Deadline in Dallas"

Spider-Man has returned to the Punisher's yacht to find armed guards on board. He ambushes them, demanding to know where the vigilante is. He rounds them up and learns that these men were trying to rob the yacht and had nothing to do with the Punisher's disappearance. He webs the crooks up for the cops and swings away, wondering what happened to the Punisher. Little does Spider-Man know that the Punisher has been brainwashed by the Arranger's minion known as the Persuader. The pair has just landed at the Dallas Airport, where the Punisher is recognized by a security guard. When he tries to arrest the Punisher, the Persuader uses his mutant powers to make the guard let them go. However, this display is witnessed by a reporter who thinks this will make a great news story. As they move on, the Persuader reminds the Punisher that they are here on business for the Kingpin. Looking at a newspaper, the Punisher sees that the mobsters known as the Lobo Brothers were freed after a mistrial. The Punisher responds by telling the Persuader to tell him who he needs to be killed. Back in New York City, the Arranger meets with the Kingpin and goes over his current plans. He explains how he hired Tombstone to procure Ronald Raymond, a mutant with the power of persuasion. With Raymond, they brainwashed the Punisher into their service to assassinate the Lobo Brothers, Texas drug dealers he fears will soon become competition on the New York Scene. However, the Kingpin is not interested, reminding the Arranger that he doesn't care about his organization's day to day business as he has focused all his efforts on destroying Daredevil. Secretly plotting to overthrow the Kingpin, the Arranger vows to make his employer regret his disrespect.

Meanwhile, a young woman takes hops on a bus in Columbus, Ohio. She has been on the run since she was chased by armored men in a flying craft in Michigan. She is trying to get to New York City so she can get help from Peter Parker. Unfortunately, as the bus pulls out it is attacked by another ship of armored individuals. They are Purifiers enlisted by the High Evolutionary to capture the woman. Unfortunately, like the team before them, this woman manages to evade capture. With her pursuers gone, the woman races off into the night. Back in New York, Spider-Man has finished his search for Punisher for the night. As he swings toward a trendy bar, he thinks about how busy his life has gotten lately with the publication of his book "Webs" and subsequent book tour, as well as Mary Jane's recent kidnapping at the hands of Jonathan Caeser. Changing back into Peter Parker, the hero joins his wife just as she is turning down a group of men trying to pick her up at the bar. She assures Peter that he has nothing to be jealous about as they are happily married. Peter is in the middle of telling Mary Jane how he goes back to school when they catch a news report about the Punisher being sighted in Texas. Seeing this, Peter decides to go to Texas right away, much to the annoyance of Mary Jane.

In Texas, the Punisher has come to Herdling Refinery Company, a front for the Lobo Brother's illegal drug smuggling. There, he decides to set an example by gunning down the guards and blowing up the facility. The next morning, Peter uses his press agent to get him an appearance in Texas for his book "Webs", in order to search for the Punisher. As he arrives in town, he reads about the Punisher's attack on the refinery. He asks his agent about the Lobo Brothers, and learned appeared in South Texas about a year before and quickly rose in the ranks and became big time drug dealers in the state. Trying to secure themselves, they had just recently set themselves up in a mansion in Grapevine Lake. Soon, Peter is at a book signing and is soon able to take a break so he can change into Spider-Man and search for the Punisher. He goes to the Lobo Brother's mansion in Grapevine Lake. When he arrives, he is too late to stop the Punisher and the Pursuader from forcing themselves onto the property and killing the Lobo's guards. When the Lobo Brothers mention the Kingpin, it begins confusing the Punisher.

However, before he can kill the brothers, Spider-Man leaps in to stop the Punisher. However a stray shot manages to go off, striking Carlos Lobo in the shoulder. During the struggle, the Punisher throws Spider-Man into the Lobo's inground pool and attempts to drown him. During the confusion, the Lobo Brothers manage to escape. Spider-Man manages to struggle free, but is later grazed by a bullet by one of the Kingpin's gunmen. The web-slinger blacks out briefly to find himself at the mercy of the Punisher. However, when the Persuader orders the Punisher to kill Spider-Man. However, the Punisher can't take the life of an innocent and breaks free of the Persuader's mental control. The Punisher then guns down both the Persuader and his gunman. Spider-Man his furious that the Punisher killed the Persuader, pointing out that they have lost a source of evidence to shut down the Kingpin once and for all. However, the Punisher isn't interested in Spider-Man's morality, and tells the hero that he will deal with the Kingpin in his own way some time soon. With the Punisher gone, Spider-Man also departs intending to finish his book signing and head home. In the aftermath of the battle, the Lobos emerge from their hiding place and vow to get revenge against the Kingpin.

Recurring Characters

Spider-Man, Punisher, Mary Jane Watson, Kingpin, Arranger, Persuader, Eduardo Lobo, Carlos Lobo, Gwen Stacy clone

Continuity Notes

• The Kingpin has been focusing on eliminating Daredevil using the assassin known as Typhoid Mary as chronicled in Daredevil #254-263.

• This woman is the clone of Gwen Stacy that was created by Mile Warren as chronicled in Amazing Spider-Man #142-149. She will catch up with Spectacular Spider-Man Annual #8.

• At the time of this story, a book of Peter's photos of Spider-Man had just been published in a book called "Webs" in Amazing Spider-Man #304 leading to Peter going on a book tour. Mary Jane was kidnapped by Jonathan Caesar in Amazing Spider-Man #308-309.

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