Amazing Spider-Man #25. The Spider-Slayer makes its debut

(Cover from June 1965.)

"Captured by J Jonah Jameson!"

Written by Stan Lee.

Drawn by Steve Ditko.

Inked by Steve Ditko.

Lettered by Sam Rosen.

Amazing Spider-Man #25; it's a landmark issue in a whole bunch of ways, featuring the debuts of two characters and a robot we'd get to see a zillion times again.

But I don't care about that.

All I care about is the middle panel of page three.

Why?

Because it backs up the theory I outlined reviewing Amazing Spider-Man #23.

What was it I said?

I said Norman Osborn seemed to be making a cameo appearance months before he's supposed to have even made his debut in the Amazing Spider-Man. And blow me down with a feather if he doesn't do it again.

I don't care what anyone says, it's definitely Norman Osborn, being spoken to by Daily Bugle publisher J Jonah Jameson about placing an ad in his paper and meeting him later at the club. Bearing in mind the Steve Ditko quote I posted then, about him having planted a character in the strip who'd later be revealed to be the Green Goblin, and him being associated with Jameson, and I'm now convinced Steve Ditko really did intend Norman Osborn to be the Goblin all along.

I don't like to boast but I feel like I've suddenly reinvented comic book history. For my next trick I'll no doubt be proving it was Martin Goodman who actually created all of Marvel's Silver Age heroes while Stan Lee and Jack Kirby simply watched in awe. Well, when you're on a roll...

As for the main story, it's no secret I'm not a fan of the Spider-Slayer - mostly because I keep telling everyone I'm not. Mainly it's because it kept coming back, for no noticeable reason and to no good effect, but, on its first appearance, it really is a bizarre contraption, with its legs that seem able to extend forever and its metal tentacles. So, just for its oddness, right now I can forgive it its future sins against entertainment. It's also interesting to see Professor Smythe being portrayed in a totally different way to his future appearances, with his virtual indifference to the failure of his machine. Compare that to his later maniacal quest to gain vengeance on Spider-Man for nothing much in particular and it's an entirely more refreshing portrayal.

Meanwhile, it's good to see Spider-Man getting hoist by his own petard. Thinking himself incapable of losing to such a silly-looking robot, Peter Parker goads J Jonah Jameson into setting the Spider-Slayer on Spider-Man, only to find that, when it happens, he can't figure out a way to either defeat or escape it.

Clearly Steve Ditko was in a generous mood this issue because, apart from Norman Osborn, we get another cameo, as Mary Jane Watson at last appears in the strip.

Admittedly, thanks to a strategically placed flower, we don't get to see her face, and Ditko's depiction of what we can see looks like something from a whole different era compared to the swinging groover Jazzy John Romita introduces later on but it means there are now three hot chicks in Peter Parker's life to compete for his affections - and we haven't even met Gwen Stacy yet.

I don't know, whatever happened to that kid who couldn't get the girls?

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 #107. The Spider-Slayer

(A cover not exactly designed to ramp up the tension, as loon pot scientist Professor Smythe, in his moment of orgasmic triumph, can only think of the line, “I’ve got you at last,” and Marvel maestro Stan Lee loudly proclaims the web-slinger to be headed for his greatest ever triumph. April 1972.)

“Spidey Smashes Through!”


Words by Stan Lee
Pencils by John Romita
Inks by Frank Giacoia
Lettering by Artie Simek

So, like a National Lottery winner, Smythe has his wish at last. He has the masked web-spinner trapped, helpless and defeated. Now, at last, he can fulfill his all-consuming ambition of killing the wall-crawler.

Except he doesn’t. For no noticeable reason, he leaves him literally hanging around, guarded by his operator-less robot, while the mad scientist sets about orchestrating a bank robbery.

You see, this is why Smythe’s a loser. He’s choreographing a bank job so he can become rich. But hold on, the man’s a cybernetics genius. He’s the best builder of robots this side of Dr Doom. With knowledge and expertise like this, he could become as rich as Bill Gates, without ever having to commit a single crime ever. It’s like Warren Buffett suddenly deciding that making fifty billion dollars a minute on Wall Street isn’t enough for him; instead, he’s going to go out and rob McDonalds.

Clearly, none of this has entered our master villain’s head and so he ploughs on with his inherently redundant plan.

Not for long he doesn’t because Spidey soon breaks free of his bonds, gets the cops to take down the cameras that Smythe is using to co-ordinate the heist and then goes back to deal with his antagonist and his infernal contraption.

And that’s that. Easy as pie. As always, for all his boasting about how Spider-Man can’t possibly thwart it, the professor’s creation’s defeated with stunning ease.

Sadly, someone who’s not finding things easy is Flash Thompson. First he’s lurking in some bushes, waiting for Gwen Stacy, and dropping great big clunking hints that he loves her, and then, at the tale’s climax, he’s taken away in a big car by some military types as Gwendolyn bursts into tears. It’s practically Kate Bush’s Cloudbusting video all over again, only without the rain and the machine and Donald Sutherland.

None of that matters right now. What matters is that the humanisation of Flash continues apace - no longer is he the empty-brained high school meathead - and that Gwen’s in tears. Remember, the blonde bombshell’s made of sterner stuff these days than once she was. It’s actually been quite some time since she last sobbed or fainted. So, whatever it is, we know it has to be serious.

Amazing Spider-Man #106. The Spider-Slayer

(No spiders were squashed during the making of this comic. Cover from March 1972.)

“Squash Goes The Spider!”

Words by Stan Lee
Pencils by John Romita
Inks by frank Giacoia
Lettering by Sam Rosen

Well, last issue was one for come-backs and this one continues the trend, as John (Ring-A-Ding) Romita is back at the drawing board. It has to be said that, although his story telling’s as accomplished as ever, his draftsmanship isn’t as appealing as it once was. It lacks the smoothness, slickness and elegant simplicity of his late 60s’ stint. Too many lines. Too many details. Maybe it’s down to Frank Giacoia’s inks but there are one or two places that don’t even look like Romita’s work.

The main cliff-hanger of last issue (Spider-Man unmasked) turns out to be a total damp squib. What could have been a major storyline is dispatched far too easily, especially as it ascribes a mask-making skill to Web Head he’s never before shown even a hint of.

This does, of course, leave Spidey to concentrate on the issue’s big threat…

…the new Spider-Slayer!

That’s right. We saw a new Spider-Slayer last month - but, this month, we get an even bigger one. At some point, someone’s going to have to point out to Professor Smythe that, when you spend all your time making giant mechanical spiders in order to catch a man who’s like a spider, then perhaps you’ve reached a point where an interest becomes an obsession.

Elsewhere In the tale, MJ’s acting pretty obsessed herself, still coming onto Peter Parker and still showing no noticeable concern whatsoever for poor old Harry Osborn. I really don’t like this phase of Mary Jane’s portrayal at all. She was always conceived of as a fun, if irresponsible character but, in this period of the strip, she really is startlingly repellent.

Someone who is showing concern is Gwen Stacy -- for Flash Thompson. Apparently, he’s not been the same since he came back from Vietnam; and she wants to know why. Needless to say this interest in his old high school tormentor makes her boyfriend jealous. Oh, Petey, haven’t you learned yet - from all the previous such occasions - that Gwen has eyes for none but you? Why, next you’ll be suspecting her of having had a fling with Norman Osborn while she was in Europe. And that really would be insane, wouldn’t it?

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 #58. The Spider-Slayer's back

(Grargh! Jameson smash! Cover from March 1968.)

"To Kill A Spider-Man!"

Written by Stan Lee

Layouts by John Romita

Pencils by Don Heck

Inks by Mickey Demeo

Lettering by Sam Rosen

Argh! We've been lied to. At the end of last issue, we were told in no uncertain terms that Spider-Man was dead. Now, in the first panel of this tale, we're told he's alive, and that only someone with Ka-Zar's jungle-honed senses would be able to detect the spark of life that still resides within him - which would be fine if it hadn't been Ka-Zar and his "jungle-honed" senses that had told us our hero was dead in the first place. Here's a lesson for us all. If you're not feeling well, consult a doctor, not a dinosaur-fighting English lord in a furry loin cloth. Not, of course, that we wanted Spider-Man dead. Let's face it, such news would hardly be good for the comic's future circulation figures. It'd just be nice to know where we stand.

And the fact that Spidey still lives isn't the only good news awaiting us in these pages because, at last, Spider-Man has his memory back. Time for him to return home and start to sort everything out with those who've been wondering where he's been for these last few days.

So, what happens in this one? What happens is that Professor Smythe reappears. For those who arn't familiar with him - or whose memories are as bad as Spider-Man's has been lately - he's the mad scientist who turned up in issue #25 with an infallible robot guaranteed to destroy Spider-Man. It failed of course - as infallible plots to kill super-heroes tend to - but now he's back with a bigger and better robot. And this one can't fail because it can somehow home in on spideryness. Needless to say J Jonah Jameson shows the levels of common sense we all associate with him and happily teams up with Smythe for another round of Spider-bashing.

There's a problem. Smythe's gone completely mad and is out to not just capture Spidey but kill him. Once the Slayer's found our hero, Smythe rests control of the robot from Jameson and sets about trying to zap Spider-Man into a bloody mess.

Spidey has to think fast. He has to find Smythe's lab.

Thanks to the phone book, he finds it and heads there. Smythe, watching the whole thing through the robot's viewer, is delighted because Spidey's heading in completely the wrong direction. He and Jameson are at the Daily Bugle, nowhere near Spider-Man's intended destination. Spidey's doomed.

Or is he?

No he's not because, when he gets there, we soon learn the method to Spidey's madness. He knows the Spider-Slayer's drawn towards Spideryness (how he knows this is anyone's guess as nobody's ever told him it is) and has reasoned that Smythe must therefore have a lab full of spiders for research purposes. Hey presto, the moment the robot gets there, the presence of so many spiders overload its sensors and it blows up. Take that, Spider-Slayer!

There's just time for a quick reunion with Ka-Zar at the end and yet another tale of drama and intrigue ends happily.

This is the second consecutive tale that's basically a retelling of an earlier story. Were Lee and Romita starting to run out of ideas? It also doesn't feature Mary Jane, which, in my book is rarely a good thing. Fortunately, the next issue redresses both concerns with what is one of my favourite tales of the era and also sees the return of one of Spidey's greatest foes...