Featuring: Spider-Man
Release: October 11, 1966
Cover: January 1967
12 cents
Story: Smilin’ Stan Lee
Illustration: Jazzy John Romita
Lettering: Swingin’ Sam Rosen
Luggage: Honest Irving Forbush
20 pages
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| Sgt. Fury #37 | Reading order | Amazing Spider-Man #45 |
| Amazing Spider-Man #43 | Amazing Spider-Man | Amazing Spider-Man #45 |
Ditko and Lee created a number of great villains for Spider-Man: Chameleon, Vulture, Tinkerer, Dr. Octopus, Sandman, Lizard, Living Brain, Electro, Big Man and the Enforcers, Mysterio, Green Goblin, Kraven the Hunter, Scorpion, the Spider Slayer, Molten Man, the Cat, Looter, Robot Master, a Guy Named Joe…
A temptation when writing a Spider-Man story is to have the premise: “Spider-Man fights _ again.”
Which is the worst idea for a Spider-Man story. In fact, two of Ditko’s weakest issues, written after he had basically given up on the series, involve Spider-Man fighting Kraven or Molten Man again.
That’s not to say these villains shouldn’t return. They should. But their return needs to tell a different story with them or move their own story forward.
That’s the big question. Is this story advancing the saga of this villain or bringing it in circles?
Dr. Octopus fought Spider-Man. When they fought again, it led to the death of Betty Brant’s brother and Spider-Man being unmasked. The villain returned but it was a new story. When they fought again, Dr. Octopus assembled six of Spider-Man’s most sinister foes to battle him. Again, a different story. Finally, they had their greatest battle with Dr. Octopus in the guise of the Master Planner. I heaped plenty of praise on that saga at the time. But suffice it to say, I think there was more of a premise to that story than “Spider-Man fights Dr. Octopus again.”
Spider-Man fought the Lizard, but then learned he was a good man Dr. Connors transformed by his own science experiments.
We saw that man again, cured of his Lizard ways, now acting as a scientific advisor to Spider-Man. We saw him again last issue in a similar capacity, advising against the Rhino. That time he idly wondered if the powers of the Lizard could be used against the Rhino. Spider-Man convinced him that thinking is dangerous.
So as we read stories where Spider-Man fights a classic villain again, I have a couple thought questions. Is the story moving the villain’s story forward? Is it telling a new story with the villain? Is there more to the premise than “Spider-Man fights _ again”?
I’m not objecting per se to Spider-Man fighting the Lizard again. Romita is an artist with a distinctive style from Ditko, so it’s fun to see his take on Ditko’s villains.
And the story will be good because Romita’s art is good and because he’ll do a good job with the side characters and soap opera. But will the story be good?
The idea is that the potion Connors created to help defeat the Rhino retriggered his Lizardness.
Curt had been living in New York while his wife and child were still in Florida. But they are up for a visit. He had hoped to greet them at the train station, but has to run away when his Lizard-self starts to emerge.
Soon the Lizard is fully in control and plotting to conquer the world again.
Aunt May thinks Peter needs a haircut. Glad she hasn’t seen my hair.
I’m always curious how much time is passing and looking for clues, and constantly annoyed by inconsistencies in those clues. The ages of small children can be a big hint.
We didn’t know how old Billy was then or is now. He still seems pre-teen. Maybe 10 or so? Spider-Man notes he has grown a lot.
Peter was in high school when they met and is in college now. As far as I can tell, it’s still his first year in college. In issue 8, we learned Peter was a senior in high school. He may have been a junior in issue 6. So it could be 2 or so years.
Billy’s mother is named Martha. That’s also the name of Batman’s mom! And Superman’s! Martha Martha Martha!
Ned and Betty haven’t yet set a date for the wedding. Peter will be invited. Is it awkward to go to your ex’s wedding? Peter notes Betty is like a sister to him now.
In issue 42, Pete’s semi-friends invited him to the Silver Spoon. He declined as usual. This time, he stops by there to get out of the rain and runs into the gang. This will be a common hangout spot we are seeing for the first time.
But let me emphasize that Peter didn’t plan to meet them there. He ran into them by chance. As far as we know, he’s never actually hung out with these people socially.
Harry noted Pete had missed class that morning. Pete made the excuse he had personal things to take care of. For once his excuse was true! He took his aunt to the train station then went to the Daily Bugle. He doesn’t have to lie. He can leave out other details of what he did that morning.
An important change is coming for one of our major characters. Flash Thompson may be drafted. He’ll be reporting for the draft physical later.
Can he not defer because he is in college? Or is that only for people with bone spurs?
An unnamed friend at the next booth is concerned the football team will miss Flash. Jokes are made about Peter being on the team. They are concerned about Metro’s star, Whitey Mullins. We met him in Fantastic Four #50. In a story that was a really odd subplot to the Galactus saga and that Stan and Jack seemed to have entirely forgotten about. As Johnny and Wyatt have been missing a lot of class to travel the world in search of Crystal.
By chance, MJ also stops by the Silver Spoon. Gwen, Flash, and Harry had never seen her before. Harry is shocked that Pete knows such a good-looking girl. We saw Pete and MJ on their first date last issue. Perhaps this encounter will lead to their second. Peter acts like these are his friends, although we have never seen them hang out before. And as far as I know, they never have. They have classes together, and occasionally invite Peter to things, and he never shows up. I imagine he’s just trying to impress Mary Jane by pretending he has friends.
Gwen had invited Peter to review what he missed in science class. MJ has invited him to go see a guitarist instead. These are the choices that matter, Pete. It’s not just choosing science or a guitarist. These ladies will become Pete’s Betty and Veronica.
Peter chooses MJ.
Gwen is mad Peter is neglecting his studies… or is something else bothering her? Is she jealous of Pete and MJ? Or was she jealous of the attention that Flash was showing MJ?
It’s this stuff that redeems this issue. The good social dynamics on display. The Lizard arc in this issue basically fills pages.
We don’t see Pete’s evening with MJ, but we learn later that he had enjoyed himself. We are left to fill in the blanks about how it went. It was “like a dozen holidays rolled into one!”
In a good subtle moment, we see Pete had been painting his bike red. It had been blue. The script doesn’t draw much attention to it. It’s basically a background detail. Earlier, MJ had commented she didn’t like the color of Peter’s bike. So…
I don’t like how the battle plays out over the next two issues. Spider-Man repeatedly attacks the Lizard. He’ll lose this encounter. But even if he’d won… what then? He doesn’t need to beat the creature up. He needs to cure him. So it seems to me step 1 should have been to try to recreate the antidote he used last time. And he’s put no effort into that. Instead going out with MJ, painting his bike, and then getting into a fistfight with Lizard with no endgame plan in mind.
Part of why I thought Ditko’s Spider-Man stories were great were that they often seamlessly blended together Peter’s personal problems and Spider-Man’s issues into a single narrative. Whereas the other superhero titles all failed miserably to do that.
This issue is struggling with it. There’s a good Peter Parker saga going on. A medicore Lizard saga going on. But the story just cuts between them. The two sides of the story don’t seem to be in conversation each other or connect very well. In fact, they connect poorly. Why is Peter painting his bike and not working on a cure for the Lizard? It’s not unreasonable that he would make such a choice, choosing social goals over Spider-Man’s responsibilities. But then attention should be drawn to it. At this point, Connors is a good friend of his, who once helped save Aunt May’s life. And he’s in trouble. Peter going on a date with MJ or painting his bike and not working on an antidote feels cavalier.
Spider-Man falls when Lizard cuts his web with the tale. He sprains his arm. A doctor bandages him up.
He’ll now have to fight the Lizard with one hand. Is that a big enough difference from his last battle with the Lizard to justify this story existing?
Well, no. Because in the issue following his first battle with the Lizard, he broke his arm and had to fight Vulture one-handed. So this plot basically just mashes up two older Spider-Man plots. Plus Lizard’s plan involves framing Spider-Man for a crime. I’ve lost count of how many times that has happened.
C’mon, people. Don’t repeat yourself so much!
MJ invites Peter to see her dance a solo at performer’s school. So she’s in a different college, perhaps training to be an actress or a dancer? But Peter can’t let her see him with a broken arm and make the connection to Spider-Man.
In the old days, this would have been wrapped up in one issue. Now it takes two.
Good Ditkoesque last panel where Peter reflects on everything going wrong in his life.
In barely tangentially related news, I mentioned before that I had adopted a kitten named Kirby. Kirby had needed a friend, so I adopted another kitten as well. This is Ditko.
Rating: ★★★☆☆, 53/100
Significance: ★★★☆☆
I read this story in Amazing Spider-Man Epic Collection vol. 3: Spider-Man No More.
Characters:
- Aunt May
- Peter Parker/Spider-Man
- Curtis “Curt” Connors/Lizard
- Martha Connors
- Billy Connors
- Betty Brant
- J. Jonah Jameson
- Fred Foswell
- Harry Osborn
- Flash Thompson
- Gwen Stacy
- Mary Jane Watson
Story notes:
- Aunt May taking a vacation, a few weeks at the sea shore as advised by Doc Bromwell. She is of course worried whether Peter will be okay without her.
- Peter took his last $30 to be a down payment for May’s trip.
- Curt Connors has been living in New York with his family in Florida. He is at the train station waiting for them to arrive. But his hand seems to be turning green and lizard-like. Or perhaps he imagined it.
- Connors suspects the potion he created to stop Rhino may be responsible for reactiving the Lizard within him.
- Connors starts becoming the Lizard so runs away from his family and the station. He escapes into the subway tunnel.
- Martha suspects the truth but tries to protect Billy from it.
- Lizard’s mind takes over again.
- Lizard creates lair underground amidst maze of pipes. He plans to destroy the human race, especially Spider-Man.
- Peter sees Martha Connors and suspects something is wrong.
- Spider-Man agrees to find Connors and stop him if he’s the Lizard again.
- Spider-Man recaps last battle with Lizard.
- Peter thinks he can sell Jameson photos of the Lizard, as he last time failed to prove the Lizard existed.
- Betty and Ned have not yet set a date. Peter is invited to the wedding. Peter thinks Betty is now like a sister to him.
- Jameson doesn’t believe Lizard is real and he will only accept photos of Spider-Man that prove he’s a menace.
- Foswell decides to tail Peter as Patch to find out about his connection to Spider-Man.
- Jameson assigns Foswell to profile the cop who helped Spider-Man against the Rhino. Likely the idea is to build up the cop as a real hero, as contrasted with Spider-Man.
- Gwen offers to fill Peter in on what he missed in class.
- MJ invites Peter to a spot with a guitarist, so he passes on Gwen’s offer to review science.
- MJ doesn’t like the color of Peter’s motorcycle, so he paints it red.
- Lizard climbs a building to steal jewelry and frame Spider-Man. Indeed, the cops mistake him for Spider-Man.
- Jameson learns the Bugle ran an Extra about Spider-Man’s gem heist while he slept. He fears they’ll be made a fool again when Spider-Man is cleared.
- Peter enjoyed his evening with Mary Jane.
- Peter puts his mask over his mouth to talk on the phone as Spider-Man.
- Peter inattentive in class, thinking about the Lizard.
- Flash believes Spider-Man is innocent.
- Crowd sees two people scaling wall and suspects Spider-Man may be innocent of the crime.
- Doctor bandages Spider-Man’s arm and offers to take him to his office, but he declines.
- Peter can’t let anyone see him with an injured arm for fear they’ll connect it to Spider-Man’s injury.
- Spider-Man left his camera behind.
| Previous | #638 | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Sgt. Fury #37 | Reading order | Amazing Spider-Man #45 |
| Amazing Spider-Man #43 | Amazing Spider-Man | Amazing Spider-Man #45 |
