shan says she has failed her father, Spider-Man reminds her that if she hadn't kept the Man-Beast's attention until the last possible moment, they all would be dead. The good guys leave together and Spider-Man says, "There's a saying -- that for evil to triumph, it's enough that good men do nothing! We beat evil today, because together -- we did something!". A fitting end to an outstanding, thoughtful story.

This four-issue storyline had about everything you could want in a superhero comic. The heroes were noble and brave, but outmanned and in a desperate situation. The villains had motivation and were genuinely unlikable. There was conflict, drama, action and even a little humor along the way. Also, it was great to see a long-time supporting character like Flash Thompson showcased in such a manner. I also enjoyed Razorback a great deal and wish he had been brought back to the Spider-Verse. Instead, he wasn't seen again for more than a decade (in the pages of Sensational She-Hulk) and remains a seldom-used character.

Next issue: A completely different type of Spider-Man story as one of the Web-Slinger's oldest foes returns in "The Beetle and the Badge!"

Reviewed by Bruce Buchanan.