Making Amends Meet

Spider-Man is swinging across the city when he is suddenly ambushed by his foe Killer Shrike. Shrike is on the run from someone trying to assassinate him. His paranoid getting the better of him, the villain believes the wall-crawler is in the employ of his would-be killer. Caught off guard, Spider-Man is unable to stop Killer Shrike from grabbing him around the throat. The wall-crawler uses his spider-strength to push them both off the side of a building. Then, after webbing up Killer Shrike's hands, the web-slinger and slams him into a wall. Webbing up Killer Shrike, Spider-Man leaves the villain for the police. As he is being surrounded by squad cars, Killer Shrike vows to come back and get revenge against Spider-Man. Spider-Man shrugs this threat off, saying his foes always come back eventually.

Later, in an apartment building in Forest Hills, Queens, a man is taking the trash out of his apartment. There he spots two costumed men that are trying to break into Betty Brant's apartment.[1] When the man tries to raise the alarm, he can't make a single sound. One of the intruders turns and throws a sword, impaling the man through the chest. As the two men turn to leave, the dying man can't help but notice that he can't hear a single noise. The next morning, Peter tries to talk to his wife Mary Jane about his current set of problems.[2] He is concerned that things from his past keep on coming back to haunt him, particularly his villains. Mary Jane is barely listening because she is running late for an acting gig. As she hails a cab, he tries to convince her to stay home, suggesting that they take a vacation. However, Mary Jane can't and she tells him that they can talk about it later and leaves.

Deciding to go for a walk to collect his thoughts. He can't help but think of all the people who have been hurt because of his career as Spider-Man.[3] He supposes he's still processing his thoughts after his recent encounter with Carnage.[4] He's surprised when he spots Betty Brant, and almost didn't recognize her with her new haircut and outfit. Betty is happy to see him but says she can't talk. Suddenly, she kisses Peter on the lips. After, she changes her mind and takes him to a nearby coffee shop. Betty explains the new look and the kiss are all part of a new job as an undercover reporter for the Daily Bugle.

She has been working for a company as part of an investigative reporter and has uncovered criminal operations that have international ramifications. However, she is under heavy observation and can't break loose without blowing her cover and putting herself in danger. She asks Peter to go to J. Jonah Jameson and contact the authorities. Before she can tell him who she is investigating, she tells Peter to run for it. The threat is real, as Peter's spider-sense begins going off. Peter pulls Betty to the ground just moments before the shop window blows inward. Peter is surprised to discover that there is absolutely no noise to be heard. Suddenly, a costumed man known as Whisper enters the room and points at Betty. By this point, Peter has managed to slip behind the counter and change into Spider-Man. When the wall-crawler tries to attack the man who is in front of Betty, he is blasted by his accomplice, Pulse, outside. Betty is far from helpless as she pulls out a handgun and shoots Whisper in the chest. The shot knocks the man to the ground. Able to whisper, he tells Brant that he hates having to absorb the sound of a gunshot and tells her that his employer wants to see her. He pulls a knife and tries to grab her, but that's when Spider-Man intervenes again.

Spider-Man soon finds himself double teamed by the two attackers. Wondering what Betty has gotten himself into, Spider-Man tosses Whisper into the path of Pulse's next shot. With their mission in jeopardy, Pulse reports back to his employer, saying that the mission is compromised and being aborted. Activating a self-destruct sequence, Pulse sits down on the floor next to his ally, Whisper. His spider-sense going off, Spider-Man pulls a protesting Betty Brant to safety. As the police arrive on the scene, Spider-Man tries to warn them of the impending explosion when it suddenly goes off. Spider-Man pushes Betty to the ground, shielding her from the blast. However, Betty is less than happy with Spider-Man's interference, telling the wall-crawler she doesn't need the help of a man to help her take down the Foreigner, the man who arranged for the murder of her husband Ned Leeds.[5]

Recurring Characters

Spider-Man, Mary Jane Watson, Betty Brant, Killer Shrike, Death Squad (Pulse, Whisper)

Continuity Notes

1. The man refers to Betty as "Mrs. Leeds", Betty had married Ned Leeds in Amazing Spider-Man #156. However, at the time of this story, she had recently been widowed as seen in Spider-Man Versus Wolverine #1.

2. 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.

3. Of these names, Peter mentions he mentions his Aunt May and Uncle Ben. Peter's Uncle Ben was murdered by a burglar in Amazing Fantasy #15. He also mentions Paul Stacy and his daughter Gwen who died in Amazing Spider-Man #90 and 121 respectively. Lastly, he mentions Harry Osborn, who at the time of this story just recently became the Green Goblin in The Spectacular Spider-Man #178-184.

4. At the time of this story, Spider-Man had just recently battled Carnage for the first time in Amazing Spider-Man #361-363.

5. Spider-Man refers to Ned as the Hobgoblin. However it was later revealed in Spider-Man: Hobgoblin Lives #1-3, Ned was actually brainwashed into thinking he was the Hobgoblin by Roderick Kingsley. The Foreigner apparently fell for this ruse when Jason Macendale hired him to assassinate Leeds in Amazing Spider-Man #289.