The Enforcers!

• Writer - Stan Lee
• Artist - Steve Ditko
• Lettering - Sam Rosen

Summary

  We begin as a crook is making away with a haul of jewels. He jumps out a window and runs along a flagpole, just in time for Spidey to come by and grab him. BUT WAIT!! It was a trap, as a helicopter comes out of nowhere and pulls the crook up by a wire. Spider-Man uses his web to slingshot up to the chopper, but a chemical gas is released that throws him off. He creates a parachute out of his web, but he believes he acted foolish in his actions. The crowd below feels the same way and are upset the thief got away.

  It seems the whole thing was a setup to humiliate Spidey. It was all perpetrated by "The Big Man" who looks to be your typical mobster except he's wearing what looks to be a metal mask (similar to Dr. Doom's). He's called a meeting of all the city's crime bosses, and tells them he's taking everything over. When they try and protest, he unleashes his Enforcers. There's Fancy Dan, who is small but extremely quick and a Judo expert. Then there's The Ox, who is basically just a really big, strong guy. Finally there's Montana, who wears a cowboy hat and uses a lasso to take people down.

  Meanwhile Peter pays a visit to the hospital. Flash and Liz are there to, as apparently Liz dragged him along to visit Aunt May. The doctor says she's doing well, but needs a blood transfusion. Peter is worried his powers might effect his blood, but feels he has to help Aunt May. The transfusion is a success (as far as we know) and a short while later Aunt May leaves the hospital. She's going on a week long trip to Florida; while Peter tries to take it easy for the next few days from the loss of blood.

  Over the next few weeks, a wave of crime sweeps the city. Operating under The Big Man, every gangster in town is now working in one large syndicate. No one seems to know who this mysterious man is, even Spider-Man wonders. While he and the police are nabbing small time crooks, none of them will talk about their leader.

  We're taken to the office of the Daily Bugle, where J. Jonah Jameson has his own ideas about The Big Man. He thinks the crime boss is none other than Spider-Man, and sends his reporters out to find proof. Betty thinks he's nuts, and as she waits outside the building is approached by the Enforcers. Apparently she borrowed some money and hasn't paid back the interest in time. Peter approaches, and the Enforcers rough him up a bit until Betty promises to pay up. Not wanting to give away his identity, Peter doesn't fight back. After they leave he's upset that Betty won't tell him what's been going on.

  Seeking some revenge for the incident earlier, Spidey goes looking for the Enforcers. He interrogates a local thug, and is given an address where he finds The Big Man and the Enforcers together. They start dishing out their worst, which Spidey just shrugs off. But being outnumbered, he begins to weaken from the loss of blood. He quickly takes out the lights and leaves, only to discover Jameson walking out of the building a moment later. He starts to consider that Jameson himself is The Big Man.

  That night Betty decides she needs to leave forever, so as not to get Peter mixed up with the Enforcers. Of course Peter is shocked when he finds out the next day. He begins to contemplate about all his problems. Betty has left him, The Big Man is becoming more powerful, and it looks more and more like Jameson is behind it all. Pete decides there's only one thing to do…get captured by the Enforcers and infiltrate The Big Man's headquarters. OH GOLLY NO!

  The next day at school, Peter is telling everyone that he knows who The Big Man really is. Flash pulls him aside and says he's nuts, and that the Enforcers will be after him to shut him up. In fact as they're talking, an old crook hears their conversation and runs off to tell The Big Man. One question…why is an old gangster hanging out around the local high school? Oh Stan Lee why must you torture us with your altered realities??

  Ignoring that, we see The Big Man as he's told the news. It seems he knows of Peter, and orders the Enforcers to get him. They do just that, forcing Peter into a car as he walks down the street. At The Big Man's headquarters (which is an old abandoned building. How…original), Peter is thrown into a cell where he quickly changes into Spider-Man. He crawls along an air vent and sees a room full of all the city's top mobsters. Someone spots him, and he has to take them all on at once.

  Fighting the Enforcers, dozens of gangsters, and The Big Man himself, Spidey does his best to avoid their attacks. He manages to outmaneuver all of them, but he's still woozy from the blood loss. And even while he cracks jokes, his heart is pounding and he's losing his strength. Worried he won't be able to keep up the fight, he uses his Spider signal outside the building to alert the police. Within seconds they arrive and round up all of the mobsters. And just as Spidey attempts to go after him, The Big Man sneaks away.

  Sure that Jameson is the man behind it all, Spidey heads over to his offices. Looking through the window he can see Jameson talking to one of his employees. A police officer bursts in and says they've caught The Big Man. It's…it's…

  Frederick Foswell?

  Apparently that's the name of Jameson's scrawny employee, who admits he was The Big Man all along. The police take him away as Spidey realizes he was completely wrong. Jameson is now alone in his office, angry that Spider-Man wasn't The Big Man. He says to himself that he can't stand Spider-Man, because the masked hero is everything that he is not. Jameson says he can never be as brave as Spidey, so his only option is to make him out to be a menace in the public's eye all because of his jealousy.

  Back at home, Peter wonders if he'll ever see Betty again. He believes she still loves him, but not knowing where she is there's nothing he can do. We're then taken to a dark hotel room, where Betty is crying alone. She says to herself that she wants to talk to Peter, but is afraid to contact him. She says there's only one person who could possibly help her, and she'll never be able to convince him to help. And that's…

  SPIDER-MAN!!!