Marvel Tales Vol 2 104

Synopsis
Spider-Man comes upon a crime scene involving the death of a woman named Gloria Jenkins. Spidey's friend Mary Jane Watson is an apparent witness to her murder and retreats to her apartment to settle down. Spidey changes into his civvies and talks to MJ who refuses to come forward about what she had seen. This shocks Peter and he storms out of the apartment after calling her a coward.

As day turns to night, Pete turns back into Spider-Man and does some web-slinging to cool off. The Vulture swoops down and attacks him and Spider-Man deduces that he must have been the one to kill the girl. The Vulture believes Spider-Man is a witness to the murder and must silence him. The two swap blows over the New York skyline, but the Vulture avoids one of Spidey's lunges and the hero spirals down into an alley allowing the winged villain the chance to escape. Unable to find the Vulture, Spider-Man instead decides to drop by the Baxter Building. His pal Johnny Storm and he spend the rest of the evening working on putting together Pete's new Spidermobile. Come the dawn, Spider-Man returns home.

None of Pete's friends seem all too happy to see him. Harry Osborn is especially belligerent, still blaming Spider-Man for the death of his father. Pete goes to Empire State University where he sees M.J., but she is still miffed at him over his outburst from the previous evening. Flash Thompson pulls up and the three drive off in his car.

The Vulture swoops down for a second attack and grabs Mary Jane from the convertible. Flash loses control and crashes his car into a telephone pole. Pete back flips out of the vehicle just in time and checks to make sure that Flash is okay. Racing back to ESU, Peter runs into Professor Miles Warren. Warren gives Pete an earful about how he has been slipping in his grades, but Parker doesn't have time to deal with the professor right now.

Peter switches to Spider-Man and gets a bead on the Vulture. He begins to notice certain oddities about his old foe. For starters, the Vulture seems to be unaware that he had even grabbed Mary Jane, believing instead that it was actually Spider-Man whom he grabbed. Moreover, Spidey notices that the Vulture's fingers are now razor-sharp talons that are capable of cutting through his webbing. Spidey rescues Mary Jane and sets her down then resumes his pursuit of the Vulture.

He tracks the Vulture back to ESU where he is in the process of attacking a lab assistant named Christine Murrow. Christine gets away and the two begin fighting each other again outside. The Vulture flies high into the air with Spidey clinging fast to him. Once he is high enough however, he shakes his opponent's grip and Spider-Man begins falling. He is too high up and all of the buildings are too far out of range for his web-shooters.

Appearances

 * Spider-Man


 * Flash Thompson
 * Harry Osborn
 * Mary Jane Watson


 * The Vulture


 * Johnny Storm
 * Miles Warren
 * Christine Murrow
 * Gwen Stacy
 * Gloria Jenkins


 * New York City Police Department
 * Jackson
 * Sarge


 * New York
 * New York City
 * Baxter Building
 * Empire State University
 * Peter Parker's apartment
 * Mary Jane's apartment


 * Web-shooters


 * Spidermobile
 * Flash Thompson's convertible


 * Spider-Sense

Notes & Trivia

 * This issue reprints Amazing Spider-Man, Volume 1 #127


 * This issue is the first of a two-part story.


 * First appearance of Clifton Shallot, the second man to assume the costumed identity of the Vulture. He appears next in Amazing Spider-Man #128. As of this issue, Spider-Man does not realize that this is not Adrian Toomes - the original Vulture.


 * Gwen Stacy appears in a one-panel flashback to events from Amazing Spider-Man #121.


 * First and only appearance of Gloria Jenkins; dies in this issue.


 * Spider-Man makes a reference to famous body builder Charles Atlas in this issue. Coincidentally, a classic 1970s Charles Atlas weight training advertisement is included in this issue.


 * Peter Parker makes a reference to Ralph Nader in this issue. Ralph Nader is a political activist and consumer advocate. Nader is a five-time candidate for President of the United States, having run as a write-in candidate in the 1992 New Hampshire Democratic primary, as the Green Party nominee in 1996 and 2000, and as an independent candidate in 2004 and 2008.


 * The Green Goblin killed Gwen Stacy in Amazing Spider-Man #121. The Goblin was subsequently killed himself (or so we're led to believe) in the following issue.


 * This issue foreshadows Harry Osborn becoming the next Green Goblin.

Quotes

 * Spider-Man: Uh-oh... looks like someone's been killed outside of Mary Jane's apartment building... and unless my Spider Sense has gone completely bananas, I'd lay odds that poor Ms. Watson saw it all!

...
 * Mary Jane Watson: Just when he'd finished with her, the murderer turned and saw me -- he knows I watched the whole thing! If I speak out, he'll kill me. I don't dare tell anyone, Peter... not even you!
 * Peter Parker: Are you kidding? You'll let him go free?
 * Mary Jane Watson: Petey... I have to! Don't you see?
 * Peter Parker: Frankly, lady... I don't. And if that's the way you're going to play it, count me out! You can hold your own hand. I'm not a towel-shoulder for cowards!

....
 * The Vulture: Who else could it be, you meddlesome clown? Who else can strike with the speed and cunning of a hawk -- with the deadliness of a falcon--? Who else but I? I, the Vulture.

....
 * Johnny Storm: Spider-Man! Back again so soon?
 * Spider-Man: I just had to see your lovely face, Torch. It keep me awaken at night -- just thinking about it.

....
 * Harry Osborn: We are not "friends", Parker. We never have been. We just shared an apartment. That's all. Do you hear? That's all!