Giant-Size Super-Heroes #1. Man-Wolf and Morbius

(Cover from 1974.)

"Man-Wolf At Midnight!"

Written by Gerry Conway.

Drawn by Gil Kane.

Inked by Mike Esposito.

Lettering by John Costanza.

Colours by Linda Lessmann.

Morbius is back in town - and he's decided to take control of the Man-Wolf.

Why? I couldn't say. While the sight of a vampire and werewolf heading off together down the street's an appealing one, Morbius' plan is to get an ESU professor to give him a total blood transfusion and cure him of his vampirism. Why he needs the Man-Wolf for this, I don't know. Maybe he needs his lupine lackey to distract Spider-Man while he visits the prof but why does he expect Spider-Man to turn up? Spidey wouldn't even have reason to suspect he was in town, let alone that he was about to pay the professor a visit. By blundering around New York at street level, with the Man-Wolf in tow, all he's doing is guaranteeing he'll be spotted.

Then again, Morbius isn't the only one acting irrationally. Spider-Man clearly realises Morbius wants the professor to cure him. At this point, anyone with a functioning brain and sense of social responsibility would offer Morbius all the help he could in order to end the threat his vampiric state poses.

So, what does Spider-Man do?

Everything he can to wreck Morbius' plan! And then, when he succeeds, he seems to think he's achieved a victory, happily ignoring the fact he's preserved the existence of a menace and guaranteed that more innocent people will die.

It's not the first time our hero's acted like this. He did the same when confronted by the Molten Man's attempts to cure himself in Amazing Spider-Man #133. Interesting then that that encounter gets a name-check in this tale. Maybe we have to accept Spider-man really is as big a menace as J Jonah Jameson has always said he is.

The story's entertaining enough but it seems to me the main problem is that its "Giant-Size" tag's completely unearned. The story's too short. When it comes, the ending really is abrupt. It seems like we're about to get another ten-or-so pages of action, as Spidey tracks down and defeats Morbius - and the Man-Wolf, but, instead, from out of nowhere, we get an epilogue. The end of the tale came as such a surprise I genuinely had to check I hadn't turned two pages at once and missed something. Nothing's resolved and the tale seems to serve merely as a means of bringing back John Jameson's furry alter-ego. While I've no objection to his return, the fact he's shown as a mere patsy for Morbius, and no great threat to Spider-Man, does mean you're given no reason to feel excited that he's back.

Speaking of mysteries, I'm still baffled as to how Morbius worked out from a story in the Daily Bugle that the Man-Wolf is in fact John Jameson, and it does seem a remarkable feat for him to just happened to have found the only drunk in New York City who saw the climax of Spider-Man's first fight with the Man-Wolf. In the next panel, Morbius says that finding the gem that causes Jameson's condition was the only bit of luck he needed in the whole plan. Really? Some might say that finding the only person, in a city of some ten million people, who happened to have the information he needed took a fair bit of good fortune.

It's hard for me to comment on the artwork. It's by Gil Kane so I assume it's fine but I'm using a copy of Essential Spider-Man Volume 6 and the quality of reproduction's terrible. It genuinely looks like the it came out of a fax machine. I know the Essentials are supposed to be cheap and cheerful but you can't help feeling it wouldn't have killed Marvel to have got someone in to touch-up the inking so it at least looked publishable.

Amazing Spider-Man Annual #10. The Human Fly

(Cover from 1976.)

"Step Into My Parlor..."

Plot by Len Wein.

Written by Bill Mantlo.

Pencils by Gil Kane.

Inks by Giacoia/Esposito.

Lettering John Costanza.

Colours by Petra Goldberg.

What possessed them? What possessed them to put Spider-Man up against a foe called the Human Fly? For that matter, what possessed Len Wein to make Amazing Spider-Man Annual #10, a straight rerun of Lee/Ditko's Amazing Spider-Man #20? That story was a classic and one of my favourite Spider-tales ever as our hero first encountered the Scorpion and nearly got killed, not once but twice. This, on the other hand, is just plain stupid.

J Jonah Jameson, out to boost the Daily Bugle's flagging circulation, decides it'd be a great idea to create a brand new super-villain for Spider-Man to fight. Ignoring the fact that super-villains are dangerous, he goes to see the never-before-mentioned brother of Scorpion-creator Farley Stillwell, who just happens to be as loopy as his sibling and for some reason looks like Moe from the Three Stooges.

Given such a task, Stillwell knows exactly what to do. He'll create a fly-man to defeat Spider-Man. After all, he reasons, how could anyone with the powers of a spider possibly triumph against a foe with the powers of a fly? Erm, presumably the same way Crocodile Man could beat Wildebeest Boy, and Great White Shark Man could beat Stoned Surfer Dude. Ignoring the lessons of the food chain, Stillwell does his stuff on a small-time crook who's just dragged himself out of the river and has a grudge against Spider-Man.

Needless to say it all goes wrong. The Human Fly kills Stillwell then kidnaps Jameson to force Spider-Man into fighting him. Spider-Man fights him and clobbers him.

How does he do that?

By beating him up.

I've said this before but I really hate stories where Spider-Man defeats foes by beating them up. I want to see him using wit, ingenuity, cheating or even the odd bit of luck but never just beating people up.

Gil Kane's pencils are as dynamic as ever but the inking of Giacoia and Esposito just doesn't suit his work at all. The writing's competent but it's basically Spider-Man by numbers. There's nothing in this tale we haven't seen before; from Jameson's idiocy to Robbie's bravery to Stillwell's lunacy. And because any super-tale's unlikely to be better than its bad guy, and the Human Fly seems like one of those villains that never appeared outside a Hostess Twinkies ad, like its antagonist this tale would've needed a miracle if it were to succeed.

Amazing Spider-Man #150. The Spider-Slayer

(Cover from November 1975.)

"Spider-Man... ...Or Spider-Clone?"

Words by Archie Goodwin.

Pencils by Gil Kane.

Inks by Mike Esposito and Frank Giacoia.

Lettering by Joe Rosen.

Colours by P Goldberg.

Insomnia makes philosophers of us all. Most of us at some time have asked the question, "Why am I me?" Here, Peter Parker takes it one step further and asks, "Am I me?"

I suppose the obvious next stage in this evolution is to ask, "I me?" but, as that would make no sense, it's probably best we halt our quest for enlightenment there.

That's right, Peter Parker needs to know if he's the real deal or a mere clone of our hero. As with all of Spider-Man's biologically-based problems, there's only one way to find out.

And that's to go see Curt Connors.

That's where the story begins to get a little odd because, at this point, it starts to become a virtual re-run of issue #100, with an existentially challenged Spidey seemingly nodding off, to be confronted by a dream sequence of his old foes who he promptly despatches as each new one comes along. Writer Arche Goodwin even acknowledges this in a thought balloon.

The point at which it deviates is the point at which the Spider-Slayer turns up, and its driver Professor Smythe declares the foes to have been mere androids designed to wear our hero out before the attack proper. In other words, this is no dream.

Oddly though, even here, it still feels like issue #100. Needless to say, Spidey quickly defeats Smythe and realises, thanks to having had visions of MJ - not Gwen - when facing death, that he's not the clone. The clone was created before Peter began his relationship with MJ, by a man obsessed with Gwen Stacy. Therefore, Spider-Man reasons, his strong feelings for Mary Jane prove he's the original article.

Thanks to its distinctly second-hand nature, and the less than anticipated return of the Spider-Slayer, this is never going to be one of my favourite tales but it is a quite cleverly conceived one, allowing the old foes to represent the self-doubt that plagues him, with the Slayer as the ultimate embodiment of that urge. It also enables Peter to realise he's not a clone, in dramatised and direct terms rather than just have him sit around for twenty pages, waiting for the results of Curt Connors lab test. It's a story written by Archie Goodwin and, has a cunning behind it that I somehow couldn't envision from the now-departed Gerry Conway.

But Conway's not the only creative regular missing because, no offence to the always sterling Ross Andru but, on the art front, it's nice to see Gil Kane back, even if his presence does increase the issue's similarity to issue #100, also drawn by him.

Amazing Spider-Man #124. Man-Wolf makes his debut

(Cover from September 1973.)

"The Mark of the Man-Wolf"

Words by Gerry Conway.
Pencils by Gil Kane.
Inks by John Romita and T Mortellero.
Lettering by Artie Simek.
Colours by David Hunt.

Werewolves are like London buses. You go for years without seeing one and then two come along at once.

Only weeks after Spider-Man encounters his first Lycanthrope, in the form of Werewolf By Night (Marvel Team-Up #12), he's now up against another. Quite why Marvel Comics' powers-that-be decided our hero needed such a crash course in lupine savagery is anyone's guess. Still, it could have been worse. They could have given him a crash course in lupin savagery. Now there would have been a story to fear. In truth, the overdose of wolfmen's probably pure coincidence but who cares? For once, it gives Spidey a chance to fight villains who don't answer back.

So, that settled, which wolf is best?

For me it's got to be Man-Wolf. Leaving aside the fact he's got a snappier nomenclature, he's also got a costume - and his head actually looks like a wolf instead of a coconut. On top of that, the dramatic potential of him being J Jonah Jameson's son is far stronger than that of him being someone we'd never heard of (Jack Russell) until he got the mark of the beast.

Still, you have to feel sorry for John Jameson. Seemingly a decent chap, on his first appearance, way back in Amazing Spider-Man #1, his space capsule nearly crashed. In a subsequent appearance, deadly space spores turned him into a mad super-villain. And now, moon beams have turned him into a wolf. Clearly outer space and John Jameson don't mix. All the more unfortunate then that he's an astronaut.

I have to admit the era of the strip we're in now's my all-time favourite. I mean, the Ditko era has a charm all its own and I've always viewed the Romita epoch as "classic" Spider-Man but the months - and even years - in the wake of Gwen Stacy's death, and Peter Parker's subsequent romance with Mary Jane - not to mention the shifting in his relationships with the other characters, and with himself - grabs me the most.

And this issue? Highlights of the month have to be the closing panel, with Spidey looking the wrong way as the Man-Wolf leaps at him, and also Peter Parker, in class, snapping his pencil in half. Who would've thought that a man snapping an HB in two would grab you so much? It just goes to show it's a strange old world.

But then, John Jameson could have told you that.

Amazing Spider-Man #123. Luke Cage - hero for hire

(Cover from August 1973.)

"Just A Man Called Cage!"

Words by Gerry Conway.
Pencils by Gil Kane and John Romita.
Inks by John Romita and Tony Mortellaro.
Lettering by Artie Simek.
Colours by Dave Hunt.

There's a theory that, whatever your calendar might say, each decade actually begins three years into its tenure. Can it be the same rule applies to Spider-Man?

Perhaps.

In many ways Luke Cage is a corny and clichéd character and definitely a creation of his time. But he can also be a compelling one - hard-bitten and cynical, driven more by the need to make money than a desire to be the good guy - and his appearance in Spider-Man can be viewed in some ways as a precursor to the arrival of The Punisher. The Punisher, of course, has other motives but, like Cage, inhabits a landscape harder and meaner than our hero's previously inhabited. It may be 1973 but, maybe, in acknowledging a harsher reality out there, perhaps the rule stands true and this is the tale in which Spider-Man fully enters the 1970s.

Of course, being a pro doesn't mean Cage won't do the right thing in the end and he's a suitable foe for Spider-Man; even if, in reality, he wouldn't stand a chance against the web-spinner. Still, the fight allows Spidey to get a few things off his chest, and the contrast in mentality between the two characters makes the story work.

Cage also turns out to be a lot smarter than most foes Spidey's ever come across. He works out the three places our hero's most likely to be and, by a speedy process of elimination, works out exactly where to find him. It makes you wonder why none of his previous foes - or the police for that matter -have ever been that bright.

As for the set up, yet again we have the, "J Jonah Jameson gets someone in to capture Spider-Man," storyline. But this time it's different. This time, Jameson's motives seem pure. He really does see Spider-Man as a menace - and, for once, has good evidence to think so. With this and Joe Robertson's defence of Jameson early in the tale, it's a noticeably more balanced portrayal of the Daily Bugle publisher than we're used to and all the more welcome for it.

But there's other business here. There's still that shadowy figure from last issue, the one who saw the Green Goblin's death, and now, it transpires, has since removed the Goblin's costume to make the whole world think Spider-Man murdered Norman Osborn. Who is he? Who can he be?

I think we can guess.

But can we guess right?

Amazing Spider-Man #122. The Green Goblin dies

(Cover from July 1973.)

"The Goblin's Last Stand!"

Words by Gerry Conway.

Art by Gil Kane/John Romita/Tony Mortellaro.

Lettering by Artie Simek.

Colours by Andy Yanchus.

"And so do the proud men die. Crucified not on a cross of gold but on a stake of humble tin." Issue #121 may be the attention grabber; the one in which Gwen Stacy actually dies but this is the issue that redefines the strip and redefines comics in general. Never before had a super-hero title dealt in raw emotion the way this one does. Not content with killing off one major character, we now have two bodies on our hands. First Peter Parker's greatest love and now his greatest enemy. Gerry Conway may have taken command many moons ago - and done it quietly - but this is the moment in which he positively shouts his arrival.

But Gwen and the Goblin aren't the only ones to have died this night. Steve Ditko's Spider-Man dies too, the wise-cracking one who fought villains out of a sense of responsibility. Now his co-creation's on a mission for vengeance and doesn't care who gets hurt along the way. The Goblin's cluelessness in this story's astonishing. He clearly doesn't get that this isn't the old Spider-Man he's up against. The rules have changed. This is Spider-Man as avenging angel. This is a foe even more murderous than he.

Spider-Man of course stops at murder. Marvel would never, and should never, let one of its heroes go that far - not, at least, without suffering the ultimate retribution themselves - but it means the Goblin never had a chance.

Dead too is the Mary Jane of old, the care-free, careless, callous party girl with the teflon persona to which nothing, not even being held at gunpoint in issue #59, sticks. In comes a new Mary Jane; perhaps not more complex but willing at least to show those complexities. When the Goblin calls Gwen a simpering, pointless girl who never did more than occupy space, was he merely voicing the thoughts of Conway? And is this why the tale ends with Mary Jane so prominent? Glad to be rid of her, Conway simply couldn't wait to fill the vacuum that he saw in Gwen?

But, in all this turmoil, there's one other strand. Just who is that figure lurking in the dark and what part can he have to play in all this?

Amazing Spider-Man #121. The Death of Gwen Stacy

(Cover from June 1973.)

"The Night Gwen Stacy Died"

Words by Gerry Conway.

Art by Gil Kane/John Romita/Tony Mortellaro.

Lettering by Artie Simek.

Colours by Andy Yanchus.

Just as lives change, so do times. Had this issue been produced in a more recent era, it would have been marketed as an, "event," with eight different variant covers, five million copies shipped and a media blitz. As it is, there's none of that.

Granted, the men behind it were shrewd enough to know they had a big deal on their hands. The cover lets you know that, as does the decision to hide the story's title until the very last panel. But they had the sense to not give the game away. We're told someone's going to die but not who. It means the comic gets by purely on surprise and power.

And of course the death of Gwen Stacy is more than a surprise. It's an outright shock. Never before had a comic done anything so dramatic or daring. Lois Lane might have got kidnapped on a virtually daily basis but you were never left in any doubt that, thanks to Superman, she'd escape without a scratch on her.

But this isn't Superman. This is Spider-Man; and Spider-Man does things differently.

But exactly how does she die? To me it's pretty unambiguous. As Spider-Man fires his webbing to save her, he hears a, "Swik."

We see a, "Snap."

Clearly the sudden halt to her descent has broken her neck, killing her instantly.

The Goblin has other ideas, claiming that a fall from that height would kill anyone long before they hit the ground. Oh yeah? Try telling that to all the zillions of parachutists out there. No no no, in his attempts to save her, Spider-Man - not the Green Goblin - killed Gwen Stacy, and that makes her death all the more shocking.

But, shock ending aside, does the story actually stand up?

Well, yeah, in its own way. It has to be said that, up to the climax, it's not an exceptional tale. Harry's on the drugs - been done before. Norman Osborn, a man under pressure, snaps and rushes to a secret hideout to become the Green Goblin - been done before. Peter Parker goes into battle feeling under the weather - been done before. We even get the obligatory scene at the Daily Bugle where J Jonah Jameson has a rant at Peter before discovering he's got sensational pictures of Spider-Man. So, all in all, just another Spider-Tale from the production line that's been churning them out for a decade now.

But, in a way, that's the story's strength. It means you're not prepared for it to become so epoch-making. Yes, we know someone's going to die but the front cover hints at one of a whole bunch of people. Events early on suggest it's either Harry or Norman Osborn. The cover implies it might even be Randy Robertson, a dispensable character if ever there was one. And, had this story been done now, you know it would've been a double-length issue, with the last few pages each containing less frames than the one before until it climaxed with one big frame (And mustn't forget the internal monologue that'd accompany each picture. Mustn't forget to let us know just what Peter Parker's thinking as his beloved plummets to her death. The word, "no" would have featured at some point, as well as, "can't.").

OK, so this does end with one big frame - but the build up to it involves no gimmicks, just the style of story-telling we'd expect to see in any issue. And the normality of the tale, the fact that it's executed just like any other up until that fateful scene, that's why the climax hits so hard when it arrives.

Amazing Spider-Man #120. The Hulk in Canada

(Cover from May 1973.)

"The Fight And The Fury!"

Words by Gerry Conway.

Pencils by Gil Kane.

Inks by John Romita/Tony Mortellaro.

Art assist by P. Reinman.

Lettering by Artie Simek.

Colours by Stan G.

Hard to believe that something the size of the Hulk might quickly become an irrelevance but, oddly enough, that's exactly what he is this issue. After all the big build up, last month, to the fight between the not-so-jolly green giant and the webbed wonder, this issue, he doesn't really need to be in it at all.

The core of the tale is this; Peter Parker goes to meet the mysterious lawyer Mssr Rimbaud, only for the solicitor to be shot before he can tell Peter what the big deal with his aunt is. All of which makes Spider-Man's twin meetings with the Hulk so much padding. Remove them and the outcome of the tale would be exactly the same. It's inevitable I suppose. Whatever Spidey's many attributes, he's never going to win a fight with the Hulk, so any action between the two can only be used as a temporary diversion in a wider plot.

On the art front, Gil Kane's back. His layouts this issue don't seem as imaginative as they have in the past but, of course, they still have all their usual polish and slickness.

Something that's oddly pleasing to me is the final panel on the page where the Hulk uproots a column and flings it at our hero. The depiction of the Hulk in that frame is remarkably Ditko-esque. I'm sure it's pure coincidence, just a natural overlap in styles but still, it's oddly pleasing to be reminded, at this late stage, of the strip's original artist.

How unlucky is Peter Parker? It's the second issue running where he happens to be in a vehicle that just happens to blunder straight into the path of the gamma-spawned monster. I mean, really, what're the chances?

Amazing Spider-Man #105. The Spider-Slayer

(Cover from February 1972.)

"The Spider Slayer!"

Words by Stan Lee.
Pencils by Gil Kane.
Inks by Frank Giacoia.
Lettering by Artie Simek.

Well well and thrice well, it seems like this is an issue for comebacks. Spidey's back in New York, Stan Lee's back in the writer's seat, Flash Thompson's back from the war, Harry Osborn's back from the hospital, Randy Robertson's back on the picket lines, and Professor Smythe's back with his Spider Slayer.

Under normal circumstances, the last of those returns would be the least welcome. After all, we've had the Spider Slayer storyline before - twice - and I doubt too many readers were in a rush to see it again. Happily, this time, there's a twist, Smythe wants to use the slayer not to kill Spider-Man but to frame him for a crime of Smythe's own doing.

Not only that but he's planted cameras all around town and thus, at the end of the tale, he discovers Spider-Man's true identity.

Of course, despite this increased competence, Smythe still has his eccentricities. For some reason, he declares that his previous slayers failed because they were human-shaped and that this one will succeed because it's spider-shaped. With logic like that, you can see why his previous plans failed.

On the art front, Gil Kane's pencils are as excellent as ever, though Frank Giacoia's inks are a little too heavy-handed and do much to obscure the elegance of the maestro's work.

Sadly, MJ's still going through her bitch phase and insists on coming onto Peter in front of Gwen Stacy - even as she's waiting for her own boyfriend Harry's return from the hospital. Oi, Watson, no.

Amazing Spider-Man #104. Kraven, Gog and Ka-Zar

(A not noticeably accurate representation of what goes on within the comic. Cover from January 1972.)

"The Beauty and the Brute"

Story by Roy Thomas
Art by Gil Kane
Inks by Frank Giacoia
Lettering by Artie Simek

Spinning spiders, I'm back, after a six month absence, and poor old Spidey's still stuck in that quicksand. How could I have abandoned him at such a vital time? Well, thanks to the vagaries of misfiring technology, all-too easily. But how will he get out of this mess?

Happily, Ka-Zar's there to rescue him and the pair set off together to deal with Kraven.

Bearing in mind that he's already come across Mary Jane - way back when he was trying to do away with Norman Osborn - it is a bit baffling that Kraven's decided he wants to take Gwen as his mate. You'd've thought sweet Gwendolyne'd seem a bit insipid after MJ but still, he clearly works on the principle that beggars can't be choosers.

Despite Roy Thomas' tendency towards escapism with these tales, it's a surprisingly nasty outing, with Ka-Zar being hanged by the neck at one point and the poor hapless Gog drowning in quicksand of a sort that only seems to exist in the land of fiction. Still, it's nice to see a more human side to J Jonah Jameson, even if it is forced on him by the seeming death of Peter and Gwen. Plus, Thomas and Kane neatly avoid the problem of having to explain to the other characters how Spider-Man and Petey both happen to be in the Savage Land at the same time. They do it by contriving to have no one notice that Spidey's there - apart from one panel when JJ thinks he's spotted him then decides it's just his paranoia taking over.

This "invisibility" does pose the question of why Spidey's actually present in this tale at all; as it might as well be a Ka-Zar solo outing. Admittedly, Spidey does dispose of Gog but it's Ka-Zar who disposes of #1 villain Kraven, and the truth is Zabu could probably have despatched the monster in exactly the same manner as our hero does.

Maybe it's my imagination but Gog's origin seems to be a nod to Ray Harryhausen's classic 1950s' movie Twenty Million Miles to Earth. For some reason, this reference makes me very happy.

Amazing Spider-Man #103. Ka-Zar, Kraven & Gog

(Cover from December 1971.)

"WALK THE SAVAGE LAND!"

Written by Roy Thomas
Drawn by Gil Kane
Inked by Frank Giacoia
Lettered by Artie Simek

What happens:
The Daily Bugle's in financial trouble. It needs a big story and it needs it now. So J Jonah Jameson decides to mount an expedition to the Savage Land to get photos of a giant creature called Gog, rumoured to be lurking there. Among the team he takes are Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy but, once there, Gog appears and takes Gwen, with Peter sent flying into a river.

Away from the prying eyes of the others, Peter changes into his Spider-Man suit and goes after the beast. But, getting over-confident, he lands in quicksand and, at the tale's end, is rapidly sinking, with no means of escape.

The Verdict:
So, after last issue's take on Dracula, this month we get Roy Thomas' take on King Kong in what has to be one of the silliest adventures Spider-Man's ever had. It's interesting to contrast Thomas' approach to that of Stan Lee. Whereas Lee had worked hard to tie Spidey into the real world, keeping his adventures in New York and introducing real life political and social issues, Thomas goes for out-and-out fantasy. I have to say I prefer the Lee approach. I'm a big fan of Thomas' work on things like the Avengers and Conan but, somehow it never quite feels like it belongs on a strip like Spider-Man. It's a beautifully drawn tale though from Gil Kane. I especially like the Daily Bugle scenes with the editorial conference.

I have to say the handling of Gwen Stacy in this issue irks me. For one thing, she's blubbing her eyes out again - I really wish she'd stop doing that - and, for another, the whole blundering around in the jungle in a bikini is terrible. I know Roy Thomas has been accused of sexism over the years but this is taking liberties.

Peter Parker uses a gun. Peter Parker should never use a gun.

Interesting to see that Kraven wants Gwen for his mate. Clearly we should never read anything into the fact that he barges around looking like the sixth member of the Village People.

Amazing Spider-Man #102. Morbius & the Lizard

"VAMPIRE AT LARGE!"

(Cover from November 1971.)

Written by Roy Thomas
Drawn by Gil Kane
Inked by Frank Giacoia
Lettered by Artie Simek

What happens:
During his fight with Morbius, the Lizard's flung into an electrical device which knocks him out. As he lies unconscious, Morbius tries to drink his blood but Spider-Man stops him and the vampire flees. However, Morbius' bite has had an odd affect on the Lizard because now he has Curt Connors' mind. Spider-Man and Connors reason that Morbius' system must contain an enzyme that caused the change and that it might also be the cure for Spider-Man's condition. Armed with this knowledge, they set off after the vampire.

They catch up with him in the city and, after a fight, manage to gain a sample of Morbius' blood. But the living vampire flees, taking the hard won sample with him. Spider-Man gives chase and his quarry falls into the river where he begins to drown.

But, as Morbius sinks, Spider-Man manages to snag the vial of blood, with his webbing. Fortunately for him, the enzyme works and, within seconds of taking it, his extra arms are gone.

The Verdict:
This is billed as a double-length issue, one of a whole range published that month as Marvel looked to gain a lead on their rivals DC. The experiment was short-lived, dumped after just one month and, in retrospect, it was probably not a bad thing the policy was ditched. This does seem too slight a tale to be told over so many pages. The scene in the TV newsroom feels like pure, out-and-out padding, and the flashback scenes revealing Morbius' origin could easily have been done more succinctly.

Much as I love him, Roy Thomas really is stretching our faith in dumb luck with this issue. The fact that Morbius' blood just happens to contain the enzyme that's the only thing that can cure Spider-Man's current condition is stretching it but then Spider-Man's luck in accidentally snaring the vial - when he's trying to snare the drowning vampire - is pushing things way too far. Thomas tries to get himself off the hook by later implying Spidey was subconsciously more interested in saving the serum than in saving Morbius but it really doesn't wash. Over-all it's a disappointing end to what, last issue, had started out so promisingly.

Amazing Spider-Man #101. Morbius and the Lizard

(Who wouldn't want to read a comic with a cover like this? From October 1971.)

"A MONSTER CALLED MORBIUS!"

Written by Roy Thomas.
Drawn by Gil Kane.
Inked by Frank Giacoia.
Lettering by Artie Simek.

What happens:
Peter Parker soon realises that his only hope of curing the affliction that's given him six arms is to seek the help of Curt Connors, the scientist who grows an extra arm when he becomes the Lizard. He phones the man, who agrees to loan him the use of an isolated house he owns which has a fully equipped lab.

But, when Spider-Man gets there, he's attacked and knocked out by Michael Morbius, a living vampire who's just come ashore after killing everyone aboard the ship on which he was previously hiding. As Morbius closes in for the kill, Curt Connors walks in - and the threat posed by Morbius causes him to transform into the Lizard. When Spider-Man regains consciousness, he finds The Lizard and Morbius squaring up for a fight - with him as the prize!

The Verdict.
So Spider-man goes all Hammer Horror as he finds himself in a creepy old house with what's basically Dracula in a costume. Even Morbius' method of arriving - by ship - echoes that of Vlad himself. Still, despite that, Morbius is a distinctive creation in his own right and there is something genuinely threatening about the vampire. It's a tale that's always felt not quite like other Spider-tales, which might be down to the fact it was written by Roy Thomas and not Stan Lee; and, if you stop to think about it for even one moment, there's an inherent ludicrousness to the story as we get the tale of a six-armed man, a human reptile and a vampire all stuck together in a haunted house. Probably all it needs is a guest spot from Abbott and Costello to make it into a Universal creature feature.

Either way, never the most conventional of artists, Gil Kane's in his element with his portrayal of the scenes in and around the old house and you have to love the single-panel page where the vampire flings our helpless hero from a balcony.

Amazing Spider-Man #100. Six-armed Spidey

"THE SPIDER OR THE MAN?"

(The strip that Martin Goodman thought no one would buy hits the ton. Cover from September 1971.)

Written by Stan Lee
Drawn by Gil Kane
Inked by Frank Giacoia
Lettered by Artie Simek

What happens:
Peter Parker comes to the decision that he can never have a life with Gwen Stacy as long as he's Spider-Man and so, before retiring to bed, he takes a potion he's designed to rob him of his powers. He then has a dream where he must take on his deadliest foes while a mysterious voice calls out to him.

The voice is that of Captain Stacy and, in the dream, Stacy tells him he can never be free of his arachnid alter-ego, at which point, Peter awakes.

But something's gone wrong. Instead of ridding him of his spider powers, the formula's done the opposite. As he climbs from bed, he suddenly discovers the shocking truth.

He now has six arms!

The Verdict.
Clearly there's something wrong with me because this story-line tends to be derided as one of the stupidest tales in Spider-Man's history but I love the whole six-arms things. Maybe I'm just a sucker for melodrama, or maybe it's the sheer ludicrousness of the whole thing that grabs me.

That aside, the tale's pretty thin, mostly dedicated to a dream that marks the strip's hundredth issue by giving a quick recap of Spider-Man's career while allowing him to fight a number of his greatest foes. The fighting-a-whole-bunch-of-greatest-foes thing seems to be a standard approach to hitting issue #100 of a comic from Lee - as the same thing happened in issue #100 of the Fantastic Four. There, as here, the foes were only simulacra of the real thing, making it an oddly empty experience, even though - or perhaps because - the dream climaxes with Captain Stacy seemingly comparing Spider-Man to Jesus.

Least likely line of dialogue from our hero: "I used to think I was a million miles better off than they are down there." You did? When?

Amazing Spider-Man #99. Spidey's day off?

(Cover from August 1971.)

"A DAY IN THE LIFE OF..."

Written by Stan Lee
Drawn by Gil Kane
Inked by Frank Giacoia
Lettered by Artie Simek

What happens:
Money. Peter Parker never has enough of it. But, now that Gwen Stacy's back, he needs more of it than ever, to keep her in the lifestyle to which he'd like her to become accustomed. But how does a man like him make some extra cash?

Simple. He gets J Jonah Jameson to take him on staff at the Daily Bugle, and he agrees to appear, as Spider-Man, on a chat show.

His first photographic assignment is to get pictures of a prison riot. Holding the governor hostage, the inmates are demanding better conditions but, when he gets there, Spidey discovers that Turpo, the riot's organiser is merely using it as a cover for his own escape. Spider-Man foils that bid, and the released governor backs the prisoners' demands. Pete has the pics he was sent to get but is then told by Joe Robertson that, now that he's on staff, he doesn't get paid till Friday, like all the other staffers.

That attempt to raise money quickly foiled, he guests on the chat show where, as Spider-Man, he makes an impassioned plea on behalf of the prisoners.

But, when the police show up with a warrant, he has to flee the studio before collecting his cash. It means he has no money with which to take Gwen out tonight but she says she doesn't care. As long as she's with Peter, she's happy.

The Verdict:
So, after the high drama of the last few issues and the, no doubt, even higher drama lined up for the title's hundredth outing, it's a low-key tale. Basically, it's the tale of Spider-Man's day off. I mean, OK, he foils a prison riot but that only takes a few panels. Mainly the gist of the tale is about Peter Parker's inevitably doomed attempts to make money. In truth, although it's a brave experiment and it's good to see Stan Lee still trying unconventional storylines, it has to be said it's not the most memorable of tales and it probably has to be viewed as something of a failure.

One thing does puzzle me though. The splash page. I mean, just what is going on with it? There's a bloke playing what seems to be a six-string ukulele. Why? Who is he? What's he doing there?

As for other mysteries, I assume the chat show host in this issue's a real person, as he doesn't look like a standard Gil Kane character but I have to admit, not being American and not having been around in the late 1960s, I have no idea who he is. As far as I can make out, he's never named in the story. If anyone can tell me his identity, I'd be all ears.

Amazing Spider-Man #98. Green Goblin drug issue

"THE GOBLIN'S LAST GASP!"

(But where's the spider on our hero's back? From July 1971.)

Written by Stan Lee
Drawn by Gil Kane
Inked by Frank Giacoia
Lettered by Artie Simek

What happens:
Peter gets Harry to hospital but later accidentally encounters the dealer who sold him the drugs that put him there. When the dealer threatens him, he beats him up, down a back alley, and warns him never to let Pete catch them dealing again.

Now to find the Goblin.

But the Goblin finds him. The villain has a new secret weapon, one that robs Spidey of his power to stick to walls. Regardless, the hero conceives a plan. He hijacks the Goblin's glider and takes him to the hospital where Harry lies critically ill. The sight of his own son in a coma shocks the villain into reverting to his Norman Osborn persona and the threat of the Goblin is over once more. Meanwhile, on his way back home, Peter has even better news to celebrate when he encounters Gwen Stacy.

The Verdict:
I know I keep harping on about it but Gil Kane's handling of the fight scenes in this strip really are remarkable. He's clearly determined to exploit every possible angle and make full use of our hero's ability to navigate the rooftops in a way that no other character can.

On the down side, Kane really needed to do more research on life in England. That bus stop on page 5 bears no resemblance to any ever seen in any part of London at any point in history ever.

On the story front, its great to see the drug dealer and his cronies get the hiding they're asking for, and good to see JJ standing by his principles and refusing to kill the Harry drug story just because his father's one of the paper's main advertisers. Jonah has to be one of the most unpredictable characters in the history of comicdom.

Peter Parker's personal life:
Gwen Stacy's back.

Amazing Spider-Man #97. Green Goblin drug issue

"IN THE GRIP OF THE GOBLIN!"

(Cover from June 1971.)

Written by Stan Lee
Drawn by Gil Kane
Inked by Frank Giacoia
Lettering by Sam Rosen
Artist Emeritus John Romita

What happens:
The Goblin's back - and as hell-bent on Spider-Man's destruction as ever. But Peter has even more to worry about. The Goblin's son Harry has become dangerously dependent on pills, a situation made all the worse when his girlfriend Mary Jane keeps coming onto Peter right in front of him. Now, at the climax, Harry's taken a potentially fatal overdose and, just as Peter's about to call for an ambulance, the Goblin reappears.

The Verdict:
There's no way anyone could complain of being short-changed by the strip during this era. This issue's got it all, the first half being a fizzing scrap between Spidey and the Goblin (Gil Kane making every possible use of angles to get across the sheer dynamism of a battle fought across all three dimensions), the second dealing with Harry and his sudden addiction to tablets of every possible type.

But, is it sudden? It seems so to the reader but Peter tells us Harry's always had a lot of pills in his cabinet and perhaps this at last explains Mary Jane's behaviour.

My first assumption was that it's her recent behaviour, constantly coming onto Peter in Gwen's absence, that caused Harry's drug dependency but then someone pointed out to me it's more likely her behaviour's a reaction to Harry's drug dependence. On page 11, when, fed up of her flirting, Peter says, "You know how Harry feels about you! So what's the bit?" She replies, "It's a long story. Wanna hear it?" In fact, he never does. He simply walks away. Reading between the lines, it seems she's laid down an ultimatum to Harry, "Get off the drugs or I walk," and her behaviour with Peter is her attempt to drive that message home. It casts a whole new light on Mary Jane and is therefore arguably the first time in the strip that a more serious side to her comes through.

On other matters, is it just me or does the drug dealer in this tale bear more than a passing resemblance to Stan Lee?

I've always been fascinated by the splash page to this issue because, although the tale's credited to Gil Kane, that one page does look remarkably like the work of Ross Andru.

Amazing Spider-man #96. Green Goblin drug issue

(With not a Comics Code Approval notice in sight. Cover from May 1971.)

"...AND NOW, THE GOBLIN!"

Written by Stan Lee
Art by Gil Kane and John Romita
Lettering by Artie Simek

What happens:
Peter Parker's back in New York and it's Mary Jane's big break, her first starring role in an off-Broadway musical.

But, before that, Spider-Man has to deal with a youth who's so high he leaps off a roof, thinking he can fly.

That dealt with, he joins the gang and they, along with Norman Osborn, go along to see the show. Mary Jane wows the audience but, as the group are leaving, Osborn seems fascinated by a locked door in the theatre. Fearing the worst, Spider-Man later returns to the building - only to find those fears confirmed. The locked door led to one of the Green Goblin's old bolt-holes, and now, his memory restored by the reminder, the Goblin's back.

The Verdict:
Wow! Everything but the kitchen sink thrown into this one. First, we get the anti-drugs message that forced Marvel to publish the issue without the Comics Code seal of approval, then we get to see MJ finally get something to do and, at the climax, we get the return of the Green Goblin. I couldn't claim to know enough about drugs to comment on the accuracy of the story's dealing with the issue, and Lee does seem to be laying it on with a trowel when it comes to Randy Robertson's argument with Norman Osborn but there's no denying the courage it would've taken to do it. Nor would it be right to fail to credit Lee with sticking to his recent policy of letting real-life issues intrude on the previously cosy world of the super-hero.

Mary Jane really does start to become a total cow with this issue, treating Harry like something she's just stepped in. At least that's what I thought when I first read these stories then someone pointed out to me that I'd completely missed the point of her behaviour - as has Pete - and I'll be going into my thoughts on that in a later review.

It is a bit startling to discover the Goblin stored his spare costume and equipment in a theatre - especially one he didn't even own - which you would have thought would've made the task of maintaining his secret identity somewhat more difficult. Still, he is a madman, so I suppose anything's possible.

Peter Parker's personal life.
Joe Robertson seems to be onto Peter. Surely he knows by now that Peter Parker and Spider-Man are one and the same. It certainly seems to be the case.

Aunt May goes to see Hair.

Taking advantage of Gwen Stacy's absence, Mary Jane keeps coming onto Peter, right in front of her boyfriend Harry. Is she trying to make Harry jealous? Or is there something else behind it all?

Amazing Spider-Man #92. Iceman

(Cover from January 1971.)

"WHEN ICEMAN ATTACKS!"

Written by Stan Lee
Pencils by Gil Kane
Inks by John Romita
Lettering by Artie Simek

What happens:
Discovered in Peter Parker's apartment, Spider-Man has to act fast so that Gwen and Bullit won't realise his true identity. And so he abducts Gwen while making disparaging remarks about her boyfriend. Unfortunately for him, he's been spotted, swinging overhead, by Iceman of the X-Men who starts to fight him. Bullit's delighted. He can make it look like the Iceman's working for him.

But that's when the Daily Bugle withdraws its support. Joe Robertson's unearthed information about Bullit and his backers. Now, because of it, Bullit wants rid of Robertson. Peter spots his men leading Joe away and, after a quick return bout with the Iceman, follows them to a warehouse. There, the crooks're going to kill Joe, but Spidey and Iceman foil their plan. Now the pair show up at Bullit's latest fund-raising dinner and tell everyone about the plot to kill Robertson. And that's the end of Bullit's political career, not to mention his liberty.

The Verdict:
Peter Parker really is the biggest idiot on the face of the planet, not to mention the worst boyfriend any girl could ever hope to have. Upon being found entering Peter Parker's flat, all he has to do is say to Gwen and Bullit, "Where's Parker? He owes me money for all those photos he keeps taking." Instantly, he's got a reason for being there. So, what does he do? He grabs Gwen and kidnaps her! Er, yeah, that'll convince the world you're not a criminal and won't in any way shape or form distress your so-called beloved.

The Iceman's girlfriend's almost as big an idiot as Spider-Man. Upon seeing our hero swinging over the streets of New York with the terrified Gwen, she declares, "Why doesn't someone do something?" Yeah? Like what?

J Jonah Jameson's getting to be quite the race relations campaigner. If they're not careful, we're going to end up liking the old windbag.

Amazing Spider-Man #91. Bullit

(Cover from December 1970)

"TO SMASH THE SPIDER!"

Written by Stan Lee
Drawn by Gil Kane
Inks by John Romita
Lettering by Sam Rosen

What happens:
Blaming Spider-Man for the death of her father, Gwen pledges her support for would-be district attorney Sam Bullit. Bullit's campaigning on a tough-on-crime ticket and she reasons that only someone like him can bring Spider-Man to justice.

Unknown to her, he's as big a crook as the people he's campaigning against and is just using her to get publicity. To get votes, Bullit starts a witch hunt against Spider-Man and has his men try to lean on Peter Parker. In his Spider-Man guise, Peter deals with the thugs but when he swings into his apartment afterwards, he's careless. Bullitt and Gwen are there - and now they have proof that there's a connection between Spidey and Peter Parker.

The Verdict:
Another of those issues that I have surprisingly little to say about. Odd, given the importance of it as it deals with the aftermath of George Stacy's death, and that it continues the recent trend of dipping its toes into the issues of the day; this time how best to deal with a tide of rising crime. It's probably because there's never a genuine debate here. Bullit isn't just a hard-line campaigner, he's a thug and a crook and so we're left in no doubt as to who's in the right in the debate that runs throughout the issue. Maybe it would've been dramatically stronger if Bullit was sincere in his beliefs but used dubious methods and was ultimately forced to confront the wrongness of what he was doing; that, by using underhand methods, he's no different from the people he's opposed to.

The cliff-hanger's a little odd. As it's been established repeatedly and publicly over the years that there's a connection between Spider-Man and Peter Parker, the "discovery" could hardly be called alarming or incriminating.