Issue(s): Amazing Spider-Man #364
Cover Date: Jul 92
Title: "The pain of fast air"
Credits:
David Michelinie - Writer
Mark Bagley - Penciler
Randy Emberlin - Inker
Eric Fein - Assistant Editor
Danny Fingeroth - Editor

Review/plot:
This story begins with the Shocker raiding a laboratory. He blasts a security drone out a window, which happens to catch the attention of Spider-Man.

The untimely arrival of a security guard provides the Shocker a distraction, allowing him to escape with data from a computer.

The Shocker later attacks the Daily Bugle. JJ still has some members of the Wild Pack on retainer, but they turn out to not be a match for him and he's able to escape again.

Peter Parker learns that the Shocker was again after computer data. As Spider-Man, he catches up with Shocker after he's acquired a power compressor that enhances his vibration powers. But the device winds up overloading and the Shocker is defeated.

Between the Shocker attacks, Aunt May tries to get Peter to stop taking risks as a photographer. She even follows Peter to the final battle with the Shocker, and Peter has to escort her out as Spider-Man. After the fight is over, she tells him that she's trying to keep him safe because he's like a son to her. He tells her that he can take care of himself, but he tells her that she is a parent to him. That's a thematic tie with the parent subplot.

There's a small sequence in issue #364 where we see J. Jonah Jameson telling someone to switch back the Daily Bugle's log. This might be a reference to something specific, or i guess we can use it as a blanket reason for any time the Bugle appeared somewhere without the correct logo. Or it could just be meant as a character moment for JJ.

Meanwhile, we see Parker's parents arriving in New York. Note from the beginning that we see there is something fishy about them.

It's nice to see the Shocker again, and it's a nicely drawn fight by Bagley.

Quality Rating: C+

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: In issue #363 we saw Peter's "parents" getting on a plane in Germany. They arrive in New York in issue #364. So this should begin relatively soon after that (it's a long flight, so i'm allowing some space in between). I'll also note that the Wild Pack troops we see here are wearing the original colors, but i'm not sure if the new costumes we see in Silver Sable & the Wild Pack #2 get distributed to the regular forces, or, if so, maybe not right away (i do have this story before that one, in any event).

References:

• We saw in Deadly Foes of Spider-Man #1-4 that the Shocker fears being killed by Scourge.
  
• Aunt May tries to get Peter to stop taking risks as a photographer in part because of the violent deaths of Uncle Ben (Amazing Fantasy #15) and Nathan (Amazing Spider-man #336).
  
• Peter thinks to himself that "the stuff she went through with the Vulture must have really shaken her up". Footnotes point to Spectacular Spider-Man #186-188, and, weirdly Web of Spider-Man #84 through Web of Spider-Man #89. The latter was the Name of the Rose storyline, which did cause Aunt May and Mary Jane to have to go into hiding, so i guess the editor was anticipating that Peter would think about that, too, but Peter is of course notoriously easy to distract.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A