Lifting me up like a garage door, maybe putting me right back down.

I don't know if Paul Jenkin's Spider-Man stories are appreciated; I know he's written some I've liked, and others that didn't work for me. This one...enh...from 2001, Peter Parker, Spider-Man #30, "Three Hundred" Written by Paul Jenkins, pencils by Mark Buckingham, inks by Wayne Faucher.

I do know there have been other stories where Peter has some interest in baseball (namely PP:SM #35, also written by Jenkins!) but today he can't feign an interest in it, possibly because of Trivial Pursuit, possibly for a jab at Todd's balls. He's having some friends over at his new, and horrible, apartment. It's tiny and ratty but has a couple features: easy access in-and-out for him as Spidey, and an attractive neighbor who seemed allergic to tops. She had a dog that seemed to hate Pete, though; which honestly seems typical as hell for him. This was during a stretch where the missing Mary Jane had returned, but not to him; and Spidey feels a bit aimless and "detached." So do his stories here.

Meanwhile, a man with an impressive collection of super-hero stuff completes his daily workout and his daily affirmation; an affirmation of hatred against Spider-Man. Punching up a picture of Spidey every day--I'm 40% sure I saw that in an Oglaf strip. (NSFW!) In a somewhat nondescript outfit and carrying a bag labeled dry ice and a mannequin, Fusion attacks the Edgar Tower (which may or may not be a real NYC landmark? Or close? Or one that's no longer there?) by imitating the powers of Thor, Doc Ock, the Hulk, and Cap in short order, before appearing as Spider-Man and telling a bystander to tell the cops Spidey has a hostage.

Even with the dry ice fogging up the roof, the cops still notice Fusion (who won't be named for another couple pages!) doesn't look like Spidey anymore, which doesn't stop them shooting at him later. When Spidey arrives, Fusion drops a ton of smack talk, before lashing out with powers resembling the Super-Skrull's. He disarms, then kills some cops, before telling Spidey about a boy that adored him so much, he tried to be like him and died in the attempt. Fusion then drops his mannequin full of plastique, causing a massive explosion--killing three hundred people! 

Hoo, boy: I think this would've been just a few months before 9/11. Also, the name Fusion had been used before, in Amazing #208, a not-very-good issue that's still a very fond memory for me. This one, not so much; a little too dark perhaps.