Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 2) #10
Background
Peter Parker is still swinging in the red'n'blues, unbeknownst to his wife, who is away on a photo-shoot... A photo-shoot which should have also been a second honeymoon... except that Spider-Man got in the way, again.
Meanwhile, an anonymous caller is threatening to kill Peter and kidnap MJ. What's that all about? Well, it's about the major plot line for the next twelve months - but we're getting ahead of ourselves.
Story 'And Then There Were...'
Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 2) #10
| Editor: | Ralph Macchio |
| Writer: | Howard Mackie |
| Pencils: | John Byrne |
| Inker: | Scott Hanna |
| Cover Art: | John Byrne |
Well, I'm not going to spoil it all for you, but the key to it all is the Explosion which created Doctor Octopus and Spider-Man (as per the revised version in Spider-Man: Chapter One #1 and following. It seems that the accident had permanent effects on another attendee.
Note that the Chapter One origin now appears to be the official story. For a while, until Marvel realises that everybody hates Chapter One. I mean, really, when will Marvel learn. Change Spider-Man's future, not his past.
Not only that, the original company behind the Octopus experiment, Techtonics was headed by Doctor Twaki, now of Tri-Corp, Peter's new (part-time) employer. Twaki was responsible for cleaning up the original mess, with a little unpopular expediency.
Octopus, Spider-Man, and the new villain, self-named Captain Power (tm) meet and fight according the the standard laws of such engagements, in a climax which is appropriate for the comics medium.
A couple of sub-plots are worth mentioning before we go:
- Peter's substandard Tri-Corp work has put his position under threat. This was a serious loose end, which it is great to see being addressed.
- Mary-Jane's stalker is getting bolder.
- Jill and Paul Stacy's father is in serious trouble with Captain Ward. Jill want's Peter's help - Paul most certainly does not.
General Comments
This was a solid story, with a good number of interesting sub-plots moving around underneath. It's great to see issues like Peter's work at Tri-Corp, and his relationship with M-J being addressed. There's nothing to rave about, but it's all good work.
Overall Rating 
Reassuring. 3.5 webs.