Issue(s): Amazing Spider-Man #174, Amazing Spider-Man #175
Published Date: Nov-Dec 77
Title: "The Hitman's back in town!" / "Big Apple battleground!"
Credits:
Len Wein - Writer
Ross Andru - Penciler
Tony DeZuniga & Jim Mooney / Jim Mooney - Inker

Review/plot:
Spider-Man and the Punisher team up to rescue J. Jonah Jameson from the Hitman, who has been hired by the anti-capitalist People's Liberation Front.

Spider-Man deludes himself into thinking that the Punisher is using "mercy bullets" to take out the Hitman's goons.

We learn that the Hitman and the Punisher were in the same squadron in Viet Nam, but the Hitman never refers to Punisher as "Frank Castle". The Hitman is "Burt Kenyon".

Spider-Man's arm is injured during the fight, and the Punisher is faced with either saving Spidey (who is holding JJ) or his squadron mate. He chooses Spider-Man.

Meanwhile, Liz, rattled by a recent attack by her uncle the Molten Man, leaves Harry, and Harry goes crazy again. Harry's psychologist attacks Harry and becomes the next Green Goblin (it's left ambiguous over who wins the fight, but it will turn out to be the doctor).

Not a lot of depth to Spider-Man stories of this era. Add that to the fact that they added a third Spider-Man title to the line (Peter Parker the Spectacular Spider-Man, counting Marvel Team-Up as the second), and it really looks like they were lucky to not to suffer from some serious brand dilution.

Quality Rating: C-

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: N/A

References:

• The Hitman previously appeared in Peter Parker the Spectacular Spider-Man #4-5.

Cross-over: N/A

Continuity Implant? N

Reprinted In: Marvel Tales #216, Marvel Tales #217

The mercy bullets were from editorial decree; the Punisher's earlier lethal shootings weren't that popular in the 1970s.

Some time after this Punisher appearance, Roger Stern & John Byrne created a joke "Spider Super Stories" cover showing the Punisher blowing away Easy Reader.