Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy walk hand in hand, blind to the rest of
the world, utterly content to be back together once again. Peter determines
that he won’t let Spider-Man come between them again and makes it clear to Gwen
that he wants to ask her to marry him in the not-too-distant future. They make
plans to meet up that evening and Peter realizes that if he wants to support
Gwen, he’ll need a steadier job and more money. Since his job with Norman
Osborn is now too risky, he heads to the Daily Bugle where Robbie tells him
they have an assignment for him. Jameson tells Peter that he wants to him to
get photos of a prison riot currently happening at the City Penitentiary. Peter
responds that he wants to be paid more for his photos than he’s been getting
and demands a part-time staff photographer position there, with an actual
salary! Jameson relents (while Robbie gets a kick out of the whole thing) and
Peter practically skips out of the building, proud of himself for standing up
to Jameson!
Feeling on top of the world, Peter changes to
Spider-Man and swings over to the prison. He interrogates one of the prisoners
keeping watch and learns that the riot is due to the unfair treatment and
conditions the prisoners feel they’re under. Spidey crawls through the prison’s
air vents and overhears that the ringleader of the riot has the warden held
hostage in his office. Spidey finds his way to the warden’s office and perches
on the wall outside his window to surveil the situation. Here, he overhears the
ringleader, a guy named Turpo, admitting that he orchestrated the riot simply
as a means to cover his and his buddies’ escape. Another inmate takes issue
with the fact that Turpo doesn’t actually care about how they’re being treated,
unlike the rest of the rioters, causing Turpo to turn on him too. Spidey busts
in and swiftly takes out Turpo and his accomplices, before telling the rest of
the rioters what’s really going on. The inmate Spidey saved vouches for him and
reveals that the warden agrees with most of their grievances! The warden
promises to request amnesty for all involved and aims to try and fix the issues
that have been raised.
Spidey swings off, everything now taken care of, when
he’s flagged down by a TV host in a nearby building. The host heard about the
situation at the prison and wants to have Spidey on his show to talk about it!
Spidey agrees, as long as he’s paid a fair amount and heads out to deliver his
photos to the Bugle. Peter delivers his photos, but Robbie reminds him that now
that he’s being paid a salary, he won’t be paid until that Friday! Peter
realizes that if he wants to take Gwen out that night, he’ll have to accept the
TV appearance, and hope they pay him on the spot. Spider-Man swings over to the
studio just in time, and the host explains how he’ll introduce him. The host
begins his show and introduces his very special guest, Spider-Man, swinging
right over the crowd for a flashy entrance! An audience member questions if
it’s the real Spidey, who happily demonstrates his powers to prove he’s the
real deal!
Spider-Man then takes the opportunity to talk about
the issues he was made aware of due to the prison riot. He talks about how
prisons are overstuffed, how young first offenders are put right in with
hardened criminals, and how it makes prisons a breeding ground for crime,
rather than a deterrent. He claims that crime and justice are everyone’s
problem and it’s one that has to be solved, before it’s too late! Spidey’s
passioned talk is cut short however by the arrival of the police, who still
have a warrant out on him for Captain Stacy’s death! Spidey is forced to flee
the building and only realizes once he’s a distance away that he left without
getting paid! Without any money, Peter still decides to go see Gwen, and just
come clean about being broke. She answers her door and he admits he’s
disappointed; he wanted to take her out and treat her to a good time, but he
doesn’t have the money. That’s when Gwen reveals that she’d had no intention of
going out, and had been cooking dinner for the two of them all afternoon! And
so, the two stay in to enjoy each other’s company, with Peter feeling like he’s
the luckiest guy in the world!
Give that special marvelite a timely gift