PREVIOUSLY: Spider-Man has faced many a foe in his day, but what of the small-time crooks he's busted? See the story of Dave Freed, the Bodega Bandit!

REVIEW: Three years ago, Peter Parker showed up in the office of J. Jonah Jameson to show him pictures of the Bodega Bandit captured. In the present, the same picture hangs on a wall behind the counter clerk of a convenience store. The clerk is closely watching a man taking out a can of pop from one of the fridges in the store. Before the man can even pay for the beverage, the clerk comes up to him holding a baseball bat and orders him out of his store, recognizing him as the Bodega Bandit. The man argues that he didn’t do anything wrong, but his thoughts reveal that his statement is not entirely true.

A short time later, Freed is interviewed for a mailroom worker job at an unidentified company. Everything is looking good for Freed but when the interviewer starts asking if they've ever met before, Freed can predict exactly what is going to happen once he leaves the man's office. The man is going to be on his way home later that night, or on his way in the following day, and he's going to figure out who Freed was when he stops by his favourite deli. Then, a few minutes later, he – Freed – will receive a phone call telling him there was a mix-up and that the position had already been filled, when in fact it was because he was recognized as the Bodega Bandit. His predictions prove to be all right on the money; he indeed gets a call telling him that the position is no longer available. He smashes his cell phone on the pavement.

Later, Freed shows up at the NYS Division of Parole office to ask for a new cell phone and give an update on his job situation. He was supposed to call some of the employers on the list provided by the Board of Parole but he decided to try and get a job on his own, which didn't really go so well for him, as seen above. Freed doesn't really want to do any of the jobs enumerated on the list, as he feels they're for jailbirds and lowlifes. The Parole lady replies that they are not all that bad and tells him she will help him find something good. She clicks away on her computer.

The Parole lady's computer must have been malfunctioning because Freed finds himself mopping the floors in a high school at the expense of teenage students making fun of him (they recognized him as the Bodega Bandit). He is so fed up with people recognizing him after all these years – three to be exact – that he gets angry with people just staring at him in the street. While out walking one day, he and several other bystanders, are almost caught in an explosion that tears through the side of a building. The cause of the explosion is revealed to be a battle between Spider-Man and Shocker, who blew a hole into the building. While all the other bystanders cheer on Spidey, Freed silently roots for Shocker, as Spider-Man was the reason he was sent to jail. This makes him realize that all he's ever known is how to be a bad guy. As the fight concludes, with Spidey defeating Shocker, Free walks away, bad thoughts filling his head.

Later that night, Freed meets a former friend of his named Mike to purchase a gun. Mike unfortunately refuses to sell him a gun because of his reputation as a failure in the criminal world. As well, he fears that Freed would turn on him, should he get caught again, as turning on him could reduce his prison sentence. Freed replies that he would never flip on anybody but Mike cannot take that risk. Walking Freed out of his office, Mike suggests he check with the corner boys to see if he can score a weapon there. Unfortunately, Freed does not have the money to buy a gun. He asks Mike if he can borrow some. Mike once again refuses to help him out and shuts the door in Freed's face.

Walking home defeated, Mike realizes he's going to have to steal money without the aid of a gun. On his way home, he finds a steel pipe inside a garbage; he grabs hold of it and his around a corner, waiting for the next bystanders to walk by. After waiting for a few minutes, a couple happens to walk by the corner where he's hiding. He cannot however bring himself to attack them. He drops the steel pipe and takes off running.

As he walks through the city streets, Freed decides that, as he can no longer be a bad guy, and since he can't be a good guy, he's going to become a nobody, someone that anybody even looks at. Invisible, like a thousand other bums, which, after what he's been through, is just fine with him. Freed is last seen sleeping outside, under a cardboard box. Unbeknownst to him, a photographer takes a picture of him as he sleeps and later meets the publisher of the DB, Dexter Bennett to sell him his pictures of the homeless man. Bennett is resilient at first to sink money into this, but the photographer convinces him that it casts the mayor in a bad light, seeing as the homeless man is lying right under a picture of New York City, which the mayor has claimed to have cleaned and fixed all the problems. The photographer is none other than Peter Parker. Ironic, isn't it?

The end.

REVIEW: As they must go to school, Peter Parker and Mary Jane hand over Baby May to Aunt Anna, whose come over to baby-sit for them. After kissing their daughter goodbye, they head out to catch a subway to Empire State University. As they walk through the neighbourhood, they are talking about Peter's double life as Spider-Man and the effects it has had on their lives. Peter's spider-sense suddenly kicks in, as they walk by a woman saying goodbye to her husband and baby girl. Just then, a van races by and the woman is gunned down right in front of her husband and daughter. Peter tackles MJ out of harm’s way as this happens. While MJ checks up on the dying woman, Peter races off after the van.

The story then cuts from Peter, as Spider-Man, catching up to the van and MJ holding the woman's daughter in her arms, while her husband holds his dying wife in his arms. The husband explains that they've been the targets of threats because of his job as assistant district attorney. He never took said threats seriously as it never really occurred to him that his luck would run out someday. MJ imagines what would happen with May should something happen to Peter or her. The thought of May ending up in some stranger's arms is killing her.

Spidey lands on the moving van, alerting its occupants of his presence. The two miscreant start shooting through the van's roof but Spidey dodges the bullets and comes crashing through the windshield, causing the driver to lose control of the van, which slams into a light pole. Spidey races off on foot after one of the miscreants who escaped the crash unscathed, while the paramedics arrive to try and save the gunned down woman. The fleeing gunman grabs hold of a woman as hostage, forcing Spidey to put his hands up in the air, while paramedics administer CPR to the dying woman. Unfortunately, she succumbs to her injuries. The fleeing gunman points suddenly points his gun at Spidey, getting ready to shoot. He never gets the chance to do so, as Spidey leaps forward quicker than he can squeeze the trigger and knocks him out. As the hostage embraces Spidey, MJ watches as the ambulance takes off She races back home and grabs hold of her daughter, giving her a huge hug. Minutes later, Peter arrives home and he embraces the two of them. MJ's thoughts reveal that she often says a prayer for those who never return but sometimes she's just too thankful for words and to have her child in her arms.

The end.

REVIEW: The story opens with Peter Parker riding the bus into Manhattan, on his way to a job interview. Suddenly, his spider-sense kicks in, warning him of impending danger. On cue, a gigantesque robotic hand falls right in the path of the bus. The driver manages to halt his vehicle in the nick of time, though the passengers are tossed around inside the bus. A construction worker comes onboard the bus and informs the driver and passengers that he and his crew are trying to clean up the leftover from a Fantastic Four battle; however, their crane cannot handle the load so they’re going to have to bring in special equipment to perform the required work. He asks that they sit tight until such time as the road is cleared. Needless to say, the passengers are not very happy with this development. The man sitting next to Peter is ticked off. If he misses his nine o’clock meeting, he is out of a job. A well-endowed woman that Peter saved from landing face first on the floor of the bus is also ticked off. If she misses her test, she won’t get in med school. Since he doesn’t want to be late for a job interview, Peter decides to check things out to see if he can do something to help.

Peter exits the bus and asks the construction worker he met earlier if there is any other way to move the hand. He responds that there isn’t and suggests to Peter that he get his butt back on the bus. Peter thinks about his reply for a few seconds and then tells the worker that he’s an engineer. He then proceeds to tell the worker how to rig their current equipment to move the finger (of the hand) that’s blocking the bus. Everything seems to be going according to plan when Peter’s spider-sense suddenly starts buzzing like crazy. Realizing that the finger is being bent too much, Peter yells for them to stop pulling on it. Peter’s screams come to late, as the giant robotic finger snaps like a twig, sending shrapnel everywhere. Making use of his spider-like reflexes, Peter tackles the construction worker (named Lou) out of harm’s way. Unfortunately, his suit gets covered in black oil, rending it completely ruined. To make matters worse, his bus is leaving without him. Another job goes down the drain for Peter Parker!

When the bus reaches its stop, the man that was fretting over being late for a nine o’clock meeting is informed that the candidate he was interviewing didn’t even show up. Turns out that the candidate was none other than Peter Parker!! It’s a small world…isn’t it!

The end.

WEBMASTER'S MESSAGE: Please note that this issue also has reprints of Amazing Spider-Man #113-115 featuring Doctor Octopus, as well as the first full appearance of Hammerhead. They will not be reviewed here at this point in time.