Rampage (UK) #7 (Story 2)

Background

The second (6-page) story in this issue features our very favorite hero, Spider-Man!

Story 'High Voltage!'

Peter Parker is taking photos as J. Jonah Jameson opens a brand-new power station that runs on some (unspecified) "Advanced Technology licensed from Stark Enterprises!"

But you know these science exhibits never run smoothly in comics, and this one is no exception, Indeed, the circuit dutifully back-loads to a critical level. The capacitors (hey -- they're something to do with electricity, right?!) can't cope, and it all goes BOOM, up in burning electro-rubble.

Out of the ruins emerges... Zzzax, the Living Dynamo!

Now, Zzzax didn't cause this mess, it was just your typical opening-day explosion at a power station. But once the accident occurred, Zzzax was drawn to the disaster through dimensional, genetic triggers, which... look, it's just how SCIENCE works, OK!?! He's a SCIENCE MONSTER!

Zzzax kills a couple of workers and absorbs their brain electricity, making him smarter! (That's how brains work, OKAY!). That makes him smart enough to Zzzap Spider-Man and escape!

By the time Spider-Man recovers, "City Hall" has a solution. Max Dillion (aka "Electro") has been extracted out of his prison cell, and is being promised a full pardon in return for defeating Zzzax. The plan is for Electro to drain out all of Zzzax's charge, and then redirect it to a nearby battery.

[Editor's Note - simply discharging it as a lightning bolt into the atmosphere would be way easier, since battery transfer rates are generally pretty low - that's why it takes so long to charge up electric cars].

But anyhow, the plan works. There's a bit of shouting, but Electro does indeed absorb Zzzax out of existence, and so Max is indeed free to go. Except... Spider-Man points out that (during the battle while passing a destroyed jewelry store) Max helped himself to a shiny diamond bracelet.

Since Max's pardon only covered past crimes, not brand new ones, Electro is bundled back off to prison!

General Comments

Shame about the long trail of rubbish pseudo-science that was required to set things up at the start!

Shame also about the two dead corpses that Spider-Man failed to save. But hey, you can't write a kid's story without breaking some eggs. Peter can't be expected to save all the innocent bystanders!

Overall Rating

That's a nice little twist in the tale from writer Ferg Handley. A nice finish.

But the rest of the run-up was a bit dodgy, so I'm gonna go with a "Three Web" rating on this one.