Saturday morning, around nine a.m.
Norman Osborn knocked on the door. "Harry, are you in there?"
There was no answer.
Norman knocked again, this time louder.
Still no answer.
Norman mumbled something and turned the doorknob. It was unlocked. He pushed the door all the way open to find Harry's room in its regular condition, except for one thing.
Harry was not in it.
Norman cursed under his breath before calling the maid.
"Where is he?" Norman asked once she had run to his side.
"I don't know, Mr. Osborn. I never heard him come in."
"He didn't come home last night? What is he? Crazy? He's sick, he shouldn't be out in the world getting other people sick."
"Should I call the cops?" the maid asked.
"No," Norman replied, a twinkle in his eye. "No, I shall take care of this."
"Hold that elevator!" Peter exclaimed, running across the lobby of the Daily Planet. Even though it would only be a minor inconvenience, Peter would rather not have to wait for the next elevator.
He stopped once he was safely in the elevator, and then looked at who had so nicely held the elevator for him.
"Oh, Mr. White. Thanks," Peter said.
"Anytime, Peter," Perry replied. "So, did you give Spider-Man that message?"
"Message? Oh, right. The bank message. Yeah, I gave it to him."
"Did he happen to tell you what it was about?"
"No, but I have a feeling of what it could be."
"What?"
"Back when Spidey was a TV star, he opened a bank account, which was emptied by someone shortly after Spidey became a superhero."
"And the bank found the money."
"Either the money or who took it. Like I said, that's just my guess. So, how are you holding up?"
"It's a little rough, with one of my star reporters in the hospital, and my job on the line."
"How is your job on the line?"
"If Luthor or Osborn, or both buy the paper . . . Well, they are very opinionated men, and would probably prefer the paper edited by someone who was their lapdog."
"Oh," Peter said. "I see."
The elevator stopped and beeped, letting the occupants know it was at the City Room. The doors opened, and Peter and Perry stepped off, continuing their conversation as they walked to Perry's office.
"But is there anyone else that might be interested in buying the paper? I mean, it seems unlikely that only two men could be interested, but the only names I've heard are Luthor and Osborn."
"If anyone else is interested, either Jameson doesn't know, or he's not telling."
"But in this case, is it a matter of how much money is offered?"
"It's a tricky situation, especially since those two . . . " Perry trailed off as he glanced over at Lois's desk. Peter's eyes widened as he looked over as well. "Lois!" Perry exclaimed. "Great Caesar's Ghost, child, shouldn't you be at home?"
Lois looked up from her computer screen. "Perry, since when do I stay at home when I could be working?"
Perry raised his eyebrows and nodded his head. "Good point." Then, a stern look returned to his face. "Still, I don't want you to be hurting yourself."
"Perry, I'll be fine. Besides, with all that is going on, there's no way I'm just going to be on the sidelines."
Perry sighed. "Well, be careful," he said, walking into his office.
Lois looked at Peter. "And what can I do for you?"
Peter sat down in the chair beside Lois's desk. "So, exactly what angle are you working from?"
"Pardon?"
"Angle. Something's going on. Something big. Everyone wants to know what. I just want to know where your coming from."
"Someone attacked me in my home, and then saved my life. I want to know why and with what."
"Okay. Good. I've been talking to people, like Spider-Man, and we can't seem to figure it out."
"Like what?"
"Well, why were you attacked by Electro?"
"That's what I've been asking ever since I sensed him in my room."
"Did you happen to hear anything while you were in the hospital?"
"If I did, it all blurred together."
"I was talking to Victor yesterday, and we were noticing a pattern here."
"A pattern with what?"
"Some rather strange occurrences."
"Like what?"
"Like staffers of the Daily Planet getting attacked."
Jimmy Olsen walked into the City Room with Harry Osborn. Immediately, he noticed Lois was at her desk, and walked over.
"Lois! You're back so soon?"
"Yes, Jimmy," Lois replied.
"Hey, Harry," Peter said. "Why are you here?"
"It's my dad. I think he's up to something."
"Define 'something'," Lois said. "He's up to a lot."
"That new drug, Oz? I think he's been using it on me," Harry replied. "That's why I'm sick."
"I've been wondering if Mr. Jameson could use any of this information. He has some contacts," Jimmy added.
"And, it would benefit his situation," Peter concluded.
Lois picked up the phone on her desk and dialed the extension to Jameson's office. "I'll get him down here and see."
Only minutes later, a conference had been called. Jameson sat at one end of the table in the conference room. Also seated were Perry, Lois, Peter, Jimmy, Harry, and finally Ben Urich.
"So, what do we have here?" JJJ asked. "Something about this boy being drugged."
Harry looked around and saw all eyes were on him. "Yes, sir. My father, Norman Osborn. I think he's been testing Oz on me."
"Oz," Jameson said. "I know of that."
"It will be ready to market in less than six months," Ben Urich announced. "But I don't think it's ever been announced as to what it does."
"That's just it," Harry said. "I don't think anybody knows. Everyone knows a little, but no one knows the whole truth."
"That damn Osborn, causing me this trouble," Jameson mumbled.
"Speaking of trouble," Peter spoke up, "I think there is something else you might be interested in."
"What's that?"
"Well, a few days before Lois was attacked by Electro, Jimmy and I were attacked by the Ice Queen, who was . . . taken away by the Green Goblin."
"So, you're saying that they are all connected?"
"I'm saying Osborn's been trying to keep an eye on us, or get us out of the picture."
"He's wasting his time," Jameson whispered. The room was silent for a moment.
But the silence was broken by the shattering glass.
Jameson turned around and saw the Green Goblin flying at him.
"Not again!" he exclaimed. "Not with the windows!"
Goblin crashed into the conference room and grabbed Jameson. "Nighty-night, J-boy!" he saw, tossing the owner of the paper to the other side of the City Room.
The occupants of the conference room immediately fled. Peter, Jimmy, and Harry ran for the stairs leading down. Peter looked back to see the other two boys.
"What are you doing?" he shouted.
"I gotta get out of here!" Harry shouted back. "If Green Goblin alerts my dad, I could be in trouble. I never went home last night."
Peter stood against the wall. "You guys go on down, then. Jimmy, get the pics from down below if you can."
"What about you?" Jimmy asked.
"I'll be fine. Go!"
Making sure no one could see him, Peter pulled his watch down his arm and activated his costume. Spider-Man leapt out of the stairway, ready for action . . .
. . . and suddenly fell back, his body numb.
Through the double - or was it triple? - vision, Spider-Man could see Electro towering over him.
"Hi, there, bug boy!" he exclaimed. "Miss me?"
"Uhhhh . . . " Spidey moaned. "No, not really."
Electro zapped him with energy. It was enough to make Spider-Man's body lift off of the floor. Spidey fired his webshooters, and a barrage of impact webbing pelted Electro, sending him crashing into the City Room. Spidey saw Green Goblin floating outside, dangling Jameson over the street below. He instantly leapt across the room, and tackled Jameson, wrestling him from his grip.
The two began to freefall.
"You menace!" Jameson shouted. "At least with the Goblin, I had a chance!"
"Aw, shut up, you ungrateful ass!" Spidey shouted back as he created a web parachute. "I'm busy here."
They floated down and landed gracefully. Spidey gave Jameson a shove. "Now, run like hell!"
That was the one time Jameson didn't have to be told what to do twice. He instantly ran as fast as he could away from the Daily Planet building.
"Now, for the Goblin," Spidey muttered.
Suddenly, he felt something slam against his chest, knocking him to the ground.
"Not yet," a deep, raspy voice said. "Boss wants you first."
Spidey could just barely make out the image. He could see an armored figure, in the shape of a man except that it had a tail.
And then the tail came down. Spidey felt a sting in his right arm, and everything faded to black.
Electro came running up. "Hey! He's mine!" he shouted.
"I don't think so," Spider-Man's attacker said, swinging his tail, knocking Electro to the ground.
Electro lay on the ground, his armor cracked.
"Help me," he whispered. "My energy . . . it'll leak out . . . I'll die."
"Here, I'll save you the trouble." The attacker brought his tail down, smashing it into Electro's forehead. Chunks of brain were attached as he pulled it out. Blood ran out of Electro's mouth.
When Spider-Man came to, he realized he was inside. He was in an office. He stood up quickly.
"Ah, you're awake," a voice said.
I know that voice, Spidey thought. He turned around. "Luthor," he said.
"And you're Spider-Man," Luthor replied. "Now that we have the formalities out of the way . . . "
"What do you want?"
"I needed you out of the way. So, I had Scorpion bring you to me."
"Why not get the Goblin to do that?"
"Please," Luthor pleaded, "don't insult me. The Goblin is Osborn's puppet. I have no control."
"I thought you were working together."
"Only when it benefits me."
"So, he's probably not going to be an equal partner when you take over the paper?"
Luthor laughed. "He would be so lucky to be a partner at all. As it is, I have the power over the most influential people at that rag."
"Like who?"
"Lois Lane," Luthor said simply. "I saved her life, you know. Granted, it was with Osborn's drug, but since he sent Electro to take her out . . . "
"You are one sick puppy," Spidey said.
"And you have no proof."
"So, why am I here? I could be back at the Planet, saving the building. You know that the Goblin's gonna destroy it."
"I don't need the building. Just the business. I can get any building to use that I want. I'm just glad I didn't have to use my money to hire Scorpion here."
Now, Spider-Man was confused. "Your money . . . ? What does that have to . . . No. You son of a bitch. You stole my money!" Spidey leapt up, and before Luthor could react, punched him clear in the nose. He then spun around, and fired a web, swinging through the window.
It took only seconds to get back to the Daily Planet building. Cops had already started rushing to the scene. Spider-Man flew in the window at the same point he had left. It had only been five minutes since he rescued Jameson, but what a long five minutes it had been for the poor souls trapped inside.
Many people were already running to the lower floors and trying to leave.
But Lois had been caught by the Goblin, who was holding her in the air by her neck.
"Ah, lovely Lois. A shame that you'll probably be dead by nightfall."
Lois kicked and tried to scream. But she could not produce much sound, as the Goblin was slowly cutting off her air supply. The Green Goblin had to settle with two balls of impact webbing in the back of his head. He turned.
"Spider-Man," he said. "You are back."
"That's right. And this ends here, Goblin!"
The Goblin tossed Lois to the ground. She slid until she hit Perry. He, along with Jimmy and Ben Urich were standing still, paralyzed with fear.
"How melodramatic . . . " the Goblin mused. Suddenly, he stopped talking as his attention was diverted to the television.
" . . . reports coming in from Osborn Industries, where an unknown costumed figure is rampaging through the facility. A large blaze has started within the compound, and could cause a major disaster, as it is very close to the chemical containment plant . . . "
The Goblin's eyes grew wide. "No!" he shouted. He sped off, out of the building, crashing through another window.
Spider-Man was set to chase after him, to help stop whoever was rampaging through Osborn Industries, when he saw the Goblin turn slightly.
What is he doing? Spidey wondered.
And then, he saw the small flaming dot grow bigger, coming closer to the building.
"Everyone, out!" he shouted.
The pumpkin bomb crashed through yet another window, landing on the ground. It rolled around, and Spider-Man picked it up, and shot a web to the outside. He stood on top of the building across the street, and heaved the bomb into the air as high as it could go. The explosion was enough to make the buildings shake slightly.
Everyone who wasn't running out of the Daily Planet building breathed a sigh of relief.
Inside, Jimmy asked, "If the Goblin is gone, why do we have to run out?"
He was in the stairwell, somewhere near the sixth floor. Perry, Lois, Ben, and a whole load of other Daily Planet employees were rushing down the stairs as well.
"No telling what that lunatic's done to the building," Perry replied.
Suddenly, as if on cue, there was a loud noise, and the building shook. Plaster fell from the ceiling.
"What was that?" Urich shouted. "That can't be the one Spider-Man caught."
"Run faster!" Perry shouted. "There must be another one!"
Outside, the police were getting worried. Spider-Man swung down, and met Captain Stacy.
"What was that?" he asked.
"Appears like the Goblin left us some surprises," Stacy replied.
"But where was the explosion?"
"Looked like it was near the bottom, somewhere around the second floor."
"I have a problem. There's the situation here, and then there's the one at Osborn, where there are two bad guys running around," Spidey said.
"You go there. But try to get one of your buddies with superstrength to come here."
"Will do," Spidey said, swinging off.
In the air, he contacted Oracle.
"Oracle."
"It's Spider-Man. I need you to get a hold of the Avengers League, and get one of them to the Daily Planet building. Preferably Martian Manhunter, or someone who could hold up a building if necessary."
"I'll do my best. Oracle out."
Scorpion walked through the flames. He could see the tanks full of chemicals. He remembered which ones Luthor had told him to puncture for maximum damage. He swung his tail, letting the sharp tip puncture one. As he was about to puncture a second, a pumpkin bomb landed in front of him and exploded. The blast sent him flying backwards, into the heart of the fire.
The Green Goblin raced in and hovered over him.
"You did this!" he exclaimed. "You destroyed this place!"
He threw another pumpkin bomb into Scorpion's chest. It caused much of the armor to blow away. Scorpion stood up, and swung his tail, letting Green Goblin fly into the tanks of chemicals, puncturing two of them in the process.
Scorpion smiled as the contents leaked out, and crept toward the expanding fire.
The blast was enough to break Spider-Man's webbing. He hit the ground hard. Fire fighters raced past him. He stopped one.
"Is there any way anyone could have survived?" he asked.
"I don't think so," the fireman replied. "You should probably go. There's nothing here you can do."
Spider-Man heeded the advice of the fireman.
The smoke's increasing. Might cover the city in minutes. Goblin was in there. No way he could have survived.
Sidney Happersen walked into Lex Luthor's office.
"Sir, Osborn Industries has been . . . taken care of."
"Good," Luthor said, his lips twisting into an evil grin. "And Scorpion?"
"I'm afraid he wasn't able to make it out."
"Ah, but that is the price that must be paid."
Martian Manhunter glided down, and Captain Stacy rushed over to him.
"You're the Martian Manhunter, right?"
"I am," J'Onn replied. "What do you need?"
"Can you support that building long enough for people to get out?"
"I should."
"No need for that," Perry White said, walking up. "I was the last one out."
"Good," Stacy replied. "Guess we don't need you," he said, turning to Martian Manhunter.
"I shall stay, just in case something does happen."
"Wait a minute," Jimmy Olsen said, walking over to where the captain was standing. "Does something smell strange to you?"
Captain Stacy, J'Onn J'Onzz, and Perry sniffed.
"I don't believe it," Captain Stacy said.
"It appears that the Green Goblin left you a . . . stink bomb," Martian Manhunter said.
Several hours later, as the damage was cleaned out of the streets, and the police had left, the staff of the Daily Planet was gathered in the City Room. Perry and Jonah were in Perry's office with the new owner of the paper.
"It's Luthor," Peter said. "He double crossed Osborn and took full control of the paper."
"Maybe not," Lois replied. "At least, I hope not."
Just then, the door to Perry's office opened, and Perry and Jonah walked out.
"Attention, everyone," Jameson announced. "This will be the last time I will be addressing you as owner of this paper. Due to recent financial struggles, I have been forced to sell the paper. Tonight, you shall meet the new owner. Come on out."
The new owner walked out of the office. Lois was shocked. Jimmy looked surprised.
"Yes," Peter whispered.
"I'd like to introduce . . . Bruce Wayne," Jameson said.
The staff started clapping.
Back in his office, Luthor was furious. He had a hidden camera in the Daily Planet, as was keeping an eye on what happened.
"How dare he?! Jameson was supposed to sell to me!"
"Maybe Wayne offered more money," Happersen suggested.
Luthor grabbed Happersen's head and slammed it against his desk. "Get out."
Later that night, Mary Jane was sitting on the lawn swing in her back yard when Peter walked up. The faint smell of smoke lingered in the air.
"Hey," he said. "Your aunt said you were back here."
"Come on over and sit," she said, patting the swing. She scooted over to the side. Peter sat down.
"Pretty eventful day," she said.
"Yeah," Peter replied. "And a nice surprise to end it."
"What surprise?"
"The new owner. It's Bruce Wayne."
"That's great! How?"
"Dunno. More money I guess."
"What happened to Mr. Osborn?"
"They think he was caught in the explosion."
"And Harry?"
"He wasn't, but I haven't seen him since everything that happened."
"Understandable."
"So, why did you want me to come over?" Peter asked.
"Peter, what do you think of me?"
"What do I think of you? Well, I think you're a nice girl, beautiful, intelligent. Why?"
Mary Jane smiled. "Anything else?"
"You're a great friend."
"That's all?"
"Well . . . " Peter had a feeling where this was going. Part of him was excited, but part of him was scared.
Mary Jane leaned over. "Remember Christmas dinner? With the mistletoe?"
"Yeah."
"I think we should finish what we started."
Mary Jane leaned over further. Peter put his arm around her shoulder. Their lips came closer together. Finally, they touched.
A few seconds later, the two pulled back.
"That was nice," MJ said.
"Wish we could have done it sooner," Peter replied. And then, he leaned over and kissed her again.
And for the rest of the night, Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson didn't have a care in the world.
Next, read Giant Size Spider-Man #1 for a teamup adventure that sheds some light on the mysterious disappearance of the Parkers so many years ago. Then, in Spider-Man #26, it's a tangled web of mystery and intrigue!