Turning Point

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

Summary

  We begin as Peter sits alone in his room. He's contemplating why Betty left, and where she could be now. But suddenly he hears on the radio that Doctor Octopus has served his time and is set to be released (what? The guy took over a nuclear institution and serves less than a year in jail? Damn you Stan Lee, it doesn't make sense…IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE!!). Remembering back to his first encounter with the mad man, Peter puts on his mask and heads over to the prison to try and convince them not to release Octopus.

  At the prison, Spidey has no luck trying to talk to the warden. They simply can't hold a man longer than he was sentenced. We get a chance to see Doc Ock in his jail cell, where he's been improving the use of his mechanical arms. He wickedly smiles knowing he's getting out early on good behavior. Oh dear. That night Peter works on a small gadget that looks like a spider, but is actually a tracking device.

  The next day we see Octopus leaving prison, and thinking to himself that soon the whole world will tremble before him. Of course Spider-Man is watching close by as Doc gets into a car. We see the driver…IT'S BETTY!! Spidey is shocked, and just manages to attach his tracking device to the roof of the car as it's speeding away. As it does, a map falls out of the door. Using his incredible Spider powers of map reading, Spider-Man sees that it's a map of Philadelphia and figures that's where Betty and Octopus are headed.

  We're taken to a jail cell in Philadelphia, where lawyer Bennett Brant is visiting the biggest mobster in the east, Blackie Gaxton (and no, he's not actually black). Apparently Bennett racked up some gambling debts, and the only way Blackie will clear him is if Doc Ock breaks him out of jail. He says not to worry, that his sister is driving the criminal as they speak. What a jackass.

  As Bennett gets to his apartment, Betty and Octopus are already there. He tells his sister that if everything goes well, he'll be able to start a new life and make her proud of him. Doc Ock answers this by smacking Bennett around and ordering him into the other room to discuss "business". In all seriousness, this is the most homosexual scene I've ever seen in a comic book. So while I'm not even halfway into the issue, this is twice I've had to curse Stan Lee. So umm…DAMN YOU STAN LEE!!

  Meanwhile Spider-Man is searching the rooftops of Philadelphia. Eventually he picks up the signal from the receiver on the car. Changing back into Peter, he heads down to the car and finds Betty standing there. She tells him the whole story, how Bennett is a lawyer for a mobster and how she gave up all of her money to pay his debts. Pete says not to worry because Spider-Man is in the area. He also thinks to himself that as soon as they get back to New York, he's going to tell her his true identity.

  On the other side of the city Doc Octopus is breaking Blackie out of prison. Using his artificial arms he easily swings across the rooftops and busts through the metal bars in the prison window. Spider-Man shows up to prevent it…but is just minutes late. Being at the scene, the police suspect he was the one who broke Blackie out. But instead of explaining it all, Spidey remembers that with Octopus and Blackie on the loose Betty could be in danger, so he ditches the cops and swings away.

  It seems Blackie isn't holding up his end of the bargain, as his men force Betty and her brother onto a large boat, one that will take the mobsters to another country and away from the police. Octopus is there, saying he doesn't plan to let Blackie out of his site until he gets paid the hundred thousand dollars he's owed. But before any transaction takes place, Spider-Man shows up and immediately…sprains his ankle? Well that was unexpected.

  Octopus says he's been waiting for a chance to get his revenge, and also surprises everyone by saying he's taking his money AND taking over the ship. But even wounded with a sprained ankle, Spidey manages to take out Blackie's goons and knock Octopus to a lower compartment of the ship. A struggle then breaks out between Spider-Man and Blackie, with the mobster wildly shooting his gun off. As luck would have it, a stray bullet hits Bennett while he tries to protect Betty. He collapses to the floor dead, and Betty screams at Spider-Man that if he hadn't interfered none of this would have happened.

  Filled with rage, Spider-Man chases down a running Blackie. We get to see the most aggressive Spidey so far in the series, as he tosses around the goons with anger and Takes out Blackie with one punch. But meanwhile Dr. Octopus is tossing gangsters out of the way as well, making his way towards our hero. A chase ensues, as Spidey tries his best to outmaneuver Doc Ock. Strangely, the blind rage is gone and he's back to cracking jokes while trying to avoid capture.

  Even though he easily tears through Spidey's webbing, Octopus realizes he won't be able to catch him on such a large ship. He jumps down to a smaller boat that was supposed to pick up Blackie, and Spider-Man follows. The robotic arms are just too much for him though, and soon he's at the mercy of Octopus. That is until…THE POLICE ARRIVE!! And they do…NOTHING! Instead the boat crashes into a dock, sending Spidey into the water. When he swims out, he sees that Octopus is getting away and that the police are helping Betty.

  A few days later Pete arrives at Bennett's funeral. A sobbing Betty says she no longer blames Spider-Man, but she never wants to see him again as it would remind her of Bennett's death. In what's actually a touching moment, Peter says he understands, and he realizes he can never tell her who he really is.