Amazing Spider-Man #207
Mesmero's Revenge!
Former mutant terrorist Mesmero has decided to go straight, using his hypnosis powers to put on a Broadway show, however, is heavily panned by theater critics all over the city. During one show, Peter Parker has brought Debra Whitman as a date and the two find that it's not that spectacular a show. When Peter notes that one of Mesmero's combustible juggling balls has set the stage curtain on fire, he manages to slip away from Debra to change into Spider-Man and put out the fire with his webbing. When Mesmero notices, he announces to the audience that he is aware that Spider-Man is in the crowd and announces that he has a business proposition for the wall-crawler after the show. Peter, needing the money, blows off the rest of his date with Debra to change into Spider-Man and meet with Mesmero.
Mesmero offers Spider-Man the chance to make appearances during his show and agrees to pay Spider-Man $400 a week for his appearances. Spider-Man decides that he and Mesmero don't exactly see eye-to-eye and tells the mutant hypnotist that he will have to think about it and will see him at six the next evening. On his way home, Spidey grabs a copy of the Daily Globe and finds that the theater critic has totally panned Mesmero's show. Also reading the bad reviews, Mesmero becomes furious that his attempt to go straight is being lauded as nothing more than chicanery and vows to get revenge against the theater critics.
The next afternoon when Peter visits the Daily Globe, he is almost bowled over by the theater critic as he charges out of the office. Peter deduces that the man must be under Mesmero's control and goes after him as Spider-Man. As Peter swings across the city, at the Daily Bugle, the latest editorial meeting is briefly interrupted by the return of J. Jonah Jameson who is back for the first day and has picked up the steam as though he had never left, barking orders at his reporters to get good stories.
Spider-Man finally catches up with the theater critic, who has bound himself up with chains and is about to jump off the Brooklyn Bridge. Spider-Man, remembering the Gwen Stacy tragedy saves the critics life. The critic snaps out of his trance and thanks, Spider-Man by giving the wall-crawler two tickets to see "A Chorus Line" on Broadway. Returning home, Peter quickly makes a date with Debra, asking her to meet him at the theater and to meet him there at 7:00. Changing back to Spider-Man, the wall-crawler intends to keep his 6:00 meeting with Mesmero, only this time planning on busting him for the earlier incident. When Mesmero, wise to Spider-Man rescue of the critic, meets with Spider-Man he offers Spidey and advances. Taking the money, Spider-Man finds that it's rigged with an electrical line and is shocked into a blackout.
As Debora gives up on Peter showing up, figuring she's been ditched, Spider-Man revives and finds himself being forced to juggle explosive balls while various theater critics from different news outlets are being forced to watch and heckle the wall-crawler. Spider-Man, however, tosses the balls high in the air making them detonate upon impact with the ceiling, then easily defeats Mesmero. When the audience snaps out of their trance and realizes that Spider-Man saved him they give the wall-crawler a standing ovation.
Recurring Characters
Spider-Man, Debra Whitman, J. Jonah Jameson, Joe Robertson, Mesmero
Continuity Notes
Spider-Man recounts how Mesmero clashed with the X-Men in the past. He is referring to the events of X-Men #49-60. He refers to that battle as happening a "few years ago". Per the Sliding Timescale of Earth-616, that would have been about 3 years prior. He is not aware of their more recent battle in X-Men #111-112.
When witnessing Oswald Clum attempting to leap off the Brooklyn Bridge, Spider-Man is reminded of the tragic death of Gwen Stacy. That happened in Amazing Spider-Man #121.
