Amazing Spider-Man #135
Shoot-Out In Central Park!
While fighting the Tarantula, Spider-Man finds himself under the gun of the Punisher, who believes that the wall-crawler is in on the kidnapping of the ship's crew. The Tarantula allows the Punisher to believe this, prompting a fight between Spider-Man and the Punisher allowing the Tarantula and his men to escape. When the Punisher realizes that he's been duped, he stops his fight with Spider-Man and tells the wall-crawler to meet him at midnight at the museum in Fort Tryon before jumping overboard. Spider-Man flees the ship when the crew (who still believe that he had something to do with the hijacking) crowd around him. He changes into Peter Parker in the water and pretends that he needs to be rescued. He manages to convince Mary Jane that he was knocked overboard, however, he fails to convince Flash Thompson, who is becoming suspicious of Peter's double identity.
After phoning Jameson to report that Spider-Man saved the cruise and that he got pictures of Spider-Man's fight with the Tarantula. While he showers in his apartment later, he doesn't hear Harry sneak into his room and snoop around for his Spider-Man costume. When Harry finds it, he is convinced that Peter is really Spider-Man and quietly leaves.
At midnight, Spider-Man meets with the Punisher at their designated meeting place, where the Punisher shows Spider-Man slides of the Tarantula telling Spider-Man of his origins: How he was a member of freedom fighters in a South American country, however, his violent ways had him kicked out of the group of revolutionaries. The Tarantula would eventually change sides and be turned into his countries answer to Captain America to fight the revolutionaries. However, his love of violence would get him in hot water with his leaders again, and so he had fled the country to the United States, where he set himself up as a mercenary.
With Spider-Man briefed, the two go after the Tarantula attacking his safe house, the Punisher with the help of Spider-Man defeats the Tarantula and his men. After they have been bound up, the Punisher bids farewell to the wall-crawler. While at the warehouse that Spider-Man had his final battle against the original Green Goblin, Harry Osborn has come to collect his father's device, to get revenge against the man who killed him -- Peter Parker, the Amazing Spider-Man.
Recurring Characters
Spider-Man, Punisher, Tarantula, J. Jonah Jameson, Joe Robertson, Betty Brant, Liz Allan, Harry Osborn, Mary Jane Watson, Flash Thompson
Continuity Notes
The Punisher recounts his last interaction with Spider-Man in Amazing Spider-Man #129.
One of the ship's crew states they haven't had anyone fall off the ship since 1956. This should be considered a topical reference per the Sliding Timescale of Earth-616.
The narrative of this story mentions the apparent death of Norman Osborn. A complicated matter that occurred during the events of Amazing Spider-Man #121-123. As the Green Goblin, Norman was responsible for the death of Peter's girlfriend Gwen Stacy. Norman died shortly thereafter. His son Harry recovered his costume so nobody would connect his father to the Green Goblin. However, unknown to all, Norman is still alive thanks to his enhanced healing abilities as revealed in Spider-Man: The Osborn Journal #1, he will resurface in Amazing Spider-Man #412.
The Punisher states that he used to have ideals, but that is a long story. The Punisher's origins are revealed in Marvel Preview #2, wherein it is told that Frank Castle became the Punisher after his family was killed by mobsters.
