In recent months, Amazing Spider-Man has introduced a great new Spider-Man villain in the Hobgoblin and brought back a classic Spider-Man villain in the Vulture. But in Amazing Spider-Man #242, Spidey tangles with an old Fantastic Four villain - the Mad Thinker.

The Mad Thinker currently is locked up in a maximum security prison in upstate New York. He spends most of his day in a trance-like position, unresponsive to the world around him. But what the guards don't know is that he is able to transmit his consciousness to an android body located back in his hideaway. So he's able to remain at large, even though his body is in prison.

Spider-Man had a run-in with one of the Mad Thinker's androids in Marvel Team-Up #129 and that got the Thinker's attention. "During my incarceration, I've heard whispered rumors that he is somehow able to avoid danger -- almost as if he could sense it!" the Mad Thinker thinks. "If such an ability existed, and could be artificially simulated...." He comes up with a plan to track down Spider-Man and test out Spidey's spider-sense.

The Man Thinker sends one of his battle-droids out to test Spider-Man. The android is extremely powerful, highly resistant to damage and even has built-in concussion blasters, disintegration beams and flame throwers. "A few centimeters closer and he'd have singed my webs off!" Spider-Man thinks. Spider-Man battles the android across some rooftops. He's able to avoid the android's attacks, but he's not able to do much damage to the powerful, relentless machine. Meanwhile, the Mad Thinker is watching the action remotely, getting feedback and gathering data on Spider-Man's powers.

"I think the only way I'm gonna stop this thing is to drop something big on him!" Spider-Man thinks. So that's exactly what he plans to do. He lures the android into a power plant and throws debris at it to confuse its sensors. He then spins a thick web between to large turbines used to generate electricity. The android wanders into the web, but just keeps on walking. The webbing stretches without breaking and eventually, the android pulls the two turbines down on top of itself, smashing the android to pieces. "He sure made a mess of the Con-Ed plant! I'll bet they use this as an excuse for a rate hike!" Spider-Man thinks. He grabs a fragment of the android and leaves. Meanwhile, the Mad Thinker has discovered that Spider-Man does indeed have a sixth sense that allows him to detect danger. He is determined to learn the hero's secret.

We also get quite a bit of Peter Parker's personal life in this issue. Peter stops by Empire State University to check on his biophysics exam grade. He badly needs a decent score on the test to stay in the graduate program, but his life as Spider-Man has played havoc with his studying. In particular, the Black Cat's injury at the hands of Doctor Octopus in Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man #76 has kept him distracted from his school work. "I dread this. I took my first-year grad finals on the day the Cat was shot -- after more than a day without sleep," Peter thinks. "I was zombie city and that was one of the roughest tests I've ever taken." However, Dr. Sloan informs him that he hasn't had time to grade the exams yet, so the suspense continues.

Meanwhile, we get some follow-up on Amy Powell, the pretty blonde who made a play for Peter in Amazing Spider-Man #241. She's dating Lance Bannon, Peter's rival freelance photographer at the Daily Bugle, and Lance talks to Peter about the situation. Peter tells Lance he's not interested in his girl, but Lance is really smitten with her. Peter decides to call Amy and straighten things out, but she ends up making a dinner date with him for that evening, as Peter can't even get a word in! Peter tells Lance to show up at his place, as he wants the three of them to talk this out.

Amy has different ideas, though. Rather than come to the restaurant as planned, she shows up at Peter's place early. And she doesn't waste any time before she giving Pete a big kiss. She's all over him when there's a knock at the door, presumably Lance Bannon. But the door opens and who walks in but...Mary Jane Watson! "Have I let myself in at the wrong time?" she asks. And that's how the issue ends. Talk about a cliffhanger!

Another good story in a string of great ones. While I like the idea of every hero having his or her own rogue's gallery, I do like mixing it up every once in a while. It's fun to see Spider-Man step outside of his usual cast of villains to take on a guy like Doctor Doom, the Red Skull or, in this case, the Mad Thinker. It makes for a nice change of pace.

Next issue: Peter makes a major decision about his future!

Reviewed by Bruce Buchanan.