Peter Parker is on assignment for J. Jonah Jameson, investigating mystery lights outside of the New York City limits for possible Daily Bugle pictures, when a rock avalanche forces his car off of a road and onto a tree part-way down a cliff. Peter changes to Spiderman and uses webbing to gently bring his car to a landing at the base of the cliff, where he notices light emanating from an opening in the rock, revealing a gadget-filled cave wherein the multi-mechanical-armed Doctor Octopus is scheming to trigger a series of underground explosions in Manhattan. Octopus surprises Spidey by dropping an entangling chain around the super-hero, then confines Spidey behind a descending set of jail cell bars. When Peter is overdue at the Bugle, Betty Brant drives her car to the same location and is also captured by Octopus. With his back turned from Spidey and Brant, Octopus initiates his diabolical plan as proof of his power to devastate New York. Spidey sprays his webbing into the jail cell locks that imprison himself and Betty, the webbing serves as a key, and Betty is free to run for help, while Spidey fights Octopus, shooting webbing at Octopus' glasses and blinding the villain so that he can be webbed to a wooden beam in the cave. The police, summoned to the scene by Betty, arrest Octopus, and Betty is reunited with Peter, who tells to her that he has been looking for a mechanic to repair his car.