Featuring: Spider-Man
Release: April 9, 1963
Cover: July 1963
12 cents
Story: Stan Lee
Art: Steve Ditko
21 pages
| Previous | #70 | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Tales to Astonish #45 | Reading order | Tales of Suspense #43 |
| Amazing Spider-Man #2, Story B | Amazing Spider-Man | Amazing Spider-Man #4 |
What do I do now? I’ve never been beaten before! But this time my spider powers were not enough! Is this the end of Spider-Man?
I read this story in Amazing Spider-Man Epic Collection vol. 1: Great Power.
I’m going to go ahead and confess that I don’t know what the title of this comic is. I often don’t. Many times, the title is in quotes to make it clear. Even though what’s in quotes is often preceded by the name of the title hero with a “versus” or a “battles” after.
For example, Fantastic Four #15 had the opening text: “The Fantastic Four Battle… The Mad Thinker and His Awesome Android!” With the latter part in a much bigger font. Online sources vary.
This is even more confusing because the arrangement of the different pieces make the order unclear.
Possible titles:
- Doctor Octopus
- Spider-Man Versus Doctor Octopus
- The Strangest Foe of All Time… Doctor Octopus
- Spider-Man Versus the Stranges Foe of All Time… Doctor Octopus
The internet generally doesn’t agree on which of the above makes sense. For my part, I’m trusting the table of contents in the collection I’m reading this in.
The title page describes Doctor Octopus as “the only enemy ever to defeat Spider-Man!” Not sure that’s accurate. Vulture and Tinkerer both handed Spider-Man initial defeats last issue before Spider-Man was able to come back and win in round 2. Which is basically what’s going to happen in this issue.
By now it’s pretty clear to any who have been reading that I think this Amazing Spider-Man series is a tier above everything else we’ve been reading. And now we come to the best issue of the series so far, in which we meet Spider-Man’s greatest villain. And unlike, say, Dr. Doom, who is the Fantastic Four’s greatest villain, but for reasons that are not yet clear… Dr. Octopus is great right away. The first Dr. Octopus story is among the best Dr. Octopus stories.
It opens with Spider-Man catching some burglars, with the implication that this has become routine for him, and somewhat dull. The sequence will become pretty iconic, as most such fights will follow this formula for decades to come. Spider-Man first shines a spider signal on the wall to announce his presence to the criminals. This is the first we’ve seen of this device. He then easily dispatches them with some flippant banter, then leaves them hanging from a web for the police to find. Hanging from a web is exactly how he left the burglar from his first appearance. The only thing missing is a note for the police, but that will be introduced at the end of the issue, when Doctor Octopus is left hanging from a web.
As with the other Spider-Man stories, the story follows a character arc for Peter that creates a throughline combining his personal life with the action. Whereas the other comics have scenes of our heroes’ personal lives that seems to have little connection to the super-villain story of the issue, and then only if the comic bothers to show the hero’s personal life at all.
Here, Spider-Man is getting overconfident, thinking he is unbeatable.
Then comes Dr. Octopus.
How villains and heroes get their name is something the movies and recent reimaginings have struggled with. Most comics of this era don’t bother to explain. A villain usually names themself something like “Destroyer” as though it’s the most natural thing to do. Here, “Dr. Octopus” is a nickname given to Otto Octavious by fellow workers, for the mechanical arms he uses in his nuclear research. He simply adopts the moniker after his accident that drives him mad.
What great panels… that second is one of the best we’ve encountered yet in our reading. You see how helpless Spider-Man looks and how Dr. Octopus snubs him.
Spider-Man muses for the first time (but nowhere near the last) if it is time to quit being Spider-Man.
This issue shows the wide range of abilities that stem from the simple gimmick of 4 mechanical arms. Here, we see him using the 4 arms to walk, so that he himself is almost floating. Then we see him disguising them as piping!
Look at the madness in his face.
A lot of the other comics have characters comment that only their hero can stop the menace, not seeming to recognize how many superheroes have been popping up. This does the opposite. Spider-Man is not the one called upon by authorities to stop Dr. Octopus… Human Torch is.
The friendship between Spider-Man and Human Torch is one of the famous superhero friendships. They met in Spider-Man’s first issue, but had only a brief fight and a few harsh words. Now, Human Torch doesn’t know they are meeting, for he is instead talking to Peter Parker. But his speech inspires Peter to try again against Dr. Octopus. Spider-Man does track Torch down at issue’s end to thank him once more.
As in the last issue, Spider-Man will use his science skills to help win the day. Different this time is that Spider-Man isn’t at home with time to prepare, but has only seconds before Dr. Octopus catches up to him.
The secret of course was just to somehow get past the arms. Then a single punch was enough to defeat Dr. Octopus.
Just remains to web up the villain, use the spider signal to alert the authorities. And of course, check out the handy note. Won’t be the last of those we see Spider-Man leave.
And to wrap it up…
Rating: ★★★★½, 86/100
Great art, great character art, amazing panels… lots of iconic motifs introduced… Spider-Man’s best villain and one of Marvel’s best… the spider signal is introduced… Spider-Man’s banter… leaving a note for the police with a webbed-up villain… and the friendship between Spider-Man and Human Torch begins.
One of the best stories we’ve read yet.
Characters:
- Otto Octavious/Doctor Octopus
- Johnny Storm/Human Torch
- Peter Parker/Spider-Man
- J. Jonah Jameson
- Aunt May
- Flash Thompson
- Peter’s blonde classmate
Story notes:
- First use of spider signal.
- First time tying criminals with web since initial appearance.
- Dr. Octopus worked at US Atomic Research Center outside of town; nation’s top research scientist.
- Dr. Octopus is Dr. Octavious’ nickname, thanks to metal arms he uses to help with research.
- Accident subjects Octavious to radiation; suffers brain damage; mechanical arms adhered to body.
- Dr. Octopus taken to Bliss Private Hospital.
- Jameson assigns Peter to get pictures of Dr. Octopus.
- Shot of Spider-Man picking up momentum to crash through window.
- Dr. Octopus’ arms can snap Spider-Man’s web.
- Dr. Octopus took over hospital, then Atomic Research Center.
- FF busy with another case, so Human Torch sent to stop Dr. Octopus, but his flame needs time to recharge.
- Torch speaks to school with motivational speech.
- Spider-Man fails to get pictures for Jameson.
| Previous | #70 | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Tales to Astonish #45 | Reading order | Tales of Suspense #43 |
| Amazing Spider-Man #2, Story B | Amazing Spider-Man | Amazing Spider-Man #4 |
