Amazing Spider-Man Annual #19
Fun 'n' Games
Spider-Man busts up the sale of cocaine being made by drug deals in a dark alley. Spider-Man webs them up, and they complain about Spider-Man going after them instead of someone like the Kingpin. One of the thugs points out that Spider-Man won't go after the Kingpin since they recently made a deal with each other, in which Spider-Man was paid with a woman's hat. Spider-Man ignores this and leaps up to collect his camera, intending to stop by the Daily Bugle to sell his pictures before meeting up with Mary Jane Watson for dinner. He figures Mary Jane will understand his delay. However, hours later, Mary Jane is fuming over the fact that her dinner has been ruined. This causes her to think of her failed relationship with Peter and how she typically runs away from her problems. However, this time, she is glad they are not in a romance because she is unease about the fact that Peter is also Spider-Man. When Peter finally does arrive he is excited about the photos he took. Mary Jane is furious, and because she has an early modeling gig the next morning throws Peter out of her apartment.
Meanwhile, in the lab of Alystaire Smythe located in the Kingpin's skyscraper, the reading the newspaper. He is furious that the Kingpin would collude with Spider-Man, the man Alystaire blames for the death of his father, Spencer Smythe. He vows to get revenge against Spider-Man and reviews footage of Spider-Man's recent battle with the Vulturions. Wondering why the Kingpin made a deal with Spider-Man over a pink woman's hat, for Spider-Man's aunt. Having learned about this, Smythe planted a tracking device within the hat before it was given to the hero so that Alystaire could track the wall-crawler later. He hopes his latest invention will be completed soon so he can go after Spider-Man himself. That's when he is interrupted by the Kingpin, who has heard rumors about Smythe's dissatisfaction with his current dealings with Spider-Man. The Kingpin explains that Spider-Man is a needed distraction for the time being, and has grown tired of Smythe and terminates his employment on the spot. Alistair leaves but vows to destroy Spider-Man once and for all.
Hours later, Peter Parker wakes up from a nightmare of all those who died due to their association with Spider-Man. Fearing Mary Jane might be next, Peter wakes up screaming and grabbing for his costume. Even though he realizes it was all a dream he decides to call Mary Jane, but she doesn't answer her phone. Concerned, he changes into his Spider-Man costume and decides to swing uptown and make sure she is okay. Elsewhere, Alistair puts the final touches on his very own Spider-Slayer. Determined to destroy Spider-Man, Smyth homes in on the tracking device that was placed into the hat that was given to Spider-Man by the Kingpin. While at a restaurant, Mary Jane Watson tries to call Peter so she can apologize for how she treated the night before. When there is no answer, she returns to her Aunt Anna and May Parker, whom she is having dinner with. Both of the women know that there is a lovers quarrel going on between the two, even though Mary Jane insists that they are just friends. At this point, Spider-Man has just discovered that Mary Jane is not home. He soon remembers that Mary Jane was going out for lunch hand heads to the skyscraper restaurant.
At that moment, Alistair Smythe reaches the restaurant just as Anna is trying on May's hat. Smyth then captures Anna and Mary Jane and takes off. When Spider-Man arrives at the scene, the police are questioning his Aunt May. She tells him what happened, but finds the idea that Anna is Spider-Man's aunt to be preposterous. Suddenly, his spider-sense goes off, drawing Spider-Man to Aunt May's hat. It's there that he discovers the tracking device hidden in the brim of the hat. Furious, Spider-Man takes the hat and swings off. Meanwhile, high over Soho, Smyth carries the two Watson women across the city. As the two women wonder how Anna could be confused for Spider-Man's aunt, Smythe overhears Anna calling Mary Jane her niece. Smyth then draws the conclusion that Spider-Man is actually a woman. At that moment, Spider-Man is forcing himself into the Kingpin's skyscraper. He demands to know where the Kingpin has taken the Watsons. While at Smythe's lab, the disgruntled scientist tries to figure out how Mary Jane could have the powers of Spider-Man. Smythe concludes that Mary Jane must wear an exoskeleton. However, this revelation puts Alistair at odds, because his lecherous nature is conflicting with his need for revenge.
While back at the Kingpin's skyscraper, Spider-Man is ripping his way through the building defenses. The Kingpin is brought up to speed over what is going on and decides to use this to his advantage. The Kingpin approaches Spider-Man alone and tells him that the tracking device was planted by Alistair Smythe. Back at Smythe's lab, Alistair threatens to use his Spider-Slayer robot to harm Aunt Anna if Mary Jane doesn't give up the true identity of Spider-Man. Mary Jane admits that she is Spider-Man and offers to show Alistair where she keeps her "exoskeleton" if he promises to let Aunt Anna go. While Spider-Man arrives at Smythe's lab and rescues Anna, Mary Jane convinces Smythe into stealing a camera to record his victory over Spider-Man. Sent into an electronics shop to get a camera, Mary Jane leaves a note for Spider-Man, telling him that she is going to lure Smythe to the Daily Bugle building. When they pass by Peter Parker's Chelsea Apartment, Mary Jane shakes loose one of her boots, sending it plummeting into his skylight in the hopes that Peter is home. Seeing this, Smythe demands to know where the "suit" is and she tells him the Daily Bugle.
When Smythe arrives there, he launches an attack on the building. Witnessing what is going on, publisher J. Jonah Jameson tells Joe Robertson to call the police. Spider-Man eventually catches up with Smythe and rescues Mary Jane from his clutches. Spider-Man's battle with Smythe's Spider-Slayer, comes to an abrupt end when Spider-Man lures him to the nearby Amtrack yard and Smythe flies his craft into some electrical wires. With the danger over, Spider-Man changes back to Peter Parker and rushes back to the Daily Bugle building. He discovers that not only was Mary Jane safe, but she also used the camera she took earlier to snap photos of Spider-Man's battle with the Spider-Slayer. The Watsons and the Parkers have dinner together to celebrate Mary Jane's safe return. After dinner, Peter walks Mary Jane home. She admits to him that she is glad he is Spider-Man because all of the good he does, but admits that she doesn't have to like it.
Recurring Characters
Spider-Man, Mary Jane Watson, Aunt May, Anna Watson, J. Jonah Jameson, Joe Robertson, Alistaire Smythe, Kingpin
Continuity Notes
Mary Jane mentions how she once ran out on her sister, a revelation that was made in Amazing Spider-Man #259.
Alistair blames Spider-Man for the death of his father, Spencer Smythe. That is a jaundiced view of the events of Amazing Spider-Man #192. However, he died of radiation poisoning from the materials used in his original Spider-Slayers due to his obsession with destroying Spider-Man.
There are multiple mentions of the Kingpin giving Spider-Man a pink hat for his aunt. This happened during his battle against the Vulturions circa Web of Spider-Man #2.
Peter fears Mary Jane will meet the same fate as his Uncle Ben and his first love, Gwen Stacy. Both died due to their association with Spider-Man as seen in Amazing Fantasy #15 and Amazing Spider-Man #121 respectively.
Mary Jane, Anna, and May are depicted as having lunch at the Top of the Park Restaraunt located inside the old Gulf and Western Building. This should be considered a topical reference per the Sliding Timescale of Earth-616. Particularly since it the building was gutted in the late 90s and converted into the Trump International Hotel and Tower.
