Noteworthy Issues: The Amazing Spider-Man #160 (September, 1976)

On the one hand, we got the Spider-mobile back.  On the other, well, it’s trying to run Spidey over.

Eh, he never liked that car in the first place.

Issue:  The Amazing Spider-Man #160, September 1976

Writer:  Len Wein

Artist:  Ross Andru

Spider-Mechanic:  Jimmy Impossible

The Plot:  Spider-Man has to dodge his own car!

Commentary:  Much of this issue deals with Peter’s dodging the Spider-Mobile, since rebuilt by the Tinkerer, who is not an alien.  Yes, Spidey asks about that since the last and only time he saw this guy, he left a mask behind that implied the Tinkerer was an alien.  But no, he just dropped  mask off to make it look like he was an alien, and that was rather clever.

Not so clever is how the Tinkerer’s gas removed some of Spidey’s powers but not all of them, but Peter thought he temporarily lost all of them.  See, there was this gas that would temporarily clog Peter’s web-shooters and pores, preventing him from shooting webs or sticking to walls while the Spider-Mobile now has tires that cling to walls.  But nothing took care of Spidey’s strength, agility, or spider-sense, so what the hell, man?

But I want to address something a little less noteworthy in this noteworthy issue:  Peter says the car-makers are threatening to sue him if he doesn’t get the car back!

OK, smart guys:  how?

Let’s set aside that Peter is perpetually broke and only took the car in the first place for some rent money.  How exactly are they going to sue someone whose real name they don’t know?  That doesn’t make a lot of sense!  Peter couldn’t cash a check made out to Spider-Man in the past.  How is someone supposed to sue him?  These guys clearly haven’t put a lot of thought into all this, and I still don’t get why they asked a guy wanted for murder to endorse their car in the first place.

Then again, Peter got the car back and left it outside their 14th floor window, trashed to bits, and that will somehow not also lead to a lawsuit?

Maybe these people need to put more thought into all this stuff.

Grade:  A-