I: Feature Story: "The Web Closes!"

Pages: 20

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

First Appearance: Silvermane, Caesar Cicero, Man-Mountain Marko, Shocker's girlfriend

Villain: Silvermane, Caesar Cicero, Man-Mountain Marko, Louis Wilson

Guest Appearance: Gwen Stacy, Captain Stacy, Shocker's girlfriend, Joe Robertson, Randy Robertson, J. Jonah Jameson, Dr. Curt Connors

Flashback Cameo: The Lizard

Synopsis: Spider-Man visits Capt. Stacy as the retired police captain rests from the attack by the Shocker, and asks if he knows anything that will help him track down the stone tablet the bad guy stole from him. After upbraiding Spidey for sneaking into his home unannounced, he tells Spider-Man that the Shocker had a girlfriend with whom he thought the Shocker would have been interested in hiding the tablet. All he knows is that the girl was an exotic dancer and that she lives on the west side.

Armed with the minimal information, Spidey actually lucks into finding her while her apartment is being ransacked by a huge, muscle-bound tough named Man Mountain Marko, a goon who is employed by the Maggia crime organization. Marko, like Spider-Man, is looking for the tablet. Spidey and Marko clash, with the fight ripping up the frightened young woman's apartment.

Meanwhile, the Kingpin's former assistant, Louis Wilson, has been bailed out of jail by Caesar Cicero, a Maggia lawyer on his way up in the crime organization. Cicero tells Wilson that he will be helping the Maggia translate ancient writing on the stone tablet. Back at the girl's apartment, Marko has managed to find the wall safe where the tablet is hidden, and after bashing away on Spider-Man some more, he threatens the girl's life so she won't squeal to the police.

At the Daily Bugle offices, Randy Robertson tells his father, Joe, that he wants to quit school; Joe discourages him from this, but Randy retorts that it makes no sense to work so hard in "whitey's world" when the deck is stacked against him. At that moment, Jameson bursts into the office, ranting against Joe's positive coverage of Spider-Man. Joe stands his ground against Jameson, but Randy chalks JJJ up to being a racist.

Marko grabs the girl and tosses her out the window, and Spider-Man gives chase to catch her before she hits the ground. He fires a thin strand of web out to catch her and saves her from certain death. This allows Marko to make a clean getaway.

Cicero presents Wilson to the aged crime boss Silvermane. The Maggia chieftain interprets Cicero's move as a power play to show off his abilities to the rest of the gang and eventually usurp Silvermane's position. Marko arrives with the stone tablet, and Wilson studies the tablet to recover its ancient secret for Silvermane. Cicero's next move is to bring Dr. Curt Connors in to also help solve the mystery of the tablet....

(continued in ASM #74)

--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.