"CRACK OF THE WHIP"

Date: August, 1978

Writer: Bill Mantlo
Pencils: Jim Mooney
Inker: Jim Mooney

Feature Characters: Iron Man, Spider-man, Whiplash, The Wraith (Brian DeWolff), Capt. Jean DeWolff

Favorite Quote: "If you two are done pattin' each other on the back, how about answerin': What do we do from here?" Jean DeWolff

The Story: Spider-Man interrupts a Maggia robbery, led by Whiplash, and proceeds to get booty-smacked around by Whiplash. When Iron Man hears his old enemy Whiplash is back in town he finds Spider-Man in the hospital, and the two of them chase after Whiplash. Jean DeWolff suspects her brother is involved, because he is a Maggia enforcer, so she follows our two heroes. Of course she is right and while Spider-Man is fighting the Wraith, and Iron Man is losing to Whiplash (like he usually does), she sneaks up behind him with a gun. The Wraith then uses his mental powers on her. He convinces her that she must shoot herself in the head, but before she does Spider-Man pushes him into a wall, breaking the Wraith's mental hold on her. Then Jean DeWolff just starts pimp-slapin' her brother, till he realizes what he was about to do. The Wraith then comes to the conclusion that evil is bad, and helps Iron Man beat Whiplash, case closed.

The Grade: B, Cool villain, lame fights, awesome John Byrne cover..