Last we left Spider-Man, he was unconscious and in the control of the Green Goblin, who is battling for underworld supremacy with the Crimemaster in the city. The Goblin and the Crimemaster know each other's identities but not the readers! At the end of last issue, the Goblin has confronted the Crimemaster concerning who should be the leader of the many gang leaders and members who have congregated on a pier at a waterfront in the city. The Crimemaster does not look happy, but the Goblin sure has everyone's attention with the web-head in his control. Lets just see how this little interruption by the Goblin pans out!

The Crimemaster is shocked to learn that Spider-Man is still alive, thinking that he punched him off a building last issue. The Goblin then warns him that he would never let anyone else take over control of the city. Some gang members then come up and try to pry open Spider-Man's mask, but it was glued tight by Peter since he purchased it from a costume shop last issue. The mob of criminals seemed to have had a change of heart in their loyalty to the Crimemaster as they now side with the Green Goblin since he caught Spider-Man. At this point Spider-Man has had enough and even with his arms chained to his sides, he makes his move. Greatly out-numbered, Spider-Man bounces off of many criminals before he finally breaks free from the chains that bound him, but he now has the Green Goblin after him. Police begin to flood the area now, as Spider-Man flees the Goblin and begins to help the men in blue. It's now mass hysteria that has broken out as the Goblin finds Spider-Man once again, and as Spider-Man goes after him, he discovers the Crimemaster fleeing under the pier. The Crimemaster sees that he has been discovered and begins to shoot at Spider-Man as they begin a game of "cat and mouse" under the maze-like wooden poles under the piers. Spider-Man ends up following him into a sewer pipe the Crimemaster sprays some nerve gas towards him. Spider-Man creates a helmet from his webbing and continues to follow him until he gets smack dab in the middle of the city's sewer system and loses him.

Spider-Man now goes back to Frederick Foswell's apartment where he has been at before in last issue. He sees that the hat he placed a spider tracer on last issue is now gone, but the tracer is on the floor. Spider-Man also discovers the closet with a false compartment which may be hiding a costume of some sort. He is now of the belief that Frederick Foswell HAS to be either the Green Goblin or the Crimemaster, and he now makes a visit to the offices of the Daily Bugle where Foswell is not at his desk. He rushes into publisher J. Jonah Jameson's office to tell him what he thinks and then Foswell comes into the office and denies being either the Green Goblin or the Crimemaster. While the three talk and argue in the building, the Crimemaster is on the roof of a building right across from where the three are easily visible. Just as the Crimemaster prepares to take them out one by one, police sneak up behind him and shot ring out, alerting the others in the building across the way. No one knows exactly what is happening at the moment except one: Frederick Foswell! It seems that Foswell has been working on the case all along, as he obviously knows more than he is willing to say at the moment.

The mystery as to who the Crimemaster is, is quickly answered as the police him while he lies dying. When asked if there is anything that he would like to say, the Crimemaster begins to give out the Green Goblin's identity, but there is not enough time on this earth for him. He took his last gasp before he could pronounce the name. As for the Crimemaster's identity, it seems that Foswell was the one to tip off the police in the right direction. It seems when Foswell was the Big Man, he knew all the city's gang leaders, and knew how they worked. Foswell knew it was man named Nick "Lucky" Lewis and had helped the police with this information. That is why the Crimemaster shot at Foswell in his apartment last issue, as he knew that Foswell was a threat to him. The lesson learned he is that it's not always the "Butler" or someone you expect, but rather that it may be someone you never even knew that turns out to be the "mystery man".

After Spider-Man apologizes to Foswell, he goes out to search for his camera he left at the battle scene. After developing the photos, Peter thinks about selling the pics to another paper and makes a visit to the Daily Globe where he shows the pics to the picture editor Barney Bushkin. Barney turns out to be a very nosy person and Peter leaves. The next day, J. Jonah Jameson is attending his club once again, and once again we see the same man with the same hair style: Norman Osborn. Of course he is not officially named here, but who else has that hair style!? Anyway, Jonah looks at that day's edition of the Daily Globe and sees pics that look very similar to those that Peter takes. At home, Peter sews himself up a new Spider-Man costume then takes his Aunt to a movie. That night we cut to offices of the Daily Bugle once again, where we see Frederick Foswell saying to himself "I'm lucky that no one has guessed my little secret yet!". He takes a bundle of clothes with him to the laundry then he returns to his apartment. He takes out a mask that he has been wearing so that he may mingle with the mobs and gain information. No, not the Green Goblin! All this time, Frederick Foswell has been disguising as Patch!

We close the issue with the man who IS the Green Goblin, although his face is covered by shadow. He is very frustrated with Spider-Man again thwarting his plans, but he has vowed to lay low for awhile so that he can attack Spider-Man when he least expects it. The Green Goblin doesn't lay low for TOO long before he next attacks, for in Amazing Spider-Man #39 & #40 will showcase an all-time classic match-up between he and Spider-Man. There will no secret identities getting in the way either as the cats out of the bag when those issues came out! As for the Crimemaster, he is stays dead for all these years, but he has a son that became Crimemaster II in Marvel Team-Up #39 & #40 by the name of Nick JR. In those issues, he teams-up with the Big Man II, who is the daughter of Frederick Foswell named Janice.

Great storyline, and now if you have read them, get copy of Untold Tales Of Spider-Man #25 which takes a much closer look at the relationship between the Green Goblin and the Crimemaster. Very suggested reading!

Reprinted In:
Marvel Tales #22
Marvel Tales #165
 Marvel Masterworks Vol. 10
Spider-Man Essentials II