Spider-Man rescues two men posting a billboard for mayoral candidate Richard Raleigh from the Smasher, a 10-foot-tall giant opposed to any Raleigh publicity. Later, Spidey retrieves his actual mask from JJJ’s bulletin board. As Peter, he runs into Harry and MJ who invite him to a Raleigh political rally. Raleigh gives a TV interview and declares war on the city’s underworld. The following evening, Gwen assures Peter that she and Flash are just friends; then the couple attends the Raleigh rally. During dinner Peter notices the ceiling beginning to crack. With no time to change into costume, he douses the lights and webs up the ceiling, attempting to save the crowd from falling debris but his webbing doesn’t hold.
This is part one of a story originally appearing in SpSMag #1, ’68, as “Lo, This Monster!” split up, re-tooled, and re-formatted as a threeissue tale, including new/redrawn art and re-written and amended dialogue that fi ts it in continuity. George Stacy is eliminated, the “Man Monster” becomes the Smasher, an unidentifi ed Raleigh ward heeler becomes mob rep Samuels, and Spidey is redrawn with his costume shop mask until he retrieves his original.
