I liked this detail, about how they saw each other, after some time apart. In any case, their relationship was effectively broken since issue thirty.

The Rhino always fitted better the Hulk, as a villain. With the strength upgrade he received, he was at least able to offer some fair battles, against Spidey here, he just didn't work out for me.

The Amazing Spider-Man #42 (November 1966)



“The Birth Of A Superhero!”
Script: Smilin’ Stan Lee
Art: Jazzy John Romita
Letters: Slammin’ Sammy Rosen
Cover: John Romita

Summary: The issue opens with Stan promising this isn’t a trick. It’s not an imposter, it’s not a dream. Spidey really is swinging out of a bank with a money bag! The bank manager is furious. He shows the cops the iron bars Spidey bent getting into the vault and regrets not believing the Daily Bugle. Spidey scales the Queensboro bridge and throws the bag in the water. At the Bugle Foswell runs in looking for Jameson, who is at JFK Airport seeing his son off. Foswell brings news of Spidey’s robbery and Betty and Ned are both in disbelief.

John Jameson is about to board the plane when he starts to feel funny. His clothes start shrinking, he loses his balance and he effortlessly crushes a marble countertop. His clothes aren’t shrinking, he’s growing and he’s gaining super strength! He’s rushed to the lab and the government scientists reckon the space spores were from Jupiter and gave him the physical capabilities to survive Jupiter’s gravity. The transformation has also put a great string on his heart and nervous system so they design a special suit to look him down. A few hours later Tony Stark’s technicians have delivered the suit. It weighs John down to restrain his power, although he still possibles formidable strength. As Jonah and John leave an agent asks how it feels to be the father of a superhero. Jameson is horrified by the idea that his son is now everything he hates - or rather, everything he has been publicly ridiculing for years. At their hotel room Jameson gets word of Spidey’s crime. And this is no haux, as there are tons of witnesses. He gets an idea… He tells John to go capture Spider-Man, to provide a TRUE hero for the impressionable kids out there. John bows to his Dad’s wishes and seeks out Spidey. A government agent tells Jameson that sending John out could be dangerous. Yeah, for Spider-Man…

At a nearby courthouse the Rhino is unconscious in the infirmary. They try to inject him with tranquilizers but they can’t penetrate his skin. They wonder if his costume is really an outer skin and if it gives him his powers. As they leave the room to discuss it the Rhino regains consciousness. Down the hall Foggy Nelson is being assigned to the Rhino’s defense (Matt is unavailable due to the events of Daredevil #21) and wants to consult with him. But the Rhino has started another rampage and is trying to escape. He is stopped by a tranquilizer gas but the doctors reckon it will only be effective for so long before he develops an immunity.

At school Gwen invites Peter to a part on Sunday but he can’t go because of his dinner party with Mary Jane. She takes it as a rejection and doesn’t let him explain. Flash shoots another insult at Peter while Harry slips away to the Silver Spoon with Gwen. At the end of the day Peter rides home on his bike and thinks about the ladies in his life. He’s not looking forward to meeting Mary Jane and figures she looks like the Hulk. He doesn’t even think about Betty anymore, that chapter of his life is over. And he thinks he would have a shot with Gwen if they could hit it off just once.

Later he takes to the skies to clear the cobwebs and finds John Jameson. Jameson attacks him and Spidey’s blows have no effect on him. He tries to explain the bank situation but Jameson doesn’t want to listen. Spidey spits a big gob of web in his face, slams him down on his head and slips away. He thinks about what really happened at the bank: He was in line at a teller when he saw a guard bring in a payroll bag. Peter notices the bag was ticking and left to change. He had no choice but to web up the guards and break into the vault. The bag exploded just seconds after it hit the water. Spidey a lot of lives and figures he’ll be absolved when they count the money and realize he didn’t steal anything. Spidey heads over to Jonah’s office and tells him to call the bank and ask if any money is missing. Jonah reluctantly does so and sadly realizes Spidey is probably right. John shows up looking for Spidey and Jonah tells him to stay away from him since Spidey is innocent. But John doesn’t care, he wants to beat Spider-Man for his own satisfaction. His handlers take him back to the hotel, leaving Jonah horrified by what his son has become.

John doesn’t stick around at the hotel though. He goes right back out looking for Spidey, who for the good of his own conscience wants to save John and is scanning the city for him. The two cross paths at a power station and John removes his lead boots, allowing him to jump right to the roof. The two battle and fall through a skylight. Spidey uses all his power and both arms to knock John back into a generator. The generator disrupts the electromagnetic field in his suit and John is electrocuted by the overload. The Jupiter spores die and John returns to normal. Spidey figured he just needed a good shocking to bring him back down to Earth, he didn’t want to really hurt an innocent man. Spidey calls the feds and Jonah shows up declaring Spidey to have tried to turn his son into a killer, which John bravely resisted.

Spidey goes home to bed and wakes up late the next day. He looks forward to a relaxing day off when Aunt May reminds him of the dinner party. Thinking about how ugly Mary Jane probably is, Peter admits defeat and gets ready. Mary Jane is running late when they get there but the doorbell rings soon after. And let it be said that Aunt May is the greatest aunt ever, because Peter answers the door and finds an absolutely gorgeous redheaded woman waiting for him. “Face it tiger, you just hit the jackpot.” No ****.

Observations: The second part of this arc is pretty damn good. John Jameson makes for a pretty good non-villain, even if the idea of bringing back a long forgotten character with superpowers isn’t particularly original. A trend is starting to become clear. Stan and John aren’t as creative as Ditko and so far they’re resorting to more pedestrian ideas and stories but they’re so good at what they do that those tired ideas feel fresh. And hey, Spidey beats the villain using creativity rather than his powers. We haven’t seen him be this clever since #28 when he first used his ropes to tie up the Molten Man (#35 doesn’t count because it was a repeat of the same trick).

The real neat idea here is having Spidey rob a bank and actually have a reason to do so. While he obviously wasn’t going to turn evil it was a fun way to start a story and give Jonah his motivation. Jonah’s attitude has changed quite a bit since the Ditko days. No longer will he use the Scorpion or a robot to try and take down Spidey based on the principle, no more does he believe him to be a total menace. He sends John after Spidey for this specific crime and when Spidey is exonerated he retracts that order. This is more in line with the Jonah we saw in #10, where he admits that Spidey is a great hero and only hates him to deflect his own self-loathing. Jonah also holds a grudge for Spidey robbing real heroes like astronauts of their deserved glory. Now that Stan has regained control Jonah is getting a little deeper and a little more human, no longer in a downward spiral of fanaticism and humiliation.

However, the biggest moment in the entire issue is the very last panel: Peter stares googly-eyed at Mary Jane Watson. Even though Ditko spoiled the Mary Jane twist way back in #25, it still works on the strength of Romita’s fantastic drawing. Mary Jane’s introduction is another landmark in Peter’s new adult world: Sex. Betty Brant was plain and sweet. Liz Allan was the girl next door, waiting to land her husband. Gwen Stacy is upper class frigidity. Mary Jane is nothing of these things. Even in one panel her attitude is clear from her cocked hips, tight black tank top and way of speaking. The Summer of Love is still half a year away but MJ is ahead of the curve. This is the first sexy girl in what has so far been a very conservative comic book. Gwen, Liz and Betty all look dated in their farm clothes but Mary Jane looks like a modern girl, astonishing considering that she’s a 49 year old drawing.

Overall you’ve got an excellent if derivative plot with creative action and some nice characterization for Jonah. Mary Jane’s introduction pushes it right up to 5/5.

Old plot updates:
What is Norman Osborn scheming?
Will Gwen and Peter hook up? - They would if Peter didn’t have to attend Anna Watson’s dinner party.
Is Peter's spider sense failing? - Not mentioned for the second issue in a row.
Will Peter meet Mary Jane? - Oh hell yes..
Where is Betty?
Who is the Green Goblin?

Other notes:
- First appearance of Mary Jane (duh)
- Betty Brant got her job back. No surprise there since she seems to be the only one who can stand to be Jonah’s girl friday.
- Gwen wears her famous black hairband for the first time, bringing her one step closer to her classic image.
- First use of the nicknames “Smilin’ Stan” and “Jazzy John” in the series.

From my Gwen thread:

The Amazing Spider-Man #43 (December 1966)



“Rhino On The Rampage”
Script: Stan (The Man) Lee
Art: John (Ring-A-Ding) Romita
Letters: Artie (Stout-Hearted) Simek
Cover: John Romita

Summary: The Rhino’s tranquilizers have worn off and he escapes to get revenge on Spider-Man. The report of his escape reaches the Bugle just as Betty is showing off the engagement ring Ned gave her to Foswell (who always thought she’d end up with Peter). Jameson tells Foswell to hit the bricks lo cover the story and find Peter.

Peter is still having dinner at Anna Watson’s house. Or he would be, if he could look at anything other than MJ. MJ seems to dig him as well, say he’s dreamy despite his short hair. They go watch some TV and Peter hits her with the patented Parker charm (“What do you do with yourself when you’re not driving helpless males out of their minds?”). MJ finds a music performance on TV (it’s “their” song) and starts dancing, explaining that she’s an actress and spends most of her time in drama class. The music is interrupted by a report on the Rhino and MJ is pissed that they’d interrupt the song for someone with such awful clothing. Peter tries to think of a way to excuse himself but it turns out MJ is a thrillseeker and would love to hop on the back of Pete’s bike and go see it in person. As they ride over to Manhattan Peter wonders how he’ll be able to sneak away.

At the law office of Nelson and Murdock Foggy is not happy about the Rhino’s escape, since he stayed up all night working on a writ to free him. He much prefers a good tax case. Matt is concerned about the Rhino hurting innocent people but Foggy assures him that Spider-Man will take care of him. Meanwhile the Rhino remembers his origin: He was a European mercenary who was contracted to take part in an experiment to turn him into a living weapon for a group of professional spies. He was chosen based on his stupidity, as they felt a moron wouldn’t betray him. After months of serum injections to increase his strength they coated him with a molecular adhesive that provided him with a highly durable skin. But the injections also increased his intelligence and he immediately betrayed them to work on his own. Back in he present, he waits in the middle of the street as the police create a cordon and a crowd forms, an arena in which to kill Spidey.

Peter and MJ are in the crowd and Peter decides to tell her the truth: He needs to go snap a few photos. She wishes him well and stays to watch the bike while he webs his camera to a wall and confronts the Rhino. It’s a great Jazzy John action scene but it doesn’t play out too well for Spidey. Rhino charges right at him and he’s only barely pulled away by a cop. Rhino keeps on going and plows right through a truck carrying a load of steel girders. As he makes his way through the steel the cop hides Spidey in the crowd and Rhino assumes he was crushed. With his immediate goal achieved he goes looking for John Jameson. Spidey thanks the cop, manages to grab a sample of the Rhino’s hide from the wreckage and barely saves his camera from smashing on the pavement when the web evaporates. He tells MJ that he was able to snap photos from a building and she’s impressed. He drops her off at her apartment and wishes that he could live on his own as well.

At the Bugle Jameson is thrilled by the photos and offers Pete a bonus. No, not money, a key to the washroom! Jameson checks up on son at his Westchester county hospital and Peter realizes he’s still in danger. As Spidey he pays a visit to Curt Connors. He wants to find a way through the Rhino’s hide and needs Connors’ help to do it. They work together and Connors wonders if the Lizard would have the power to beat the Rhino. Spidey warns him away from such dangerous thinking, since last time he almost remained a LIzard. They’ve soon finished with their creation and Spidey goes to deal with the Rhino once and for all.

Spidey rides over to Westchester and waits outside the hospital. Sure enough, Rhino shows up and Spidey leaps into the hospital room to fight him. He coats the Rhino in webbing and it’s as ineffective at holding him as ever. Rhino charges at him and ends up going through the wall. On the lawn Spidey stays at a safe distance until his webbing works its magic. The web formula was altered to dissolve the Rhino’s hide and soon enough Rhino is half naked. He begs Spidey not to hit him but he gets floored in one punch. Jameson rages about Spidey using his son as bait but John quietly thanks him.

Pete rides back to the city and winds up at a red light next to Flash, Harry and Gwen. It turns out Flash has gotten drafted! Peter wishes him luck and rides home. He sees Aunt May feeling woozy and goes to get her medicine but it’s all gone. She’s never refilled it! He realizes he’s been wrapped up in his own life lately, buying a motorcycle and dreaming about an apartment when he still has to look after her. He calls Mary Jane to cancel their next date and MJ doesn’t sweat it. He stares out the window and wonders why he’s incapable of managing his own life.

Observations: Stan and John’s first three-parter and the true beginning of their run ends on a high note.

This Rhino episode is much better than the last one. For the first time since ASM #9 (!!) he uses his brain to figure out a strategy to defeat the villain ahead of time. For two issues in a row now Spidey has won with his mind, not his fists, a refreshing turn of events after a couple years of mindless brawling. This is the first time Spidey has specially modified his webbing and it’s a very cool idea. It’s also nice that he can turn to Curt Connors for help with these things, although the final panel promises the return of the Lizard so that future is uncertain. One thing thats left a little hazy is the nature of the Rhino’s powers. In the last two issues it was undecided if he got his powers from the suit or from his own biology. The Rhino’s origin seems to suggest that he was granted both natural strength through drug therapy and the additional advantage of the hide, but as soon as his costume is destroyed Spidey can flatten him with one hit. Minor quibble there.

More importantly, this issue is our real introduction to Mary Jane. While we caught a glimpse of her personality last issue this time we really find out what this girl is like. Turns out she’s a hoot, ready to laugh, dance and go for a ride at a moment’s notice. The contrast between her freewheeling 60s ways (complete with ridiculously dated slang that blends 50s and 60s lingo that somehow makes her more endearing) and the very stodgy looking Peter is pretty funny. MJ immediately proves to be a much more compatible partner than Betty (who has finally gotten engaged). She’s fun to hang out with, she’s a big fan of Spider-Man, she’s turned on by Peter risking his life to take pictures (unlike Betty who was terrified of Peter being a thrillseeker) and most importantly she doesn’t care if Peter breaks a date. After months of Betty’s jealousy and clinginess it’s refreshing to see Peter with a girl who is totally fine when he can’t make an appointment. MJ adds an immediate surge of energy to the book. Her slang may be dated but her attitude towards life is much more in line with a modern teenager’s and that makes the whole thing more relatable. She also makes Gwen recede way into the background. Who cares about Gwen when Mary Jane is around?

The last page contains a pretty major development and Stan says that it was a last minute addition. If so it’s some pretty serious filler. The Vietnam war touches the series for the first time as Flash Thompson gets drafted. Being at school on an academic scholarship and having such high grades has caused Peter to pay the draft no mind but it seriously alters the life of his final Midtown classmate. Knowing the impossible depths of horror experienced by the men in the war makes Flash’s cheery celebration of his draft seem much more foreboding (remember, this is pre-Tet Offensive). Flash is going into the army expecting his father’s war and that isn’t what he’s going to get.

The other development on the last page is Peter getting a wakeup call. He’s been so caught up his exciting new life that he’s neglected Aunt May (who seems to legitimately require live-in assistance). While he feels free to buy a motorcycle she is too broke to buy medicine and she cares about Peter too much to let him know about it. The arc that featured so many exciting developments ends on a somber note. The passage into adulthood is going to be more difficult than Peter thought.

Overall it’s an excellent issue that brings dramatic new developments to the supporting cast. 5/5

Old plot updates:
What is Norman Osborn scheming?
Will Gwen and Peter hook up? - Gwen? Gwen who?
Is Peter's spider sense failing? - Not mentioned for the third issue in a row.
Will Peter meet Mary Jane?
Where is Betty?
Who is the Green Goblin?

Other notes:
- First use of the famous “Stan ‘The Man’ Lee” and “John ‘Ring-A-Ding’ Romita” nicknames in the credits.
- It’s kind of a bummer that Daredevil didn’t join the fight. Romita always wished he could have drawn more of the character and I’d have loved to see the two characters team-up, especially now that Daredevil is in his snazzy red suit.
- Spidey’s process for getting his photos is shown in explicit detail for the first time. He equips it with a wide-angle lens, sets it to take a photo every 10 seconds, activates the automatic zoom and webs it to a wall. With a standard 24-shot roll of film he gets about four minutes of photos. I have no idea if a camera with an automatic zoom actually existed in 1966 and would be interested in finding out.
- One of the printed letters is from a fan who begs Stan to not let Peter grow up. The options he sees are for Peter to join the army and end up as Captain America 2.0 or go through college and become Tony Stark 2.0 or, even worse, become a henpecked husband with a woman who cries everytime he goes out as Spider-Man. Stan replies that he and the Marvel staff aren’t exactly sure of how to treat the passage of time. So far their timeline is slipping, as Peter would be starting his sophomore year were the strip progressing in real time. The last five issues have only covered a month of story time, more if the gap between #40 and #41 is larger to compensate.
- After a promising start Rhino ends up being a Hulk villain two years later and doesn’t return to battle Spider-Man for a whopping 15 years. By then the whole “being the Rhino made me smarter” thing was long forgotten.

Amazing Spider-Man Annual #3 (1966)



“...To Become An Avenger!”
Script: Smilin’ Stan Lee
Layouts: Jazzy Johnny Romita
Pencils: Dashin’ Donnie Heck
Inks: Mirthful Mickey Demeo
Letters: Adorable Artie Simek
Cover: John Romita

Summary: The Avengers (Captain America, Hawkeye, Thor, Iron Man, Wasp and Goliath. Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch are in Europe) discuss offering Spider-Man membership. Hawkeye is all for it, relating to his former status as a wanted criminal, while the Wasp is completely against it due to a hatred of Spiders. The other members think he needs to be tested first. But Cap would like an opinion from someone who has actually interacted with Spidey (Iron Man met him briefly in ASMA #1 but I guess that doesn’t count) so they decide to contact Daredevil. They send out a burst of high frequency radio signals in morse code and summon the Man Without Fear to their base. Having had two prior adventures with Spidey (one of which was in Daredevil #16-17, which I guess I could have covered but oh well) he offers his highest recommendation.

With the matter settled they go out looking for him. Thor happens to find him first and lets him know they’re offering him the invitation. Spidey is hesitant to join any club since he’s always been a loner and his hesitation offends Thor, who gives him a speech about power and responsibility. He gives Spidey 24 hours to make contact with them with his answer.

Aunt May sends Peter to refill her prescription and he wonders how being an Avenger would affect Aunt May. It would mean Jameson would have to pay him some respect but he wouldn’t have the freedom to call his own shots like he does now. And the heightened publicity of being an Avenger could further risk his identity. In the end he decides that his responsibility trumps everything else and he swings over to Avengers Mansion.

Introductions are made but things turn south when they start talking about the test. They try to shoo Spidey out of the room but Spidey loses his temper and reminds him that they’re asking him for a favor. Hawkeye won’t stand to see any fellow Avenger badmouthed and Spidey wonders if this is the test. Not wanting to disappoint he attacks Hawkeye and a brawl breaks out He quickly realizes his mistake and is able to call a ceasefire. During the scuffle Iron Man figured out the perfect test: The Hulk is in town and Spidey’s test is to bring him back to the mansion. He doesn’t need to overpower him, just bring him to them. Spidey leaves before they can tell him why.

Searching for the Hulk turns out to be thirsty business and he stops into Jonah’s office for a cup of water. While having a little fun making Jonah freakout Foswell busts in saying the Hulk was spotted new the Gamma Ray Research Center. Sure enough, Hulk is there and he doesn’t recognize Spidey from their last encounter (could that be due to Hulk’s personality changing so much between the two stories? No-Prize for me!). They fight and Spidey only barely avoids getting hammered. Hulk wonders why Spidey wants to fight him and decides to stop running from his problems. He throws a big punch but he hits a gamma ray testing device and turns back into Bruce Banner. This completely freaks Spidey out and Banner explains his problem. He says it would have been best for Spidey to kill the Hulk and warns him to get away before he transforms. Spidey stays put and hits the freshly transformed Hulk. Still not at his full power, Hulk is stunned by the blow and Spidey gives him some heavy web wrappings. He looks in the eye of his restrained quarry and sees a confused animal rather than an evil monster. Realizing the Hulk is ultimately innocent and that Banner deserves better, Spidey lets him go.

Spidey returns to the Avengers and tells them he couldn’t find the Hulk. After he leaves Cap wishes they had told Spidey that they wanted to help the Hulk, not hurt him, while Wasp is a little disappointed despite herself and Hawkeye wonders if the Bugle is right. For his part, Spidey knows he could have easily passed the test but it would have been like leading an animal to the slaughter. He goes home bummed out about not being an Avenger and tries to convince himself that it worked out for the best.

Observations: The third Annual contains possible the biggest milestone yet. Spidey makes his formal introduction to the Avengers, firmly entrenching him among the pantheon of Marvel heroes rather than being one of the oddball heroes who sometimes hangs out with Johnny Storm. In that regard it’s a very Lee/Romita story as Spidey becomes a more legitimate hero and moves up a few rungs.. However, the ending plays out more like a Ditko story, with Spidey being forced to turn down membership and wonder why his life is so crappy. In fact, it’s the first downbeat ending in the Romita run (aside from the Gobby cliffhanger, which really isn’t an ending).

The scenes with the Avengers are good enough and the scene with Jonah is pretty funny but the real value in the story is Spidey’s encounter with the Hulk. It was a nice interaction as Spidey found out the Hulk’s secret (back when it was a secret) and realizes Hulk is a creature to be pitied, not tormented. It’s that great early Hulk characterization that has been gone for so long now.

The art is pretty good but a tad generic. Romita only provided layouts, Don Heck did the finishing and Mike Esposito inked it, which is pretty far removed from Ditko pencilling and inking the previous two Annuals. I don’t know what Romita’s workload was like when he did this but Ditko was working on Spidey and Dr Strange full-time and was still able to produce the two annuals, with bonus pinups. This annual contains no bonus features other than a reprinting of “Spidey unmasked” two-parter, definitely the slimmest effort yet.

Overall it’s a historic story but it’s nothing special. 3/5

Other notes:
- Thor and Iron Man appear even though they weren’t on the roster at this time while Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch are absent. Seems like an error on Romita’s part that was patched up by Stan, saying Thor and Iron Man are part-timers while Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch are in Europe. But I don’t know much Avengers history so I could be wrong.
- Spidey encountered the Avengers previously in Avengers #11 but this is the first proper meeting.
- Spidey would finally join The Avengers 29 years later.
- Stan mistakenly says Spidey met the Hulk in #10 rather than #14.
- For some reason this was published as King-Sized Spider-Man #3. But screw it, it’s an Annual.

It's really odd that whenever Spidey ended up in other hero's mags under Stan's pen he was hotheaded and tempermental, even though his natural characterization was nothing like it.

The Amazing Spider-Man #44 (January 1967)



“Where Crawls The Lizard”
Script: Smilin’ Stan Lee
Art: Jazzy John Romita
Letters: Swingin’ Sam Rosen
Luggage: Honest Irving Forbush
Cover: John Romita

Summary: Peter is seeing Aunt May off at the train station. She’s going to visit the seaside for the next few weeks on Dr. Bromwell’s recommendation, a trip that cost Peter his last thirty bucks. Also at the station is Curt Connors, who is waiting for Martha and Billy to arrive from Florida. His right hand briefly grows green scales and he realizes that some of the ingredients used to create the chemical used to defeat the Rhino were also used in the Lizard formula, and that merely handling them might have triggered that same reaction. Peter notices him duck behind a pillar while seeing Aunt May off on the train. At a nearby platform Martha and Billy have arrived and are looking for Curt. Martha wonders if Curt’s uncharacteristic tardiness is caused by the Lizard. Sure enough thats whats going down. Billy sees Curt run down a train tunnel, desperate to get to a private place before his transformation kicks in. He only barely makes it and transforms almost immediately. The Lizard picks up a spare railroad tie and knocks a hole in the tunnel wall to escape into the sewers and find a lair from which to plot his world domination.

Peter spots Martha crying at the platform and makes a quick change up in the rafters (the nearest phone booth was occupied). Martha sends Billy to go buy a soda and tells Spidey that Curt ran from them and she suspects the worse. He heads down the tunnel and remembers their prior encounter from ASM #6. He sees the hole in the wall but it would be impossible to find him in the maze of tunnels. He tells Martha to wait in the lab and heads out to search the city.

After an hour he finds no trace of the Lizard and heads into the Bugle. He congratulates Betty on her engagement and promises to attend the wedding. By this point he sees her more like a sister and can’t believe that he was ever in love with her. He asks Jonah if he wants some photos of the Lizard. No go, Lizard is a hoax. He asks Jonah if he wants some photos of Spider-Man. No go, he doesn’t deserve free publicity. He offers an expose proving Spidey to be a menace and Jonah promises him a medal. Foswell sees Peter digging after a story and decides to start tailing him to figure out how he gets his Spidey photos. His plans are momentarily foiled as Jameson wants to publish a profile of the cop who saved Spidey last issue.

Peter heads over to the Silver Spoon and joins Gwen, Harry and Flash at a booth. Harry asks why he wasn’t in class and Peter says he had some personal things to take care of. Flash makes fun of him but Gwen shuts him up and offers to fill Peter in on what he missed in the lab. Flash’s impending draft physical is discussed and a fellow student jokingly suggests Peter replace him on the football team. The sports talk is interrupted by the arrival of Mary Jane, who is thrilled that there are so many guys present. Peter introduces her and Flash practically climbs over the table to meet her. MJ wants to take Peter to a club with the grooviest guitarist in town so he excuses himself. Flash and Harry wonder how Peter managed to get a girl like that while Peter wonders if Gwen seemed to freeze up because she’s jealous over Peter or didn’t like Flash’s reaction to MJ. MJ asks where his motorcycle is but he didn’t bring it (makes sense, it’s pouring rain). She’s cool with taking the bus and suggests Peter paint his bike a jazzier color.

That night the Lizard climbs out of a Central Park culvert and robs a jewelry wholesaler. He isn’t interested in the jewels, he just hopes that Spidey will be blamed for the crime since the office is on top of a building. Sure enough, the cops spot him climbing a building and the Bugle publishes an Extra blaming Spider-Man. But this Extra didn’t actually come from Jameson and when he’s told about it he’s worried that it’s another hoax.

First thing the next morning Peter sees the paper and immediately knows the Lizard is behind it. He checks in with Martha (using his mask to muffle his voice) and wishes he could go search for him but he knows he can’t afford to miss more class. Attending class turns out to be pretty pointless since he’s so distracted while on campus Flash maintains that Spidey is innocent. Knowing that the Lizard only comes out at night (even though he seemed perfectly fine with appearing during the day last time) Spidey passes the time by painting his bike red.

Once night falls he goes hunting and finds the Lizard just after midnight. He sets up his camera and attacks. Seeing that he has lost all remnants of Connors’ personality while also knowing that he has to be careful not to seriously injure him, Spidey is at a pretty steep disadvantage. The Lizard is as strong and as tough as ever and soon he knocks Spidey out. But Spidey is just playing possum and chases him into a sewer. Not the best idea, since he doesn’t have enough room underground. He crawls up a building and Lizard follows, proving to the public that Spidey didn’t steal the jewels. Lizard uses his tail to knock Spidey off the roof and cut his webline when he tries to save himself. Spidey lands hard on his left arm and a doctor who happens to be present tells him he sprained it and tapes him up. Lizard escapes and Spidey goes to tell Martha the awful truth about her husband (leaving his camera behind).

With only one arm he barely manages to get his clothes on (and actually abandons his shirt) and heads home. Aunt May calls and he tries to put on a brave face but she can tell something is wrong since his voice is weak. He waves it off saying it’s due to a faulty connection. As soon as he hangs up the phone rings again. This time it’s MJ inviting him to see her dance at Performer’s School. He tells her he can’t make it (since the public knows about his busted arm and he doesn’t want to risk people making that connection) and she tells him it’s his loss and hangs up. He wonders what he’s going to do about his arm, since he can’t stay cooped up at home for days. He’s losing Mary Jane and he’s already lost his camera. He’s got no money to help Aunt May and to top it off the Lizard is at large. He asks himself when he’ll come to his senses and give up being Spider-Man.

Observations: After a three issue arc introducing a new villain (who won’t show up again for another two years) Stan and John bring out an oldie. And what an oldie it is. While Curt reappeared during the Master Planner saga it has been more than three years since the Lizard’s last appearance. His reappearance here was foreshadowed last issue and even though you could question the need for the Lizard to return and the means through which he returns it’s nice to see him back. Does this return match his original outing? So far I don’t think so. It’s cool to see the Lizard sneaking around the city and sewers but he was much more threatening in the swamp and because he was transformed completely into his evil persona there's no room for the quiet moments of regret and fear, no sense of a man being torn from his humanity. The Martha/Billy stuff remains emotional but the substance isn’t quite there.

In Peter Parker’s world things fare better. MJ is introduced to the ESU kids which bumps Peter’s standing in Harry’s eyes. MJ’s attitude reveals a flaw for the first time: She is easygoing enough to be fine when you break a date, but she is so easy going that it becomes disheartening to the guy trying to get with her. After the Betty Brant trainwreck it’s still nice to see a total lack of jealousy and honestly about her lack of commitment (rather than the sneaking behind the back that went on with Ned) but it stings to see Peter feel this beautiful girl slipping through his fingers (even though he painted his bike red for her!).

The scene at the Silver Spoon is pretty significant to the character as it’s the first time so far that Peter has simply sat down with a group of friends for a bite to eat. And while Betty Brant might technically be Peter’s first friend (with Peter even regarding her in a brotherly fashion now) him having friends is something totally new to the series. Even Flash Thompson, who was at first a bully and later a romantic rival, has now settled into a form of friendship mediated through a mutual friendship with Harry. They might not be bosom buddies but they’re at the point where they can sit at the same table and be social. Pretty major development and probably not one that would have happened during Ditko’s run.

I also like the idea of the Bugle immediately running an anti-Spidey story without Jonah’s input and Jonah having realized that if you’re going to run a “Spidey is a menace” extra you’ve gotta be 100% sure on it. The idea of having Foswell tail Peter is nice as well. Subplots are being introduced and hinted at and while it’s not as densely done as it is in Ditko’s run it still lends a good sense of continuity.

Romita’s take on the Lizard is more successful than his take on the Goblin. I think thats because the Lizard only appeared when Ditko’s art was still quite crude. The basic design is the same but Romita draws him with a much more prominent snout, which has more or less remained to this day.

Overall it’s fun and has the first downer ending of Romita’s run (aside from the Annual) but it really feels like “Part 1 of 2” and isn’t as meaty as the awesome ASM #6. 3/5

Old plot updates:
What is Norman Osborn scheming?
Will Gwen and Peter hook up? - This issue Gwen takes on a more nurturing role with Peter, keeping him in line at school.
Is Peter's spider sense failing? - Not mentioned for the fourth issue in a row. Gonna call this one abandoned.
Will Peter meet Mary Jane?
Where is Betty?
Who is the Green Goblin?

Other notes:
- Second appearance of the Lizard.
- First appearance of the Silver Spoon diner
- Peter’s thirty bucks is a little over $200 in today’s loot.
- Martha Connors finally gets a name.
- By this point Betty left Peter almost one year ago in real time and probably a good deal less than that in-universe.
- Peter tells Martha that the Lizard has committed no crime, even though he stole a bunch of jewels. He could just be lying to protect her though.