Spider-Man/Human Torch #2
Catch You On the Flipside
The Spider-Man is on the hunt for the Vulture and comes across him as he is trying to hold up a rooftop restaurant. However before Spider-Man can get to him, the Vulture crosses paths with the Human Torch. Amused to be facing one of his rival's foes, the Torch burns away the Vulture's wings leading to an easy capture.
Meanwhile at the Coffee Bean, Flash Thompson is trying to pick up Crystal, the Torch's girlfriend. However, Crystal turns him off by creating a rain cloud over his head as Mary Jane and Gwen Stacey laugh. The Torch shows up and is instantly put off by Flash being there. Thompson chastises the Torch, telling him that he couldn't defeat any of Spider-Man's foes. As the two argue, Gwen notices her father buying coffee. He asks her if she's seen her boyfriend Peter Parker. As if on cue, Parker arrives. When both Mary Jane and Gwen begin paying attention to Peter, Johnny notices and wonders how someone like Peter could win the hearts of two beautiful women. However, he soon returns his attention to Flash Thompson and continues their argument. George Stacy then tells Peter about how the police are investigating a Maggia front that is dealing a drug called ZMB. Needing to take photos for money, Peter tells Gwen not to worry and takes off. Johnny and Crystal also leave at the same time.
Peter is changing into his Spider-Man costume as they go by and overhears the Torch call him a loser. When Johnny flames on after seeing the Fantasti-Flare, Johnny flies off only to run into some of Spider-Man's webbing. Spider-Man confronts them and the pair have it out over who is the better of the two. They both agree to switch jobs for a day, with Spider-Man answering the Fantastic Four's call while the Torch looks into the ZMB trade. Soon Spider-Man is on his way to the Baxter Building where the Fantastic Four are fueling up an interdimensional craft. When he explains that the Torch sent him to go with the rest of the team, they reluctantly accept the Wall-Crawler as the timeline to visit this new dimension is limited. When they breach the dimensional barrier, Spider-Man begins to freak out, something the Fantastic Four laugh at since this is something they do all the time.
Back in New York City, the Torch tries to use his powers to intimidate some crooks into revealing the location of the ZMB operation, but he only frightens them off. Deciding to take a different approach, Johnny disguises himself as a drug addict. However, some street dealers easily see through his pretense and are knocked out. While in the other dimension, the ship’s shield begins to fail. Although Sue's ability to put up force-fields partially protects them, Spider-Man tries to help by filling the cockpit with his webbing. This also covers up Reed's instruments preventing him from completing his scan. Reed is furious to learn that Spider-Man's webs will not dissolve until well after the phenomenon he is trying to record is over.
In New York, Johnny comes to and finds himself tied to a chair in the drug operation. When the crooks threaten to shoot him in the head, he tricks them into thinking Sue is in the room, allowing him to flame on. He forces them to reveal that Kraven the Hunter is behind the smuggling operation. The crooks are too frightened to reveal much more so Johnny brings them to the police station. There George Stacy and his men try interrogating them, but nothing works until Johnny pretends to be a crook who is lit on fire. This frightens the drug dealers into revealing Karven's location -- an abandoned zoo.
The Torch goes to the zoo and is instantly ambushed by animals. Kraven then dumps a bunch of snakes on him. When the snakes bite him, Johnny pretends to succumb to the snake venom. When Karven reveals who he is supplying the drugs to, Johnny reveals that he has been faking it by boiling the venom from his blood and that he was relaying the conversation to Captain Stacey. He then subdues Kraven and turns him over to the police. At that moment, the rest of the Fantastic Four return and order Spider-Man to leave. The following day at the Coffee Bean, Peter is angered by headlines about Johnny's capture of Kraven and that he is getting the keys to the city. When Johnny shows up later to brag about it, he accepts a cup of free coffee apparently left for him by Spider-Man. In reality, it's really a prank by Flash, who put laxative in the coffee.
Recurring Characters
Spider-Man, Human Torch, Fantastic Four (Mister Fantastic, Invisible Girl, Thing), Crystal, Flash Thompson, Gwen Stacy, Mary Jane Watson, Harry Osborn, George Stacy, Vulture, Kraven the Hunter
Continuity Notes
This story takes place during the time when the Human Torch was dating Crystal of the Inhumans. They dated from Fantastic Four #66-105.
It also takes place during the time that Flash Thompson was on a tour of duty with the United States army circa Amazing Spider-Man #47.
Johnny and Flash Thompson have been rivals since Flash started his own Spider-Man fan club in Amazing Spider-Man #17.
This is also the period where Peter is dating Gwen Stacy, which lasted from Amazing Spider-Man #47 until her death in Amazing Spider-Man #121.
Captain Stacy is interested in talking to Peter because he knows that Parker is really Spider-Man, a fact that is not revealed until his death in Amazing Spider-Man #90.
Harry jokes about Mary Jane marrying Peter. This actually does happen in Amazing Spider-Man Annual #21 until the wedding was erased from existence in Amazing Spider-Man #545.
