Amazing Spider-Man #318

Key Issue:

• Cover art by Todd McFarlane

STING YOUR PARTNER! The Scorpion has been given a new weaponized tail by Justin Hammer. Testing out his new equipment, the Scorpion easily totals a bunch of mannequins. Satisfied with the performance, the Scorpion can't wait to use his new tail against the man responsible for him becoming the Scorpion, J. Jonah Jameson.  However, Justin Hammer reminds the Scorpion that he promised to kidnap General Musgrave in exchange for the new equipment that he has been provided. Hammer intends to turn the general over to certain parties in Europe in exchange for favorable business deals with Hammer Industries. Soon, the Scorpion is on his way to carry out his mission. Hammer's assistant Phillip Barnett asks if they can trust the Scorpion to carry out his mission. Hammer admits that he has gone outside of his usual deal with supervillains, but the Scorpion appears to be more unstable than most. Justin decides to wait and see how he performs on this task before he considers taking the Scorpion on for further employment.  Meanwhile, Peter and his wife Mary Jane are out apartment hunting, but have no luck.[Continuity 2] So far they haven't found something decent, which upsets Mary Jane.  However, Peter reminds her that she finally managed to land a modeling gig and sends her on her way. Peter has work to do himself and changes into Spider-Man in order to hunt look for photos to sell to the Daily Bugle. Unfortunately, since J. Jonah Jameson seems disinterested in photos of Spider-Man, the pictures he take are not as dramatic as he could hope.  When Peter arrives at the Daily Bugle, the photos he has taken are rejected. When he tells this to Joy Mercado, she suggests that he try to get an actual assignment, telling Peter that Lance Bannon was able to get one from Jameson, so he should ask. When Jonah comes back, Peter asks if he can get an assignment, Jameson brushes him off and returns to his office. Joy points out that Jonah has been acting strange lately, giving assignments to tabloid photographer Nick Katzenberg and locking himself up in his office and watching old movies. If they could only see inside Jonah's office, they'd learn that this is not J. Jonah Jameson at all, but the Chameleon in disguise.  Later that evening, Mary Jane is just finished getting her make-up done when the producer of the photo shoot informs her that they have decided to go with another model. When Mary Jane's friend Sandy asks Mary Jane what she is going to do after losing yet another modeling gig, Mary Jane does what she usually does, goes dancing in a trendy nightclub. She doesn't get back to Aunt May's house until 3 in the morning. When Peter asks him where she was, she explained what she did. This leads to an argument over money, and how Mary Jane worries about Peter when he goes out as Spider-Man. Peter pulls his wife close in an attempt to comfort her, telling her that they can't let their current troubles tear them apart. At that same moment, Harry Osborn is poking around a Soho loft that he now remembered that his family owned now that some of his repressed memories have returned.  Opening a secret panel to reveal the place where he has hidden his Green Goblin costume, he muses over one last task he needs to complete before setting his master plan into motion.  The following morning, Peter Parker is on the campus of Empire State University where he sees some of his fellow students preparing for an anti-war protest. Peter learns that they are going to the Brooklyn Armory to protest a ceremony awarding General Musgrave. Hearing this, Peter decides to cut class in the hopes of taking photos that J. Jonah Jameson will buy off him. Soon, Peter Parker is at the armory, but seeing that security is tight, he slips away to change into Spider-Man in order to get some exclusive photos. At the same time, Mac Gargan is in a nearby van putting on his Scorpion costume in order to complete his kidnapping mission. The two superhumans sneak into the facility. Spider-Man perches out of site to take photos of Musgrove as he is being given his medal. As Spider-Man snaps photos, he spots Joy Mercado and Lance Bannon in the front row, making his photos worthless. Suddenly, the Scorpion comes crashing in to kidnap the general. Spider-Man swoops in and knocks his foe down. He attempts to web up the Scorpion's eyes, but his costume is rigged with a special membrane that vaporizes anything that comes in contact with his mask. As Spider-Man struggles with his foe, he laments over how the other photographers are able to take photos of the battle.   In order to escape with his victim, the Scorpion blasts a support wall, threatening the lives of the members of the press. As Spider-Man leaps in to brace the falling debris. This allows Lance Bannon to get in close for some great shots. Overhearing how Lance will get paid a fortune for the photos, the Scorpion is furious that someone is getting paid to help his enemy J. Jonah Jameson. This causes the Scorpion to snap and he threatens to kill the General unless they bring him J. Jonah Jameson.