Featuring: Spider-Man
Release: December 9, 1963
Cover: March 1964
12 cents
Written by: Smiling Stan Lee
Illustrated by: Swinging Steve Ditko
Lettered by: Sparkling Sam Rosen
22 pages
Warning that spoilers follow. You may not want to read this post until you go read the comic and learn the shocking identity of the Big Man! Otherwise it will be revealed unceremoniously in my character listing.
Once again, we see clever credits. Several comics released this month had them.
The Enforcers remind me somewhat of Dr. Doom’s henchmen we met in last month’s Fantastic Four. But the Enforcers are the better team of henchmen and will prove more enduring. In fact, Big Man is the “big” villain of this issue, with the Enforcers his henchmen. But the Enforcers will become the more famous villains.
Big Man wears a very expressive mask. His identity is a secret. Using his team of Enforcers, he is taking over all the rackets in town.
We’ll compare to Electro’s story last issue. Electro also wore a mask. Jameson deduced Electro was Spider-Man. In a reversal, Spider-Man will come to suspect that Big Man is J. Jonah Jameson! Hey, just look at the suits. Of course, Jameson also suspects Big Man is Spider-Man. Also, Electro’s dramatic unmasking revealed someone Spider-Man had never met or heard of. That will not be the case this time… (Your final warning that spoilers follow!!)
Incidentally, the guy Jameson is talking to is Frederick Foswell, a Daily Bugle staff writer we are introduced to in this issue. Pay no attention to him. I’m sure he’s not important.
Who are the Enforcers? Fancy Dan with his black belt in judo. Montana, who can control his lasso to the point where it almost seems like a living thing. And Ox, who is big and strong.
Aunt May needs a blood transfusion from Peter. Is that safe? Will this transfusion give her spider powers? Will she become Spider-May?
We get more insight into some of Betty’s recent ominous comments. She was in debt to a loan shark, but paid back the loan. The Big Man is consolidating the rackets and sends the Enforcers to collect more interest. This causes Betty to flee town, partly to keep Peter safe from the Enforcers. This upsets Peter, who describes her as the girl he loves. Her plan doesn’t work well as Peter gets captured by the Enforcers anyway for his own reasons.
I just don’t know what’s up with Spider-Man’s spider sense sometimes. Couldn’t warn him about a lasso?
Big Man knows Peter Parker. That’s a clue. Could it be Jameson after all?
No shortage of great action scenes this issue.
The issue ends with a very interesting monologue on Jameson’s part. He gets suddenly introspective in ways that don’t quite fit my impression of him. It’s a powerful and memorable monologue and the most interesting step forward for Jameson’s character yet. But it also seems somehow off. It doesn’t quite explain his past or future actions. And doesn’t seem like the types of truths he’d admit, even to himself.
Rating: ★★★½, 62/100
Significance: ★★★★☆
I read this story in Amazing Spider-Man Epic Collection vol. 1: Great Power. You can also find it through Kindle.
Characters:
- Big Man/Frederick Foswell (spoiler)
- Ox
- Montana
- Fancy Dan
- Spider-Man
- Liz Allan
- Flash Thompson
- Mr. Abbott
- Mrs. Abbott
- Betty Brant
Story notes:
- Aunt May still recovering from operation in hospital. That could be a month, but last issue they said she’d be out in a few days. That suggests this story starts only a few days after the last one. A span of time passes over the course of this issue.
- Foswell refers to Electro incident as “last month”. So it’s also possible Aunt May stayed in the hospital longer than expected.
- Aunt May’s neighbors, the Abbotts, invite her to Florida.
- Jameson directs Foswell to write story about how Spider-Man is Big Man.
- Spider-Man makes giant spider out of webs for intimidation.
- Betty leaves town to escape Enforcers; Betty flees to small town in Pennsylvania.
- Jameson is a millionaire.
#154 story in reading order
Next: Tales of Suspense #51
Previous: Strange Tales #118, Story B
