Issue(s): Amazing Spider-Man #273
Cover Date: Feb 86
Title: "To challenge the Beyonder!"
Credits:
Tom DeFalco - Writer
Ron Frenz - Penciler
Josef Rubinstein - Inker
Christopher Priest - Editor

Review/plot:
Following his decision in Secret Wars II #7 to help people fulfill their true roles, the Beyonder has formed a Cult of Cosmic Oneness, that has begun to suck in even Aunt May's circle of friends.

Meanwhile, Puma finishes his training in order to fulfill what he calls "some stupid, ancient prophecy" that says that he's supposed to kill the Beyonder.

And per his uncle's instructions, he heads to Peter Parker's apartment so that he can recruit Spider-Man to help him.

Luckily for Peter, Mary Jane already knows his secret identity, so Puma's untimely arrival wouldn't have further ruined his secret. But Mary Jane doesn't seem all that interested in staying anyway.

A subplot has Ned Leeds watching his wife Betty meet up with Flash Thompson.

The issue sets out to highlight the differences between Spider-Man and Puma. From superficial things, like the fact that Puma thinks he can just hire Spider-Man to accompany him...

...and the fact that Puma has expensive accessories...

...to the more fundamental difference that Peter doesn't think that anyone, even the Beyonder, should be killed. But he does agree to go along with Puma.

They first investigate the cult's office, but the Beyonder isn't there. Spider-Man then decides he can't be a party to muder, so they part ways and Puma tracks the Beyonder down. The Beyonder tells Puma that he knows that Puma would rather be working on a business deal in Japan, so he casually teleports him to Japan.

This display of power convinces Puma that the Beyonder really is the threat that his uncle said, and so he travels back to the US and shows up at Peter's apartment again.

All that and holy what the fuck are you wearing, Mary Jane?

Quality Rating: C+

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: Takes place after Secret Wars II #7. There's a confused bit of an overlap between this issue and Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #111, but that issue essentially follows this one.

References:

• Spider-Man is still trying to learn to cope with the fact that Jean DeWolff really died in Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #107-110.
  
• While Spider-Man is thinking about the Beyonder, there are references to the first Secret Wars, the bathroom scene from Secret Wars II #2, and the golden notebook Spidey took in Web of Spider-Man #6.
  
• Puma previously fought Spider-Man in Amazing Spider-Man #256-257.
  
• Mary Jane shows up to help Spider-Man clean up his apartment after the fire from Web of Spider-Man #11.
  
• Peter's landlord Mrs. Muggins tells him that she intends to deduct the cost of repairs to the apartment from the $1,000 check that he gave her in Web of Spider-Man #12, which seems wrong. Peter didn't cause the fire. And doesn't Mrs. Muggins have insurance? There's also a reference to Web of Spider-Man #13 in this exchange but i think it's a mistake.
  
• Puma's research on the Beyonder revealed that he used to hang out with known mob criminal Vinnie Corbo, which was circa Secret Wars II #3.

Crossover: Secret Wars II

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

MJ's outfit is just a variant on a typical 1980s aerobics leotard.

As has been pointed out already, MJ's outfits are indeed typical of the 80's.

Some of the earliest Spidey comics I got into featured the Puma quite a lot, and since then I've always liked him as a character. He walks the tightrope in a lot of ways: between hero and villain, modernist and traditionalist, businessman and adventurer, Native-American and "mainstream American" (For lack of a better word)...

"All that and holy what the fuck are you wearing, Mary Jane?"

Okay, that just made me spit my drink out.