Polite Dissent

The Amazing Spider-Man: Double Trouble is the second in a series of Canadian anti-drug PSA comics that were later published in the U.S. for $1.50 each. This issue is once again written by Dwayne McDuffie, but penciled this time by Herb Trimpe.

In the first issue, (The Amazing Spider-Man: Skating On Thin Ice!)Spider-Man managed to track Electro’s drug operation to Canada. Peter Parker then convinced J. Jonah Jameson to send him to Canada to cover a science fair. Arriving in Winnipeg, Peter Parker meets science fair winner Beth. He encounters Electro again and manages to convince one of the kids of Beth’s hockey team to stay off drugs.

In the issue, the action has moved to Fredericton for the next big science fair. Beth is there representing Winnipeg, as well as her friend Charlie, who was also a science fair winner in Winnipeg. Spider-Man isn’t the only Unites States national in Canada interested in the science fair; there’s also the Chameleon, who suspects that Beth’s revolutionary science fair project could be worth several hundred thousand dollars* to the right buyer.

The Chameleon breaks into Beth’s room but can’t find her notes. He then disguises himself as a teenage boy and befriends Beth and Charlie. The Chameleon discovers Charlie has a drug problem and offers him more drugs if he can get Beth’s notes. Beth walks in on Charlie tearing apart her room and discovers his drug problem. She throws him out. Later, Spider-Man shows up at her window and tells her that he needs her notes for a “dire emergency.” She gives him her notes, but as you’ve probably already guessed, this isn’t the authentic Spider-Man — but instead the Chameleon disguised as Spider-Man. The real Spider-Man chases the fake Spider-Man and manages to recover Beth’s notes, but the Chameleon escapes. Spider-Man returns Beth’s notes, but not before giving both her and Charlie a lecture about drugs.

The next day is the big science fair. Disguised as a judge, the Chameleon manages for the second time to grab Beth’s notes. Spider-Man sees through his disguise and webs him up, but the Chameleon sets off a trap. Somehow, he has managed to turn all the science fair projects into killer robots. In the end, Spider-Man saves the bystanders and Charlie gives up drugs. A happy ending, even if we never find out who won the science fair.