Appearing in "Fusion!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- Daily Globe
- ⏴ Barney Bushkin ⏵
- ⏴ April Maye ⏵
- ⏴ Mike Mullaney ⏵
- ⏴ Lance Bannon ⏵ (First appearance)
- ⏴ Rupert Dockery ⏵ (Joins)
- ⏴ Anna Watson ⏵
- Mary Jane Watson (Mentioned)
Locations:
- New York City
- Experimental Physics Laboratory
- Daily Globe Building
Items:
Synopsis for "Fusion!"
Running late for a meeting at the Daily Globe, Spider-Man decides to stop to unblock a traffic jam on the bridge caused by a fender bender. Spider-Man moves the wrecked cars, however, he gets grief for his trouble because an accident report has not been filed yet, and so the wall-crawler flees the scene.
Meanwhile, at a privately owned atomic research plant, the diminutive scientist Dr. Hubert Fusser is about to activate a device that would unlock the secrets of the universe. This experiment is protested by his brother, Pinky who is a lowly janitor working at the lab, and his warnings not to toy with creations are ignored by Hubert who is conducting his work in the name of science. However, something goes wrong with the experiment and Herbert is bombarded with radiation. When Pinky goes after his unconscious brother, he too is struck with the rays and blacks out. When the two come into physical contact they begin to fuse together.
While at the Globe, Peter Parker arrives late for his meeting and is introduced to Rupert Dockerty, who has come from L.A. to become the Globe's new Circulation Manager, and new chief photographer Lance Bannon. Afterwards, Peter joins his Aunt May in visiting Anna Watson who is in the hospital. He excuses himself when his spider-sense goes off and changes into Spider-Man. Exploring the hospital, Spider-Man finds the energy creature that is the fusion of Hubert and Pinky Fusser. Calling itself Fusion, the creature can absorb the energies of anything around it. The Hubert half of Fusion's personality is fascinated with the phenomenon and wishes to learn more, while the Pinky half protests this abuse of science.
Spider-Man attacks them and their fight takes them into the street where Fusion tries to flee into the subway. There Pinky forces himself to split from his brother restoring them back to normal. However, the further they get from each other the weaker they get. The weakened Hubert then falls into the path of an oncoming subway train, prompting Pinky to re-merge with Hubert in order to save his brother's life. Meanwhile, Spider-Man returns to the hospital and changes back into Peter Parker, says his goodbyes to Aunt May and Anna Watson before rushing off to face Fusion once more.
Spider-Man tracks Fusion to the George Washington Bridge, where Fusion is making a bee-line to a nearby power plant. Spider-Man battles Fusion once more, but finds his energy absorption powers too much for a conventional attack. Trying to knock Fusion into the water proves equally as hopeless as Fusion is able to walk on water. Following the being to the Jersey shore, Spider-Man realizes that the two have a split personality, and appeals to Pinky's half of it's being. Pinky tells of their one weakness, and Spider-Man assists in helping Pinky once more separate from his brother, knocking both of the Fusser's out in the process.
Notes
Publication Notes[]
- Plot by Shooter and Gruenwald, script by O'Neil.
- The credits give special thanks to the fans at Maplecon II in Ottawa for creating Fusion.
Trivia
- There are vague references to Superman ("That comic book guy with the cape") and Batman ("Sometimes I wish I was a Detective type good guy...") in this issue.
- Also, a reference to Billy Jean King, a tennis pro.
- In page 19, the word "detective" is misspelled as "dectivive".