Spider-Man: Web of Doom #1
Web of Doom
Spider-Man catches some men trying to break into a building and is a little rougher than usual in dealing with them.[1] After webbing up the crooks, Spider-Man tries to get ahold of himself, reminding himself that he is only upset because his wife Mary Jane had left him.[2] His thoughts are soon distracted by the sound of shouts and happen upon a mob throwing garbage at the police. Spider-Man gets in the way and learns that these are unionized men on strike because the company they work for, the Bradywine Pharmaceutical Company, has hired non-union scabs to replace them. After getting the mob under control, the police thank Spider-Man as he leaves. One of the most vocal protestors, a man named Terry Burns, is identified by one of the other works. They know that Terry was fired prior to the strike and tells him to get lost. Later, Spider-Man is lamenting over his recent stresses, including the recent discovery that his web-shooters are no starting to clog for some reason.
The web-slinger has little time to fret over this when he overhears a police report about a robbery happening nearby. The masked hero swings to the scene and stops a shotgun-wielding man from robbing a convenience store. The police are once more grateful for Spider-Man's help, wondering if the hero is working overtime this evening. Back on the rooftops, Spider-Man reminds himself that Mary Jane isn't gone forever, she is in the jungles of Bolamoria on a six-week movie shoot. On his way back home, he goes past the Bradywine Pharmaceutical Company. This time he spots a thief trying to sneak out of one of the windows. Spider-Man stops the thief, webbing him to a wall. Unmasking the thief, Spider-Man recognizes him as Terry Burns, one of the protestors from earlier. When Burns begins berating the wall-crawler, Spider-Man puts webbing over his mouth in order to shut him up. He then finds a night watchman and tells him about Terry's robbery attempt. However, as the guard goes to check it out, someone sneaks up behind him and knocks him out.[3]
The following morning, Peter Parker is doing some much-needed laundry. It reminds him of how much Mary Jane does for him since they got married. Picking up the recent issue of the Daily Bugle, Peter is horrified to discover that the front-page story is about how Terry Burns died, apparently by suffocation caused by Spider-Man's webbing. Peter decides he needs to get down to the Daily Bugle and get to the bottom of this. As he web-sling across the city, Spider-Man hopes that the public must realize that this accusation is some kind of mistake. However, he notices how people on the street are afraid of him, doing little to set his mind at ease. when Peter Parker arrives at the Daily Bugle, J. Jonah Jameson is gloating about the news, telling his staff he always knew that Spider-Man was a criminal. As Peter passes through the office, he overhears a news report about how there is video proof that Spider-Man is responsible for the crime. Feeling absolutely defeated, Peter goes down to the basement of the Bugle and contemplates tossing his Spider-Man costume into the incinerator. Fortunately, he decides against this, figuring that Spider-Man is the only person who can clear his own name.
On his way outside, Spider-Man stops a mugging, but the would-be thief begins to cry for help, saying that Spider-Man is trying to kill him. The web-slinger is then forced to flee the scene when the police arrive on the scene. Back home, Peter tries to make a call to his wife but learns that there is no operator in Bolamoria to direct his call. Hearing another negative news report, Peter loses his temper and smashes his TV. Getting control of himself again, Peter decides that the best thing to do is clear his name before this situation gets any worse. While in Bolamoria, Mary Jane is having second thoughts about her role in this film, titled "Amazon Annie vs. the Zombies". After a shooting a scene, her stunt double is called to stand in. Given a moment to think, Mary Jane wonders how she can feel so alone while around so many people. Back in New York City, Peter Parker is having those very same thoughts. Spider-Man decides to return to the scene of the crime in order to see how something affected his webbing and made it lethal. However, when leaving the rooftop of his home, the wall-crawler is too afraid to use his webbing in fear it might hurt someone else.
Arriving at the scene of the crime, Spider-Man discovers that all traces of his webbing are now gone. Back at square one, Peter Parker returns home to examine the remaining batch of webbing. After a series of detailed tests, Peter Parker comes to a most horrifying conclusion, that his webbing was responsible for the death of Terry Burns.
Recurring Characters
Spider-Man, Beetle, Mary Jane Watson, J. Jonah Jameson, Joe Robertson
Continuity Notes
The narrative states that this story takes place prior to the events of Amazing Spider-Man #388.
Peter and Mary Jane are referred to as husband and wife here. However, years later, their marriage is erased from existence by Mephisto in Amazing Spider-Man #545. As such they should be considered a common-law couple here.
This attacker is revealed to be the Beetle in Spider-Man: Web of Doom #3.
