Featuring: Spider-Man
Release: December 10, 1964
Cover: March 1965
12 cents
Written by: Stan Lee
Illustrated by: Steve Ditko
Lettered by: Artie Simek
20 pages
| Previous | #306 | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Sgt. Fury #15 | Reading order | Strange Tales #130 |
| Amazing Spider-Man #21 | Amazing Spider-Man | Amazing Spider-Man #23 |
Yes, I counted the ‘e’s closely in the title. We strive for accuracy here at Coke & Comics.
I appreciate that Spider-Man doesn’t really appear on the cover. Just the spider signal and his shadow, as the bad guys stand in awe.
I assume you all have the same confusion about the first page as I do. As usual, I blame Stan. Ditko’s drawings are eerily consistent across issues. The two trapeze artists and human cannonball are just as depicted the last time Spider-Man fought the Circus of Crime in Amazing Spider-Man #16.
But Stan had the human cannonball refer to himself as the Great Gambino. When we first met the Circus of Crime in Incredible Hulk #3, the human cannonball was named, sensibly, the Human Cannonball. Lee is basically back to that, referring to him as “the man called Cannonball”. He refers to the two trapeze artists as the Great Gambinos, which I suspect was Ditko’s intention all along. I’m going to claim Cannonball to be the same character we’ve met three times now, and just call his name in issue 16 a typo. He is not the Great Gambino; the trapeze artists are.
Ditko’s Clown is clearly modeled off the clown Kirby drew in Incredible Hulk #3, and doesn’t look particularly like any of the clowns in issue 16. He looks so much like Kirby’s clown that I’m going to declare them the same character. CMRO agrees, though also thinks he was one of the clowns in issue 16. There are a lot of clowns in that issue; one could be him, just with different make-up.
Princess Python is clearly new, and will be the most popular of these villains, making a name for herself entirely separate from the Circus of Crime, for example finding a home with the Serpent Society. She is notably Spider-Man’s first female super-villain and one of very few female super-villains we’ve met at all.
As far as female villains go, we’ve met Scarlet Witch and Black Widow, but I’m expecting both to reform and join the Avengers soon enough. Most female villains come from Asgard or neighboring realms: Enchantress, Hela, the Norn Hag and Norn Queen, Nedra, and Knorda. And then there’s Comrade X, one of the very first super-villains we met. Am I forgetting anybody? Kala wasn’t really a villain.
Ringmaster and his Circus have been released from prison, having served their time. Really, how long are the sentences for blatant supervillainery?
Spider-Man uses his spider tracer to track Ringmaster’s hat. Why doesn’t he just take the hat? Without it, Ringmaster is harmless. We’ve seen the spider tracer twice before; it’s shaped like a spider and allows Spider-Man to track it with a little electronic gizmo.
In a lot of these stories, the villains have been played up as tough. It’s been a pet peeve of mine when Thor or Iron Man face these outmatched villains and the dialogue is all about how menacing the villain is. This turns that around. Ringmaster is clearly afraid of Spider-Man, and rightly so. This is reflected in the cover as well. The looming shadow makes Spider-Man seem menacing, and the villains seem to hesitate before him.
We’ve spoken a bit about the super-villain/henchman dichotomy and when the lines blur. This is one of those blurry issues where the henchmen kick their boss out and decide to elect a new boss. The Clown thus enters top villain territory, promoted from mere henchman.
I appreciate the connectivity of the universe, and the little references often entertain me more than the big crossovers. Peter is reading about the work of Dr. Henry Pym, without realizing he has actually fought Dr. Pym in his Giant-Man persona. Also notable that Peter is trying to pin down his major when we just saw him scouting colleges in the pages of Fantastic Four. These little tidbits create this sense of cohesiveness.
Betty refers to her jealousy of Dora Evans from last issue, and Peter assures her there is nothing between them. It’s a good thing Peter just turned down Liz’s request to walk her home. Betty is never happy when she sees Peter and Liz together, and she hates that Liz calls him “Petey”.
Steve Ditko may be offering some commentary on fine art, or at least on Jonah’s taste in art. One piece is of a toe sticking out through a hole in a sock, another of a finger with a band-aid on it. At least there seems to a motif to the exhibit.
Ringmaster’s henchmen try their first heist under the Clown’s direction.
Of course, the bad guys decide to rob the place that Spider-Man happens to be at. An annoying trope and lazy plotting. Tsk tsk, Steve.
They attempt to steal some paintings while the Clown distracts everybody with his antics. But… Ringmaster literally hypnotized people into being unaware they were being robbed. That is strictly better than the Clown performing to divert their eyes from the robbery.
The gang, however, is impressed.
After considering a few options, Princess Python coins the new name for the group: the Masters of Menace. There are very few super-villain groups so far, and one is the Masters of Evil. You couldn’t have gone for a little more variety?
We see why female villains are tricky. Spider-Man isn’t able to punch or attack her, because she’s a woman. He’s in a bind.
She does have a giant pet python, which gives Spider-Man something he can do. Spider-Man wrestling the python is the best part of a relatively bland issue for this series.
Jameson learns Betty stayed by his side while he was in the hospital. And chides her for not being at work.
Aunt May wants to know why Peter is home so late without calling.
Rating: ★★★☆☆, 56/100
Significance: ★★★☆☆
I read this story in Amazing Spider-Man Omnibus vol. 1. You can also find it in Marvel Masterworks: The Amazing Spider-Man vol. 3. Or on Kindle.
Characters:
- The Clown
- The Great Gambinos
- Cannonball
- Princess Python
- Ringmaster
- Spider-Man/Peter “Petey” Parker
- Liz Allan
- Flash Thompson
- Betty Brant
- J. Jonah Jameson
- Mrs. Van Der Twilliger
- Aunt May
Story notes:
- Peter studies the work of Dr. Henry Pym, and considers majoring in bio-chemistry over physics.
- Betty invites Peter to an art exhibition Jonah is sponsoring.
- Princess Python names the team the Masters of Menace.
- Joke about calling Ringmaster Ringo.
- Ringmaster’s old hideout a warehouse on West 22nd Street.
- Sophia Loren reference.
- Ringmaster takes out Clown, steals paintings, and gets arrested.
| Previous | #306 | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Sgt. Fury #15 | Reading order | Strange Tales #130 |
| Amazing Spider-Man #21 | Amazing Spider-Man | Amazing Spider-Man #23 |
An earlier letterhack complained that Ditko couldn’t draw feet. As Ditko was plotting by now, if not much earlier, the Big Toe painting was his idea. Stan still wrote the dialogue, so he probably came up with the thought balloon of “wish I could draw feet” – which was supposedly Steve behind the post.
So it wasn’t an epic Save Aunt May with closure for Peter’s guilt. (Wouldn’t issue 33 have made a great ending for the series?!) It thrilled this young teen, and reminded me how much laughter there was in the most serious of heroic fiction. One of my favorites, then and now.
Great insight! Thanks!