If It Wasn't For Bad Luck...

The Black Cat is fleeing from Spider-Man, as she isn't convinced that it is her lover in a new costume. He convinces her that it is really him, and explains that he and a number of other heroes and villains were transported to another world by the alien Beyonder to see who was the better of the two groups. He explains that along the way he obtained this new alien costume, and after the heroes victory they were all transported back home. He then shows her one of the costumes features: that can change shape and expose parts of his body at will. They two take advantage of this for a romantic interlude on a rooftop.

While at Madison Square Garden, a circus has been set up which includes former mutant terrorists the Blob and Unus the Untouchable as their attractions. The Blob arrives just as Gunther's powers are going out of control. The Blob, being the only being who can resist his friend's force field forces his way into the rapidly expanding circus tent to find his friend floating in mid-air. His powers have spiraled out of the way so bad that he is now repelling even the air that he needs to breath. Without any air Unus soon passes out and the Blob, believing that his friend is dead breaks down into tears and vows to make everyone pay for taking away his only companion.

The next morning, Peter awakens and summons his costume to bond with him and have it change into street clothes and gets ready to meet the day. Outside his apartment, he is scolded by his landlady Mrs. Muggins over his overdue rent and berates him for having a "kinky woman" visit his apartment she demands that Peter get her his rent pronto. Needing fast cash Peter pays a visit to the Daily Bugle and after being teased by his coworker's thanks to the Black Cat's visit there, Peter waits to meet with Joe Robertson to see if he has any assignments. Much to Peter's disappointment all of the freelance jobs have been taken up by others due to his absence on Battleworld in the Secret Wars and Joe, now too busy as Editor of the Daily Bugle sees him out of his office. Peter returns to his apartment where he decides to try and mend broken fences with Aunt May who was terribly upset when Peter dropped out of University. When he calls Nathan Lubensky answers the phone and when May learns that it is Peter she has him tell Peter that she isn't home. Peter overhears this and ends the call and is upset that his Aunt is being so stubborn with him.

Flash Thompson knocks on his door to come and talk. Peter invites him in and Flash confides in Peter that he doesn't like how his girlfriend Sha Shan has become more and more independent since immigrating to America from Vietnam. He also expresses how he feels like he isn't anyone important like when he was in high school or in the military. Before Peter can give him any advice, he notices the Black Cat knocking at his window and quickly sees Flash out the door. Flash sees this as Peter snubbing him and begins to believe that Peter was just the sort of creep he thought he was in high school and silently vows to show everyone.

Seeing the Black Cat in, Peter scolds her for not being more cautious with protecting his secret identity when she tells him it's an emergency a man is going on a rampage into the streets. Quickly shifting his clothing into his Spider-Man costume, the Wall-Crawler joins Black Cat to where the Blob is going on a rampage through the streets. Spider-Man convinces the Black Cat to stay behind as back up and hands her his camera to snap photos of the battle for him and dives down at the Blob. Although Spider-Man catches the Blob off guard, he makes the mistake of striking the heavy-set mutant, getting his hands stuck in his ample gut. As Spider-Man struggles to get free, a shadowed figure watches over the battle to watch over and learn Spider-Man's skills and abilities for a battle in the future.

Seeing that Spider-Man is in trouble, the Black Cat jumps in pulling a rope up around the Blob's neck. As the Blob struggles to get free he topples over backward. With Spider-Man and the Black Cat out of harm's way, Spider-Man shoves the Black Cat aside and attempts to fight the Blob on his own. The Black Cat continues to intervene, her bad-luck powers causing the Blob to trip up until ultimately he breaks through the concrete street. When the Black Cat quips that the Blob's aggressive behavior won't make him any friends, this strikes a chord with the fat mutant. Telling them he had a friend who died recently, the Blob decides to not fight anymore and sits in the middle of the 42nd street to grieve, blocking all the traffic.

Convinced that the Black Cat can handle herself in combat, Spider-Man thanks her leaving the Black Cat to wonder if she should tell him about her newly acquired powers. When Jean DeWolff arrives on the scene, Spider-Man and the Black Cat leave her to deal with the Blob, who's sobbing fit has caused a massive traffic jam.

Recurring Characters

Spider-Man, Black Cat, Blob, Joe Robertson, Flash Thompson, Unus the Untouchable, Betty Brant, Mamie Muggins, Aunt May, Nathan Lubensky, Jean DeWolff, Answer

Continuity Notes

• Spider-Man was kidnapped by the Beyonder in Amazing Spider-Man #251. His time on Battleworld were chronicled in Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #1-12. He obtained his new costume in Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #8.

• Spider-Man's return to Earth was chronicled in Amazing Spider-Man #252.

• Unus attributes his inability to control his powers to his recent battle against the Hulk in Marvel Fanfare #7.

• Although Unus appears to die here, he turns up alive and well in New X-Men #132. All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe #12 clarifies that Unus only passed out here and was not dead.

• the Black Cat got caught in his apartment by Mrs. Muggins last issue.

• Joe Robertson mentions the sports photo assignment Peter was given recently. That was in Amazing Spider-Man #253.

• Peter told Aunt May that he had quit grad school in Amazing Spider-Man #253.

• The Black Cat was given bad luck powers by the Kingpin in Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #89.