The Toy Box: Comics Corner: The Amazing Spider-Man 289

Title: The Amazing Spider-Man
Issue Number: 189
Release Date: June 1987

Highlights

Death of Mr. Varley, and Mr. Johnston
Mac goes to Foreigner, and asks him to kills "someone" for him, to which he agrees

After a brief phone call, and a quick call back, Mac is informed that Hobgoblin is dead, and the fee is one million dollars

At JFK airport, the body of Ned Leeds is brought home, and there to see it are Robbie Robertson, Peter Parker, J. Jonah Jameson, Betty Leeds, and Marla Jameson
Peter remembers the events as told in Spider-Man Versus Wolverine
As Peter blames himself for Ned's death, J. Jonah Jameson also claims responsibility
Despite his supposed death, Hobgoblin glides across the sky over JFK Airport

While playing a literal game of chess together, Kingpin tells Foreigner he's not pleased that he had Hobgoblin killed without first consulting him
Kingpin has his assistant, Mrs. Tate put word on the street that he wishes to see Spider-Man about information on Hobgoblin, including his identity
At the funeral, Betty appears to be losing her mind, stating she's listening to hear if Ned is still breathing, and then asks the men carrying his casket to open it

Betty tells Peter to head home, and that she'll be fine because her mother is coming to stay with her for a while, but as he walks down the street, he recalls that her mother passed away already
Tired of running, Flash Thompson approaches a cop car, and attempts to turn himself in, but between thinking he's a vagrant, and hearing about an officer down over their radio, they dismiss him, and take off
The Rose walks through his apartment, finding his staff murdered, as he announces he may be next, Hobgoblin emerges from the shadows
Spider-Man arrives at Kingpin's building, and is given the file on Hobgoblin, no strings, no questions
As Kingpin leaves, he confronts his man, Geppi, and tells him he knows that he is a double agent for The Rose, and bugged his office

This event would be retconned in the
1997 mini-series, Hobgoblin Lives

As Spider-Man begins to shout in disbelief, Kingpin returns to the room to tell him that Jack O'Lantern, AKA, Jason Philip Macendale, hire Foreigner to kill Hobgoblin, and that Foreigner then gave him the Hobgoblin costume and equipment as a "lark"
As Spider-Man departs, Hobgoblin arrives, and demands the file from Kingpin, who informs him that he then needs to get it from Spider-Man

Kingpin's men surround him, and Hobgoblin retreats quickly, which amuses Kingpin, who see's Macendale as a coward who always runs away

Spider-Man is relieved that he isn't responsible for the death of Ned, but still enraged by the culprits who did it
As he makes his way to Foreigner's office, Flash sees him from below, and chases after him, intent on turning himself in

The office appears to have been rented by someone else, and there's no trace of Foreigner, but Hobgoblin appears, and a massive battle between the two takes place

Hobgoblin hits Spider-Man with a pumpkin bomb, lighting him on fire, leaving the wall crawler scrambling to rip the torso portion of his suit off as he falls off a roof

Taking advantage of the situation, Hobgoblin chucks another bomb, but it's caught by Flash, who throws it back at him

Though laid up in a hospital bed from the blast, all charges against Flash are dropped
Kingpin and Foreigner have another game of chess, and when leaving, Kingpin hands him a piece of paper and tells him not to read it until he's down the elevator

Foreigner reads it in the hallway, prior to getting on the elevator, which explodes

Felicia has apparently sewn three new black suits for Spider-Man while he was in Berlin

Low Points

Oddities

Editor's Day Off: Betty sits in her apartment after the funeral talking to Peter, and tells him, "My mom's on her way over and she'll be staying on while."

Rating (based on a 1 through 5 Stans grading system)

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