Our story begins with a meteor falling to earth and
being discovered by a man named Norton G. Fester. Fester aims to prove that
meteors contain microscopic living matter but finds it difficult to acquire a
loan for his research. After all of his attempts at a loan fall flat, Fester
decides to just chip away at the meteorite, not letting anything like lack of
money or the fact that he flunked science in school get in his way! Fester hits
a gas pocket in the meteorite, getting doused in the mysterious gas! Fester
then discovers that the gas has given him incredible strength, bending steel
with ease and leaping great distances! Fester then stops to plan how to best
use his newfound power.
Meanwhile, Peter Parker arrives at college and notes
how he’s missed a bunch of class due to his recent battles as Spider-man and
that all of the other students have already formed into cliques, leaving him
out. Just then, Gwen Stacy and a friend of hers named Sally Green observe
Peter, and Sally says she’ll prove Gwen wrong about Peter. Sally approaches
Peter and invites him to a get together which Peter eagerly accepts. However,
once Sally mentions that it’ll be nice having a guy with brains there, Peter thinks
that that’s the only reason she’s talking to him and brushes her off, not
wanting things to turn out similar to with Betty, only reinforcing Gwen’s
negative view of him. Meanwhile Fester, now calling himself the Looter, uses
his strength to rob a bank and makes his escape after using his dazzle gun to
temporarily blind everyone with a dazzling light! Over the following days, the
Looter carries out similar robberies, feeling that this was what he was always
meant to do.
Once Spidey can finally take some time away from his
studies to go out looking for the Looter, he’s suddenly nowhere to be found!
Meanwhile, the Looter discovers that there’s no more gas left in his original
meteorite and plans to steal another, in case his powers start to wane. Several
days later, Peter takes the chance to visit the space exhibit at a museum. Gwen
also happens to be there and she decides to take the opportunity to try and get
to know Peter, but finds Peter wrapped up in the exhibit, while she watches him
from afar. Just then, the Looter breaks in to steal the meteor at museum,
prompting Peter to run off to change to Spider-Man, causing Gwen to think that
Peter is a coward! Spider-Man surprises the Looter, as the two begin to trade
punches, with Spidey thinking it fortunate that the Looter is pretty new at
this. The Looter attempts to escape by using his dazzle gun to blind Spidey,
who simply closes his eyes and trusts his spider-sense to keep him on Looter’s
tail.
The Looter then tips a large iron ship model onto a
bunch of blinded civilians, causing Spidey to stop his chase to keep it from
flattening the people. Spidey then finds that the Looter has escaped and
changes back to Peter, finally noticing Gwen. Gwen’s opinion of Peter is now
lower than ever however, after she seemingly saw him run away scared. Back at
his base, the Looter concludes that he needs to plan his next heist more
carefully, heading to the museum again in his regular guise to scope out the area.
Back at ESU, Flash Thompson uncharacteristically offers Peter to throw around
the football with him but Peter declines, rather rudely. This earns Peter some
ribbing from Gwen and Flash, as he remains confused at Gwen’s poor opinion of
him.
Spidey then decides to scope out the museum, guessing
that the Looter will be back. Spidey’s patience pays off, as the Looter returns
once again to steal the meteorite. Spidey swings down to intercept him, as the
Looter activates a large helium balloon attached to his back, in order to make
his escape. The Looter taunts Spidey as he floats away but Spidey bounces off
of a flagpole, gaining enough height to attach his web to the Looter’s balloon.
The two trade punches until Spidey nearly falls off, but manages to catch the
Looter’s foot, swinging himself back up. Spidey yammers on, annoying the
Looter, while he finishes the fight with a couple of well-placed punches.
Spidey unmasks the Looter but has no idea who he is and he slowly deflates the
balloon, sending the Looter down to earth and leaving him for the police.