Last issue, Peter was captured by the aliens last seen working for the Terrible Tinkerer in Amazing Spider-Man #2, and brought to their spacecraft where he discovered that Mysterio was their leader. He sought information pertaining to a buried treasure in the old Parker home buried there by an old gangster named Dutch Malone. Known to Peter but not Mysterio is the fact that the treasure was eaten by Silverfish years ago as revealed in Amazing Spider-Man #200.

The continuation of the story opens as Mysterio demands the information concerning the buried treasure even if it means Peter's death as Peter is held by the aliens. We next get a little history lesson about the treasure and how the dinner party from last issue was set up so that the aliens can obtain the information needed to locate the treasure. Peter is then barraged with various illusions created by Mysterio and then put into a room where he quickly suits up as Spider-Man and breaks free by means of loose grating . Spider-Man comes to a point where he sees one of the aliens strangely listening to country music on the radio and he gives the alien the scare of his life jumping on him and yanking off his mask revealing that he is a common human thief.

Here comes the shocking revelation part (At least for Spider-Man readers!): The alien begins to give Spider-Man a little history of the real purpose behind the aliens partnership with the Terrible Tinkerer in Amazing Spider-Man #2. The aliens were just out of work movie extras and stuntmen who joined the Tinkerer to steal scientific secrets while using an alien cover-up. After Spider-Man ruined their plans, the aliens got away in a Vertical Take-Off Landing Craft disguised as an alien spaceship. While in the ship, their leader spoke these words: "This Spider-Man character is dangerous...But I'll bet even he can be beaten! And I'm going to do it, if it's the last thing I do!". After Spider-Man hears this, he responds "Don't tell me...That guy went on to become Mysterio! Right?", to which the thief responded "Yeah!"

After the major revelation, Spider-Man went after Mysterio with a renewed fury. Several illusions later, Debra Whitman, now held hostage, cracks Mysterio in his helmet making it impossible for him to see with it on. Now on the run, Mysterio is eventually caught by Spider-Man and slugged to the ground awaiting pickup by the local authorities.

This is a great Spider-Man comic to add to any Spider-Man reader's collection. Many years later the aliens from Amazing Spider-Man #2 are finally explained and their relation to Mysterio revealed. Mysterio's first appearance can now be said to be in that issue in the form of his alter ego. This comic is not reprinted as far as I know so it's going to be a couple of bucks for these issues.

II - "The Menace Of Gideon Mace!" - 5 Pages

Writer - Roger Stern
Artist - Denys Cowan
Inker - Dave Humphrys
Lettering - Jim Novak
Colorist - Christine Scheele
Editor - Denny O'Neil
Editor In Chief - Jim Shooter

The second part of a two part backup feature starring the White Tiger against Gideon Mace that will flow over into the regular feature in next issue.