Spider-Man captures Charlie and his cohorts before they can break into a jewelry store. Since they haven't yet committed a crime, they heckle him and call for the police to arrest him. Later, Spider-Man encounters the Sandman, who obtained super-powers via a nuclear test and is in the midst of a multi-state crime spree. Spider-Man's punches are ineffective, and Sandman easily knocks him from a rooftop, tearing Spider-Man's mask and forcing him to flee. Back home, Peter repairs his mask while listening to TV reports on Sandman's continued criminal activities. The next day, after a failed attempt to get a salary advance from Jameson, Peter heads for school, and circumstances force him to break his first date with Liz Allan. Meanwhile, the police pursue Sandman, forcing him to hide out at Peter's school. Sandman bullies Principal Davis, but Peter, having left class earlier on an errand, bursts in as Spider-Man and tackles him. Sandman's imaginative uses of his powers flummox Spider-Man before the hero sucks the villain into an industrial-strength vacuum cleaner. After faking photos of the battle by throwing sand in the air, Peter sells the film to Jameson, but the reputations of both Peter Parker and Spider-Man continue to suffer.