The Daily Bugle headline announces, “Dr. Octopus killed in airport crash.” Upon reading the paper, however, Peter learns Ock’s body was never found and decides his foe must have survived. Randy Robertson approaches him about a protest meeting against air pollution but Peter, compelled to learn the truth of Doc Ock, turns him down. Pete throws his paper in the garbage and Ock himself picks it up soon after. He realizes that his presumed-death leaves him free to strike without warning. Later, Spider-Man spends hours searching New York for any sign of Octopus’ activities, swinging past the Daily Bugle building, so annoying J. Jonah Jameson, that Joe Robertson must remind him that Spider-Man isn’t hurting anyone half as much as pollution is. Finally, Spider-Man discovers Octopus sabotaging the city’s main power plant. He swings down to confront him, but his arrival is precisely what Octopus expected, and the two engage in a prolonged battle. Octopus knocks over a nearby water tower, confident Spider-Man will interrupt their fi ght to rescue onlookers several stories below. Again Spider-Man meets his enemy’s expectations, balancing the tower on his back and using all of his strength to empty it on the rooftop, leaving him vulnerable to Ock’s attack. Octopus’ tentacles knock the hero unconscious and hurl him off the roof toward the street.