Our story begins with Peter Parker looking through the
house to try and find where his Aunt May put his Spider-Man costume after she
took it last issue. His search bears no fruit however, realizing it must be in
her room as he goes to sleep, wondering about what Jameson did with his other
costume. We then cut to a secret meeting between the Green Goblin and another
criminal calling himself the Crime-Master! The two had an agreement to work
together to take over the criminal underworld but the Crime-Master thinks he
can do it alone. They part ways at an impasse, as each knows the other’s real
identity, with both of them using that knowledge to keep the other under
careful observation. The Crime-Master then delivers a message to one of the
criminal gangs that he’s taking over soon, confident that word will spread!
Soon after, he blows up the car of one of the crime bosses, causing all of the
carious gang leaders to confer about what they should do regarding him.
Just before morning, we then see a mysterious figure
stash away a special outfit, satisfied with their work for the night, before
seeing that the man in question is Frederick Foswell! Back with Peter, he
fruitlessly tries to get any info from Aunt May on where his suit could be,
before heading off to the Bugle. When he gets there, he and Betty Brant get in
a huge blowout over all of the other women he’s apparently seeing, including
Mary Jane Watson, who Peter points out he hasn’t even met. J. Jonah Jameson then
kicks Peter out for causing a disturbance, when Peter overhears Jameson ask
Foswell about a file regarding the Green Goblin and the Crime-Master. Peter
takes the opportunity to place his spider-tracer in Foswell’s hat, still not
trusting him, thinking it could lead to some helpful information on him later.
Peter arrives at school and after receiving some usual
ribbing from Flash Thompson and his friends, finally snaps and attacks the
group, which is witnessed by Principal Davis. Liz Allan attempts to break up
the fight, as Peter and Flash continue to trade insults, causing her to get fed
up with both of them. Peter gets sent to the principal’s office and takes the
whole rap for the incident, which Flash overhears. Flash then admits to the
principal afterwards that Peter wasn’t really to blame, in a moment of conscience.
We then cut to the Crime-Master continuing to take over the various gangs
across the city. On his way home from school, Peter gets an idea, and buys a
Spider-Man costume from a costume shop, finding it a little loose, and having
to web it in place, as he goes to investigate Foswell. Spidey finds Foswell’s
apartment empty, when suddenly the Crime-Master fires a shot into the
apartment, narrowly missing Spidey!
Spider-Man jumps out to confront the Crime-Master,
while continuing to avoid his shots, counting them the whole time. Once the
Crime-Master’s gun is empty, Spidey leaps at him, only to get doused in some
kind of gas, blinding and choking him. The Crime-Master forces Spider-Man back
to the edge of the roof, while he’s preoccupied, and knocks him over the edge.
Spidey manages to remove his mask, and able to breathe again, saves himself via
his web. Thinking that the Crime-Master could be Foswell, Spider-Man heads to
the Bugle and uses the opportunity to look for his costume that Jameson took.
After Jameson returns to his office, he reveals that Smythe took Spidey’s
outfit and Spidey leaves, making sure to web his mask more securely in place.
Spidey returns to Foswell’s apartment and notes a section of the waterfront is
marked off on a calendar, and decides to pay that section a visit.
The Crime-Master then has a meeting with a bunch of
the big crime bosses, telling them all to meet him at the waterfront that
night. This information is sent to the police via an informant named Patch, as
the police agree to surveil the scene. That night, at the waterfront, Spidey
witness all of the various gangs arrive for the meeting. Meanwhile nearby, the
Green Goblin and the Crime-Master meet once again, with the Goblin furious that
he’s being forced out. The Crime-Master reveals that he has proof of the
Goblin’s identity locked away in a vault, as the two attack each other, with
Goblin blinding the Crime-Master with the exhaust from his glider. The Goblin
holds off on killing the Crime-Master, until he can get to the info in his
vault, and flies off.
The Goblin then spots Spider-Man and takes him by
surprise, ramming into him fast with his glider, before his spider-sense can
alert him. The Goblin takes the opportunity while Spider-Man is stunned to
throw a stun grenade at Spider-Man, which he unsuccessfully deflects, knocking
Spidey out. The Goblin finds he can’t remove Spidey’s mask, due to it being
webbed in place. The Crime-Master then arrives to the packed meeting place to
announce himself as the head of the criminal underworld. Just then, the Green
Goblin arrives as well, with the unconscious Spider-Man, as the gangs wonder
what will happen next! Tune in next time to find out!