TITLE: Marvel Team-Up featuring Spider-Man and Iron Man issue #48
YEAR: August 1976
COMPANY: Marvel Comics
Writer: Bill Mantlo
Illustrators: Sal Buscema and Mike Esposito
Letters: Jean Hipp
Colors: Janice Cohen
Editor: Marv Wolfman
If there was one comic book arc featuring Spider-Man that took me by surprise, it was “The Spectacular Spider-Man” issues #107-110 which featured the death of Captain Jean DeWolff.
The death of DeWolff was a shocker as she was a police captain that was hard as nails, but also backed Spider-Man and they both had helped each other. So, she was an important supporting character in the Spider-Man series up to her death.
But the first issue she would appear in was “Marvel Team-Up” issue #48 which featured a team-up between Spider-Man and Iron Man.
The issue begins with a plane (controlled by remote) drops something on Stark International Fuel and we see a huge explosion.
While Spider-Man’s web shooters are no longer working, as he falls hundreds of feet, he is rescued by Iron Man.
But when they get back on the ground, Iron Man accuses Spider-Man of the bombing and the reason why he is suspected is because he is a loner. This infuriates Spider-Man who tells Iron Man that there are other Avengers who would agree that he has helped them rather than doing anything sinister, such as bombings in the city.
As the two argue, they are interrupted by Police Captain Jean DeWolff, who has been doing her own investigation.
And while they approach the wreckage of the toy plane, Spider-Man’s spider-sense goes off and realize the toy plane is about to detonate and he manages to save Captain DeWolff’s life.
As the three head back to the police precinct, Spider-Man gets to see first hand how Police Captain Jean DeWolff is tough and she explains how she has to be tough taking a job that was tailor-made for a man.
As Captain DeWolff shows the two footage of other explosions that have killed many people, Spider-Man’s spider-sense comes on and he realizes that another toy plane has been launched towards DeWolff’s office and once again, Superman has saved her.
Will Spider-Man and Iron Man catch the killer involved?
Overall, a pretty good “Marvel Team-Up” issue #48 but one that people will want to own for it being the first appearance of the cool, tough police captain, Jean DeWolff!