I: Feature Story: "Spider-Man Wanted!"

Pages: 20

Script: Stan Lee
Layouts: John Romita
Pencils: Jim Mooney
Inks: Jim Mooney
Letters: Sam Rosen

First Appearance: Dean Corliss, Vanessa Fisk

Villain: Kingpin

Guest Appearance: Gwen Stacy, J. Jonah Jameson, Robbie Robertson, Josh, Randy Robertson, Dean Corliss, Captain Stacy, Ned Leeds

Cameo Appearance: Vanessa Fisk

Synopsis: (continued from ASM #69)

Kingpin simmers on a slow boil behind bars after his arrest for stealing the stone tablet. He is desperate to get the tablet back from Spider-Man and grinds away slowly at the cell door so he can escape. Spider-Man tries to scurry across the rooftops of the city to return the tablet, but he is hounded by the police who want to arrest him for supposedly stealing it! Frustrated, he has no choice but to hide in his apartment and lie low.

Gwen sees Peter on campus, and a conversation that starts out about the demonstrator's accusations that Peter is "chicken" devolves into Gwen's concerns about his constant disappearing acts and perceived cowardice. Peter can't respond in any way that doesn't jeopardize his secret identity. Captain Stacy and ESU's Dean Corliss meet with the demonstrators who are in jail and tells them that he agrees with their stance and will convert the exhibit hall into a dormitory for low income students. He also doesn't press charges and they are free to go. Randy and Josh apologize to Robbie for the things they had said to him.

The Kingpin has finally busted through his the bars on his cell and escapes the jail. Spider-Man decides that he is going to translate the ancient writings on the stone tablet and get the fortune for doing so, and on his way to visit a hieroglyphics expert, the police once again see him and start shooting. He overhears them saying that Kingpin has escaped from jail, which adds an extra layer of concern. He decides he must flush the Kingpin out by taking down as many of his flunkies as he can, thus drawing him out of hiding.

Spidey spots a truck hijacking and swings down to help, but it's a trap set by the Kingpin, who busts out the door of a nearby truck. Eventually, Spider-Man gets the upper hand in his fight against the Kingpin, but Jameson and Ned Leeds come racing by in a Daily Bugle radio car and interfere with Spidey landing the final blow. This allows Kingpin to escape in a car that wings its way onto the scene, driven by the Kingpin's wife! He hops in and escapes.

Jameson blusters at Spider-Man, who is finally fed up with his longtime antagonist and grabs him by the scruff of the neck to give him a good dressing down. But the Bugle publisher passes out and crumples to the ground. Ned Leeds doesn't feel a pulse, and Spider-Man runs away, frantic that he might have caused JJJ to have a heart attack, and wondering if he's indeed as bad as the publisher has said.

--synopsis by Gormuu

--letters pages provided by Debricazar

Issues Reprinted
Amazing Spider-Man #68-77, Marvel Super-Heroes #14

Click on cover image to learn more about each issue.