Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #122: Father's Night Out

Script: Peter David
Pencilers: Rich Buckler, Malcolm Davis
Inkers: Mike Esposito, Bob McLeod, Art Nichols

Brendan Doyle, who's as Irish as poetry, discovers third-hand that his ex-girlfriend has given birth to his wee baby son, boyo. (really - his accent slides around all over the regions)

Fortunately we don't see the domestic barney that arises, just its consequences, specifically that the baby gets bundled out of the window and into hiding in an alleyway. Once Child Welfare has got involved, it seems that neither parent has much chance of getting the lad back again. The mum has too much of a history with the Vice Squad, while the da' gives his occupation as 'soldier of fortune'.

All this sets the scene for a big fight through various hospital sections between Spider-Man and Brendan's costumed alter-ego - The Mauler.

It's only when the cops show up and Doyle finds himself using his own son as a human shield that he realises what he's come to - that he's putting his own needs ahead of his beloved kid's.

As ever in a Peter David script, there are funny quips in this from everyone, right down to random passers-by.

The artwork does its job too, although these two panels (from pages 15-16) don't quite follow on from each other, do they?


1. The body on the table changes from a man to a woman.
2. The first panel contains a functioning electrocardiograph, while the second states the room to be "the autopsy lab". (lucky they got interrupted when they did)
3. In the second panel, a bracket appears beside the cadaver's head.
4. The two hospital employees' sleeves get longer.

Any more?