Amazing Spider-Man, The (1963 series) #153

Spider-Man had just gone out for a bit of web-swinging to clear his head when he sees a taxi in trouble! His spider-sense goes off, and he notices the taxi’s roof light is blinking S.O.S. in morse code! As he gets closer, he notices two men in the back holding a gun to the driver’s head, marking this as the latest in a line of taxi robberies! Spider-Man lands in front of the car, causing it to swerve a bit before he ricochets off a lamp post and slams back into the car, causing it skid backwards into a fire hydrant. Spidey rips the doors off and knocks the two thieves out, while the poor driver wonders what he’s going to do about his cab. Spider-Man tries a hasty repair job that accomplishes nothing, and swings off before the cab driver can get any angrier!

The next day, Peter arrives at ESU and notices Mary Jane, Flash, and Harry buying some ice cream. Deciding this would be the perfect time to apologize to Mary Jane, he asks if the two of them can talk. Still angry, MJ says she must be out of her mind but allows him the chance to explain himself, as Flash drags Harry away so they can have some privacy. He feels that she’s being rather short with him and when she implies maybe he’s not worth fighting for, he gets angry and starts to storm off. She stops him and admits she was just being stubborn and that he is worth fighting for, and offers him some of her ice cream. Now all made up, the two walk off but are soon flagged down by Ned Leeds. He’s there to interview a former ESU football star turned bigshot computer technician named Bradley Bolton, and wonders if Peter might assist him. The two meet with Bolton on the football field, while MJ waits in the stands. Bolton admits that he almost became a pro footballer, rather than going into computers, and recounts the big moment that changed everything. Years ago, he was the quarterback in the big championship game and was running the final touchdown they needed past the opposing team’s defensive line. He dodged and weaved, putting everything he had into it, but ended up getting taken down a mere foot from the goal line, and his team went on to lose the game! However, with the past now behind him, Bolton prefers to focus on his wife and daughter, all the rooting section he needs!

Someone then comes up to Bolton with a message for him, which seems to rattle him, but he plays it off, though not going unnoticed by Peter. Claiming he has another appointment, Bolton heads out and ends up meeting in a park with a man named Paine. Turns out, Paine’s captured Bolton’s daughter Mindy, and wants a computer component that Bolton developed to catalogue all worldwide habitual offenders. Paine promises to let Mindy go in return for the component, and threatens Bolton that something may happen to her if he tries to go to the police! Later, Peter arrives at ESU’s homecoming dance and finds Mary Jane and Ned out on the dance floor. Peter says he needs to speak with Ned for a moment, which only serves to make MJ frustrated with him again. Peter and Ned have both noticed that Bolton and his wife look off and surmise that something may be going on with him. Unsure what to do in the meantime, Peter tries making things up to MJ once again, and she agrees, provided he dance with her. As Peter and MJ dance, Peter notices Bolton suddenly start to leave and is positive he’s in trouble, but can’t follow him with MJ there. Peter then sees Harry looking their way and his prayers are answered when Harry asks to cut in. Peter practically throws MJ at Harry and runs off to “get some punch” only serving to make MJ furious once more!

Peter follows Bolton to the locker rooms and watches him grab something out of one of the lockers, while looking like he doesn’t want anyone to see him. As Peter begins to change to Spider-Man, Bolton heads to the football field once more to meet with Paine and his men. They inspect the component he brought and determine it’s genuine but renege on their part of the bargain and refuse to release Bolton’s daughter. This causes Bolton to lose it and he runs at them while Paine’s men shoot at him. Bolton runs the exact route he did all those years ago when he failed to score the winning goal, determined that he won’t fail this time! With something much more important on the line, Bolton powers through getting shot and manages to run the last bit he needs to grab his daughter away from Paine, as he begins to succumb to his injuries! Spider-Man arrives at that moment, and realizes he’s too late, tearing through the men in a fury! With only Paine remaining, Spidey snags his gun away and chases him down. As Paine starts to beg, Spidey determines he’s not worth hitting, but quickly goes back on that thought, and angrily knocks him out anyway! Spider-Man checks on Mindy and finds that Bolton is barely still alive. As Bolton dies, he asks if he made it far enough to save his daughter, and we see that he indeed made it the whole hundred yards, saving her just past the goal line. Touchdown.