Featuring: Spider-Man
Release: October 12, 1965
Cover: January 1966
12 cents
Script + editing by: Stan Lee
Plot + illustration by: Steve Ditko
Lettering + kibitzing by: Artie Simek
20 pages
| Previous | #448 | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Amazing Spider-Man #31 | Reading order | Amazing Spider-Man #33 |
| Amazing Spider-Man #31 | Amazing Spider-Man | Amazing Spider-Man #33 |
I’ve always felt I was partly responsible for the death of Uncle Ben, because he was killed by a criminal whom I didn’t catch!
Chapter 2 of The Master Planner Saga.
On a personal note, this is the earliest issue of Amazing Spider-Man I actually own.
When we turn to page 2, we’ll learn the identity of the mysterious Master Planner. There were plenty of clues last issue, so maybe you’ve already guessed. Don’t read any further if you haven’t. This is your last chance.
Aha! The Master Planner is…
…
…
(Spoiler alert)
…
Dr. Octopus!
It’s about the intersection between Spider-Man’s life and Peter’s. Betty loves Peter but can never be with Spider-Man, so their relationship is doomed, and he must move on and let her marry Ned. Peter had a plan, a very common one in these romances. (Tony Stark and Matt Murdock follow the same dating playbook.) Because he can’t be with Betty, he’ll be such a jerk to her that it’ll help her move on. Betty recognizes Peter was acting, and he won’t burden her with his secret.
“Don’t just stand there! This isn’t visitors’ day! Goodbye!” I think one of the best portrayals of a comic character on screen is J. K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson, to the point where I often hear Jameson’s dialogue in his voice.
It’s about the intersection between Spider-Man’s life and Peter’s. Recall in Amazing Spider-Man #10 (yes, I remembered the issue even if Stan didn’t) when Peter gave May a blood transfusion. He had been worried at the time there would be consequences due to his irradiated blood. He was right to worry. It all comes full circle now. That radiation is the reason she’s sick now. If she dies, it will be Peter’s fault.
Full circle. Uncle Ben’s death was Peter’s fault.
He probably should have confided his secret with the doctor, so the doctor could have tested his blood prior to the transfusion. It’s really his protectiveness of his secret identity that might kill May.
I’m surprised that radiation would make her sick and not give her super-powers. I think this situation has happened like twice in Marvel history.
For example, at one point Hulk will give his cousin a blood transfusion, and she’ll just become a She-Hulk, like you’d expect.
“I’ve always felt I was partly responsible for the death of Uncle Ben, because he was killed by a criminal whom I didn’t catch!” Interestingly, Peter doesn’t mention that very often in these days. In modern Spider-Man comics, he’ll bring it up like every issue. This is only the second time since it happened his role in Uncle Ben’s death has been mentioned, the first being the seminal Amazing Spider-Man Annual 1.
Full circle. But also a chance at redemption… if he doesn’t fail May the way he failed Ben.
Of course we recall Dr. Curt Connors from Amazing Spider-Man #6. He was living in Florida where his attempt to create a serum to regrow his arm turned him into the Lizard. Spider-Man saved him and restored his humanity. Now Connors is living in New York and owes Spider-Man a favor. And Spider-Man is in need of Connors’ scientific skill. So he sneaks Connors a sample of May’s blood. Connors knows of an experimental and rare serum that may help and orders it.
Balance. The whatever that Connors ordered is expensive, and they have no money. Peter is a promising young scientist, and that’s the future May wants, to have him study hard and become a great scientist. But he can’t have it all. He pawns all his scientific equipment to pay for the isotope. May wouldn’t approve. She wants what’s best for Peter, not for him to make sacrifices for her.
Of course, the Master Planner, aka Dr. Octopus, wants the serum for his own designs and sends his men to steal it. It’s up to Spider-Man to recover it.
This is where it all comes together. Spider-Man’s life and Peter’s on a collision course. And now only Spider-Man can save Aunt May. The way he didn’t save Uncle Ben.
It’s about the intersection between Spider-Man’s life and Peter’s. Betty fears Spider-Man, confirming for Peter they can never be together.
But he longs to hold her.
“She is putting up a valiant fight– she has a tremendous will to live!” says the doctor of May. “But now, her fate is in the hands of a power far greater than ours!” The doctor is likely referring to God, but in truth, the great power whose hands her fate lies in– is Spider-Man.
“I’m thru treating you punks with kid gloves!” says an angry Spider-Man, seemingly over the edge.
This is a bad day to be one of the Master Planner’s goons.
“I should have suspected… since all his crimes dealt with the theft of atomic and radioactive material!” Duh. Did you catch the clues, valiant reader? This reveal makes much more sense than revealing Master Planner to be the Cat.
Dr. Octopus is Spider-Man’s greatest villain. Despite how often that’s disputed, I’d call that indisputable. To see why, just look at every appearance up to this point.
The cast iron upper level units collapse. Spider-Man maneuvers to not be crushed, but is trapped.
Serum just out of reach. Leak in ceiling. Growing. Soon river will enter and Spider-Man will drown.
And Aunt May will die. And it will be all Peter’s fault.
The comic includes an ad for the intro of the Inhumans, reminding us again how many significant comics are coming out right now. Spider-Man. Dr. Strange. Nick Fury Agent of SHIELD. X-Men. Thor. Fantastic Four. This is the moment to be reading all those titles.
A fan Leo U. shares the Lizard costume he made. Pretty awesome.
Rating: ★★★★★, 97/100
Significance: ★★★★★
This is a tough one. This goes right near the top of the Best We’ve Read, but unfortunately that leaves no room on the list for a hugely significant moment in Marvel history, the introduction of Thor in Journey Into Mystery #83.
Characters:
- Master Planner/Dr. Octopus
- Betty Brant
- Peter Parker/Spider-Man
- Ned Leeds
- J. Jonah Jameson
- Aunt May
- Dr. Connors
- Frederick Foswell
Story notes:
- Doc Ock close to mastery of lingering radiation; orders Deputy Squad Leader to continue search for atomic equipment.
- Peter tries to sell shots of strikers picketing a department store; Jameson rejects them.
- May absorbed a radioactive particle into her blood. Must be from the blood transfusion from Peter.
- Connors thinks ISO-36, created on the West Coast, may help with May.
- Spider-Man offers to pay any price.
- Peter pawns all his scientific equipment to get money for May’s treatment.
- Connors notices Spider-Man’s familiarity with lab equipment.
- Special shipment of serum, last available, being flown to New York.
- Spider-Man enlists Foswell’s help in exchange for a scoop.
- Spider-Man smashes random criminal hangouts to find info.
- Spider-sense finally leads him to trap door; Spider-Man follows tunnel to main lair.
| Previous | #448 | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Amazing Spider-Man #31 | Reading order | Amazing Spider-Man #33 |
| Amazing Spider-Man #31 | Amazing Spider-Man | Amazing Spider-Man #33 |
A month never crawled by so slowly for a 6th grade boy. Every card was on the table, every plot point from Amazing Fantasy 15 to this point. Next – the defining moment of the Spider-Man series, which still defines Peter Parker today.
Hopefully you only need to wait a day this time!
A nice touch that Lee/Kirby gave these early Doc Ock appearances was setting the tales around water (with the exception of Doc’s first appearance ). An octopus needs water, right?