Arm-In-Arm-In-Arm-In-Arm-In-Arm-In-Arm With Doctor Octopus

Continued from last issue... Believing that he had been haunted by the ghost of Hammerhead, Dr. Octopus had built a machine to try and destroy his haunter. However, in reality, Hammerhead has existed in a different dimensional plane of reality, and in using the device on him has freed him and brought him back to the real world. This leads to a three-way fight between Spider-Man, Dr. Octopus, and Hammerhead.

When a SWAT team arrives to take back the lab which Dr. Octopus took over in order to try and destroy Hammerhead, their involvement makes things worse. Hammerhead uses the extra distraction to take Aunt May at gunpoint and escape. Dr. Octopus then convinces Spider-Man to put aside their differences temporarily to save May; Spider-Man reluctantly agrees.

Elsewhere, the Tinkerer has recovered Spider-Man's Spider-Mobile and is repairing and modifying it to be an instrument of revenge to use against the wall-crawler. Meanwhile, Spider-Man is led by Dr. Octopus to Hammerhead's hideout. This is witnessed by J. Jonah Jameson, who is dealing with another replacement secretary.

The two unlikely companions arrive at Hammerhead's lair and fight off the mobster's men, and rescue Aunt May. When Hammerhead tries to escape in his helicopter, Dr. Octopus tosses garbage cans at it causing it to crash. Convinced that Hammerhead is finally dead, Dr. Octopus demands that Spider-Man hand over Aunt May. However, Dr. Octopus flees from the scene when he hears what he wrongly believes are police sirens. Upon realizing that the sirens are coming from fire-fighting vehicles, Spider-Man leaves May there for them to find before leaving the scene.

Recurring Characters

Spider-Man, Doctor Octopus, Hammerhead, Aunt May, J. Jonah Jameson, Joe Robertson, Toy, Tinkerer, Kingpin

Continuity Notes

• Hammerhead mentions how a nuclear blast put him out of phase until last issue. Hammerhead was put in this state back in Amazing Spider-Man #131.

• The identity of the man rebuilding the Spider-Mobile is revealed next issue and his mysterious employer is revealed in Amazing Spider-Man #164.

• The Spider-Mobile has been missing since it was accidentally crashed in the Hudson River back in Amazing Spider-Man #141.

• Jameson has been dealing with replacement secretaries since Betty Brant got married in Amazing Spider-Man #156.

• Although Hammerhead seemingly perishes when his helicopter explodes, he turns up alive and well in Fantastic Four #233.