PETER PARKER, THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #45

"WINGS OF FIRE, WINGS OF FEAR"
Writer: Roger Stern | Penciler: Marie Severin | Inker: Steve Mitchell
Letterer: Michael Higgins | Colorist: Glynis Wein | Editor: Dennis O'Neil
Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter

The Plot: Spider-Man manages to escape from his coffin after it has left the sight of the Vulture and his men. While Vulture leads a toast to celebrate the web-slinger's demise, Black Alfred shows up. Knowing that Alfred has been conspiring against him, the Vulture smacks him around a bit, until Spider-Man crashes back into the room, still chained up. Vulture grabs Malachai and retreats, and Black Alfred makes a run for it as well -- but Spider-Man and the remaining mobsters are trapped in the building, now set ablaze by the furnace following the wall-crawler's escape.

Spider-Man snaps his chains and leads the criminals to safety, webbing them to a lamppost outside. Black Alfred, meanwhile, sneaks up on the Vulture and Malachai in an alleyway and guns down the Vulture's nephew. Vulture flies into a vengeful rage, but Spider-Man rescues Black Alfred from a fatal beating. Spidey and the Vulture take their battle airborne while the police arrive to arrest Black Alfred.

Vulture carries Spider-Man across the city and the fight eventually ends in Grand Central Station, where the Vulture knocks himself out by flying into a window while attempting escape. The authorities take the Vulture into custody while Spider-Man heads to the Daily Globe for the street clothes he had stashed there earlier, and changes back to Peter Parker.

CAPTAIN AMERICA #248

"DRAGON MAN!"
Writer/Co-Plotters/Penciler: Roger Stern & John Byrne
Inker: Josef Rubinstein | Letterer: Jim Novak | Colorist: Bob Sharen
Editor: Jim Salicrup | Big Guy: Jim Shooter

The Plot: As Captain America and SHIELD examine the Strucker robot's body at Ft. Dix, the robot explodes, releasing an airborne data pod that returns to Machinesmith with telemetry on Cap. Machinesmith then activates his recent acquisition -- the robotic organism called Dragon Man -- and sends it, along with the data pod, to find and kill Captain America.

Cap, as Steve Rogers, has just finished dinner with his neighbors when he spies Dragon Man approaching their building. He leaves and changes into costume, battling Dragon Man on the roof. The monster proves too much for Cap to handle and soon has the star-spangled sentinel in its clutches, about to deal the death blow.

Continuity Notes: The issue begins shortly after last issue's events, and chronicles the remainder of that same day. As he examines the Strucker robot, SHIELD's armorer, Sydney "The Gaffer" Levine, declares it the most advanced artificial being he's ever encountered.

IRON MAN #137

"CHAPTER I: FAÇADES"
Plot/Writer: David Michelinie | Plot/Artist: Bob Layton
Letterer: John Costanza | Colorist: Ben Sean | Editor: Jim Salicrup
Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter

The Plot: During Stark International's third annual employee appreciation party, the gathered employees watch the debut of Tony Stark's newest invention, an offshore sonic borer, via a TV monitor. But the borer malfunctions, and Iron Man races into action to save the day. In the chaos, the borer's power supply, a prototype energizer link, is stolen by the project's head, Ted Calloway. Iron Mana attempts to catch the fleeing Calloway's helicopter, but is stopped by an electrical cage generated by Calloway's weapon.

Later, back at Stark International, the real Ted Calloway turns up in a supply closet. Tony begins to ponder who could have impersonated Calloway when he receives an urgent call from Bethany. He partner, Ling McPherson, has been brutally beaten while on bodyguard duty, and is in critical condition at the hospital.