Our story begins showcasing The Big Man, new criminal
mastermind, using his brilliance and resources to pull off a daring crime! He
lifts his hired crook, waiting on a flagpole, via a cable to a waiting
whirlybird hidden in the clouds. Spider-Man shows up and uses his web, attached
to the flagpole, to fling himself towards the escaping aircraft. Just as he
gets close however, Spider-Man is impeded by a blast of chemical foam, forcing
him to spin a web parachute to slow his fall. Satisfied with his outsmarting of
Spider-Man, the Big Man calls a meeting of all of the big crime bosses and
announces that he’s planning on taking over all of the crime in the city, to be
run like a business. As the other mob bosses try to retaliate, the Big Man
showcases his Enforcers, there to dissuade anyone from acting against him. The
Enforcers include Fancy Dan, a small man but a swift judo expert, Ox, a classic
strong man, and Montana, an expert with a lasso. They use their various skills
to convince the other mob bosses to fall in line with the Big Man.
We then cut to the hospital, where Peter went to visit
Aunt May, and finds that Flash Thompson and Liz Allan have also stopped by to
see how she’s doing, at Liz’s behest. The doctor informs Peter that Aunt May is
doing better but needs a blood transfusion. Peter is reluctant to offer his
blood at first, due to fact his blood is now irradiated from the spider bite,
but eventually gives in because of how much Aunt May needs it. The blood
transfusion is successful, with Peter realizing that he’ll be weakened for a
few days as a result, as he sends Aunt May on a trip with some neighbors to
Florida. As all this going on, the Big Man increases his hold on his criminal
empire, pulling job after job, with police only able to catch the small fry, as
the Big Man stays out of reach. J. Jonah Jameson, of course, believes that the
Big Man must really be Spider-Man, and instructs one of his reporters,
Frederick Foswell, to find proof.
As Betty Brant is leaving the Daily Bugle, she’s
intercepted by the Enforcers, there to collect on a loan she took out. Peter
tries to get involved but can’t do anything for risk of revealing himself.
Betty avoids Peter’s questions and runs away crying, not wanting Peter to get
mixed up in everything, leaving Peter confused and hurt. Pete switches to
Spider-Man and interrogates the thug that pointed Betty out to the Enforcers,
with the assistance of a large phony spider, made out of wood planks and webs.
Spidey heads to the address given and gets pulled in via Montana’s lasso.
Spidey dances around, avoiding and fighting the Enforcers as best he can, but
he’s still rather weak from the blood transfusion, and is forced to make a
hasty retreat. As he’s leaving, he spots J. Jonah Jameson walking nearby, and
starts to wonder if he could possibly be the Big Man. At home, Peter tries
calling Betty to no avail, as we find out she’s planning to leave town.
The next day, Peter finds out from Jameson that Betty
has left, while Jameson tells him to get photos proving Spider-Man is the Big
Man. Back at home, Peter devises a plan to get himself captured, in order to
get close to the Big Man. The next day, Peter starts telling everyone that he
knows who the Big Man is, causing Flash to uncharacteristically worry about his
safety. Word reaches the Big Man regarding Peter’s claim, and he reveals that
he knows Peter Parker, and sends the Enforcers to capture Peter and lock him in
a room. Peter switches to Spider-Man and escapes the room, and finds the place
packed with almost every mobster in the city. Spider-Man starts taking out the
thugs, using his environment to his advantage, using oil drums, tires, anything
he can against his attackers.
After catching his breath, Spidey attaches his spider
signal to his web to alert the police to his whereabouts. They soon arrive to
round up the mobsters, while the Big Man makes his escape, with Spider-Man too
tired to reach him in time. Thinking that the Big Man is still Jameson, Spidey
swings to the Daily Bugle and perches outside, where he finds a nervous Jonah,
soon interrupted by Foswell with his new column. The police then arrive and
reveal that they found all the evidence they need that Foswell is really the
Big Man, leaving both Spidey and Jonah shocked! Later, alone in his office,
Jameson admits to himself that he hounds Spider-Man so much because he’s
envious of him. Spider-Man is the hero he could never be, so all he can do is
tear him down. The story concludes with Peter, once again home, agonizing about
where Betty has run off to, as we see that she has holed herself up in a hotel
in Pennsylvania, desperate and alone.