Amazing Spider-Man #247
Interruptions
Spider-Man pays a visit to the shabby room rented out by local stool pigeon named Nose Norton. Norton tries to flee from the wall-crawler, but Spider-Man corners him, reminding the stoolie that he saved his life from both the Cobra and the Tarantula. Once Norton has calmed down, Spider-Man asks Nose to tell him everything he knows about the Hobgoblin. Norton thinks Spider-Man is kidding, as he read about the apparent death of the Hobgoblin in the newspaper. The web-slinger corrects him, telling Norton that it was actually Lefty Donovan who died posing as the Hobgoblin and the real one is out there somewhere. Regardless, Nose Norton has no information on the Hobgoblin. Spider-Man tells Nose that if he hears anything to tell him right away, and then departs. With the masked hero gone, Nose heaves a sigh of relief at the close call he just experienced. He was certain that Spider-Man had come for the object he has hidden under his bed. He pulls out the musical instrument case inside and is glad that Spider-Man didn't find it as it would have ruined his current plans.
Meanwhile, Spider-Man is swinging across the city and is convinced that Nose Norton was telling the truth. His thoughts then move on to how helpful it would have been to know that the city was covering the Black Cat's hospital bills, had he known that he wouldn't have quit grad school. Since the deed has already been done, Spider-Man decides it is for the best as he wants to experience more of the real world. Collecting his street clothing, Spider-Man swings to a nearby restaurant, where he changes into his civilian identity in the alley. Peter then joins his Aunt May and Anna Watson for dinner. Given the situation, Peter decides not to ruin Aunt May's good mood by telling her that he quit grad school. As the evening carries on, Peter tells the two women that he is glad that Mary Jane is not here as everyone else seems to be trying to match them up again. No sooner has Peter said this does Mary Jane arrive with May's fiancee Nathan Lubensky. After having dessert and everyone begins parting company, Peter tells Aunt May that he isn't upset that they tried to play matchmaker with him. May tells Peter that he and Mary Jane have so much in common than Peter thinks, as they have both lost so much. When Peter parts company, he begins to wonder what Aunt May meant by this.
By this time, Nose Norton is heading off to offload the object he has in his case, unaware that Spider-Man slipped a spider-tracer into the brim of his hat. Spider-Man follows Norton to a warehouse. Inside, Spider-Man spies from the rafters as Norton sells the object to a gang leader for a large sum of money and sent on his way. After setting up his camera to take photos, an arc sodium lamp on the roof of the building turns on. This casts Spider-Man's shadow on the plans the gang has spread out on a table, blowing his element of disguise. While Spider-Man is busy with the thugs, their leader shows that he has enhanced strength by trying to toss a massive crate at the wall-crawler, which the hero manages to dodge. Before Spider-Man wrap up this battle, it is interrupted by the novice superhero known as Frog-Man. While Spider-Man tries to get Frog-Man's spring boots under control, the gang escapes with the object they bought by Nose Norton. With the crooks gone, Spider-Man helps up Frog-Man and tells the kid to get out of the super-hero racket before he gets hurt. However, Frog-Man doesn't want to give it up, so Spider-Man gets him to promise to at least practice using his spring-loaded boots before going out on patrol again.
As Spider-Man web-slings to the Daily Bugle, he tries to understand why people enjoy the lifestyle that he lives as a costumed hero, recounting how this sort of romanticism is what led to the Black Cat getting hurt. Later, after developing his photos in the Bugle's dark room, Peter discovers that he managed to pick up details about the gangs planned heist. The next day, Spider-Man heads to a highway not far from Lake Ronkokoma, where the gang members are waiting for an armored car to pass by. When it does, they use the device in the case -- an energy cannon -- to blast the vehicle off the road. They then knock out the guards and use a tow truck to carry the armored car away. Spider-Man arrives on the scene moments later and learns from the guards what happened. He tracks the tow truck to a nearby garage where the crooks have just finished breaking their way into the armored vehicle. Their leader pulls out a crate from inside and removes its contents -- the enchanted crowbar that once belonged to the super-villain known as the Wrecker.
The gang leader turns out to be Thunderball, a member of the Wrecker's Wrecking Crew, and armed with both the enchanted crowbar and his own enchanted wrecking ball, he tells his hired goons that he no longer needs them and has no intention of paying them either. This is not received well, but when the thugs try to attack their former employer, they discover that he is far too powerful. They are knocked outside of the barn, just as Spider-Man arrives on the scene. Now in full costume, Thunderball sees the wall-crawler and assures the masked hero that there is no way he can stop him now.
Recurring Characters
Spider-Man, Thunderball, Aunt May, Mary Jane Watson, Nose Norton, Nathan Lubsensky, Anna Watson, Frog-Man
Continuity Notes
Spider-Man mentions how he saved Nose Norton from both the Cobra and Tarantula. That happened in Amazing Spider-Man #231 and 233 respectivly.
Norton mentions the apparent death of the Hobgoblin in Amazing Spider-Man #245, however, this was actually petty criminal Lefty Donovan. The real Hobgoblin endures, his true identity is not revealed until Spider-Man: Hobgoblin Lives #3. The Hobgoblin is actually Roderick Kingsley.
Spider-Man thinks about how had he know that the city would pick up the bill for the Black Cat's injuries he wouldn't have quit grad school. The Black Cat was injured during a battle with Doctor Octopus and the Owl in Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #76. Needing to spend more time as a photographer and Spider-Man, Peter quit grad school in Amazing Spider-Man #243. He learned that the city was picking up the Cat's hospital bill in Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #84.
Nathan Lubensky claims to have worked with the Ritz Brothers, a comedy trio active mostly on stage between 1925 and 1960. This a topical reference per the Sliding Timescale of Earth-616. Similarly, in another topical reference, Spider-Man says that a defeated thug seems to have gone ten rounds with Larry Holmes, a professional boxer who was active at the comic-book's publication date, but retired in 1986.
Spider-Man mentions his last two encounters with Frog-Man. Those encounters occurred in Marvel Team-Up #121 and 131.
