Random Happenstance

I know I have the original somewhere, but I happened to find the reprint with a not-as-good cover: 1994's Marvel Tales #289, reprinting 1986's Amazing Spider-Man #281, "When Warriors Clash--!" Written by Tom DeFalco, layouts by Ron Frenz, pencils and inks by Brett Breeding.

Spidey and Silver Sable were looking for Jack O'Lantern, but run afoul of the Sinister Syndicate--and both Speed Demon and Boomerang are a lot more vicious than they were in Superior Foes of Spider-Man. Luckily, Sandman pitches in against the bad guys, another step in his long redemption arc: he ends up working for Silver Sable, while Spidey ends up broke, with a wrecked arm and possibly a severe concussion. (Sable is unreasonably harsh with Spidey here, seemingly leaving him in the lurch; although Spidey doesn't necessarily obey her orders as readily as an employee might be expected to.)

But my favorite parts of this issue are Robbie Robertson figuring out Flash Thompson was framed and wasn't the Hobgoblin (because of a pretty obvious costume difference!) just as the mercenary Jack O'Lantern gets the bright idea to bust Flash out of jail! The real Hobgoblin had been laying low, and Jack was wrecking things...

I know Jack O'Lantern would eventually end up taking the Hobgoblin title, but I'm not sure if he was trying to ingratiate himself to Hobby and partner up, or trying to muscle in on the action as Hobby believed. Still, I do have to agree with Jack's "It was an honest mistake!" excuse.