Vengeance from Vietnam!

Watching Flash Thompson being led into a car by military personnel, Spider-Man finds something wrong and decides to follow them. The car that he's following is then attacked by followers of the Monks of the Light, and their leader the Giant One. Spider-Man gets in the middle and manages to defeat them all, webbing up the followers. However, the Giant One manages to escape. Grabbing Flash and bringing him to a safe location, Flash tells Spider-Man the reason why the followers of the Monks of the Light were after him:

While fighting in Vietnam, Flash was injured in combat and stumbled across the hidden temple of the followers. There the peaceful monks patched up Flash and he soon fell in love with the elder's daughter Sha-Shan. However, returning to his unit he learned that the military planned to bomb the sector where the temple was located. Horrified, Flash went to go and warn them, but he could not convince them to leave their home and they apparently became victims of the air strike, their temple destroyed. Flash would ultimately be blamed for the bombing and be followed by strange men. Finishing his story, Flash explains that is why he is under military protection. Spider-Man takes him the rest of the way to the Federal Building where he was to be taken.

Returning to his apartment, he finds Aunt May and Harry Osborn there and they've almost stumbled upon his secret identity when May happens on a spilled vial of Peter's web fluid. Using an excuse to explain the strange goo, Peter talks Aunt May out of cleaning it up. Gwen shows up and tells Peter about Flash being in military custody, and he agrees to accompany her to the Federal Building to see Flash. There Peter happens to spot the Giant One also waiting in the lobby, telling Gwen that he has to take pictures for the Bugle. Peter slips away and tags the Giant One with a spider-tracer. However, a bomb goes off knocking out the building's lights. With no time to change into Spider-Man and hoping the darkness can cover him, Peter fights off the Giant One and his goons. The Giant One tosses Peter aside and tells him they will get their revenge against Thompson whenever they see fit.

When Peter tries to go off after them, Gwen stops him, calling him on the fact that everyone thinks him a coward. Peter is left in a bind: how does he go after Flash's attackers without revealing that he's really Spider-Man?

Recurring Characters

Spider-Man, Flash Thompson, Aunt May, Gwen Stacy, Harry Osborn, Giant One, Sha Shan Nguyen

Continuity Notes

• All references to the fact that Flash Thompson was drafted into the military and fought in the Vietnam War should be considered a topical reference. Per History of the Marvel Universe #2, Flash probably fought in the fictional Sin Cong Conflict.