This is a feature called "A Political World," where we spotlight 20th Century comic book stories that came out back when comic books were not political at all, unlike comic books nowadays.

Today, based on a suggestion from reader Rene, we look at the Spectacular Spider-Man story that tackled gun control all the way back in 1982! Bill Mantlo wrote the issue (with additional dialogue from Tom DeFalco, which is a very curious credit, right?) with art by Rick Leonardi and Jim Mooney (who go together really well).

The cover, in a lot of ways, says it all...

(Plus, the story is titled "With this gun...I thee kill," so, well, subtly is not what this issue is going for)

The issue opens with Spider-Man stopping two young men from robbing a small grocery store, but while he is successful in doing so, the owner of the store bursts in, with a gun of his own and while Spider-Man tries to stop him, the owner shoots and kills the young robber...

Spider-Man's trusty hidden camera captures the moment and he brings the photo to the Daily Bugle, where Robbie Robertson and Lance Bannon are both very impressed with the photo, but they then jump into a gun control debate, with the typically dumb Bannon given the anti-gun control argument, which says a lot about where Mantlo stood on the topic...

The Daily Bugle then gets a hot tip on a shipment of illegal handguns being brought into the city and Peter darts out, nominally to cover the assignment, but really because Spider-Man wants to take the shipment down. We then get to the major motif of the issue. While Spider-Man travels throughout the city shaking down crooks to get answers about the shipment, Mantlo intercuts various other gun shooting deaths during the night...

Spider-Man stops and destroys the shipment, but not before a police officer is shot and killed in the process...

Back at the Bugle, Robbie and Lance (who have, what, just been chilling there all night?) compliment Peter again on the story, but then J. Jonah Jameson bursts in and points out all the OTHER gun deaths that night...

Fascinating stuff from a 1982 comic book.

Thanks for the suggestion, Rene!

Okay, folks, I'm sure you have suggestions for good political storylines from the "good old days when comic books weren't political," so drop me suggestions at brianc@cbr.com!