Amazing Spider-Man #224
Let Fly These Aged Wings!
While exercising in his apartment, Peter Parker answers a phone call from his Aunt May and is happy to hear from her. She is glad to hear that her nephew is keeping in shape and says that fiancee Nathan Lubensky had suggested it. When Peter asks how Nathan is doing, Aunt May tells him that Nathan is in physical therapy today and invites Peter over for dinner on the weekend. After ending the call, Peter is happy to hear that his aunt is in better health. With no classes until that afternoon, he decides to go out web-slinging as Spider-Man. As he swings across the city, his spider-sense begins going off, alerting him to a bank robbery in progress. Spider-Man prevents their getaway by webbing up the back tires of their getaway car. He then makes short work of the masked thieves as they try to escape on foot. Peter then webs their hands to the hood of the car and waits for the police arrive. He then returns to the rooftops to recover his camera and hopes he can sell the pictures to the Daily Bugle.
Meanwhile, at Bellevue Hospital, Adrian Toomes -- aka the Vulture -- has been recovering well from his latest injuries battling Spider-Man. The guard that is posted to watch him is impressed at his recovery, thinking that someone Toomes' age would be in traction for the rest of his life. The guard reminds Adrian that once the doctors give him a clean bill of health he is going straight to prison. Toomes is turned over to a doctor to start his physical therapy. There, he meets Nathan Lubinski, who is soaking in a hot tub. While the doctor is busy answering a page, the two elderly men get acquainted. When Toomes talks about being too old to be much good, Nathan tells him not to give up as long as he is alive. Adrian is surprised when he learns that Lubinski is confined to a wheelchair. Lubinski tells Toomes how happy he is at the Restwell Nursing Home and how he has friends and a girlfriend waiting for him. The doctor quickly returns to bring Nathan to the dressing room. Nathan chastises the doctor for treating him like a cripple the whole way back. Toomes is inspired by Nathan's words and left alone with the components of a machine he fashions a crude version of his wings and uses them to escape the hospital. With renewed confidence, Adrian Toomes vows that the Vulture will fly again and he will finally get his revenge against Spider-Man.
At that moment, at the Daily Bugle, Peter Parker is developing his action shots in the dark room. Unfortunately, J. Jonah Jameson and Lance Bannon come barging in, ruining the photos before they can develop. When Peter demands to know why they didn't heed the warning light, they point out that it's not on. Bannon taps it twice and it turns back on again and suspects that it must have been a short in the light. He then makes his way into the dark room to develop his own photos. Jameson then lectures Peter about how much of a better photographer that Bannon is, and about how he is tired of giving publicity to Spider-Man. Just then, Joe Robertson comes barging in to tell Jonah about the Vulture's escape. Peter thinks about how his day seems to be getting worse.
Meanwhile, the Vulture has recovered his costume and wings and robs jewels, banks, armored cars and a gold exchange. Spider-Man hunts his old foe across the city. However, as it begins to rain, the Vulture ends his crime spree to return to his rented furnished room. There he changes into his street clothes when someone comes knocking at his door and invites him to a poker game. At that moment, Spider-Man gives up his search for the Vulture so he can change back into Peter Parker and meet up with Aunt May and Nathan for supper. When Peter arrives at Restwell and meet with Aunt May, she tells her nephew that Nathan is playing cards in the rec-room and asks Peter to get him. Much to Peter's surprise, one of the card players at Nathan's table is none other than Adrian Toomes. Toomes realizes that Peter recognizes him and quietly threatens him with a gun. Making up a story about wanting to show Peter photographs of his own son, Adrian lures Peter out of the rec-room. In his room, Adrian knocks out Peter and then changes into his Vulture costume.
Suddenly, there is a knock at the door. Throwing a blanket over himself, Toomes answers the door and finds Aunt May looking for her nephew. Toomes tells her that Peter abruptly left and closes the door. On the other side, May is upset that Peter has left without telling her. When the Vulture turns around, Peter Parker is gone and in his place is Spider-Man. Not making the connection between Parker and the wall-crawler, the Vulture is caught off guard. The pair then begins fighting across the retirement home. With the web-slinger gaining on him, the Vulture grabs a hostage but suddenly realizes that it is Nathan that he has grabbed. Not wanting to harm the man who convinced him to keep on living his life. When Aunt May calls out to Nathan, the Vulture shoves the old man into Spider-Man and makes his escape. Spider-Man tries to follow after him, but he is surrounded by the residents of Restwell who want to thank him for saving them from harm.
Unable to follow after the Vulture, Spider-Man slips away and changes back into Peter Parker. He then reunites with Aunt May and Nathan and tells them that he was tied up by the Vulture but "Spider-Man" had freed him. Peter then joins his Aunt and her fiancee for dinner.
Recurring Characters
Spider-Man, Vulture, Aunt May, J. Jonah Jameson, Joe Robertson, Nathan Lubensky, Lance Bannon
Continuity Notes
Peter thinks of how Aunt May's health has improved since her coronary by-pass. That happened in Amazing Spider-Man #179. This was necessary after she suffered a heart attack in Amazing Spider-Man #176.
Aunt May refers to Nathan as her fiancee. He proposed to her in Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #47.
Spider-Man recalls his last battle with the Vulture, that happened in Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #45.
References to Nathan being a vaudevillian performer in the 30s should be considered topical references per the Sliding Timescale of Earth-616.
Aunt May is upset about Peter seemingly leaving without telling her. This is the second time this has happened to Aunt May in recent history. The first being Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #56, when Peter abandoned her to save Nathan and other hostages from Jack O' Lantern as Spider-Man.
