Spectacular Spider-Man #125
Wrecking Havoc!
At the offices of the Daily Bugle, Peter Parker is in J. Jonah Jameson's office where the publisher is ranting about the new Spider-Woman, who he regards just as poorly as Spider-Man. Thinking there is some connection between Spider-Man and Spider-Woman, Jonah has decided to send Peter to Denver to get some photos for Now Magazine. On his way out, Peter runs into Joe Robertson and Kate Cushing who wish Peter luck, pointing out that Spider-Woman's similar costume is giving Spider-Man a bad name. Later, changing into Spider-Man, Peter swings across the city and thinks how Spider-Woman isn't copying his costume, it's actually the other way around. He recalls how he met Spider-Woman on Battleworld during the first Secret Wars. He wonders why Spider-Woman has gone bad but is still intent on going to Denver to take the photos because he needs the money.
That evening at Dextron Labs in Denver, Spider-Woman has broken into the facility in order to steal a disc filled with important data for Michael Clemson, the government agent who has been secretly employing her on missions. She begins to look through the files to find the disc until suddenly the Wrecking Crew comes crashing in searching for the same disc. Not wanting to get into a fight with the villains, Spider-Woman climbs onto the ceiling where the shadows will hide her. The Crew has come here searching for the disc on the advice of Thunderball, who secretly hopes to use the data to destroy the Wrecker and take control of the team. Searching the lab, Thunderball is able to find the disc from one of the storage cabinets. Spider-Woman then swings down and grabs it and tries to escape through a ceiling vent. However, as she tries to escape, the Wrecker throws his mystic crowbar, knocking her to the ground. Spider-Woman is able to hold her own against the Wrecking Crew, boasting about how she once held her own against the Absorbing Man. However, her cockiness gets the better of her when the Wrecker manages to get a solid punch in, leaving her open to be attacked by the rest of the Wrecking Crew. With Spider-Woman defeated, the Wrecker is about to kill her but is stopped by Thunderball who reminds his leader that they need to get back to New York. Suddenly, security arrives on the scene, forcing the Wrecking Crew to flee the scene. Recovering from he attack, Spider-Woman curses herself for failing on her mission, as it will delay her ability to live a normal life, and is forced to escape.
As she leaves, Spider-Woman thinks back to how things started falling apart for her. It was not long after she got her powers and began fighting crime as Spider-Woman. As a recently divorced mother with primary custody over her daughter, Rachel, she was spending less and less time with her daughter. This earned the ire of her regular babysitter as well as her ex-husband, Larry. Larry is upset because their daughter needs a parent who is there. It was not long after this that Denver was taken from Earth and made part of Battleworld. There she joined a number of Earth's heroes to stop Doctor Doom, who had stolen the power of the Beyonder. She then recalls where things took a turn for the worse. Upon her returned to Earth, she joined the Freedom Force and battled the X-Men and X-Factor. Realizing that she was fighting for the wrong side, she became a fugitive after helping the Avengers escape from the Valt. This made her a fugitive of the law and hunted down by the Seekers. She managed to defeat them with the help of Iron Man. She recalls how Iron Man gave her a device that temporarily made her invisible. She attempted to use it to take her daughter with her, but decided against dragging Rachel into her problems. It was then when she was hired by Michael Clement who offered her a means of clearing her name as long as he completed a number of missions for him. She thinks how her failure is not going to sit well with Clement.
Two days later, Peter Parker is awoken in his apartment by the sound of hammering. When he goes to investigate the noise, he discovers his landlord, Maimie Muggins, hamming an eviction notice on his door as he is four months behind on his rent. Peter assures her that he will be able to pay his outstanding rent. Muggins warns Peter that she wants her money by the end of the week or she will toss him out on the street. As she leaves, Muggins hopes Peter fails as she has been looking for a good excuse to evict him for years. Peter decides to take Jonah up on his job to get photos of Spider-Woman as he really needs the money. Later, at a hunting lodge in the Colorado Rockies, the Wrecking Crew have reunited to discuss the need for the computer disc they have recently stole. Thunderball explains that when he used to work for Dextron Labs he hid the design for a super-bomb in the data. He intends on taking the plans to Baron Zemo in New York to help them destroy their mutual enemies, the Avengers. At the same moment, the Wrecker is finishing up a phone call with his mother, telling her that he will see her soon when he returns to New York. While the others are packing to head to New York, Thunderball thinks about how he recently wielded the power of the Wrecker's crowbar and begins plotting his destruction.
Three days later, Julia Carpenter has followed the Wrecking Crew to New York. However, when she gets a newspaper she discovers that they were arrested during their battle against the Avengers, however, the Wrecker managed to escape. Fearing that the disc might have been destroyed in the battle, or that the Wrecker has already left the city, Julia calls Michael Clement to report the news. This plays into Clement's plans who intends to keep Spider-Woman indentured to him for some time. However, Michael insists that Spider-Woman retrieve the disc, giving her a lead on where to find the Wrecker. Changing into Spider-Woman, Julia goes to the home of the Wrecker's mother. There she discovers that it is surrounded by the police, who anticipate that the Wrecker will come here after his escape. As she stakes out the place, she spots the Wrecker in his civilian guise of Dirk Garthwaite. As his mother is in ill health, Dirk fears that she might die before he has a chance to see her one last time. Unwilling to put his mother at risk, Dirk decides to head back to the sleazy motel he has been hiding out in. Unaware that Spider-Woman is following him, Garthwaite begins plotting to break out the Wrecking Crew so they can build the bomb.
Spider-Woman watches from the window as the Wrecker puts on his costume. She spots the data disc and goes crashing in through the window to get it. The Wrecker knocks Spider-Woman back outside and the two begin fighting across the city. Elsewhere, Peter Parker is taking a cab to the airport to head to Denver.That's when he hears a radio report about the Wrecker and Spider-Woman's battle. He hops out of the cab and changes into Spider-Man to join the battle. Meanwhile, Spider-Woman is on the defensive, as she intends to turn the disc over to Michael Clement so she can get closer to seeing her daughter again. That's when Spider-Man swings in and tries to take her down. The whole time the pair are fighting, Spider-Man's camera is snapping photos of their battle. The wall-crawler manages to a knock out punch that disrupts Spider-Woman's mask. Spider-Man decides to take photos of her unmasked but doesn't feel right about doing so.
That's when the Wrecker comes crashing in, and knocks out Spider-Man. Before the villain can seriously harm the hero, Spider-Woman leaps to his rescue. The Wrecker knocks her aside, but that's when the police arrive. Grabbing the disc, the Wrecker flees the scene. Recovering from the attack, Spider-Man is surprised that Spider-Woman saved his life and realizes that she is probably not as evil as the press makes her out to be. Scooping her up off the ground, Spider-Man swings away from the police. Not far away, Spider-Woman recovers and explains her situation. Feeling bad for exploiting her, he exposes the film he took of her, even though it might mean he will soon be homeless. Soon, the Wrecker comes crashing through the wall intend on destroying the two arachnid heroes, crushing the disc in the process.
Recurring Characters
Spider-Man, Spider-Woman, J. Jonah Jameson, Joe Robertson, Wrecking Crew (Wrecker, Piledriver, Bulldozer, Thunderball), Kate Cushing, Mamie Muggins, Anne Grathwaite, Rachel Carpenter, Larry Carpenter, Mike Clemson
Continuity Notes
Jonah states that Spider-Woman was in league with the "Brotherhood of Evil Mutants". This is partially accurate, the incarnation of the Brotherhood became government-sanctioned agents called Freedom Force back in Uncanny X-Men #199. Spider-Woman was forced into the group in Uncanny X-Men #206 and ultimately became a fugitive after helping the Avengers escape the Vault in Avengers Annual #15.
Spider-Woman first appeared and helped the heroes on Battleworld in Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #7-12.
Spider-Woman was forced into working for Clement in order to clear her name in Iron Man #214.
Spider-Woman battled the Absorbing Man in Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #8.
Spider-Woman battled the X-Men and X-Factor in Uncanny X-Men #206 and X-Factor #8-9 respectively.
Peter first moved into his apartment in Amazing Spider-Man #149. Per the Sliding Timescale of Earth-616, Peter has been living there for roughly three years.
This plan of attack turns out to be the siege on Avengers Mansion that is chronicled in Avengers #273-277.
Thunderball's powers were doubled when he stole the Wrecker's crowbar in Amazing Spider-Man #246-247.
Peter remarks that recent events had kept him away from going to Denver until now. He is referring to the events of Amazing Spider-Man #283-287, wherein he battles Absorbing Man and Titania and attempted to quash a gang war exploding across New York City. Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #123 when he battled Blaze, and Web of Spider-Man #25 and 27 where he battled the alien known as Xanja and Executive Services Inc.
