Can you believe this issue had the first appearance of a clone in the Spider-Verse? The Gwen Stacy clone makes her first appearance in this issue and thats just the tip of the iceberg for the clone saga! Of course, back when the comic came out, the most important thing in the minds of the readers was the conclusion of the story began in the previous issue and the questions surrounding just who this new Mysterio is. Answering that, we begin as Spider-Man tries to retrieve his spider-mobile he lost in the last issue and realizes it was Mysterio that tricked him into driving into the river. Back on land, Spider-Man meets Mysterio again and attacks him. Not suggested though as this Mysterio and Spider-Man ends up going right through him. Mysterio disappears again and Peter goes home to talk to Aunt May and Mary Jane but begins cracking up again as he sees an image of the Kingpin coming at him.

At the Daily Bugle we see J. Jonah Jameson still overjoyed at some mysterious news he received from another phone call and to the delight of everyone present, Betty Brant and Ned Leeds announce their wedding plans. The enjoyment ends for Peter though as he sees someone very familiar and chases her out into the street. It turns out that this person is not an illusion but the Gwen Stacy clone which will begin playing out in full force in Amazing Spider-Man #144. Now as Spider-Man, Peter decides its time to go after this new Mysterio. He does so by using the tracking device that Mysterio put on him last issue. After ignoring more images of the Green Goblin, Jackal, Doc Ock, Lizard, Vulture, Morbius, and Mindworm, Spider-Man finally arrives at the helm of Mysterio. Not falling for any of the usual tricks of Mysterio, Spider-Man throws him around like a beach ball as the new Mysterio is finally defeated. He confesses to being Daniel Berkhart, a prison cell-mate of the real Mysterio's and they used to work together as stunt-men. According to Berkhart, after the real Mysterio died, Berkhart used his gizmos and thought that he owed him for trying to get Spider-Man. Didn't work out that way though as he is left for the police by Spider-Man.

The ending here is yet another surprise as we learn that J. Jonah Jameson gets a call from Berkhart threatening to tell the police about Jameson's involvement unless he got a lawyer for him. It is apparent that from Berkhart's phone call, that Jameson wanted Berkhart to "Pin" Spider-Man for him. After Berkhart's rude hang-up, Jameson leaves the Bugle offices and states to Betty Brant that he is going to Paris. Berkhart comes in to play years later as it can be theorized that he has assumed the Mysterio Identity once again in the pages of The Mysterio Manifesto #1-3. Berkhart has also been rumored to be Jack O' Lantern II but all of these more recent rumblings have yet to be proven.

 The real whereabouts of the original Mysterio is explained in Amazing Spider-Man #198 with the return of the Quentin Beck Mysterio who assumed the Dr. Ludwig Rinehart alias in Amazing Spider-Man #193 - 198. Get Marvel Tales #118 & 119 for these two important issues and you wont be disappointed for investing the couple bucks it may cost you.

Reprinted In:
Marvel Tales #119