The City Stealers!

Spider-Man is web-slinging across the city, fretting about finding an apartment building. While not far away, Hercules is walking along the docks, remarking on how bizarre the standards are on Earth. Soon two heroes thoughts are disturbed when the entire island of Manhattan begins to shake. While Spider-Man saves the life of a woman who falls out a window of the Empire State Building, Hercules saves a drunk who falls into the water. The quake soon ends quickly as it started. Determined to find out what happened, Spider-Man swings to Empire State University where he changes into his civilian identity of Peter Parker. There he listens in on a meeting being held by Dr. Aldritch, the professor of seismography. There he learns that not only should an earthquake be impossible in this region, they actually experienced two that happened at different points of the city.

Having gotten the answers he needed, Peter departs and changes into Spider-Man once more to investigate one of the locations. Meanwhile, Hercules is assessing the damage caused by the quake along Wall Street when another earthquake begins again. Ripping up the street, Hercules spies a mechanical being drilling into the ground. While at the opposite end of the city, Spider-Man encounters another. When he tries to stop it, his webbing and powers are no match for the armored foe and he is quickly knocked out. When Spider-Man wakes up, he finds himself chained up by these so-called City Stealers along with Hercules.

Unlike Spider-Man, the demi-god allowed himself to be captured in order to find out what these beings were up to. Now that he has been taken to their hideout, he breaks himself free. However, he is felled by an energy blast by one of the City Stealers. Spider-Man demands to know what they have been up to and learns that they have unmoored the entire island of Manhattan and are now tugging it away by a massive submarine. Seeking to stop them, Spider-Man finally breaks free from his shackles just as Hercules is coming around. The pair overpowers their captors and rip apart their armor to find elderly men inside, who claim that they were forced to do the bidding of their masters. With the battle over, Hercules -- miraculously -- pulls the entire island of Manhattan back in place. With the city back, the pair turns their attackers over to the authorities. Before departing, they are visited by the mayor of New York.

Although the mayor thanks them for saving New York, he asks who will fix the various tunnels and bridges. Exhausted after their ordeals, the two heroes depart, telling the mayor to see if Reed Richards might be interested in helping him out with his problem.

Recurring Characters

Spider-Man, Hercules

Continuity Notes

• Spider-Man makes mention of the fact that he is looking for a new apartment. He had been living with Harry Osborn from Amazing Spider-Man #46-137, after a mental break caused Harry to become the Green Goblin and blow up the apartment they shared. At the time of this story, Peter had been crashing at Flash Thompson's house as seen in Amazing Spider-Man #138. Peter will find a new apartment in Amazing Spider-Man #139.

• The City Stealers were equipped by They Who Wield Power, as revealed in Incredible Hulk #241.

• At the end of this story, Hercules states that he has dire things to deal with. He is referring to recovering the Runestaff from Kano Than. Those events occur in Thor #231-235.

• The depiction of Abe Beame as Mayor of New York City should be considered a topical reference per the Sliding Timescale of Earth-616.