D.E.A.D. to Rights!

Spider-Man has just finished capturing a costumed criminal named Blare.[1] Blare thinks he is going to get away after destroying all evidence of his crime, however, the wall-crawler explains that there are photos incriminating Blare that will be published in the Daily Bugle. After turning Blare over to the authorities, the wall-crawler rushes to the Bugle so he can sell the photos as Peter Parker to ensure that Blare rots in prison. When he arrives at the Bugle, Peter discovers that J. Jonah Jameson is having another tantrum. Joe Robertson tries to tell Peter not to say anything to rowel up their employer, but when Peter mentions Spider-Man it sets off Jonah again. It's then that Peter learns that Jameson is furious that advertising allowed a classified ad directed at Spider-Man to be published in his paper. Seeing the ad, Peter is disturbed to see that it is requesting the wall-crawler go to Los Angeles or else millions of people will die.[2] However, when Peter suggests the Bugle sends him to LA to investigate the claims made in the ad, Jonah orders Parker out of his office.

Meanwhile, Skin, Husk and Chamber of Generation X are in Los Angeles to take time off from their recent trials and tribulations. Unfortunately, things are tense with the group leading to an argument between Skin and Husk over their experiences growing up with discrimination and in poverty. Although Paige grew up poor and is a mutant, Angelo insists that she has no idea what it is like living in the ghettos of Los Angeles. Their discussion is overheard by a man dressed like a hippie calling himself Brother Love, who figures that Angelo knows what's going on in the world and encourages him and his friends to return tomorrow morning as things are going to change very quickly. As the man walks away, none of the three young mutants like the sound of this. Back in New York, Peter Parker packs a bag in order to travel to California. His wife Mary Jane questions why Peter would drop everything to go to Los Angeles based on a newspaper classified that might be the work of a crank.[3] However, when Peter reminds her how his Uncle Ben was murdered because he failed to act, Mary Jane concedes and agrees to help Peter pack.[4]

The next day, in Los Angeles, Chamber has convinced his teammates to stake the area out as he picked up a psionic flash that convinced that Brother Love believed what he was saying. After some time they witness as an armored car crashes on an overpass, dumping it's load of money down onto the people on the streets below. Watching as the crowd getting into a frenzy, the three members of Generation X decide to step in before a riot over the money breaks out. Although they diffuse a tense situation, Skin insists that they allow the people to keep the money as they have been subject to such impoverished living conditions. Suddenly, nearby building bursts into flames and the three mutants rush to help people get free. They get an unexpected assist from Spider-Man who has just arrived on the scene. As the rescue effort continues the heroes are unaware that they are being monitored by someone at a remote location. This individual is pleased to see that he was able to lure Spider-Man to LA, and can't help but laugh over the fact that it took something as simple as advertising to draw out the wall-crawler. While the members of Generation X calm the evacuees, Spider-Man and Husk go back into the building to search for any more survivors. When the police arrive on the scene, Skin and Chamber decide to join their friends. On the rooftop across the street, Brother Love and his comrades in the Direct Euthanasia Action Division are watching the scene and decide to open fire on the heroes for interfering with their plans.

Spider-Man and Skin swing across the street and quickly take down the members of DEAD and quickly defeat them. As the would-be terrorists are being turned over to the authorities, Spider-Man suspects that this was part of a much larger scheme. When a nearby homeless man tells the heroes to get away from his money, Spider-Man's spider-sense begins going off. Getting a closer look at the money, the wall-crawler quickly deduces that the money has either been poisoned or irradiated. In order to convince the impoverished citizens of this neighborhood to get rid of it, Chamber uses his telepathic abilities to boost and spread the warning coming from Spider-Man's spider-sense, convincing everyone to burn the money. After Spider-Man leaves, Husk decides to do something to help even though she knows it will not be enough to help the people here. Husking into a diamond form, Paige snaps off a tiny chunk of material to give to a mother and her child hoping the money from the diamonds will help her provide for her baby for a while. Meanwhile, the man who lured Spider-Man to Los Angeles is on his computer posting yet another classified ad in the Daily Bugle. This warning is similar, telling Spider-Man that he needs to get to Crete in Greece or millions will die.

Continuity Notes

1. The narrative of this story states that this takes place prior to the events of Generation X #32. Generation X had just survived the Operation: Zero Tolerance event in the previous issue #32 sets up Gen X's next encounter with their foe Emplate that last until issue #35 of that series.

2. The ad specifically states South Central Los Angeles. At the time this story was published, this region of Los Angeles was infamous for crime and poverty. However, since then, crime has significantly dropped. In 2003, the region was renamed South Los Angeles to erase the stigma of the neighborhood. As of 2018, the area has also seen a revitalization and gentrification. As such, all references to "South Central" and the socio-economic situation in that specific area should be considered a topical reference per the Sliding Timescale of Earth-616. Modern readers should interpret this story as taking place in an impoverished section of Los Angeles, but not specifically in what is now called South Los Angeles.

3. Peter and Mary Jane are referred to as husband and wife here. However, years later, their marriage is erased from existence by Mephisto in Amazing Spider-Man #545. As such they should be considered a common-law couple here.

4. Peter's Uncle Ben was murdered years earlier in Amazing Fantasy #15.