Issue Description

At the end of the previous issue, the real identity of the Hate-Monger was revealed to be the Man-Beast, an enemy of Adam Warlock. The Man-Beast attacks Razorback, Flash Thompson, and Spider-Man, knocking out Razorback and Flash, and severely weakening Spider-Man. The Man-Beast then explains some of his origin to Spider-Man, revealing that after Adam Warlock turned him back into his original wolf form (in Hulk #178), he was freed into the wild on Counter-Earth, since Warlock didn't want to kill him. After Warlock left Counter-Earth, his power no longer bound the Man-Beast, and so he returned to his semi-humanoid form. He then managed to take a rocket to the original Earth, and landed in Vietnam, where he was found by Achmed Korba, whom he made into Brother Power, and made the leader of the Legion of Light, to prepare the world for his coming.

The Man-Beast then knocks out Spider-Man, before weakening the ceiling above Spider-Man, upon which many members of the Legion of Light are standing on above. He says that this is so that when Spider-Man is found dead in the rubble, he'll be blamed for the Legion of Light members that die in the collapse, and they'll succumb to hatred, allowing the Man-Beast to control them. The Man-Beast then leaves, giving Spider-Man the chance to try and support the ceiling before it collapses. Whilst the crowd panics, Spider-Man starts slipping, and tries to wake up Razorback, so that he can help him keep the ceiling up.

Razorback does come over and help Spider-Man, but despite their best efforts, the ceiling does cave in. Luckily, due to Spider-Man's interference, the crowd manages to get away before being killed, and Spider-Man, Flash Thompson, and Razorback are all saved by a ceiling beam which stops the rubble from burying them. Unfortunately, the Man-Beast's plan succeeds, and the crowd believes that Spider-Man tried to kill them. Razorback then offers to hold them off whilst Spider-Man goes after the Man-Beast.

The Man-Beast decides that the crowd has been prepared enough, and so uses his powers to make the crowd hate each other. When it looks as if Sha Shan is able to calm down the crowd, the Man-Beast gets rid of Brother Power's previous liability that he had to be in contact with Sha Shan, and says that Brother Power now has to kill Sha Shan. Flash Thompson and Spider-Man, having just taken out the Man-Beast's guards, realise this, and Flash goes to save Sha Shan, whilst Spider-Man confronts the Man-Beast. Although it looks as though the Man-Beast will kill Spider-Man, Razorback's sister, Bobby Sue Hollis, unexpectedly arrives and distracts the Man-Beast. Spider-Man then knocks the Man-Beast into his hate amplifier, which explodes, seemingly killing the Man-Beast. Meanwhile, Brother Power also dies when he overloads his power blasts.

In the aftermath, the Legion of Light disbands, and Razorback's sister decides that she doesn't want to return home with him.

The Spectacular Spider-Man (1976)

Publisher

Marvel

Volume Description

The second monthly Spider-Man series and the second most popular volume next to the Amazing Spider-Man that started back in the 1970's. The cover-title started out as "Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man", but the "Peter Parker" part was dropped with issue 134. The comic lasted until 1998 for a total of 263 issues. A second volume named Spectacular Spider-Man started in 2003.

Collected EditionsMarvel Masterworks: The Champions Volume 1 (#17-18)Moon Knight Epic Collection: Bad Moon Rising (#22-23)The Amazing Spider-Man: The Complete Alien Costume Saga Book 1 (#90-95)The Amazing Spider-Man: The Complete Alien Costume Saga Book 2 (#96-100)Daredevil: Typhoid's Kiss (#213-214)Spider-Man: The Gathering of Five (#262-263)

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Status: Not in Collection