Skating on Thin Ice!

Spider-Man is engaged in a battle with his long time foe Electro in a shipping warehouse in Manhattan. Spider-Man manages to stay out of range of the villain's electrical blasts until he manages to land a blow. However, before he can web up Electro, the wall-crawler's spider-sense goes off. Turning around he seems an ordinary-looking thug. This distraction lasts long enough for Electro blast Spider-Man from behind, sending the hero crashing into one of the crates. Although his ally suggests that they eliminate Spider-Man, Electro reminds him that he is in charge and they need to get away while they can. Later, Spider-Man recovers from the jolt and discovers that he had been knocked into crates filled with hockey pucks that are going to be shipped to Winnipeg in Canada. He wonders why Electro is shipping pucks and notes how light they feel. Deciding to check this out, Spider-Man finds a telephone. As he is being sent to cover a science fair in Fredericton, he calls J. Jonah Jameson and asks if the Daily Bugle can send him to Winnipeg first, since one of the students putting on an exhibit at the science fair lives in that city. At first, Jameson is totally against the idea of spending that kind of money. However, Peter convinces Jameson that since he has a background in science and a photographer, Jonah could save money by sending Peter by himself. This plays into Jonah's miserly ways and he agrees to send Peter to do the story.

The next day, Peter Parker arrives in Winnipeg and goes to the home of Beth Smith to do an interview. However, she isn't there and her mother sends Peter to the local community center. Inside, he sees a number of children playing hockey. He introduces himself to the coach of the team, who is not surprised that Peter is coming to interview Beth because her win at the local science fair has been quite the accomplishment.[1] He points out Beth on the ice just as she slips and falls on her behind. Herb admits that Beth is not as great an athlete as she is a scientist. However, the coach explains that he has been teaching the kids about sportsmanship. However, he is concerned about another player, a boy named Allan who has been slacking off, but he isn't sure why. As the coach wraps up the game, Peter wonders what the kids will think about meeting Spider-Man and decides to find out.

Later, at the Winnipeg Mall, the kids run into one of Alan's friends who offer them beer and cigarettes. The others turn down the offer, but Allan accepts it, wanting to be part of the team. Watching this from above, Spider-Man is disappointed to see this happening, but figures that he shouldn't get involved because kids need to make their own choices on such things. However, the wall-crawler changes his position when he sees one of the kids, named Ben, takes out a hockey puck and opens it. Much to his surprise, the hockey puck has been hollowed out and filled with a selection of illicit drugs. The kid offer Alan some, telling him that he can try it or not, but insists that he can't be "one of the guys" if he doesn't. Soon, Alan is walking home by himself, when Spider-Man makes his presence known. Spider-Man tells Alan that the decision to do drugs is ultimately his decision, but he wants to show Alan where they come from. The boy accepts Spider-Man's offer and the two swing away. as they do so, Beth and the other kids on Alan's team see Alan with Spider-Man and decide to follow them to see where they go. Spider-Man and Alan follow the Ben across the city, and Spider-Man shows him all the seedy locations where the boy purchase his drugs until they eventually arrive at an import warehouse.

Spider-Man asks Alan to wait in the alley outside and goes inside to check out what's going on. Inside, the wall-crawler discovers crates full of the hollowed-out pucks filled with drugs. His investigation is soon interrupted by Electro, who is furious to see Spider-Man interfering in his operations for a second time. Outside, Beth and the others catch up with Alan and ask where Spider-Man is. He tries to tell them to be quiet, but they are discovered by Electro's business partner and some of the drug-dealing kids. Inside, Spider-Man continues his battle with Electro, ultimately knock the villain down. However, before he can web him up, Electro's partner enters the warehouse with Alan and Beth and their friends and threatens the kids at knifepoint. Spider-Man leaps at the man, dodging the knives he throws at the webbed hero. This man and his young thugs try to flee. While Spider-Man manages to web up the youths, but Electro's partner manages to escape outside. When Spider-Man goes after him, he finds no trace of the man. Instead, he finds an elderly lady walking by, and when he asks her if she saw the thug, she says she doesn't. Oddly enough, the old woman sets off Spider-Man's spider-sense, but Spider-Man assumes that he is being warned that Electro was still free. As Spider-Man goes back into the warehouse, he is unaware that the elderly woman was actually the man he was chasing in disguise.[2]

Back inside, Ben is threatening the other kids, but Spider-Man quickly webs him out as well. By this point, Electro has recovered and orders Spider-Man to face him. However, Beth tells the kids to shoot pucks at Electro since they are made of rubber. Electro is stunned by the barrage of pucks long enough for Spider-Man to web him up as well. In the aftermath of the battle, Alan gives Ben back the puck full of drugs, telling him that he doesn't need them. When the police arrive to take Electro and his minions away, Alan thanks Spider-Man for giving him advice on drugs. Spider-Man tells the kids that they will all be pressured to try drugs and that they are going to have to make their own decisions. The following day, Peter Parker is watching Alan and his team play a game, which they win. After, the kids from the mall offer Alan a cigarette and a can a beer, but he refuses them. Peter then calls J. Jonah Jameson and tells his employer that he is finished in Winnipeg and that he will be heading to Fredrickton to cover the science fair. However, this is not the only reason why he was going. Earlier, he noticed that Electro's partner had singled out Beth from the group and wants to know why, and will be there if he shows up to terrorize the young girl again.

Recurring Characters

Spider-Man, Electro, Chameleon, J. Jonah Jameson

Continuity Notes

1. The hockey coach is depicted as Herb Carnegie, a retired hockey player who played for the Quebec Aces from 1944-1954. Like all real-life people, his appearance here should be considered a topical reference per the Sliding Timescale of Earth-616. Particularly since Mr. Carnegie passed away in 2012.

2. Electro's partner is revealed to be Electro in the next issue.