Spider-Man is put to the test when he must track down a criminal in this fish-out-of-water story.

Spider-Man's villains have always served as a detriment to his personal life. Many formidable villains including the Green Goblin, Electro, Doctor Octopus, and the Lizard, all have vowed to ruin Spider-Man's life in some way, with their battles even becoming personal at points. However, in a story from 1985, Spider-Man faces off against an unsuspecting foe, one who ends up giving him more trouble than expected: the suburbs.

In The Amazing Spider-Man #267 (By Peter David and Bob McLeod), the Web Slinger is faced with going to the suburbs and tracking down a commuting robber in a story titled The Commuter Cometh. Little does Spidey realize, however, that going to the suburbs gets rid of some of the advantages he has in the city.

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The story begins with Spider-Man lamenting his breakup with Black Cat to Johnny Storm. After the two part ways, Spider-Man looks into the window of a nearby shop and notices a man robbing its safe. He takes off after the criminal tags him with a spider-tracer. The story then cuts to a juxtaposition of Spider-Man and the robber named Ron. Ron returns home to a seemingly happy life with his family, whereas Spider-Man is alone at home, showcasing that the life of a hero is not always one of contentment. The next morning Peter locates the tracer, but realizes that it is outside the city limits.

He hops onto a train and travels to the suburb of Scarsdale. Upon arriving to his destination, he jumps off, ending up in someone's backyard, and is almost attacked by their guard dog before quickly webbing him up. He then tries web-slinging, however, there are no objects tall enough for him to latch onto. As a result, he decides that he will make his way through town by hopping across trees, though he ends up breaking the trunk of the first tree he leaps on.

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It seems as if even outside the city Spider-man can't escape his image as a menace, as following this, the head of the local neighborhood watch approaches him, placing him under citizen's arrest. Ultimately, he is able to escape and continues his search for the criminal. The strange events continue as he decides to hop onto the roof of a city bus to fetch a ride, however, the driver stops and insists that he pays. Not having any money in his suit he instead asks for a lift from a passing garbage truck.

He ultimately arrives in the vicinity of the tracer, but the signal is suddenly lost as Ron finds it and crushes it. As he bemoans the loss of the tracer, he spots Ron getting into his car. He fetches a taxi and makes chase, catching the robber and saving the day. Following the commotion, the locals arrive outside and complain about all the mayhem that Spider-Man has caused. As the issue ends, he expresses his dislike for the suburbs, and seemingly can't wait to get back to the city.

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The events told in this issue put Spider-Man in an interesting situation. One of the reasons that Stan Lee chose to base Spider-Man in New York City was the tall buildings that played to his ability to swing. The story shows that had he been located elsewhere, Spider-Man's web shooters may not have been the best invention in aiding his pursuit of crime. The issue was partially adapted in the Spider-Man: Homecoming film, in which Peter is seen tracking the Vulture's men through the suburbs. During this sequence he finds himself in the backyards of locals and running across a golf course to find the villains. In one scene, a car can be seen bearing the license plate "ASM 267" referring to this particular issue.

As a whole, The Amazing Spider-Man #267 demonstrates once again that New York City is an essential part of Spider-Man's character and role as protector of the city. New York City itself is as much of a character as Spider-Man himself, much like the role that Gotham City plays for Batman or Metropolis for Superman. Ultimately, Spider-Man's pursuit of the commuting criminal shows that he might be better off fighting villains in the friendly environs of the city itself.

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