Our story opens with a man named Mendel Stromm being
released from prison, after having carried out his 10 year sentence. Stromm
thinks about his plans to get his revenge on someone now that he is free.
Stromm enters a car waiting for him, all the while being watched from the
bushes by Frederick Foswell, who was Stromm’s former cell-mate. Just then,
someone points a gun at Foswell from behind, but the man is stopped by
Spider-Man. The man claims he wanted to get in Stromm’s good graces by getting
rid of Foswell, so Spidey webs the man to his car and forces him to follow
Stromm, to see what he’s up to. The police suddenly arrive on their tail,
however, as it turns out the car was reported stolen and Spidey makes his
escape, leaving the man for the police. Spidey then decides to head to the
Daily Bugle, assuming there may be a clue as to what Foswell was after there.
At the Bugle, J. Jonah Jameson also wonders where
Foswell is, as Peter shows up, noticing yet another new secretary. Foswell then
arrives and tells Jameson about his old cell-mate, Stromm, and how he’s
planning revenge on the one who landed him in prison, thinking there could be a
story there. Peter agrees, sneakily placing a spider-tracer on Foswell’s hat,
so as to follow him later. At his hideout, Stromm begins to orchestrate his
plan. Meanwhile, at ESU, Peter runs into Gwen Stacy and tries talking to her,
but finds that she’s still mad at him. Peter lashes out a bit, causing more
tension, before trying to apologize, blocking a slap from Gwen! Flash Thompson
then barrels in, challenging Peter to a fight, which of course Peter avoids.
While Flash thinks he’s just a coward, Gwen isn’t convinced. Harry Osborn later
reassures Gwen that Peter frustrates him too, causing Gwen to defend Peter,
even surprising herself!
Back at his hideout, Stromm presents a strange green,
tentacled robot that he designed, using a device to mentally control it. Stromm
dispatches the robot to attack an electronics plant owned by the object of his
frustrations, as it begins to tear the place apart, causing all kinds of
destruction! Spider-Man arrives on the scene, and is surprised by the robot,
getting grabbed by one of its tentacles. Spidey tries pulling himself loose but
the robot flings itself at him, wrapping him all up, with Spidey struggling to
get free. Finding the robot’s strength too evenly distributed, Spidey flings
himself, along with the robot, into the nearby fire, causing it to release him
as it writhes around. Spidey escapes out the window as back at his hideout,
Stromm is unworried about the loss of his first robot, being in the process of
building an even more powerful one!
We then find out that the attacked plant belongs to
none other than Norman Osborn, father of Harry Osborn, as they arrive at the
destroyed plant. When Harry wonders who could’ve done this, Norman snaps at
him, thinking about how he cheated Stromm out of his inventions and then got
him sent to prison when threatened, thinking it must be Stromm that’s after
him. Jameson then arrives and offers his support if Norman needs it. Spidey
realizes that the guy that Foswell mentioned might be responsible for the robot
and decides to follow Foswell, with his tracer leading him to Foswell’s
apartment. As it turns out, Foswell isn’t there, having gone out himself to
learn information as Patch, with Spidey coincidentally running into him, and
deciding to tail Patch instead. Using information he learned, Patch heads to
where Stromm might be hiding, only to get caught by Stromm’s flunky, as the
second robot is also sent out on its mission. Spidey places a spider-tracer on
the robot, knowing that Patch takes priority right now.
Spidey heads in the hideout, rescuing Patch, before
they’re both locked in a room. Spidey crawls out through the air shaft to
follow the robot, as it makes itself to Osborn’s office. The robot, with Stromm
talking through it, confronts Osborn, before destroying his office, while
Osborn formulates a plan to outsmart Stromm and his robot. However, right at
that moment, Spider-Man intervenes once more, much to Osborn’s chagrin, and
begins to battle the new robot. Spidey dodges around the robot’s destruction beam,
finding his webs and thrown objects both equally useless against the robot. As
Spidey is distracted trying to evade the robot, he’s suddenly hit from behind
by Norman Osborn, knocking Spidey out and giving Osborn the chance to escape.
Stromm, through his robot, finds the unconscious Spider-Man and leaves him,
thinking him dead, to continue to destroy the plant.
Spidey comes to and heads to follow the robot,
reaching him just as he returns to Stromm’s hideout. Spidey swings through the
door, kicking the robot down the stairs, before slamming it on the floor and
flinging it into the power control units! Patch captures Stromm’s flunky, while
Stromm attempts to use the robot’s still-functioning head to attack Spider-Man.
Spidey easily disposes of it, before suddenly being alerted by his spider-sense
of a gun at the high up window. Stromm keels over as Spidey makes his way up to
the window but finds no one there, confused about how they vanished so quickly.
Patch reveals that Stromm is dead of a heart attack as Spidey heads out. Later,
Jameson checks in on Norman Osborn to tell him that Stromm can’t bother him
anymore. After Jameson leaves, it is revealed that Osborn was the one with the
gun, as he promises that Spider-Man will soon be dealt with!