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Peter Parker Spider-Man #34
WRITER:  Paul Jenkins
PENCILLER:  Mark Buckingham
COVER BY:  Humberto Ramos
INKER:  Wayne Faucher
STORY TITLE: If Thine Eyes Offend Thee...
REVIEW: 
ACT 1: The issue starts with the disappearance of some unknown being from a monastery, a being that should not have been able to escape the bed he was strapped to.

ACT 2: Meanwhile, Aunt May is paying a little visit to her favourite nephew Peter Parker (a.k.a. our friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man in "civvies"). During May's visit, Caryn, Peter's neighbour, drops by to ask Peter if he'll go to the big funfair in Central Park with her. Aunt May who is happy to see that Peter has made himself a friend (especially a girl-friend) talks Peter into going with Caryn to the fair. Unwillingly, Peter accepts, as to not sadden his favourite aunt.

ACT 3: The two monks seen in the beginning of the story who became aware of the disappearance of the being get into their "monkmobile" in hopes to find him.

ACT 4: Meanwhile, the fleeing individual is walking in the back streets of New York when a gang of hoodlums suddenly attacks him. As he's being pushed to the ground, the sunglasses he's wearing fall off his face and a sudden beam of light completely knocks off the three hoodlums attacking him. His eyes gleaming with light, he apologizes to William...

ACT 5: Peter and Caryn are strolling around the fun fair – although Peter wished he wasn't there (not that Caryn is not attractive or anything). As they continue their walk around the fair, Peter suddenly notices Jill Stacy, Gloria Grant and pal Randy Robertson. In a move to be undetected, Peter directs Caryn towards an archery game (where you can win a bear by striking the centre of the target with an arrow). Peter takes the bow and arrow and as he's about to let go of the arrow, his friends walk right next to him (without noticing him), which affects his concentration, and which sends the arrow straight in the centre of a big teddy bear's head. The "carny" is furious at Peter and requests that Peter pays for the bear. Both are suddenly interrupted when screams of fear are heard around them and flashes of lightning are seen everywhere...the strange individual we saw earlier is going at it again!

ACT 6: The rampaging crowd trying to flee the scene bring Caryn along...which gives Peter the perfect opportunity to transform into his alter ego Spider-Man. He tries to subdue the man but he only manages to bruise his ego by falling mercilessly to the ground. As he regains his strength, the two monks seen earlier approach him.

ACT 7: Meanwhile, hidden underneath the same table are Jill Stacy and...Caryn. As they introduced themselves, Jill asks Caryn who she's at the fair with. She says Peter Parker. Speechless, Jill turns around and cannot believe what she just heard.

ACT 8: In the meantime, Spider-Man is interrogating the two monks to find out more about the man attacking the fair. They explain: "William was brought to us when he was a baby – left with no note of explanation at the door of our orphanage. His eyes were bandaged, so we naturally assumed he'd been injured. It was not until later that we found out the truth: William was one of the species Homo Superior – a mutant. Somehow, the child was able to generate burst of incredible energy from his brain and focus them outward through the lenses of his eyes. But there was a problem: the outbursts were detrimental to William's health. If the boy lay on his back, he was able to open his eyes with no ill effects...but when standing or upright William's eyes had to remain closed at all times. We made a place for William in the catacombs of the monastery where he volunteered to stay in the event he should accidentally open his eyes. With each release of energy, his mental and physical health has deteriorated. He's aware of it, but unable to halt the slide into insanity. And so we provide for him as best we can. We watch, helpless, as the poor child endures endless days on his back with only a television as his eyes to the outside world. Imagine being perfectly able to understand God's sublime creation but unable to experience it. To spend one's life in sadness, strapped to a table fro this protection on others. That was William's choice. Having heard enough, Spider-Man moves into action. Spider-Man's attempt to stop William is no good. William jumps into the "Wall of Death" (what we commonly refer to as a "Gravitron" here in Canada). As the machine rotates at an unbearable speed Spider-Man jumps in, in hopes of saving William before he gets killed. Using all of his strength, he tries and tries to pull William off the machine but the latter doesn't budge at all. His eyes turn black and he dies...looking up at the sky, Spider-Man cannot but wonder what William was looking at.