I: Feature Story: "O, Bitter Victory!"

Pages: 20

Script: Stan Lee
Layouts: John Romita
Pencils: Don Heck
Inks: Mike Esposito (credited as Mickey Demeo)
Letters: Sam Rosen

Villain: Kingpin, Dr. Winkler

Guest Appearance: Capt. George Stacy, Gwen Stacy, Harry Osborn, Mary Jane Watson, Anna Watson, Aunt May

Cameo Appearance: Betty Brant

Synopsis: (continued from ASM #59)

It's a violent clash between Spider-Man and the Brainwasher, now revealed to be the diabolical Kingpin, and Spidey winds up being thrown into the power source of Dr. Winkler's Brainwashing Machine. A thick cloud of smoke pours out of the machine after it short-circuits, which allows a dazed and confused Spidey to escape unseen. The bad guys still have Capt. Stacy in their clutches, however, and they turn their attentions to finalizing his brainwashing.

Mary Jane tells Gwen and Harry about her altercation, and how she was saved by Spider-Man, but their increasing worries are taken down a notch when Capt. Stacy walks out. They don't realize he's brainwashed, and he explains to Mary Jane that she was just looking around backstage. Spider-Man is seeing in double-vision after being thrown into the Brainwasher and he is unable to think straight. He decides he can't be a super-hero in such a disoriented state so he walks back home. When he makes it to bed, he can't sleep, worried as he is over how he will deal with the knowledge that Capt. Stacy has somehow been turned into a pawn of the Kingpin.

This line of thought also drives home to him how much he is in love with Gwen Stacy, but this worries him even more, as now that very love is at risk if Spider-Man must do something about her father. The next day, the double-vision he suffers slowly goes away, and he rides on his motorbike to the Stacy home. Gwen is overjoyed to see him, and while Peter visits with her father in his study, she goes to make some tea. Peter confronts Capt. Stacy about what he saw backstage at the Gloom Room, and Capt. Stacy quickly turns on Peter. He tells Peter to butt out of such things, and then raises his cane up to strike Peter, who reaches out reflexively in self-defense. Just then, Gwen is stepping into the room, and sees Peter standing over her father, who is railing against the teenage boy, telling his daughter to call the police. Gwen is shocked and in tears, telling Peter to get out and never come back. He has no choice but to leave.

Capt. Stacy turns his frantic daughter away after Peter leaves, then calls the Kingpin to alert him to the boy's suspicions. The Kingpin sends some of his flunkies out to handle the snooping kid. Peter shows up to visit Aunt May at her home, and at the same time, the Kingpin's thugs show up at Peter's apartment, threatening Harry and turning the place over. When Peter shows up, Harry gives him an earful about what has happened. Peter insists he doesn't know anything about it.

Later, as Spider-Man, he heads out to monitor the movements of Capt. Stacy. He watches from afar as Capt. Stacy is led to the records vault of the police headquarters, a place filled with sensitive information that few have access to beyond Capt. Stacy. As they rifle through the papers, Peter sets up his camera, then swings in as Spider-Man. While Spidey tussles with the two gunmen, Capt. Stacy smacks him across the head with his cane, and they escape.

Capt. Stacy comes up with an alibi, but the pictures that Peter sells to Jameson rip the alibi to shreds. As Gwen reads in the headlines of the next day's paper, her father is accused of robbing secret data from police headquarters, and the pictures implicating him were taken by none other than Peter Parker!

(continued in ASM #61)

--synopsis by Gormuu

Issues Reprinted
Amazing Spider-Man #51-61, Annual #4

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