SPIDER-MAN: HIS FIRST 1960s STORIES

This weekend’s escapist and light-hearted superhero post from Balladeer’s Blog will look at the earliest adventures of Spider-Man.

AMAZING FANTASY Vol 1 #15 (August 1962)

Title: Spider-Man!

Villain: The Burglar

Synopsis: This hero’s origin is well-known by now. Student Peter Parker gets bitten by a spider that was exposed to radiation and, in typical comic book nonsense, he gains the proportionate strength of a spider, wall-crawling ability, spider-sense and more.

Peter, nerdy and bullied at school, lets himself become an obnoxious jerk in his Spider-Man identity as he cashes in on his powers to become a celebrity. His cocky attitude allows a robber to escape when Spider-Man could have easily stopped him. When that same man burglarizes Peter’s home and kills his Uncle Ben our hero is conscience stricken and realizes what a responsibility his powers are. He catches the burglar for the police. 

SPIDER-MAN Vol 1 #1 (March 1963)

Title: Spider-Man vs the Chameleon

Villain: The Chameleon

Synopsis: Spider-Man saves the life of astronaut John Jameson when his space launch goes wrong. John’s father J. Jonah Jameson feels our hero did that just to steal glory from his astronaut son and begins his crusade of Fake News against him.

In addition, Spider-Man breaks into the Baxter Building and winds up fighting the Fantastic Four. He does well against them and asks to join the team, assuming they pay large salaries. When he learns that they are non-profit, he leaves, disappointed. Next, he defeats a Soviet supervillain called the Chameleon, a spy who is raiding American defense installations.

SPIDER-MAN Vol 1 #2 (May 1963)

Title: Duel to the Death with the Vulture

Villains: The Vulture and the Tinkerer

Synopsis: A flying supervillain called the Vulture has been on a robbing spree throughout New York City but no one has been able to photograph him. Peter Parker begins his schtick of setting up his camera to take pictures of himself as Spider-Man, then fights and captures the Vulture.

Ironically, J. Jonah Jameson pays Peter a large amount for the exclusive photos, beginning our hero’s employment by the man who hates Spider-Man the most. Later, Spider-Man stops the Tinkerer and his gang who masquerade as aliens while committing crimes.

SPIDER-MAN Vol 1 #3 (July 1963)

Title: Spider-Man vs Dr. Octopus

Villain: Dr. Octopus

Synopsis: When a lab accident fuses the mechanical arms of nuclear physicist Dr. Otto Octavius to his body, he begins committing crimes as the supervillain Dr. Octopus. First, he takes over a hospital and holds the staff and patients hostage until Spider-Man arrives to stop him. 

Next, the villain invades an atomic research center, where he has access to incredibly destructive amounts of fissionable material. Before Dr. Octopus can complete the nuclear weapons he is building, Spider-Man arrives, defeats the madman and turns him over to the police.

SPIDER-MAN Vol 1 #4 (September 1963)

Title: Nothing Can Stop the Sandman

Villain: Sandman

Synopsis: After thwarting the theft of a jewelry store, then punking the annoying J. Jonah Jameson, Spider-Man is attacked by the new supervillain called the Sandman. The villain drives Spider-Man off. The next day Peter Parker sees a news report about Sandman’s origin and about his ongoing spree of bank robberies. 

By a comic book coincidence, Sandman, being pursued by the police, invades Peter’s high school and holds the students hostage. Peter slips away and becomes Spider-Man, who wins his rematch against Sandman.

SPIDER-MAN Vol 1 #5 (October 1963)

Title: Marked for Destruction by Dr. Doom

Villain: Dr. Doom

Synopsis: The Fantastic Four’s archenemy Dr. Doom has been misled by J. Jonah Jameson’s fake news about Spider-Man and actually believes that our hero is a villain. He wants to recruit him as an ally against the Fantastic Four. Intuiting the wavelength of Spider-Man’s spider-sense, he is able to lure him to a meeting.

When Spidey turns down his offer of partnership, Dr. Doom tries to kill him. The hero is lucky to escape. The next day, Flash Thompson dresses in a Spider-Man costume because Spidey is his hero. Dr. Doom abducts the costumed Flash and broadcasts a threat to the Fantastic Four that he will kill Spider-Man if they don’t meet him where he says.

Peter Parker reluctantly dons his costume and tries to free his bully Flash Thompson. He attacks Dr. Doom but is outpowered until the Fantastic Four arrive as Doom ordered. The assembled heroes drive off the villain and save Flash’s life.   

SPIDER-MAN Vol 1 #6 (November 1963)

Title: Face to Face with the Lizard

Villain: The Lizard

NOTE: Spider-Man is now published monthly. 

Synopsis: Spider-Man saves Peter Parker’s crush Liz Allen while corralling some armed robbers. Later, J. Jonah Jameson assigns Peter to get photos of the man-lizard who is being sighted. As Spider-Man, he checks in with noted lizard specialist Dr. Curt Connors, but he is missing.

Curt’s wife and son confide in Spider-Man that Curt IS the Lizard. An experiment to regrow his missing limb like lizards can do caused him to transform into a monster called the Lizard. Suddenly, the Lizard invades the Connors home, but our hero fights the monster, driving it off.

Next, Spidey uses notes in Curt Connors’ in-home lab and his own genius for biochemistry to concoct a serum that will turn the Lizard back into Curt. Finding the Lizard’s hiding place, Spider-Man fights him until he is able to administer the serum. The monster turns back into Curt Connors and Peter has gotten photos of the Lizard.   

SPIDER-MAN Vol 1 #7 (December 1963)

Title: The Return of the Vulture

Villain: The Vulture

Synopsis: The Vulture breaks out of prison via an upgraded Vulture suit and begins another robbing spree. Peter Parker hears news reports on the breakout and becomes Spider-Man to hunt down the escaped villain. 

The Vulture suit’s improvements enable him to defeat Spider-Man in their initial battle. The next day, by comic book coincidence the Vulture tries to rob the Daily Bugle payroll. Peter again switches to his costumed identity and battles the villain on multiple floors of the Bugle building before finally defeating the Vulture and turning him over to the police.

SPIDER-MAN Vol 1 #8 (January 1964)

Title: The Living Brain

Villain: The Living Brain

Synopsis: A major corporation brings its latest breakthrough – a thinking android called the Living Brain to Peter’s high school to demonstrate it to students. As the day goes on, the robot malfunctions and starts a destructive rampage. Peter becomes Spider-Man and fights the incredibly strong, well-armed android and eventually defeats it.

Title: Spider-Man Tackles the Human Torch

Synopsis: Showing teenage immaturity, Spider-Man crashes a publicized birthday party for the Human Torch thrown by his girlfriend Doris Evans. He and the Torch try to outdo each other at impressing the attendees with assorted stunts, and eventually end up in a serious fight.

The other Fantastic Four members step in to stop the fight and have Spidey and Johnny Storm make up. 

SPIDER-MAN Vol 1 #9 (February 1964)

Title: The Man Called Electro

Villain: Electro

Synopsis: While Peter Parker takes care of his Aunt May, who has been struck with an illness, a brand new supervillain called Electro robs cash from an armored bank vehicle. Aunt May must get checked in to the hospital, increasing Peter’s concern.

The following day, Electro robs a bank. With Aunt May in more stable condition, Peter becomes Spider-Man and swings around New York City looking for Electro. Eventually he finds him and the two fight it out, but Electro defeats him.

A day later, Electro busts out several criminals to use as his underlings. Spider-Man finds his hideout and takes on Electro and his small army, emerging victorious this time. Peter makes a lot of money selling exclusive photos of Spider-Man fighting Electro to J. Jonah Jameson.   

SPIDER-MAN Vol 1 #10 (March 1964)

Title: The Enforcers

Villains: The Big Man, Montana, Ox and Fancy Dan

Synopsis: A masked gangster calling himself the Big Man leads his highly proficient trio of thugs called the Enforcers in a campaign to muscle in on other gangsters around New York City. Before long, Spider-Man runs afoul of the Big Man’s growing army of thugs and defeats several of them for the cops. 

On another day, Peter Parker sees his girlfriend Betty Brant – J. Jonah Jameson’s secretary – getting leaned on by the Enforcers for a gambling debt her brother owes. She is too embarrassed to discuss the situation with Peter.

Peter becomes Spider-Man and roughs up a criminal to make him say where the Big Man’s hideout is. Our hero raids that hideout, defeats the Enforcers and the other thugs but the Big Man himself escapes.

Back at the Daily Bugle, Peter Parker learns that Betty Brant has fled town to avoid trouble over her brother’s debt, then is shocked when the police come in and expose fellow Bugle employee Frederick Foswell as the Big Man and arrest him.

SPIDER-MAN Vol 1 #11 (April 1964)

Title: Turning Point 

Villain: Dr. Octopus

Synopsis: Dr. Octopus’ high-powered lawyer gets him released from prison on time served. Peter Parker knows that Otto will return to crime, so he creates his first Spider-Tracer to affix to the villain when he walks out of the prison.

Our hero is shocked to discover that Otto’s lawyer is Bennett Brant, the brother of Betty Brant who is in debt to the mob. This leads to Spider-Man getting involved in stopping criminal activities by Dr. Octopus, a fellow gangster called Blackie Gaxton and Blackie’s underlings.

In a final battle on a spacious boat, Betty’s brother Bennett gets killed saving her from a bullet fired by Blackie Gaxton, but Spider-Man defeats Gaxton and his thugs. Unfortunately, Dr. Octopus escapes. 

SPIDER-MAN Vol 1 #12 (May 1964)

Title: Unmasked by Dr. Octopus

Villain: Dr. Octopus

Synopsis: Peter and Betty Brant have resumed their relationship in the wake of all that has happened. Dr. Octopus, still at large, wants to kill Spider-Man and arranges a fight to the death with him at an amusement park.

The pair battle all around the park, with Dr. Octopus defeating Spider-Man. Idiotically farcical comic book nonsense defuses the whole “unmasking” of our hero bit. A few days later, Otto sets free all the animals at the zoo, which attracts Spider-Man’s attention. Another battle royal results with Spider-Man victorious this time.

SPIDER-MAN Vol 1 #13 (June 1964)

Title: The Menace of Mysterio

Villain: Mysterio

Synopsis: While Peter Parker and Aunt May struggle to make the mortgage payment, a new supervillain called Mysterio uses his illusion and special effects weaponry to frame Spider-Man for a few robberies. He plans to keep the money while also getting reward money for Spider-Man.

Mysterio pretends he is really a new superhero and he fights our hero in public, outdoing him so thoroughly that Spider-Man is driven off. Spidey had attached a spider-tracer to Mysterio and tracks him down. Spider-Man defeats him this time and gets him to confess that he framed him for the bank robberies. Jameson buys Peter’s photos of Spider-Man fighting Mysterio and the money makes the mortgage payment for the Parkers.   

SPIDER-MAN Vol 1 #14 (July 1964)

Title: The Grotesque Adventure of the Green Goblin

Villains: The Green Goblin, the Enforcers and the Hulk

Synopsis: Despite having a great guest-star in the Hulk and introducing the villain who would go on to kill Gwen Stacy in 1973, this story is mostly cringe. It’s so goofy and campy it’s like an episode of the later Adam West Batman series played straight.

The mysterious Green Goblin recruits the Enforcers (Montana, Fancy Dan and the Ox) in a plot to kill Spider-Man. The Goblin cons our hero into an alleged movie deal in which he will reenact his previous clash with the Enforcers. The villain tells Spider-Man that the trio he presents are really just actors made up to resemble the Enforcers.

The Hulk gets caught up in the sloppy storyline but in the end Spider-Man once again defeats the Enforcers, whom he now knows are the real thing. He also survives his battle with the Hulk but has to hide from him, and the Green Goblin gets away.

NOTE: This set the pattern for the Green Goblin’s first several appearances. His real face was never shown. Even when he was out of his costume other objects prevented readers from seeing who he was. Years later, after Peter was in college and rooming with Harry Osborn the Goblin was revealed to be Harry’s father Norman, who suffered from a split personality.

SPIDER-MAN Vol 1 #15 (August 1964) 

Title: Kraven the Hunter

Villains: Kraven and the Chameleon

Synopsis: The Chameleon is back in the U.S. and resuming his activities as a Soviet spy. Spider-Man crashes his hideout and manages to corral all of the supervillain’s underlings, but the Chameleon himself escapes.

Chameleon contacts his fellow Soviet operative, Kraven the Hunter, whose big-game hunting activities provide cover for his missions for the U.S.S.R. Kraven comes to the U.S. and plots to kill Spider-Man alongside the Chameleon. 

Meanwhile, Peter Parker’s Aunt May and her friend Anna May Watson try to talk Peter into asking out Anna May’s niece Mary Jane Watson, the first ever mention of her character. Peter is content with Betty Brant and declines. 

Over the next few days, Spider-Man clashes with the Chameleon-Kraven the Hunter duo and ultimately defeats them. Their spy activities get them deported, and the Chameleon will next appear in a clash with Iron Man when he sneaks back into the U.S. 

SPIDER-MAN Vol 1 #16 (September 1964)

Title: Duel with Daredevil

Villains: The Circus of Crime

Synopsis: Spider-Man saves the blind lawyer Matt Murdock from a mugging before Matt can slip away to become Daredevil. Matt thanks our hero but is surprised because his radar senses indicate Spider-Man is really just a teenager of 17.

Before long, the Circus of Crime are back on the loose after their clash with the Hulk and make false claims that Spider-Man will be performing at their new cover circus’ show. Matt Murdock attends out of curiosity, while Spider-Man attends to see what’s up with the circus falsely using his name.

The Ringmaster eventually uses his hypnotic top hat to enthrall the crowd so that his other circus gang members can rob the entire audience of their valuables. Matt is immune to the Ringmaster’s hypnotism as a blind man, so he becomes Daredevil and attacks the villains.

The Ringmaster pits the enthralled Spider-Man and the clear-headed Daredevil against each other but Daredevil soon frees our hero of the Ringmaster’s control. Spidey and Daredevil then go on to take down the entire Circus of Crime, including the Clown, Strong Man, the Flying Gambonos, elephants and their trainers, stilt walkers, the Human Cannonball and more.

NOTE: Years later, the Ringmaster was revealed to be the descendant of the original Ringmaster who ran a criminal circus during the 1940s and fought Captain America & Bucky.

SPIDER-MAN ANNUAL Vol 1 #1 (October 1964)

Title: The Sinister Six

Villains: Dr. Octopus, Electro, Vulture, Sandman, Mysterio and Kraven the Hunter

Synopsis: Dr. Octopus breaks out of prison and rounds up Electro, Sandman, the Vulture, Kraven and Mysterio in an alliance to kill Spider-Man. They take hostages and demand Spider-Man face them.

Idiotically, the villains fight him one at a time rather than all at once. (Hey, it’s just a comic book.) Spider-Man again defeats them all, frees the hostages and turns over the Sinister Six to the authorities.  

SPIDER-MAN Vol 1 #17 (October 1964)

Title: The Return of the Green Goblin

Villain: The Green Goblin

Synopsis: Peter Parker’s bully Flash Thompson of all people forms a Spider-Man Fan Club to let the hero know he has support despite being as misunderstood as the Green Hornet. Meanwhile, Mary Jane Watson has indicated to her Aunt Anna May that she does not want fixed up with this Peter Parker guy.

The Green Goblin ambushes Spider-Man in public and the two battle it out. Johnny Storm, on a date with Doris Evans, sees this, flames on and comes to Spider-Man’s aid. Again, the Green Goblin escapes.

FOR MY LOOK AT SEVERAL CLASSIC SPIDER-MAN STORIES FROM THE 1970s CLICK HERE.

FOR MY LOOK AT THE EARLIEST MARVEL TEAM-UP ISSUES CLICK HERE.