Another Fine Mess!

While out searching for the Green Goblin, Spider-Man has run into Eugene Patilio, the Frog-Man. Eugene has come looking for Spider-Man to offer to be his sidekick once more.[1] Spider-Man has little patience for the young would-be hero at that moment and tells him to shut up. Finally getting Eugene quiet, the wall-crawler tells him that he will never be Spider-Man's sidekick because he is not a hero, just a kid and he should go home before he gets hurt.[2] Insulted, Frog-Man tries to do just that but trips over his own feet and ends up bouncing out of control, sending him over the edge of the rooftop they had met on. Spider-Man swings down and saves Eugene from a fatal fall and tells him to go home. Meanwhile, in a junkyard in the Bronx, the costumed villain known as the Walrus pays a visit to the secret hideout of the White Rabbit. He has come to work at her side in order to acquire large sums of money through theft. The White Rabbit assures him he will get this, provided he passes a test. She quickly attacks him with her gimmicked umbrella. All of the various weapons she fires from the weapon have no effect on the Walrus. Thinking this is some kind of means of mocking him, the Walrus grabs the White Rabbit by the ears and demands an apology. He is surprised when she is impressed by his abilities and hires him on, not just as a lackey, but an equal in a group she has decided to call the Terrible Two. Confused by this offer, the White Rabbit tells the Walrus to put her down so she can explain.

The following morning, Peter Parker tells his wife Mary Jane about his encounter with the Frog-Man the night.[3] Mary Jane is busy getting ready for an acting gig, and hearing him drone on about the incident is the last thing she needs to hear at the moment. However, when he tells her that Eugene even asked him over to dinner that evening, Mary Jane surprises him when she suggests that he should go. Peter reminds her that he still needs to find the Green Goblin. Seeing how exhausted her husband is, Mary Jane tells him that the Goblin can wait and he needs some time to relax. Mary Jane is certain that Peter is going to go, even though he doesn't commit to the idea. Later that day in Brooklyn, Eugene Patilio gets the phone call he has been waiting for: Spider-Man calling to say that he will be coming by for dinner. Excited, Eugene tells his father Vincent and his Aunt Marie. This comes as a surprise, and Eugene explains how he went out in his Frog-Man costume the night before. This angers Eugene's father, who share's Spider-Man's opinion that it is too dangerous for him to go out in costume. However, Marie scolds her brother for being angry and reminds them that an important guest is coming to dinner and begins getting ready to prepare a meal. At that moment, in lower Manhattan, the White Rabbit and Walrus are speeding across town in the Rabbitmobile. The White Rabbit insists that their first order of business is defeating Frog-Man, as both were defeated by the hero.[4] The Walrus is unsure about this, having heard that Frog-Man has also defeated both Speed Demon and Yellow Claw.[5] She assures the Walrus they could defeat the Terrible Two.

Back in Brooklyn, Marie Patilio answers the door to find Spider-Man with desert that he picked up from a nearby bakery. He is invited in and brought into the living room where he sits down and entertains Eugene and his father. Eugene is completely blown away by Spider-Man's sense of humor and gushes over him with a ton of fan-boy questions. Eventually, Vincent cuts in and asks Spider-Man some more practical conversation. Spider-Man is able to talk tell him about his recent ordeals with Vermin and the Green Goblin, but when asked about his family he declines to answer because of his secret identity.[6] This grinds the conversation to a halt, leaving Vincent to ask how Spider-Man feels about the weather. By this point, the White Rabbit and the Walrus have arrived in a neighborhood where the Frog-Man has been spotted the most and go on a rampage in the hopes of driving the hero out. By this time, Spider-Man has finished eating dinner with the Patilio family and they are back in the living room having desert. Vince takes this time to show Spider-Man photos from Eugene's youth and spends time talking about how the loss of his wife, Rose, and how hard it was bringing up Eugene without her. Suddenly, the gathering is interrupted by a news report on television about the Terrible Two's rampage in the area. Eugene remembers his previous encounters with both villains and insists on being allowed to go out as Frog-Man to deal with them. However, Eugene's father refuses to let his son go. While the two argue over this, Spider-Man slips away to deal with the problem himself. He is looking forward to a fight with these two villains because of the fact that they are ridiculous.[7]

When Spider-Man arrives on the scene, he easily disarms the White Rabbit. When he is confronted by the Walrus, the wall-crawler cannot control his urge to laugh at how ridiculious the villain looks. This angers the Walrus who manages to stagger the masked hero with a powerful blow. That's when Leap-Frog and Frog-Man come to the aid of Spider-Man. The pair save Spider-Man from the Walrus and take down the White Rabbit. Having recovered from the frog's attacks, Walrus charges after them in a rage, but is knocked out by Spider-Man who simply flicks the Walrus in the face with a single finger. In the aftermath of the battle, Spider-Man allows both Frog-Man and Leap-Frog that opportunity to bask in all the media attention.

Recurring Characters

Spider-Man, Mary Jane Watson, Frog-Man, Leap-Frog, Terrible Two (White Rabbit, Walrus)

Continuity Notes

1. Frog-Man has been attempting to become Spider-Man's sidekick since Marvel Team-Up #121.

2. Spider-Man mentions how Eugene's father, Vincent, is a reformed criminal. Vincent used to be the criminal known as Leapfrog. His career started in Daredevil #25 and he had reformed in the aforementioned Marvel Team-Up #121.

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

4. White Rabbit and the Walrus were both defeated by Frog-Man in Marvel Team-Up #131 and Defenders #131 respectively.

5. Frog-Man played a part in the defeat of Speed Demon (Marvel Team-Up #121) and Yellow Claw (Marvel Fanfare #31-32).

6. Spider-Man's ordeals with Vermin and the Green Goblin occurred in The Spectacular Spider-Man #178-184.

7. Although Spider-Man has encountered the White Rabbit before, in Marvel Team-Up #131, he has not yet faced the Walrus by this point. He does state that he heard about the Walrus from the Beast. The Beast was a member of the Defenders when they fought the Walrus in Defenders #131. Spider-Man may have heard about the Walrus during his last encounter with the Beast in Spider-Man #15.