Amazing Spider-Man #623
Scavenging Part One
Electro has been sent to break the Vulture out of Ryker’s Supermax Prison. Something that he does quite easily since he has spent most of his adult life there. He only recognizes one of the old guards, who offers to help Electro in exchange for his life.[1] Blasting open the door to the Vulture’s cell, Electro figures this Vulture can’t be any worse than working with Adrian Toomes, the original. He tells the Vulture that it’s time to fly.
At that same moment, Spider-Man is dealing with a new villain calling himself Simple Simon. Adding insult to injury, the web-slinger is hit in the face by one of SImon’s pies. Spider-Man quickly webs up Simple Simon and learns that he is actually competing for a role in a new reality show called To Be a Villain. Learning that the city actually allowed permits to this nonsense, Spider-Man decides it’s time he paid a visit city hall.
Back at Ryker’s Island, the Vulture is free and he flies off without giving Electro a lift to the mainland. When he calls this in to Sasha Kravinoff, she is pleased to hear everything is going according to plan and tells him to let the Vulture go out and play. The Vulture quickly flies to his hideout where he pauses to look at himself in a dirty mirror. Disgusted by his deformed face, the Vulture then smashes the mirror.
By this time, Spider-Man has decided to have fun at the expense of mayor J. Jonah Jameson by webbing his phone to his desk so he can’t answer it when it rings. Originally intending to tell Jameson off for selling his soul for reality television, Spider-Man instead gets more fun out of Jonah’s tantrum and takes a picture of the scene for prosperity.
Meanwhile, word has gotten out that the Vulture has escaped from Ryker’s Island. This is of great concern to local mobsters who are attempting to fill the vacuum caused by the recent downfall of the Karnelli and Manfredi families.[2] During a three-way call between mob leaders, they decide that it’s a bad idea to go after the Vulture since it will only draw attention to themselves. That when one of the mobsters, named Francis, is attacked by the Vulture who carries the frightened mobster into the sky. One of his associates realizes that the Vulture is starting to remember his past and decides it is time to initiate Plan J. The Vulture carries the mobster back to his hideout and ignores his pleas for lenience as he vomits acid on a rat so he can consume its body. After his rancid feast, the Vulture pins Francis to the wall and asks why they made him into this, but the mobster doesn’t know. Francis remembers how the Vulture — then known as Jimmy Natale — used to by a clean-up man for the mob. He also thanks Jimmy for what he did as the Vulture, picking off the weakest members of the mob, which was a great benefit to the crime families. Growing violent the Vulture once again asks why he was turned into this mockery of life. Fearing for his life, Frances tells him that J. Jonah Jameson who was responsible.
At that same moment, there is breaking news in light of the Vulture’s escape from prison. An arrested Empire State University chemist named Charles Goss is accusing J. Jonah Jameson of hiring him to create the Vulture. This has created quite the buzz among the media, who are aware that Jameson was responsible for the creation of the Scorpion years earlier, leaving pundits to question if this is the end of Jameson’s role as mayor of New York.[3] By this time, Spider-Man is swinging through Times Square when he catches the news about Jameson’s current scandal and is convinced that this is some kind of frame-up. After weeks of being worn down by physically and mentally, Spider-Man really wants a win and decides that he is going to help clear Jonah’s name. At Gracie Mansion, J. Jonah Jameson has put in a furious phone call to the police commissioner demanding that he do something about these allegations. The commissioner assures Jonah that they are interrogating Professor Gross to see if there are any holes in his story. This isn’t good enough for Jameson who also wants the NYPD to focus all of their resources at capturing the new Vulture as well. As he hangs up the phone, the Vulture comes crashing in through his office window. The deformed man asks Jameson why he did this to him, but Jonah insists that he had nothing to do with his creation. Luckily, Spider-Man arrives to save Jonah’s life. Jameson, true to form, begins accusing Spider-Man is being responsible. This annoys Spider-Man who points out that he has come to save the mayor’s life.
Recoiling out of the office, the Vulture yanks Spider-Man along on the web-line he attached to the villain. However, the creature uses his acidic vomit to melt through the webbing and flies back inside the mansion. Spider-Man follows after the Vulture, but once inside he finds no trace of either Jameson or his foe. Racing through the mansion, Spider-Man follows the Vulture’s trail to a darkened office. There, Spider-Man recoils in horror as he sees the Vulture crouched over what appears to be J. Jonah Jameson’s inert body.
Recurring Characters
Spider-Man, the Vulture, Electro, Sasha Kravinoff, J. Jonah Jameson, Simple Simon
Continuity Notes
This security guard mentions how Electro became a folk hero to the people by protesting government bailouts. That happened in Amazing Spider-Man #612-614.
A number of Maggia families had been decimated thanks to the machinations of Mysterio in Amazing Spider-Man #618-620.
Jameson has had a long history of funding experiments to create superhumans for the sole purpose of destroying Spider-Man on a number of occasions. They are:
The first such creation was the Scorpion. Jameson funded Farley Stillwell’s experiments that turned Mac Gargan into the notorious super-criminal in Amazing Spider-Man #20.
Not learning his lesson, Jameson later funded Spencer Smythe’s Spider-Slayer robots on a number of occasions. The first time was in Amazing Spider-Man #25.
He also helped fund the creation of the Human Fly, created by Farley Stillwell’s brother Harlan in Amazing Spider-Man Annual #10.
Mention is made about how Jameson publicly assumed responsibility for the Scorpion. Jonah kept his involvement in the creation of the Scorpion a secret from the public for years until the Hobgoblin forced him to publicly own up to it in Amazing Spider-Man #250.
Topical References
Dated pop-culture references:
Electro compares Adrian Toome’s to comedian Larry David.
References to Howard Stern helping the Avengers to get the Naked Cowboy to put some clothes on. The so-called Naked Cowboy was a New York City busker known for wearing only a cowboy hat and a pair of white briefs while playing music.
Outdated technology: Spider-Man states that his camera takes photos at 5 megapixels.
Jameson states that the population of New York City is 8.3 million people. This should be considered a topical reference as that population number is always in flux.
