The Big, Wide World!

At the offices of the Daily Bugle, J. Jonah Jameson meets with his staff and expresses his disgust with the competition coverage superheroes that have been appearing in the city. One of the staffers points out that it is hard to dig up dirt on the Fantastic Four after they just recently saved the city from the Mole Man.[1] Jameson then suggests that they focus on the wrestler Spider-Man since he wears a mask. When they point out that Spider-Man is just a wrestler, Jonah points out the guy can lift a 300-pound man with one hand and asks why this character isn’t using his powers to help people. When one of the reports asks how hard they should press on Spider-Man, Jonah tells him that if he has to tell them, then they’re fired then yells at them all to go out and get the story.

At that same moment, Spider-Man has taken a groupie, whose name escapes him, up onto a rooftop to eat Chinese food. From their vantage point, they can see the Fantastic Four’s current battle with what the wall-crawler thinks is an alien from outer space.[2] They are impressed with the display and that’s when the girl asks Spider-Man if he ever saved anyone. While he admits he hasn’t, he bets he could do it better. He then starts making out with the girl. Later, he arrives at the apartment of his manager Tiffany Lebeck, who tells him they have to hurry to get him to his first televised appearance, reminding him that the Fantastic Four are fighting a monster downtown. Spider-Man isn’t concerned and tells her how she put Monty Caabash in his place earlier when he tires to convince him to wear an EWO hat on the show. When she says there will be a party after the show, he tells her he can’t go. This insults Tiffany who thinks he made plans with the groupie he hung out with earlier that day instead of celebrating with her, reminding him of everything she has done to get Spider-Man where he is. Feeling guilty, the webhead agrees to stay and celebrate with her.

Soon, Spider-Man is at the television studio where he is impressing audiences with displays of his superhuman abilities. Behind the scenes, the box office, is being robbed by a burglar. After the show, Spider-Man does a Q&A session with the press and deflects the questions about his identity posed by the Daily Bugle. After, Spider-Man is waiting for an elevator when the thief runs past him. Peter does nothing and when the security guard asks him why he didn’t stop the crook, Spider-Man tells him that its not his job and that he has other things to do.

Later at the Mayhem Night Club, Monty Caabash and Tiffany Lebeck are having a terse conversation about Spider-Man’s future with the Extreme Wrestling Organization. It becomes very clear to Monty that Tiffany is looking at his new star as a meal ticket and has gotten her hooks in the young man. Monty warns her that he made both Spider-Man and her career and says he can crush them as easily. That’s when Spider-Man arrives and Tiffany tells him that Monty was just about to fire her. In response, Spider-Man tells Caabash that if Tiffany goes, he goes.

While Peter revels in the power he has as Spider-Man, it has come at the expense as his life of Peter Parker, high school student. The following day, Uncle Ben reads a letter from the principal at Midtown High raising his concerns about Peter’s performance at school, fearing that it might be the cause of other issues, like drugs. Ben is deeply concerned because he has high aspirations for Peter and the way things are going Peter will be lucky to get into a local college. May brushes this off as Peter finally entering his teenage rebellion phase, but Ben thinks there’s more to it considering the trouble Peter has been getting into recently. The strange comings-and-goings in the night, and the fact that Peter suddenly has money to spend on extravagances that Ben could only dream of when he was the boy’s age. They both agree that it is finally time to talk to Peter and get some straight answers as to what’s going on.

At school, Liz Allan is still mad at Flash Thompson, especially after hearing she was hanging off some other girl at a party over the weekend. To get back at him, Liz continues to flirt with Peter Parker. She asks him if he is still meeting up with her at the library at 3 to help her study for the SATs. He shows her how he wrote it on his hand so he wouldn’t forget. After Liz leaves, Peter is confronted by Flash Thompson who is jealous of Peter and warns him not to talk to Liz again. For the first time, Peter realizes that he is no longer scared of Flash. That afternoon, Peter suggests that he and Liz go somewhere more interesting and takes her to Club Mayhem. Liz is amazed when Peter slips the bouncer 100 dollars to get them inside the exclusive club. While at the Daily Bugle, J. Jonah Jameson wants an update on Spider-Man. He is annoyed when the most they were able to get was dirt on the date he recently had, but this is not enough for Jameson.

A few hours later, Peter and Liz are coming out of Mayhem only to find Uncle Ben waiting for them outside. He tells Peter that he followed the boy after school in the hopes of having a heart-to-heart with him. He is disappointed to catch him leaving a bar and begins lecturing both Peter and Liz when suddenly, Peter’s spider-sense goes off. He manages to push Uncle Ben out of the way of falling debris. When Peter suggest they get someplace safe, Ben points at the massive whale-like creature and asks where they can go to be safe from that monster.[3]

Recurring Characters

Spider-Man, Uncle Ben, Aunt May, Liz Allan, Tiffany Lebeck, Monty Caabash, the Burglar, Flash Thompson, Mister Fantastic, Human Torch, Baxter Bigelow, Giganto

Continuity Notes

1. This would be the Fantastic Four’s first adventure in Fantastic Four #1.

2. They’re actually fighting a mock-up of a movie monster that appears to have been brought to life by the Miracle Man, placing the events of this story as happening at the same time as the events in Fantastic Four #3.

3. This creature is Giganto, who was summoned by the Sub-Mariner to attack New York City, placing this part of the story as taking place during the events of Fantastic Four #4.

Topical References

• Real-world products: Pepsi Cola, Raid bug-spray