Synopsis
Amazing Spider-Man, The (1963 series) #530 synopsis by
Rob Johnson
Rating:
Peter Parker is waiting at an airport to board Tony Stark's private jet. Tony arrives in a limo and Peter asks why he left Avengers Tower at midnight last night. Stark says he had a meeting and won't elucidate further. (We see a flashback that tells us it was an Illuminati meeting. And an editorial comment directs us to the New Avengers: Illuminati 1-shot.)
Tony tells Peter he's brought a new improved version of the Spider-Man costume he gave him last issue. And they fly off to Washington. On the way they discuss the Senate Committee hearing they're going for. It's about the Bill to create the Superhuman Registration Act which will require superhumans to register their real names with the government. Peter is worried about the information being hacked or leaked. Tony says he's attending the hearing to argue against it.
When they get to their hotel Peter examines his new costume, with a handy recorded summary of the enhancements. It can now turn invisible. (It doesn't make the wearer invisible, so the feature is designed for when Peter's wearing it under his normal clothes.) It can also disguise itself as any of his earlier costumes, or go into camouflage mode. It also has 3 mechanical arms that extrude from his back on thought command. There are eyes on the end for peering round corners.
When Peter meets Tony again and they drive to the Senate Committee, they don't notice an armoured assassin watching them from a rooftop.
At the meeting the chairman Senator Dickerson is hostile. He welcomes Stark as an industrialist, former Secretary of Defence, and Iron Man. When Tony protests that he is no longer the Golden Avenger, Dickerson asks if he would say that under oath. Stark counters that he'll need to bring in a legal team if he's going to testify under oath. Dickerson drops it and hands over to Senator Whatmore.
Whatmore says that in the 60 years since the end of WWII (we see a flashback of the Invaders fighting a monster) superhuman conflict has caused an estimated $200 billion in damage. Stark responds that superheroes have saved the US from being destroyed or conquered 47 times (I should say at least that) during that period. And spread over that period $200 billion is just $300 million per year. And the this year's DOD budget is $419 billion. Superheroes are cheap.
Whatmore changes tack and says superhero identities should be known so they can be held accountable for mistakes, like doctors, pilots and cab drivers are. Stark has no answer to that, but Parker is given permission to speak. He says supervillains need superheroes to respond to them (the flashback this time is Spidey vs Venom). But superheroes have loved ones to worry about, and if their identities were known the bad guys would attack them in their civilian identities and their families would be collateral damage.
Whatmore counters that police and others face the same threat. But Peter says the police, etc chose the job. Most superheroes had powers thrust upon them (flashbacks to his origin and those of Daredevil and Hulk), but with great power came great responsibility. Whatmore replies that registering on the government's secure database would mean the heroes got the support of the police, etc.
Whatmore thinks he's on a winning streak and calls a recess. Tony suggests that if Peter is asked any more questions he should make his answers as brief as possible - never volunteer information. But he agrees with Peter's point.
Peter calls home to Mary Jane to share his woes. While he's on the phone his spider-sense tingles but he can't see any danger. But we see the him in the sniper's sights.
They're called back in to the meeting, and 4 hours 15 minutes later it's still going on. Stark says the system of anonymous heroes has worked well, and changing it would be dangerous. A possibly friendly committee member asks him to explain. Tony replies that Prohibition and the Vietnam draft turned ordinary citizens into criminals. He foresees this happening again. Dickerson sees that as a threat and asks whose side Stark would be on. Tony reiterates his loyalty to his country and government. The meeting is closed until the next day.
On the way out of the building the press corner Stark and ask him if he was meeting with the Committee on Superhuman Affairs about the proposed Registration Act, and how did it go. He's non-committal. Peter wonders if they shouldn't have been alerting the people to what's going down - he's sure they'll support the heroes.
Then his spider-sense goes off again and he pushes Tony out of the way of a bullet. The armoured watcher lands in front of them, and Stark recognises him as Titanium Man.
As everyone else runs away Peter blinds T-Man with webbing and activates his costume. They fight until the military arrive, assuming as usual that Spidey and the Russian are in league. The army open fire, Titanium Man flies away, and Spider-Man tags along on a web line.
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