The Amazing Spider-Man #419

Spider-Man finds himself facing a formidable new threat in this January 1997 issue, as the cover — penciled by Steve Skroce and inked by Bud LaRosa — puts him face-to-face with the imposing, blue-and-gold-clad Black Tarantula, who looms in the foreground clutching a downed figure at his feet while a web-slinging Spidey swoops in against a vivid yellow background. The tagline "The Bite of the Black Tarantula is Always — Fatal!" makes it clear this isn't your average street-level confrontation. Writer Tom DeFalco and artist Steve Skroce bring a palpable sense of danger to "Beware the Black Tarantula," setting up what promises to be one of Peter Parker's more intense mid-'90s challenges.