A Day in the Life

This story continues from Spider-Man #96

Interlude

As a storm rages, Norman Osborn makes a phone call to someone named Franklin, demanding that they make the promised delivery by midnight, as they agreed. He reminds Franklin of the consequences should they fail. Once off the phone, Norman’s associate — Morris Maxwell — warns Norman that for the ceremony to work all five participants must come of their own free will. Walking to a podium that holds three slivers of a stone circle. He knows what needs to be done, he tells Maxwell and points out that Franklin is a fool and fools do as they are told. While at the Franklin home, Jerry Franklin promises to make Norman Osborn pay dearly. He is unaware that his daughter was listening in on his phone conversation and after what she heard she thinks her father is a total wuss.

Twelve Hours Later

Spider-Man is swinging over the city when he spots two cyclists racing through the crowd below with little regard to the safety of others. When they spot Spider-Man they decide to follow the wall-crawler and race to a nearby bodega that Spider-Man crawls into. When the two cyclists come to a stop they narrowly avoid getting hit by a masked thug that is tossed out of the bodega by Spider-Man. When the robber tries to pull a gun, Spider-Man easily incapacitates him and leaves him webbed up to the police. However, when the wall-crawler is thanked by the bodega owner, he is mistaken for Captain America.

Interlude

Across town, Mary Jane and her agent Ryan Sawyer meet with Veronica Stahl. Stahl, a fashion designer. She is glad to see that Mary Jane hasn’t aged a day since her last fashion photos and invited into her office. Veronica thanks Mary Jane for coming out and offers her a very lucrative fashion contract.[1]

Meanwhile…

Spider-Man is swinging across the city again and is still being followed by the two cyclists. Unaware of the two men tailing him, Spider-Man thinks about how good it feels taking a break from fighting supervillains to handle normal street-level problems. He then spots some teenagers kicking some little kids off a basketball court so they can play. Spider-Man interrupts their game asking them if they could beat him in a game. After trouncing the teens, he warns them against playing rough with younger kids in the neighborhood and then gives the court back to the kids. As Spider-Man takes off, the two cyclists continue after him, still no paying heed to the pedestrians and traffic they are cutting through. The two men complain because everything they’ve seen Spider-Man do is boring and hope they can watch him fighting a real supervillain.

When they cause a car accident the two cyclists try to flee the scene but by this time they have gained the notice of Spider-Man who catches them in a massive web he weaves in their path. Spider-Man scolds them from riding away from the scene of an accident, especially since they caused it. When one of the men rips free of the webbing and tries to flee on foot, Spider-Man easily catches him. After lecturing the two men on their civic duties, Spider-Man forces them to return to the scene of the accident, ignoring their complaints that this might cost them their jobs. After Spider-Man turns the two men over to the police, he swings off thinking how today was a perfect day.

Interlude

Twelve hours earlier a storm was still raging as Norman Osborn waits impatiently at Laguardia Airport for Jerry Franklin to arrive. The flight is delayed due to the storm and Norman watches as each passenger disembarks keeping an eye out for Jerry. He becomes furious when Franklin doesn’t appear and begins harassing a flight attendant about the passengers on the plane. That’s when Franklin’s daughter approaches Norman and tells him to calm down because she has brought what he needs.

This story is continued in Sensational Spider-Man #33

Recurring Characters

Spider-Man, Norman Osborn, Mary Jane Watson, Mattie Franklin, Morris Maxwell

Continuity Notes

1. Veronica Stahl mentions the time Mary Jane as spent out of the fashion business and also the recent loss of her baby. Mary Jane was blacklisted from the fashion industry by Jonathan Caeser in Amazing Spider-Man #314. Mary Jane announced she was pregnant in Spectacular Spider-Man #200. She had a short stint modeling maternity clothes during this period. Tragically, she had a miscarriage in Amazing Spider-Man #418