Revenge of the Sinister Six, Part 1

Spider-Man and Ghost Rider attempt to stop a rampaging cyborg in a shopping mall. Neither hero recognizes the half- man, half-robot and its confused statements don't lend any clues as to where he's come from. The cyborg is confused, scared, and lashing out wildly. He swats Ghost Rider away as if he were nothing and causes web-slinger to dodge a hail of bullets before taking off into the sky. Spider-Man tags a web-line and is dragged into the air as Ghost Rider rides his bike up the side of a skyscraper, jumps from it and connects with a punch to the cyborg's face. Very cool move.

Spider-Man and Ghost Rider are able to weigh the cyborg down, smash through a billboard, and send him corralling into an abandoned building. The building collapses and buries the cyborg in debris as the web-slinger attempt to go after him. The two heroes only watch and wonder if they will ever know what this confrontation was all about, but are happy its over. Spider-Man swings to drop Ghost Rider off at his bike and is then going to call S.H.I.E.L.D. to pick up the body. The cyborg, however, is stumbling from the rubble unnoticed and still mumbling gibberish.

Meanwhile, the Sandman is checking in on the Casada family. The Casadas used to let him board with them, but were forced to ask him to leave when the media was alerted to his presence there.[1] Doctor Octopus had threatened to kill the family if Sandman didn't go along with the last Sinister Six team-up, and there is still the concern that he'd go through with it since Sandman had betrayed them.[2] Suddenly, the entire house explodes before his eyes. While holding one of the Casadas in his hands, Sandman swears revenge on Doctor Octopus and 'won't stop until you're dead!!'.

Doctor Octopus is busy obtaining the adamantium arms that he had been searching years for. They were created a long while ago and now he finally gets to use them.[3] The 'old man' that he had gotten them from demands payment. Instead, the mad scientist kills him and then rips apart the army of robots that the old man had brought as back-up. Destroying the robots with relative ease, Doctor Octopus relishes his newfound power. After it's over, he takes the massive amount of weaponry left behind to increase his own weapons cache. While at the home of Peter Parker and his wife Mary Jane, Mary Jane tells her husband that she is planning to audition for a role in an Arnold Schwarzenheimer movie.[4] This leads to an argument when Mary Jane tells him that the role also involves nude scenes. Peter isn't comfortable with the idea of everyone seeing his wife nude. This angers Mary Jane, who sees the role as a huge break and that it is her body and her career to choose. She is insulted and cannot believe that Peter could be so squeamish about it.

Meanwhile, Sandman meets up with the former members of the Sinister Six to get revenge on Doctor Octopus. Vulture, Mysterio, Electro, and the Hobgoblin are all in. Sandman lets them know that he's in this just for revenge for what happened to the Casadas. He goes to the hospital to visit Mrs. Casada and decides that he's going to need a backup man because of his distrust of the Sinister Six. He then hangs around the Daily Bugle for Spider-Man. Once they find each other, Sandman asks Spider-Man to come along as back-up to take down Doctor Octopus. That evening, the members of the Sinister Six converge on the hideout of Doctor Octopus. Spider-Man has tagged along, sticking to the shadows to keep his presence a secret. As the Six approach their former leader, Spider-Man's spider-sense begins going off, warning him of something behind him, something big.

Recurring Characters

Spider-Man, Cyborg-X, Ghost Rider, Sandman, Mary Jane Watson, SInister Six (Doctor Octopus, Vulture, Electro, Mysterio, Hobgoblin), Rosa Cassada, Hulk (unidentified)

Continuity Notes

1. The Sandman had to move out of the Casada's home following the events of Amazing Spider-Man #348

2. The Sandman was forced into working with the Sinister Six from Amazing Spider-Man #334-339

3. These adamantium arms were created for him in Daredevil #165

4. 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.