Amazing Spider-Man #48
“The Wings of the Vulture”
As Spider-Man searches the city for trace of Kraven the Hunter, at the nearby prison Adrian Toomes is apparently on his death bed, following an accident. Before he dies, he tells his cellmate Blackie Drago the location of a spare set of Vulture wings. Once he learns of their location, Drago reveals that the his "accident" was planned in the hopes that Toomes would reveal the location of the wings so that once Drago gets out of prison he can use the technology for his own personal gain.
That night, Drago manages to sneak out of the prison, and finds Toome's spare set of wings: hidden in a hiding place near the prison. Drago manages to escape before the guards can capture him, mastering how to use the wings in moments and flying away.
Spider-Man has given up his search for Kraven for a while, when he realizes that he's coming down with a cold from all his wintertime web-slinging. Despite the cold, he goes to class with Harry and Gwen. Gwen asks for an extra-credit project for her and Peter, but when she learns of Peter’s cold, she drops it and discusses pampering him instead. She accompanies him home and makes him soup while Peter is aggravated by J. J. Jameson defending Kraven in a TV interview.
The next day, after hearing all about the Vulture’s crime spree, Peter switches to Spider-Man and swings around town until he spies the Vulture in Brooklyn. They tussle at the bridge and, because Spider-Man is still feeling under the weather, the Vulture manages to stun Spider-Man momentarily, long enough to escape.
Script: Scott Casper
Pencils: John Romita
Inks: Steve Ditko
Fantastic Four #62
“And One Shall Save Him!”
Half an hour has passed since Mr. Fantastic was hurled through the Negative Zone portal during a battle with the Sandman. Crystal and Lockjaw teleport in and are appraised of the situation.
In the Negative Zone, Mr. Fantastic observes aliens dropping off someone in a special containment suit on an asteroid and then fly away in a ship.
Back on Earth, the Cuban army is setting up a weapon on a seemingly deserted island, when they are interrupted by the arrival of the Sub-Mariner and Triton of the Inhumans. They dispatch the soldiers, destroy the weapon, and then go back to discussing the recent doings of the Fantastic Four. Sub-Mariner is curious, having been out of the loop with the FF for a while, and ponders if he should seek them out.
Back in the Negative Zone, Lockjaw arrives, holding a tether in his mouth. He finds Reed and Reed is saved! But the containment suit bursts open and its prisoner -- Blastaar the Living Bomb-Burst -- follows them through the portal. The reunion inside is interrupted by Blastaar’s attack. The FF try to drive him back into the portal, but Blastaar escapes out a window instead, only to encounter the escaped Sandman, who offers to team up.
Script: Scott Casper
Pencils: Jack Kirby
Inks: Joe Sinnott
_______________________________________________________________________
Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner #91
“On the Isle of Fiery Death!”
Enraged by his defeat at the hands of Byrrah, Namor fumes until some palace guards arrive and inform him that he has been placed under arrest. An ionic force field stops him dead in his tracks and he is brought as a prisoner to the new Prince of Aquaria*, Byrrah. Byrrah gloats that favor has turned against Namor here because of his long obsession with distant Atlantis. Lady Dorma disturbs them to say that a legal precedent has been decided for settling this dispute, a trial of survival on Inferno Isle. Namor jumps at the chance to prove himself, while Byrrah secretly has no intention of getting there until after Namor has failed the test and then declare himself winner by default.
Namor takes a protective suit with him to the burning surface of Inferno Isle, confident that Byrrah will try the same “cheat.” He finds the Isle inhabited by a giant lava man who doesn’t take kindly to intruders. Namor is looking to take out some aggression, and they fight.
Meanwhile, back in Aquaria, Dorma spies on Byrrah and discovers him contacting Attuma and Krang for a video war council. Dorma records the whole thing and televises it to the Aquarians, but she is then discovered and has to flee.
Back at the battle, Namor manages to hurl the Lava Man into the sea, which hurts him enough to surrender.
(*Aquaria is where Namor was from in the Golden Age, not Atlantis. Aquaria is under Antarctica, while Atlantis is in the Atlantic Ocean.)
Script: Stan Lee
Pencils: Gene Colan
Inks: Bill Everett
The Incredible Hulk #1
“Whosoever Harms the Hulk…!”
General Ross stands over the machine encasing the unconscious body of the Hulk. Ross recounts to Major Talbot how the Hulk was defeated by the Abomination. With the Abomination now an unstoppable threat, they are risking reviving the Hulk with low intensity gamma rays in the hopes that the Hulk can somehow stop him.
Rick Jones is worrying about the Hulk when the Stranger appears and questions Rick on why he cares about a monster. Rick says the Hulk is more than a monster; he’s a friend. The Stranger leaves.
Betsy Ross interrupts her father, insisting that they don’t need the Hulk; they need Bruce Banner. She convinces Talbot to give two technicians nearby the go-ahead to reverse drain gamma radiation off the Hulk, which triggers the change back. Appraised of the situation, Bruce offers to help and General Ross reluctantly allows him access to the lab -- with Talbot’s supervision. Betsy goes along, but is lead elsewhere by the mental summons of the Stranger, who asks why she chose Banner over the Hulk. Betsy explains that Bruce’s brain is superior to the Hulk’s muscle, but also admits she cares about Bruce. The Stranger leaves.
Banner constructs a device that lures the Abomination back to Gamma Base. The machine used to siphon gamma radiation off of the Hulk needs to be used on the Abomination, is explained to Talbot. And soon it works, for the Abomination is on his way back for a rematch.
Script: Roy Thomas
Pencils: Gil Kane
Inks: Marie Severin
