This is "How Can I Explain?", which is a feature spotlighting inexplicable comic book plots.

Today, based on a suggestion from reader Gabriel R., we take a look at the odd turn of events that led to Flash Thompson getting a job as the Physical Education teacher at Midtown High School.

Midtown High School, of course, was where both Peter Parker and Flash Thompson attended high school (and Jessica Jones, too, dontcha know)...

Many years later, at the start of J. Michael Straczysnki's run on Amazing Spider-Man (along with artists John Romita Jr. and Scott Hanna), Peter got a job at Midtown as the new Science teacher...

Over in the other Spider-Man book at the time, Peter Parker: Spider-Man, Paul Jenkins launched an acclaimed storyline called "A Death in the Family" with guest art by Humberto Ramos and Wayne Faucher (the arc was so well-received that Marvel just relaunched the book with Jenkins working with Ramos and Faucher "full-time"). In it, Norman Osborn decides to torment Peter (whose secret identity Norman knows).

Flash Thompson had problems with alcoholism and it seemed to him as though Norman Osborn was helping him get his life back on track by giving him a job at Osborn's company.

However, in Peter Parker: Spider-Man #45, we see Osborn's real plan. He has some of his goons force a bottle of whisky down Flash's throat...

Then, they send the wasted Flash in his truck colliding into Midtown High, destroying Peter's Science room and leaving Flash in a coma with brain damage...

Well, a year or so later, Flash came out of the coma and was given a job at Midtown High in Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #4 (by Peter David, Mike Wieringo and Karl Kesel) as their new P.E. teacher...

Obviously, writer Peter David was having fun with the hiring, with Flash obviously also having brain damage, but still, as Gabriel pointed out, "you would think that a lot of people (teachers, parents) would have something to say about hiring the guy who months ago totalled half the school while drunk driving!"

Excellent and amusing point, Gabriel!

If anyone else can think of a good inexplicable comic book plot, write me at brianc@cbr.com!