Marvel Team-Up #58
Panic on Pier One!
The cast and crew of the Stuntmaster television series has set up shooting in New York City for its latest episode. Among the crew is stuntman Johnny Blaze, who stands in for Stuntmaster during the show. They happen to be shooting on the street that Peter Parker lives on, and he and Mary Jane Watson happen upon the scene and are asked by security to remain behind the barriers as Johnny Blaze completes a new stunt.
Johnny is performing the stunt until it is interfered with by the Trapster, prompting Johnny to transform into the Ghost Rider to try and save himself. As Mary Jane is injured during the stunt gone wild, Peter slips away to change into Spider-Man, when he uses his webbing to help stop Ghost Rider from crashing and hurting anyone else. With the two heroes reunited, they are then attacked by the Trapster. Snaring Spider-Man in a paste lasso, he carries the Wall-Crawler off, vowing to return to destroy the Ghost Rider once Spider-Man has been dealt with. Ghost Rider creates a motorcycle out of hellfire to chase after them.
High above the city, Spider-Man asks the Trapster how get got out of prison, and the villain is more than happy to share the tale: He explains that after he and the Frightful Four's latest capture at the hands of the Fantastic Four, they managed to break out of prison thanks to the Wizard having an explosive charge hidden in one of his teeth. Escaping from captivity, the Trapster spotted a newspaper about the Stuntmaster show coming to New York and decided to leave his comrades in order to get revenge against the Ghost Rider for his previous defeat at the Spirit of Vengeance's hands. This story gives Spider-Man enough time to flip up onto the Trapster's craft and attempt to fight him.
Because his arms are bound in paste, Spider-Man proves to be no match for the Trapster, who easily knocks the Wall-Crawler off his hovercraft. Spider-Man is saved by a nasty fall by the Ghost Rider who drives around in circles under Spidey to create a upward draft to lessen his fall. Blasting the Trapster's craft with hell-fire, Ghost Rider causes it to crash on an aircraft carrier out in the harbor.
Spider-Man frees himself and the duo race after the Trapster, and while Spider-Man is attacked by military officials, the Trapster attempts to make an escape by staling one of the fighter jets and making it crash in the hopes of causing a giant explosion to cover his getaway. Spider-Man regains his senses long enough to prevent the plane from taking off by snaring it with a web line, causing it to crash into the water.
Ghost Rider then corners the Trapster around barrels of nuclear waste, and the Trapster threatens to detonate a bomb near the pile. When Spider-Man attempts to stop him, the Ghost Rider strikes him down with hell-fire and then turns the flames on the Trapster. The flames sear the Trapsters soul to its core, causing him to crumple into a heap on the ground ending the battle. Spider-Man is appalled by how the Ghost Rider handled himself, telling Blaze that they have to be better than the scum that they fight. The Ghost Rider dismisses this and rides off, leaving Spider-Man to turn the mentally broken Trapster over to the authorities.
Recurring Characters
Spider-Man, Ghost Rider, Mary Jane Watson, Trapster, Wizard, Sandman
Continuity Notes
One of the film crew relates to a story while working on the set of the movie Taxi Driver. This should be considered a topical reference per the Sliding Timescale of Earth-616.
Spider-Man and Ghost Rider recount the last time they met, that was in Marvel Team-Up #13.
The Trapster mentions how he and the rest of the Frightful Four were defeated by the Fantastic Four. That was in Fantastic Four #178.
The Trapster is seeking revenge on Ghost Rider for his last defeat in Ghost Rider (vol. 2) #15.
Spider-Man makes fun of the Trapster's former nom du guerr, Paste-Pot Pete. This was a moniker the criminal used when he first started his criminal career in Strange Tales #104. He changed his name to the Trapster in Fantastic Four #38.
