Place Your Bets

At Welke’s Pub, the patrons are settling in as the bartender is trying to find something interesting on television. That’s when the bar is suddenly starts shaking. Everyone wonders what it is when they look at the television and see news coverage of elsewhere in the city of Spider-Man fighting the Hulk. The bar is divided down the middle between people who hope Spider-Man will win and the other hoping the Hulk squashes the bug. However, one of the patrons is absolutely certain that Spider-Man is going to win this fight.

This leads to the patrons starting to make bets on the outcome of the battle. The bartender only agrees to allow the bets to be made as long as they he gets 5% of the winnings. As the battle continues the same man bets another hundred dollars that Spider-Man will throw a left hook and do a backwards flip kick. This bet is also taken. Sure enough, the betting man proves to be right. He next asks that they turn up the volume, as he wagers two hundred more than Spider-Man will do a two-fisted hammer and then crack a joke, and he wants to hear the joke. Nobody thinks he can be right on the money twice and take him on. Sure enough, Spider-Man makes a corny joke after a two-fisted hammer.

Bolder than ever, the man then bets that Spider-Man is going to remember he has webbing and sprays some in the Hulk’s next. This man keeps on making bets that come true. Sure enough, the battle ends when Spider-Man pins the Hulk under a cement truck, just as the man predicted. With the battle over, he pays the bartender his 5% and is asked how he can know so much about Spider-Man. He says he has had a few run-ins with the wall-crawler before and figured it was time he made some money off it.[1] When they ask who he is, the man — his eyes crackling with electricity — introduces himself as Max Dillon.

Two Weeks Later

Spider-Man has just busted Electro after catching the villain driving a van with a giant lightning rod on it. When Spider-Man asks Electro where he got the money to buy something so stupid, Electro tells hin to shut up. Still, Spider-Man quips that Electro probably didn’t see him busting up another one of his heists.

Recurring Characters

Electro, Spider-Man, Hulk

Continuity Notes

1. Electro’s statement that he has fought Spider-Man a few times is quite an understatement. At the time of this story, the pair have fought each other 27 times. These battles took place in Amazing Spider-Man #9, Untold Tales of Spider-Man #7, 11 Spider-Man Family (vol. 2) #3, Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1, Amazing Spider-Man #82, Marvel Team-Up #56, Amazing Spider-Man #187, Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #42/Fantastic Four #218, Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #66, Amazing Spider-Man Annual #21, Spectacular Spider-Man #134-136, 157, Amazing Spider-Man #334-339, Spider-Man #18-23, Amazing Spider-Man: Skating on Thin Ice #1, Amazing Spider-Man #369, Spider-Man #38-40, Spider-Man: Funeral for an Octopus #1-3, Spider-Man Unlimited #9, Amazing Spider-Man #422-425, Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 2) #12/Peter Parker: Spider-Man #12, Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 2) #17/Peter Parker: Spider-Man #17, Spider-Man’s Tangled Web #10, Marvel Knights: Spider-Man #2-4, 10-11, and Spectacular Spider-Man (vol. 2) #22

Topical References

• The television at the bar is a CRT television. This should be considered topical as these sorts of TVs are now obsolete.

This Looks Like a Job For…!

Peter Parker is one of the teachers supervising a field trip and finds himself stuck in traffic dealing with a bus full of rowdy teens. The other teacher on the trip, Lynn Nelson, reminds Peter that field trips are reserved for teachers who don’t use up all their sick leave and she hopes he takes this responsibility seriously. When they arrive at the museum, two students named Matt and Julie agree to sneak away from the rest of the class so they can spend some time alone together. While everyone goes to the “Fantastic Finds” exhibit, Matt and Julie duck into the exhibit about ancient Egypt.

At the exhibit, Peter tells his students to be very careful because some of the displays are rare. He then asks them to split up in groups of two and take notes on each exhibit as they will be expected to write a report on what they saw for class. As the children get to work, Peter thinks about how lucky they are and hopes he can come back with Mary Jane to check out the exhibits himself. Counting the children, Peter realizes that two are missing. Peter decides to find the missing students before Lynn notices. However, as Peter leaves the exhibit, his spider-sense begins going off.

That’s when the Thing comes crashing through one of the walls. Getting to his feet, he tells the children to run for it as the Absorbing Man comes crashing into the museum to finish his battle with the Thing. As the two battle it out, Peter spots Matt and Julie and tells Lynn to get the rest of the children to safety while he goes after the rest. He helps a group of kids to get past the Thing and Absorbing Man. With Matt and Julie still in danger, Peter considers changing into Spider-Man but realizes he doesn’t have enough time and hopes nobody is watching. Using his spider-agility, Peter rushes in and yanks Matt and Julie out of harm’s way. In the aftermath of the battle, everyone thinks Peter is a hero. When the Thing goes up to tell Peter the same thing, he jokingly suggests Parker tries joining up with the Fantastic Four. Peter politely declines, saying he heard the pay isn’t very good.[1]

Recurring Characters

Peter Parker, the Thing, Absorbing Man

Continuity Notes

1. Peter’s comment is a tongue-in-cheek reference to the fact that Peter tried to join up with the Fantastic Four during his early days as Spider-Man, as seen in Amazing Spider-Man #1.

Topical References

• Two of the punk rocker children on the field trip are wearing Rage Against the Machine and Clash t-shirts. Do kids even like RATM and the Clash anymore?