A new story set back in the time when Spider-Man was bouncing around in his mysterious black costume! Silver Sable has enlisted the web-spinner's help in restoring order to the tiny nation of Belgrium... which has been thrown into chaos by the Rhino, the Beetle, Speed Demon and Doctor Octopus! But what is the shocking secret behind this explosive insurrection? Find out in this series' last issue!
It seems Spider-Man just isn't well-liked anywhere. As this issue opens the local Belgruins are venting their displeasure with a hail of overripe fruit as he sits chained to the statue in the town square. But his public shaming comes to an abrupt end with the appearance of Sandman and the Silver Sable. They make no effort to free Spidey - choosing instead to focus on the mission at hand - but give him the opportunity to break free from his chains and save a little girl from being trampled by the panicked mob.
Inside the palace, the rebel leader searches frantically for his "American friends" only to find them in the king's private storeroom exercising their five-finger discounts. Stunned by their betrayal, the rebel leader has no time to react before Doctor Octopus snaps his neck. Realizing that they have little time to lose, Doc Ock orders the destruction of the palace and the random murder of anyone in their way to serve as a diversion.
The Sinister Syndicate spread out through the palace. Silver Sable, having already knocked out Boomerang during the riot at the beginning of the issue, runs straight into Hydro-Man and incapacitates him through the use of an electrically powered chandelier. Sandman gets the jump on the Rhino, managing to smother him into unconsciousness. And Spidey comes upon the Beetle, who is still reeling from the loss of the rebel he had called a friend. Wistfully remembering how much he liked being seen as a hero, the woolgathering Beetle runs right into Spidey's fist. He reluctantly begins to fight the wall crawler, berating him for saving a murdering tyrant. When Spidey blurts out that he's trying to save the king's daughter, the Beetle responds with: "you think the rebels he hung were childless? Grow up, Spider-Man! Sable's using you to collect a fat paycheck!" Unable to respond to that remark, Spidey notices a small explosive on a nearby support. Beetle takes the opportunity for a graceful escape, telling him that the castle is going to explode unless "you know anyone who wants to play hero."
Arriving in the palace basement - and more than a little perturbed at the way Silver Sable manipulated him into coming in the first place - Spider-Man barely manages to avoid an ambush by Doc Ock . . . only to walk right into a cheap shot from the Speed Demon. Thinking quickly, Spidey manages maneuver Speedy into taking a blow meant for him. He and Octopus continue to struggle while the timer on the detonator slowly ticks down to zero. Speed Demon recovers in time to leave, but Doc Ock is too enraged to think clearly. The palace explodes and Spidey has no choice but to leave him in the collapsing building.
While all this has been going on, the Beetle makes his way to the helicopter that he and his cohorts had already loaded with booty. However, he's barely begun to fly away before Silver Sable - king and child in tow - whips out some sort of bazooka and blows up the huey. Which ends up dumping most of the loot into the waiting crowd, much to the king's chagrin. And the Beetle had already flown too far away to hear the crowd praise him for it.
With the crowd much richer but leaderless, with the man they had come to rescue raging about the loss of his precious money, with Doc Ock presumed dead despite his best efforts, Spider-Man has to voice the question: "you guys ever wonder why we bother?" Staring at the king's daughter, Silver Sable replies: "No. Never."
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