Spider-Man Family Vol 2 5

The Green Goblin has captured Spider-Man as he is rushing to the hospital to sign forms for Aunt May's operation. However, mobsters in the employ of Silvermane attack the Goblin with bazookas, inadvertently freeing Spider-Man. Before the wall-crawler can get his bearings, however, he falls into a dumpster, where the mobsters find him unconscious. Spider-Man revives and fights his way to freedom. Changing back to Peter Parker, Spidey rushes to the hospital just in the nick of time. He is, however, chewed out by Mary Jane for taking so long to get there to sign for his ailing aunt.

Meanwhile, the Green Goblin returns to his hideout, furious at Silvermane, and taunts his hostage once more before departing to eliminate Silvermane so he can get control of the crime rackets. Back at the hospital, Peter waits for Aunt May's surgery to be completed, he is consoled by Mary Jane, her Aunt Anna and Joe Robertson. As Peter learns that Aunt May is going to pull through, he also hears of the Green Goblin attacking Radio City Music Hall and rushes there.

Changing into Spider-Man, Peter gets into the middle of a fight between Silvermane and the Green Goblin. When the Goblin tries to get away on his glider with Silvermane as his prisoner, Spider-Man tries to stop them. However, the Goblin's glider malfunctions and Spider-Man's web line snaps, sending all three men falling from a fatal height.

Finally, in the Goblin's hideout, his hostage breaks free, and it turns out that it's really Harry Osborn, and he is furious.

Appearing in "The Spider and the Sorcerer!"

Reprint of the 1st story from
Marvel Team-Up #21

Featured Characters:

Doctor Strange (Stephen Strange) (Main story and recap)
Spider-Man (Peter Parker) (Main story and recap)

Supporting Characters:

Melinda (First appearance) (Main story and flashback)

Antagonists:

Xandu (Appears in flashback)
Muggers
- Four unnamed muggers

Other Characters:

Doctor Octopus (Otto Octavius) (Referenced)
Hammerhead (Referenced)
Ancient One (Referenced)
Wong (Mentioned)
Vishanti (Invoked)
- Oshtur (Invoked)
Raggadorr (Invoked)
Rasputin (Mentioned)
Tom Seaver (Mentioned) (Topical Reference)

Races and Species:

Humans

Locations:

Earthspace
- Earth
  - North America
    - United States of America
      - New York
        New York City
        Manhattan
        Greenwich Village
        Bleecker Street
        Sanctum Sanctorum
Raggadorr (Invoked)
Xandu's Dimension (First appearance)

Items:

Synopsis for "The Spider and the Sorcerer!"

Reprint of the 1st story from
Marvel Team-Up #21

While out on patrol, Spider-Man happens upon an alleyway mugging. The wall-crawler quickly sends the muggers packing. When he checks on their intended victim, the elderly man puts Spider-Man under a hypnotic spell. The man in question turns out to be the sorcerer known as Xandu, who had fought Spider-Man in the past. He orders his hypnotic slave to retrieve the Crystal of Kadavus which is being kept in the Sanctum Sanctorum of Doctor Strange. He intends to use the mystical artifact to make himself the ruler of the cosmos. Gloating at the irony of using one of his foes to attack the other, Xandu teleports Spider-Man away so he can complete his task.

At that moment, from his home in Greenwich Village, Doctor Strange has just finished reading some of the writings of the Ancient One and has decided to meditate upon it. As he enters his meditations, Spider-Man appears around the corner. Xandu mentally directs the wall-crawler to do his bidding, but this mind control has also affected the hero's motor skills and he gives himself away by knocking over a metal urn. Hearing the crash, Doctor Strange thinks it is his servant Wong, but when he gets no reply he gets up to investigate. When Doctor Strange happens upon the web-slinger, Xandu clouds Spider-Man's perceptions to make it look as though Strange is attacking him. This leads to a struggle between the two, however, Doctor Strange has to pull his mystical punches as he does not wish to harm Spider-Man. Under Xandu's control, the wall-crawler has no such compunctions and manages to use his webbing to pull a statue off a mantle and strike Strange in the back of the head, knocking him out. Spider-Man then recovers the crystal and is brought back to Xandu's lair.

There, the evil sorcerer uses the power of the Crystal of Kadavus to regenerate the previously destroyed Wand of Watoomb. Xandu explains that Doctor Strange tried to erase his memory of the mystic arts. This left Xandu a drunken derelict, but ultimately his mystical knowledge returned to him, restoring his sense of purpose. Xandu explains that he is not just seeking to conquer the world, but also to restore a life that is lost to him. He recounts how in his younger days he was betrothed to a woman named Melinda. Tragedy struck when one of his spells went out of control and struck her down. Try as he might, he found himself unable of restoring Melinda to life. With Melinda in a death-like coma, he sought to find a cure for her. He hoped that the Wand of Watoomb could save her. However, because of the hero's interference, he now seeks to destroy them.

However, before he can kill Spider-Man, Doctor Strange arrives on the scene. Using the Wand of Watoomb, Xandu teleports both Spider-Man and Doctor Strange to a mystical dimension. There he transforms himself into a more powerful being. As Doctor Strange and Xandu engage in mystical combat, Spider-Man snaps free of Xandu's mental control. When Strange is bolted aside, Spider-Man tries to use his webbing to snatch away the Wand from Xandu. The evil sorcerer turns this against him, using a spell to turn the wall-crawler's webbing against him. When the pair try to combine their powers against Xandu, he uses his mystical powers to bind them like marionettes. By this point, Doctor Strange tries a dangerous gambit by casting a spell that allows his mystical bolts to be fired out of Spider-Man's hands, catching Xandu off guard. As it turns out, Doctor Strange swapped powers with Spider-Man, using webbing to blind Xandu. At the Doctor's command, Spider-Man tosses another bolt of magic at Xandu, knocking free the Wand of Watoomb. With Xandu restored to normal. Doctor Strange then tosses the Wand deep into this other dimension where he hopes it will be lost forever.

Returning to Earth, Doctor Strange learns of Xandu's intent to try and revive his beloved Melinda and agrees to try what he can to help. Examining the woman's body and using his mystical powers to learn what he can. He then tells Xandu that there is nothing he can do, as she is not in a death-like sleep, but a death like sleep. Unable to restore someone from death, Doctor Strange apologizes to Xandu as there is nothing he can do. Unable to accept this reality, Xandu loses his mind and the two heroes leave him to cry over his lost love.

Appearing in "Enter... Elektra!"

Reprint of the 1st story from
Spider-Man J #5

Featured Characters:

Spider-Man J

Supporting Characters:

Jane Marie
Elektra
Detective Flynn

Villains:

Mantis

Other Characters:

Ka Mei U Soku Sai (Mentioned)

Locations:

Earth-7041
- Japan
  - Tokyo
    - Kanso Temple Museum

Items:

Synopsis for "Enter... Elektra!"

Reprint of the 1st story from
Spider-Man J #5

Synopsis not yet written

Solicit Synopsis

Why buy a 22-page book when you can get 104!?

We’re coming at you with an all-new untold tale featuring Spidey and that magical master, Dr. Strange!

The good Doc ain’t feeling so well, so here’s hoping ol’ Web Head can cure what ails him in time to fight off EVERY mystical demon in the universe!

PLUS, a backup story featuring Man-Wolf, PLUS classic archive material, PLUS Spider-Man J!

If we tried to cram any more story into this thing, we’d be arrested!

Links and References

References

Spider-Man Family Vol 2 5

Appearing in 1st story

Synopsis for 1st story

Appearing in "Big Game"

Synopsis for "Big Game"

Appearing in "The Goblin's Always Greener...!"

Synopsis for "The Goblin's Always Greener...!"