Spider-Man (UK) Vol 1 585

Spider-Man is web-slinging across the west end of Manhattan looking for crime photos to take for the Daily Bugle. He is unaware that he is being monitored from afar by men who are planning some kind of scheme. Swinging in the pouring rain, Spider-Man wonders if quitting grad school was such a great idea since he has been unable to find any photos. However, as he passes a nearby construction site, he hears someone being robbed. After setting up his automatic camera, Spider-Man swings in and stops a group of thieves from getting away with some specialized calibration equipment. Spider-Man makes short work of them and leaves the thieves webbed up for the police and departs. This was all part of a plan by Daniel Steyr, owner of Steyr Security Systems. With the wall-crawler gone, he sends some of his men down to get a sampling of the wall-crawlers webbing. Unable to remove it from a steel girder, they are forced to use a laser torch to cut away the section with the webbing stuck on it. Returning to Satyr's craft, it flies away so the sample can be examined. At that moment, Spider-Man returns to his apartment in Chelsea where he strips off his costume and tries to keep warm and fend off a cold.

Meanwhile, at Steyr Security Systems Daniel Steyr goes down to one of the labs to learn if his scientists have cracked the secret of Spider-Man's webbing. Unfortunately, when he gets there he learns that they were unable to do any examination as the sample crumbled to chemically neutral powder, much to Daniel's anger and frustration. When his lab tech asks why it is important to duplicate Spider-Man's webbing, Steyr explains that it could be used to save lives. He relates to a situation a couple of weeks ago when he was on his way to a lecture when he was about to be robbed. A police officer intervened but took a fatal bullet and died. Steyr learned that the officer had been issued a bulletproof vest but found it too bulky to wear. Daniel was determined to find a means of creating a lightweight bulletproof vest to save lives. He got the idea to get a sample of Spider-Man's webbing after reading a newspaper story about the heroes recent exploits. It featured a photograph of the masked hero deflecting bullets with a shield made out of his webbing. With his decoy scheme a failure, Steyr realizes that he is going to have to get Spider-Man himself. To this end, he looks through his files to find individuals that are fit to find the wall-crawler. He finds two suitable candidates: Wonder Man, the former Avenger who now works for the testing division, and Brendan Doyle, the mercenary known as the Mauler.

At that moment, in the research and development division, Wonder Man is allowing his body to be used as a test subject for a new type of bazooka. While the weapon test works, Wonder Man is not harmed. He tells the technicians what the explosion was like so they can make the necessary improvements. When he is referred to as an Avenger, Wonder Man thinks about how he recently went on reserve status as he isn't comfortable playing a superhero. However, with his acting career going bust, Simon Williams wonders if he should swallow his pride and go back to the Avengers. Just then, his thoughts are interrupted by Daniel Steyr who offers Wonder Man a bonus for a job. Simon accepts it and goes to change his clothing before learning more. OVerhearing this is the Mauler, who assures Styre that he and his armor are more than capable of handling what comes next.

Two days later, Peter Parker is having a hard time selling photos of Spider-Man to the Daily Bugle. J. Jonah Jameson is bored with the constant photos of the wall-crawler and has no sympathy for Peter who has his rent coming up. Just then, one of the copy boys comes up with an advertisement from Steyr Security Systems about a demonstration of a new fabric that is more durable than Spider-Man's webbings. Jameson is impressed by this that he signs off on a full page ad, no charge, as he hopes that it will make Spider-Man look foolish. Seeing an opportunity, Peter gets Jameson to assign him to take photos of the demonstration. The next morning, Peter Parker is on site to take photos of the demonstration. Wonder Man is used to showing how strong the fabric is, but he snaps in half, leading to Daniel becoming a laughing stock. Peter can't help himself and slips away and changes into Spider-Man and demonstrates his own webbing by wrapping up Wonder Man's hands. This is all part of Styre's plan and he orders Mauler to attack. Spider-Man is caught off guard and taken away by the Mauler. Wonder Man breaks free of the webbing. Finding the arrival of Spider-Man and the Mauler to be too much of a coincidence and the sudden disappearance of Daniel Styre, Wonder Man realizes that he was being used.

Wonder Man goes to the records room and forces the technician to give up the location of Daniel Styre. Meanwhile, at an abandoned National Guard Armory in Brooklyn, Spider-Man wakes up to find himself shackled to a table. Daniel Styre demands the web-slinger reveal the secret of his webbing, but Spider-Man declines. Styre then orders the Mauler to kill the wall-crawler, but before he can, Wonder Man comes crashing through the wall. Freeing Spider-Man, Wonder Man handles the Maule. Spider-Man then goes after Daniel Styre, who activates a battery of hidden weapons to try and keep the hero away. The battle attracts the attention of the police who enter the facility. When one of the officers walks into the crosshairs of one of the automated weapons, Daniel Styre sacrifices his life to save the officer. Spider-Man then disables the weapons. Seeing his employer getting gunned down, the Mauler retreats. After Wonder Man explains everything to the authorities, he and Spider-Man part company. Both men are secretly worried about their current financial situations and ironically both think the other doesn't have these kind of concerns.

Appearing in "Big Monster on Campus!"

Reprint of the 1st story from
Incredible Hulk #226

Featured Characters:

Hulk (Bruce Banner) (Appears in flashback)

Supporting Characters:

Antagonists:

Other Characters:

Dr Herbert Josiah Weller
Dean Harvey Slater
Captain Marvel (Mar-Vell) (Only in recap)
Sally (First appearance) (Only in flashback)
Socrates (Statue)
Leader (Sam Sterns) (Mentioned)
S.H.I.E.L.D. (Mentioned)

Races and Species:

Humans
Kree (Only in recap)

Realities:

Earth-616

Locations:

Earth
- North America
  - United States of America
    - New Mexico
      - Gamma Base
      - Navapo
        Desert State University
      - Tecumcari (First appearance)

Items:

Tranc-Gas Grenades
Encephalo Helmet (Destroyed)

Synopsis for "Big Monster on Campus!"

Reprint of the 1st story from
Incredible Hulk #226

After defeating the Leader, the Hulk has now turned his fury on Doc Samson. As the two fight it out in one of the labs at Gamma Base, soldiers come into the room and try to subdue the Hulk with a gas grenade. This fails because the Hulk does what they don't expect: he actually holds his breath for once. The Hulk then swats the soldiers away and resumes his bout with Samson. General Ross then comes racing in and tries to tame the Hulk with an Encephalo-Helmet, but the device doesn't work on the Hulk this time and the brute easily rips it off his head. The Hulk then backhands Ross and deciding that he has fought enough, bounds away.

Not far away in Tecumcari, New Mexico, Kroptokin and Jim Wilson have stopped for a burger at a fast food restaurant on their trek toward Gamma Base. As the portly magician disgusts Jim with his eating habits, the pair over-hear a police scanner report about the Hulk being sighted in Navapo and take off to catch up with him. When the reports of the Hulk arriving in Navapo reach Gamma Base, Clay Quartermain insists on going after the Hulk even though he is still partially paralyzed from the Leader's attack on the base. Doc Samson, in charge now that General Ross is being treated for injuries, tells Quartermain to stand down and mobilizes a unit to catch up with the Hulk.

With news that the Hulk is heading toward Desert State University, a full evacuation of staff and students is ordered. However, Dr. Herbert Weller refuses to leave and intends to face the Hulk as Banner was a former student of his. When the Hulk arrives he questions why he came here. At first, he recalls the last time he was at DSU and fought Captain Marvel, but suddenly he remembers something else when he spots the name "Judy" carved into a tree with a heart around it. The Hulk begins remembering one of Banner's memories about a former lover from university. However, when his memory of Judy shows her going to Banner, the Hulk begins to rampage. However, he is briefly quelled by the arrival of Dr. Weller who tries to talk sense into the Hulk. However, because he keeps on calling the Hulk by his real name he does nothing more than anger the Hulk even more. Jim rushes onto the scene and the Hulk is about to lash out on him as well when suddenly Weller's weak heart beings to affect him. Furious that everyone is angry with him, the Hulk then sees what he thinks is yet another antagonist come to cause him trouble.

Upon closer look the Hulk is mistaken as it is merely a statue of the late philosopher known as Socrates. Reading the inscription "Know Thyself" on the statue keeps putting the idea in the Hulk's mind and he begins to go into another frenzy. He suddenly smashes the statue. The Hulk picks up the head of the statue and demands that the its words get out of his mind. However, the Hulk then reverts back to Bruce Banner and he begins to break down because he doesn't even know who he is anymore. Just then Doc Samson arrives on the scene and offers to help Bruce figure that out.

Appearing in 3rd story

Synopsis for 3rd story

Synopsis not yet written

Notes

This issue reprints the second half of Marvel Team-Up #136 and the first half of Incredible Hulk #225.

Links and References

References