Amazing Spider-Man #329

Feb 14

Feb 14 Amazing Spider-Man #329

Power Prey!

This story continues from Web of Spider-Man #61…

At the headquarters of Shaw Industries, Sebastian Shaw has recovered three different models of the mutant-hunting Sentinel robots. He intends to use the robots in an attempt to destroy Spider-Man, who had recently gained cosmic powers.[1] His scientists have been researching the origins of Spider-Man's new powers and determined that they came about shortly after Doctor Max Lubisch was experimenting with unknown energy fields at Empire State University. Interested in learning this, Shaw decides to pay Doctor Lubisch a visit.

Three days later, Peter Parker is helping his wife Mary Jane learn her lines for an episode of "Secret Hospital".[2] However, Peter can't focus on the lines because his thoughts are consumed with the mystery of where his new powers came from. Deciding to clear his head, Peter puts on his Spider-Man costume and goes web-slinging. Watching her husband go, Mary Jane thinks they have come a long way in their relationship as she no longer fears what may happen when he goes out as Spider-Man. Three hours earlier, Sebastian Shaw has been forcing Max Lubisch to build a device that will negate Spider-Man's new powers. Lubisch is furious at being commanded around, but Shaw reminds him that he has influence upon ESU's board of directors and could have his funding cut. Meanwhile, Spider-Man has just stopped a mugging, wondering why he wastes his time on such trivialities but stops himself from letting his new powers make him arrogant. At the same time, the villain known as Graviton has just learned that Spider-Man survived their last encounter.[3] Even though his employers have since disbanded, Graviton has decided to track down the wall-crawler and end his life.[4] While above the planet Earth, Loki is furious that his Acts of Vengeance scheme had failed and has decided that he will send the planet Earth one last parting gift. Casting a spell, Loki's magic merges the three Sentinels in Sebastian Shaw's lab into a gestalt being calling itself the Tri-Sentinel. Upon activation, the powerful Sentinel takes off on his mission.

Soon after, Spider-Man's spider-sense goes off on warning him of danger. Using his enhanced senses he begins to zero in on the Tri-Sentinel. However, before he can go after the robot his spider-sense gives off an even more powerful warning. This distracts him long enough for Graviton to carry out his secret attack. Having no time to deal with the costumed villain, Spider-Man swats him away with a single blast of cosmic energy. Although this defeats Graviton, it also alerts Sebastian Shaw of Spider-Man's current activity and orders Lubisch to prepare their portal energy projector. The scientist blasts Spider-Man with the weapon, however instead of stripping the wall-crawler of his powers, it fully unlocks them. Suddenly, Spider-Man turns into Captain Universe. Connected with the Uni-Power, Spider-Man is flooded with the sentient power-sources' memories. He learns that the Uni-Power chose him to stop the Tri-Sentinel from destroying a nuclear power plant, killing thousands of people in the process. Witnessing Spider-Man speed after the Tri-Sentinel, Shaw orders his men to continue following the wall-crawler. Spider-Man catches up with the Tri-Sentinel, stopping it from destroying the Amity Point Nuclear Power Plant. When Spider-Man tries to blast the robot, it creates an energy shield to block the blast. Likewise, when he tries to web up the robot, the Tri-Sentinel breaks free.

When the robot smashes one of the reactor's cooling towers, Spider-Man tries to repair the damage but is snared in the Tri-Sentinel's coils. It's at this point that Sebastian Shaw arrives on the scene and is horrified to see what happened to the three Sentinels that happened at his lab. Still, the robot is able to deflect all of Spider-Man's attacks. Realizing the danger, Shaw decides to do something to stop the Tri-Sentinel. He activates a fail-safe in the robots to try and make them self-destruct. This causes the Tri-Sentinel to become inert, giving Spider-Man the time he needs to channel all the power of Captain Universe. Suddenly, the Tri-Sentinel overrides the self-destruct request and prepares to smash the nuclear reactor. Thankfully it never gets the chance as Spider-Man unleashes a powerful blast that shatters the Tri-Sentinel into pieces. In the aftermath of the battle, Sebastian Shaw decides to flee the scene. Meanwhile, Spider-Man recovers from the blast and discovers that the Uni-Power has left him and he is back to normal. Exhausted from his ordeal, Spider-Man decides to rest before making the trek back home. There, Peter laments that he could have done more with the power he had, and feels like he wasted the opportunity to do more.[5] Mary Jane assures Peter that he did whatever he could do and he shouldn't beat himself up over it. They abruptly end their conversation when they hear someone coming up the freight elevator to their apartment. It is Flash Thompson and he has come to introduce Peter and Mary Jane to his new girlfriend: Felicia Hardy.

Recurring Characters

Spider-Man, Mary Jane Watson, Flash Thompson, Felicia Hardy, Tri-Sentinel, Sebastian Shaw, Loki, Graviton, Max Lubisch

Continuity Notes

Spider-Man obtained these cosmic powers after being exposed to an experimental energy in Spectacular Spider-Man #158.
Peter and Mary Jane are referred to as husband and wife here. However, years later, their marriage was erased from existence by the demon Mephisto in Amazing Spider-Man #545. As such they should be considered a common-law couple here as opposed to husband and wife.
Spider-Man battled Graviton in Amazing Spider-Man #326
The Acts of Vengeance conspirators were defeated by the Avengers in Avengers West Coast #55.
Of the things that Spider-Man figures he could have done was stopped Muamar Gaddafi, or end Apartheid in South Africa. These should be considered topical references per the Sliding Timescale of Earth-616. Particularly because Gaddafi died in 2011, and Apartheid was abolished in South Africa in 1994.