THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 53
“Enter: Dr. Octopus”
Credits (as they appear in the comic):
Smilin’ Stan Lee and Jazzy Johnny Romita
Mickey Demeo*, Embellisher
Artie Simek, Letterer
*(Mike Esposito is credited as Mickey Demeo)
Plot Synopsis:
Dr. Octopus is back, with the most devious master plan of all!
Comments:
Spider-man’s latest adventure begins with him just hanging around reading the latest edition of the Daily Bugle, right across from, well, the Daily Bugle. I’m sure he could read the paper anywhere, but the fact that he dresses up in his costume and that he does it right there, as though to purposely annoy J. Jonah Jameson, is such a great touch.
On the other hand, considering how protective Spidey is about his secret identity, you’d think he wouldn’t be so obvious when he swings over ESU’s campus on his way to class. Though, he picks a good day to do it, since his #1 fan Flash Thompson is there while on leave from the army. Gwen Stacy is there too, wearing a stylish cap, and Harry Osborn shows up as well.
Even Freddy and Velma from Scooby Doo make a cameo appearance, but how they managed to guest-star in a Spider-man comic two years before their actual debut is a mystery!
Peter manages to sneak in to the school through the gymnasium’s rooftop. Professor Warren spots him climbing down a high rope, and even catches a glimpse of Peter’s mask or glove sticking out from his back pocket. Fortunately the Professor doesn’t suspect Peter’s secret (not that Professor Warren could really be any sort of threat anyway).
Although Peter seemed to be on friendly terms, with Flash since the last time they appeared together, jealousy over Gwen seems to have rekindled their old rivalry. Harry Osborn also has some problems with Peter during this story due to Pete’s secretive behavior and frequent disappearances. This is an interesting development we haven’t really seen before. Throughout most of the series, Peter hasn’t really had any close friends, but now that he does, how does he explain to them why he’s never around to hang out?
This storyline actually seems to be the point where Peter and Gwen’s relationship begins to pick up. Their mutual feelings for one another really develop over the next few issues. Professor Warren invites Peter to a demonstration of a new military device, and he makes an interesting comment about Pete’s choice to bring Gwen along as a guest. The line as written by Stan Lee was probably intended as an innocent remark and nothing more, but I can certainly see Gerry Conway picking up on this considering developments for these characters which occur later during his run on this series.
The demonstration that Peter, Gwen and Professor Warren are attending is for a special military device called the Nullifier. Of course, such a weapon is something no super-villain could resist. Dr. Octopus is there, hiding in plain sight with only a cape to conceal his mechanical arms. The fight between Spider-man and Dr. Octopus is really great. As usual John Romita does a good job interpreting the characters, taking what Steve Ditko established and really making it his own. Dr. Octopus is shown here wearing a costume, similar to what he wore during his last appearance from the Master Planner storyline. The colour scheme changes a bit, over the next few years, but this is pretty much the way he will be depicted for quite a few years to come. The cape was a cool look for him, but it’s only temporary. The battle ends with the Nullifier, safely back in military hands, however Ock manages to escape. A spider-tracer ensures Spidey can track him at a later time.
Once more, John Romita provides his own interpretation of events from earlier Steve Ditko drawn stories, as flashbacks recall Spider-man’s iconic moment from the Master Planner saga. Additional flashbacks reveal how Dr. Octopus made his own escape from that watery deathtrap.
Although previous issues established a hangout called the Silver Spoon, a new hipper locale makes its debut here. The Coffee Bean is where all the popular cast members show up. Even Aunt May and Anna Watson put in an appearance. In addition to having enough space for both her and May, Mrs. Watson‘s house also has an extra room which can be rented out to bring in a little bit more extra money.
Spider-man tracks down the spider-tracer he planted on Dr. Octopus during their battle, but is unaware that the villain has found the device and prepared a trap for the web-spinner. Luckily Spider-man escapes, however, now he has no way of finding Doc Ock. Unbeknownst to Spidey, Dr. Octopus is hiding in the most unlikeliest of places!
THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 54
“The Tentacles and The Trap!”
Credits (as they appear in the comic):
Stan (The Man) Lee and John (Ring-a-Ding) Romita
Embellished by Mickey Demeo*
Lettered by Sam Rosen
*(Mike Esposito is credited as Mickey Demeo)
Aunt May first met Dr. Octopus way back in Amazing Spider-man Annual 1. Although May was technically Ock’s prisoner, his good looks and charm made an impression on her that lasts until this very day. The second part of this story opens with a really interesting splash page. The composition seems very Ditko-ish. Dr. Octopus’ shadow functioning as a caption which recaps the events of the previous issue is a real innovation. With Anna Watson out of town, the authority to vet potential boarders falls to May. Her previous encounter with Dr, Octopus, coupled with Ock’s explanation of why he was seen battling Spider-man earlier during the attempted theft of the Nullifier, are enough to convince May of his noble intentions.
Hiding out at Aunt May and Mrs. Watson’s place is a perfect cover for Dr. Octopus as he begins the next phase of his master plan, which once again involves the henchmen which managed to escape after that previous adventure . Even more clever is the way he hides his tentacles inside that suit case. The harness is removable, but he still controls it through mental telepathy. His disguise also includes a change of eye-wear. When he’s wearing his super-villain outfit, he’s got special sinister-looking goggles, but wears regular dark glasses when dressed in civilian clothes. Aunt May still calls him Dr. Octopus, as though that was his actual name. Later writers will try to downplay this, sometimes even trying to make it seem that she was unaware Dr. Octavius and Dr. Octopus were one and the same, but here she definitely knows.
Having no way to track down Dr. Octopus, Peter is back home dealing with the other problems in his life, such as Harry’s increasing annoyance over his roommate’s mysterious coming ‘n goings, coupled with Pete’s compulsive paranoia . A trip to the Daily Bugle offers Peter no new leads on Ock’s current whereabouts. It does however feature a significant moment with the first meeting between Peter Parker and the Daily Bugle’s new city editor Joe Robertson who was introduced a few issues back. Robbie will go on to become one of Peter’s closest and most respected friends.
After a brief visit to the Coffee Bean where he catches up with Gwen and MJ, Peter heads over to Aunt May’s residence to check out her new boarder, and receives a huge shock. Despite her nephew’s warnings, Aunt May remains unconvinced of Dr. Octopus’s true nature. Interestingly, she makes a comment about Peter having met Dr. Octopus before, which would probably be ASM 12, where Ock unmasked Spidey. I guess Aunt May doesn’t have any problems with Doc Ock trying to kill her nephew that one time, but, of course, it was Peter’s own fault for dressing up like that awful Spider-man in the first place.
Ock’s threats toward Peter and his Aunt are enough to keep Pete from causing trouble, but once night falls he returns as Spider-man. Much of the action for this issue, involves Spider-man fighting Ock’s men outside May’s home. Although the henchmen aren’t the most respectively dressed citizens, the crowd on the street doesn’t really know who they are (their escapades during the Master Planner story were probably reported, but were perhaps not memorable enough for people to recognize them months later ). Spider-man is a more well-known figure, and considering everything that has been written about him in the Daily Bugle, it’s understandable why the onlookers might assume that it’s actually the web-spinner who’s up to no good!
A brief skirmish between Dr. Octopus and Spider-man finishes off the issue, with Aunt May suffering a non-fatal shock. Though Dr. Bromwell arrives and re-assures Peter that his Aunt will be okay, there’s now a big hole in the wall, and Ock is still on the loose!
THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 55
“Doc Ock Wins!”
Credits (as they appear in the comic):
Produced by Stan (The Man) Lee and John (Ring-a-Ding) Romita
Inking Mickey Demeo*
Lettering by Sam Rosen
*(Mike Esposito is credited as Mickey Demeo)
This is only the third part of the story, and it’s far from over.
Dr. Octopus has gone back into hiding, after his previous place of concealment was compromised last issue. Just like that earlier adventure in ASM 31-33 where Aunt May was threatened, Spider-man goes through the city, tearing up any place where the Master Planner gang may be hiding. Even a trip to the old underwater HQ yields no clues. All the while Doc Ock taunts Spider-man from some unknown location.
Though the Nullifier weapon introduced in ASM 53 was saved through Spider-man’s timely intervention, Dr. Octopus is still determined to gets his tentacles on it. John Jameson’s new assignment, now that NASA has grounded him, is heading up security for the Nullifier. This is an interesting way to keep John Jameson around, as part of the cast. He’s too old, and doesn’t really have any reason to be hanging out at the Coffee Bean with Peter and his friends, and, since he’s an adult, with a life and job of his own, it doesn’t make sense for him to always be visiting his father at the Daily Bugle every issue. This new job, while only temporary for the duration of this storyline, is a good way to incorporate a familiar character into Spider-man’s adventures without turning him into a space-spore powered super-menace.
After the sudden shock she received at the end of last issue, Aunt May is recovering, Anna Watson is back from her trip, and Mary Jane and Gwen pop by for a visit too. The big hole in the wall of the house caused by Dr. Octopus last issue is still there. I love how Mary Jane is so carefree and finds excitement in a simple thing like a hole in the wall of her old home!
Thanks to a spy working under John Jameson’s security team, Dr. Octopus learns where the Nullifier is to be transported, and executes a daring hijack operation. J. Jonah Jameson, Ned Leeds and recent cast addition Joe Robertson, are there to report news of Ock’s latest heist. Even in these early stories, Joe Robertson’s objective approach to journalism is shown to be a major part of his character, as he doesn’t find himself influenced by J.J.J.’s irrational grudge against Spidey. Harry Osborn makes a brief appearance this issue, only to show how increasingly annoyed he’s becoming with the drama that surrounds Peter Parker.
The big action that fills the last half of this issue features an attack on Stark Industries, where Dr. Octopus flaunts his newly acquired weapon in a most audacious manner. Once again, John Romita gets the opportunity to illustrate some awesome shots of Spider-man and Dr. Octopus fighting things out. The issue ends on a cliff-hanger, as Spider-man, having received a blast of the Nullifier’s power is affected in a most unexpected way. The Nullifier has affected the radio-active spider-blood in the web-spinner’s body, leaving him with no memory of who he really is. Fortunately Dr. Octopus is there to help fill in the blanks
THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 56
“Disaster!”
Credits (as they appear in the comic):
Produced by: Smilin’ Stan Lee and Jazzy Johnny Romita
Inked by Mickey Demeo*
Lettered by Sam Rosen
Ignored by: Those of Little Faith!
*(Mike Esposito is credited as Mickey Demeo)
Convinced that he and Dr. Octopus are allies, Spider-man returns with him to a secret hideout to prepare for the next stage of their master scheme. Dr. Octopus is shown to have a secret mansion hideaway somewhere on the outskirts of New York City. This is definitely an improvement from a rooming-house in Forest Hills, run by two old ladies!
Though Spider-man is still confused, he has a reasonably good grasp of how to use his abilities. Clouded thoughts at the back of Spidey’s mind, along with his spider-sense, help him stay on his guard, and he manages to maintain his secret identity.
Peter Parker’s friends make the usual appearances in this issue. Their concern over Peter’s mysterious disappearance, is nothing compared to the way Aunt May reacts, especially when it is reported in the newspaper that Spider-man has joined forces with Dr, Octopus. Of course Aunt May is more concerned over the way the Daily Bugle has been vilifying Ock.
This issue features the debut of another new character who will play an important role in Spider-man’s life. Retired police captain George Stacy, Gwen’s dad, has been brought in as a consultant to John Jameson’s security team as they work to recover the stolen Nullifier.
Just as the original Master Planner story featured a special compound called ISO-36 which was integral to the plot, this one introduces the similarly named Isotope-15 which is required to bring the Nullifier to its full operational capacity. Dr. Octopus sends Spider-man on a mission to steal Isotope-15 from a nearby military base. Though successful in his task, Spidey conveniently leaves behind a map, which John Jameson and his team use to locate Dr. Octopus’ HQ. While J. Jonah Jameson, rants about not having any photos to go with his newspaper headlines about Spider-man and Dr. Octopus, his son John is busy organizing an attack on the enemy stronghold. Ock and Spidey are fighting it out, and John uses the Nullifier to neutralize the villain’s mechanical tentacles. Spider-man’s memory is still a blank, and though John Jameson is not aware of this, he knows there’s more to the web-swinger’s involvement, ultimately allowing him to escape unhindered.
Amazing Spider-man, has already had some longer storylines which have run for multiple issues. Up until now, the longest was The Master Planner trilogy, back at the tail end of Ditko’s run. With Dr. Octopus back to his old schemes, with his gang of henchmen at his side, and Aunt May’s life in danger, this really feels like a sequel to ASM 31-33. A good bet that was what Lee/Romita and company had in mind when they came up with this story.
The Dr. Octopus plot wraps up with this last issue, but certain developments will spill over into the next one. If collected TPBs were a thing back when these issues were published, then Lee and Romita would definitely have been accused of writing for the trade. Despite this, the storyline does not seem padded, and the usual mix of action and soap-opera style drama make it an enjoyable ride
Notes about the Reprints:
These stories were reprinted in Marvel Tales 38-41 (1972-73) and Spider-man Comics Magazine 1-2 (1987)
Amazing Spider-man 53
Reprinted in Marvel Tales 38
This one has a really nice new cover by Sal Buscema. The original cover is included inside as a bonus page. Although I don’t think these reprints are being re-coloured, there seems to be a difference, though I think it’s probably due to the paper or printing methods. One panel does appear to have been touched up to fix some problems with the colours on Spidey’s costume
Reprinted in Spider-man Comics Magazine 1
Amazing Spider-man 53 was included as the third story in the first issue of this digest-sized series, following ASM 51-52. The cover to ASM 53 is not shown anywhere inside or out
Amazing Spider-man 54-56
Reprinted in Marvel Tales 39
The new cover is credited to John Buscema and Frank Giacoia.
There’s a minor change on the first page where the year ’67 has been updated to ‘72
The original cover is included as a bonus page.
Reprinted in Marvel Tales 40
The new cover is by Gil Kane and Frank Giacoia
There was a footnote on page 13 in the original that explained why Iron Man wasn’t around to defend Stark’s factory, but it has been omitted from this reprint.
The original cover is included as a bonus page.
Reprinted in Marvel Tales 41
The new cover is by Gil Kane and Jim Mooney
The original cover is included as a bonus page.
The blurb on the last page promises an appearance from Ka-zar next issue, just as the original did. Unfortunately Marvel Tales skips over that issue (more on that with the next review)
All three of these stories were also, reprinted in Reprinted in Spider-man Comics Magazine 2
This digest-sized issue uses an old pin-up by Gil Kane and Joe Rubenstein for the front cover, and a panel from ASM 55 for the back cover
The first two pages list the contents and show preview images from the stories it reprints.
The same Daily Bugle page from the first issue appears here again. There’s also an ad for Marvel’s Star comics line
The splash page for ASM 54 doesn’t update the year, the way Marvel Tales did, but they do correct Mike Esposito’s name for the credits on all three stories.
The caption explaining Iron Man’s absence has been retained for this reprint.
None of the original covers appear inside or out.
Adaptations in other media:
Amazing Spider-man 53 was the basis for “The Terrible Triumph of Dr. Octopus”, a short segment which was part of the seventeenth episode from the first season of Spider-man (1967).
The episode is a reasonably faithful adaptation of ASM 53, all the way from the demonstration of the Nullifer, to Dr. Octopus’s arrival (cape and all) and fight with Spider-man. After Spider-man escapes the trap set by Dr. Octopus with the exploding warehouse, the ending is adjusted so that things can be wrapped up in the allotted runtime, which doesn’t even hit ten minutes.
Spider-man The Animated series (1994) features a two-part story which adapts parts of the story from ASM 55-56, particularly the plot involving Spider-man’s amnesia and his subsequent partnership with Ock.
The story begins with “Make a Wish” which is the 2nd episode of season 3, and continues into the following episode “Attack of the Octobot”. In addition, these episodes integrate elements from “The Kid who Collects Spider-man” from ASM 248, and also includes this series’ first complete retelling of Spidey’s origin.
Instead of the Nullifier, this episode features a device called the Argon-Matrix Laser which Dr. Octopus wants to steal to augment the offensive capabilities of his telepathically controlled Octobot. Spidey’s amnesia is brought about by a different device called the Neural-Neutralizer which was invented by Ock for that express purpose.
Personal anecdotes:
I read the first part of this storyline when I got Spider-man Comics Magazine 1, which included the reprint of ASM 53. I was already familiar with the story since I had seen that episode of the 1960s cartoon in reruns plenty of times. I did see Spider-man Comics Magazine 2 at a store when it came out, but it was right next to the second issue of Transformers Comic Magazine, which was another digest sized reprint series being released around the same time. The Transformers digest included a reprint of an issue I didn’t have and had never read, so I made the choice to get that instead. The story had Spider-man, so I wasn’t cheating on my favourite superhero too much.
Even though I didn’t buy it at the time, I did flip through Spider-man Comics Magazine 2 at the store. I saw that the Master Planner gang was in it, but for the longest time I never read the full story. Eventually, like many other stories, I wouldn’t get to read it until it was reprinted in black-and-white for the Essential Spider-man. My copy of Spider-man Comics Magazine 2, which I eventually bought years later, is actually still readable. I guess whatever problems I had reading the previous issue were due to the way I stored it all those years (which means, I just left it sitting on a shelf, collecting dust)
I read the Marvel Tales reprints for my review, but was miffed when I got to the last page of Marvel Tales 40 and found that someone had cut it out. I assume it was probably because they wanted the page with the original cover reprinted, but, for all I know, it could have been to clip out the “Universal Schools” advertisement. I bought all these as back issues, and had this one for a while, but never looked at it. I’m sure I got it for cheap because I picked it up during a time when I wasn’t really looking for these issues. Someone wrote their name on the cover too in between the logo, but that probably didn’t bother me too much at the time. It’s still a readable copy, but now it’s in a separate box where I keep my other spares. I got a new one when I was at the comic shop, same day I started typing up this review. Not only did it have all pages intact, but there was actually an extra outer cover. I know these are fairly common, but I’ve only gotten one before from an issue of Web of Spider-man I picked up new from a newsstand in the late 80s. I saw that one before I paid for it, but was too young to know whether this was a good thing or bad thing. I went back and forth to the rack debating whether I should go for one cover or two, but ultimately decided it was cool to have the extra cover, and it’s still there!