Voluntary Discharge

After being seriously burned by Firebrand, Spider-Man finds himself in the Black Lodge, a secret hospital for super-villains. Now he finds himself racing against the clock, hoping he can heal fast enough to escape before Firebrand wakes up and alerts the staff that their mystery patient is a super-hero.

However, the Surgeon General — the mystery man who runs the Black Lodge — already knows the truth. He has called his staff and reminds them that their job is to heal and this unfortunate development isn’t a time to panic. He instructs his staff to continue as though nothing is amiss while he consults with some of their other patients.

Later that evening, the Surgeon General checks on Spider-Man and is glad to see that he is staying in bed as it will help the healing process. He reassures the web-slinger that he is safe here and that he takes his job very seriously. However, this does little to appease Spider-Man’s spider-sense which is pounding away in his mind. That’s when his nurse enters the room and is instructed to check the patients dressings. The Surgeon General leaves, saying tonight they can discuss the billing for services rendered, assuring Spider-Man that they are extremely accommodating when it comes to payment. The nurse is impressed by how quickly he is healing and after she is gone, Peter lays down relived that the examination is over.

However, at that moment, the Surgeon General is recruiting Flying Tiger, Puff Adder, and the Eel to deal with Spider-Man. When he approaches the Shocker, he is checking out and is not interested in tangling Spider-Man since his last encounter with the web-slinger is why he ended up in the Black Lodge to begin with.[1]

Later that evening, Spider-Man decides it is no or never even though he is not fully healed. When the Black Lodge goes into its evening black out he tries making his way out when he is ambushed by the criminals hired by the Surgeon General to eliminate him. Spider-Man holds his own against his attackers causing one of the nurses to panic and run down to the ICU to try and revive Firebrand to join the battle. Unfortunately, all she does is cause his powers to flare up and set the Black Lodge on fire.

With the situation growing out of control the Surgeon General orders the staff to retreat, vowing that they will rebuild. Spider-Man, meanwhile, gets Puff Adder, Flying Tiger, and Eel to safety and leaves before the authorities arrive. Returning home, Peter considers going to the hospital but he is so exhausted he passes out on his bed.

Recurring Characters

Spider-Man, Black Lodge (Surgeon General, Sapphire), Eel, Flying Tiger, Puff Adder, Firebrand, Shocker

Continuity Notes

1. Chronologically, Spider-Man’s last battle with the Shocker was in Amazing Spider-Man #578-579.

Three O’Clock High!

Uhg, this is another derivative story about a kid getting bullied at school who tells his bullies that he’s friends with Spider-Man. The kid then has until 3:00 the next day to prove it or get beat up. The kid manages to get Spider-Man’s attention when he tries to start a fire on a water tower. He tells Spider-Man what’s going on, the web-slinger shows up at school and they make the bullies look stupid. Blah blah blah.

Recurring Characters

Spider-Man