Before the Jonestown massacre, before Waco and before Heaven's Gate, the real-life danger of religious cults appeared in the pages of Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man. The first hints of this storyline begin in issue Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man #3, when Peter Parker's buddy Flash Thompson meets Sha Shan, the girl who saved his life in Vietnam, working at a restaurant. However, Sha Shan runs away from the confused Flash. Flash tracks down Sha Shan in Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man #8, only to find out she is married.

This issue begins with Peter and Flash playing tennis at the park. Flash is working off some frustration after discovering that Sha Shan is married and he's taking it out on Peter with some aggressive play. After Peter breaks
his racquet returning a particularly vicious shot, Flash apologizes and suggests he make it up at the soda fountain. However, the men spot a group of glassy-eyed worshipers heading into Central Park for a cult rally. The rally is being led by two masked characters - Brother Power and Sister Sun - who spout slogans like, "Love and light are the power -- and the power makes brothers and sisters of us all!" Flash is about to laugh it off as some harmless new age hokum when Flash recognizes Sister Sun's voice - it's Sha Shan. He rushes the stage, but is overwhelmed by Brother Power and, reluctantly, Sister Sun. When the two hold hands, they can generate beams of force from the sun-shaped symbols on their tunics. But just as Flash goes down, Spider-Man swings in for the save. He tries to pull Flash to safety, but is attacked by Brother Power and Sister Sun himself. Spidey realizes that Brother Power is actually Sha Shan's husband, Achmed Korba. The two fight, with Spider-Man saying, "For a public park pontificator, you pack quite a line, baldy. But I'm not one of your wide-eyed wonders, so spare me the sermons!" But before the fight reaches any sort of conclusion, the police break it up. The Legion of Light had a legal permit to hold the gathering, so Spider-Man swings away with Flash, who is still unconscious. When he wakes up, Peter has changed back into street clothes.

While the groggy Flash rests up at Peter's apartment, Peter goes to a Empire State University sociology professor for some background on the Legion of Light. During the Vietnam War, the professor explains, Achmed Korba ran a Saigon restaurant. He also engaged in smuggling and espionage. One day, on a smuggling trip, Korba sees a meteorite crash to earth. But inside that meteorite was a living being. "Someone...or something...spoke to
Korba," the professor explains. "As a mentor...a divine teacher...cleansing him with the light, turning him on to the tao -- the true way to the path of love and eternal human happiness." However, Brother Light may only use his power in conjunction with a person of purity and innocence - namely Sha Shan. After the war, Korba brought his operation to the United States.

When Peter returns to his apartment, he discovers that Flash is gone. The fiery ex - G. I. has left a note reading, "I think Sha Shan has been forced into this insanity by her husband! I'm going to confront her and get the
truth - in her own words!" Peter realizes that Flash is in way over his head, so Spider-Man swings back into action. Sure enough, Brother Power is enraged when he discovers Flash back at his restaurant. "I warned you once, allowed you to leave with your life," he says. "But now you will suffer the fate of any disbelieving interloper!" Spider-Man saves Flash from a certain death, but Brother Power and Sister Sun blast Spidey through the window into the alley below. A shadowy figure approaches the fallen Wall-Crawler as the issue draws to a close.

Next issue: Razorback debuts, Sha Shan's secret is revealed and the Mentor steps forward. It's a nice cliffhanger to set up another great issue the following month.

Bill Mantlo and Sal Buscema, perhaps the definitive Spectacular Spider-Man creative team, produced this four-issue story. Buscema still is doing excellent work in the Spider-Verse as the regular inker on Amazing
Spider-Girl (as of the time of writing of this review). Mantlo, sadly, has had a much more difficult life in recent years. Mantlo suffered serious brain injuries in a 1992 accident and has needed full-time care since then.

Reviewed by Bruce Buchanan.