babbling_bookends

Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #16-23 - Stan Lee/Steve Ditko

Spider-Man returns with a team-up with Daredevil against the Ringmaster.

The Circus of Crime is in town and the Ringmaster plans to have a full house by advertising an appearance by Spider-Man. He doesn’t plan for Spider-Man to actually appear. The Ringmaster has a hypnosis-wave generator mounted in his top hat and his scheme is to use it to put the audience in a trance in order to rob them. The hat works on Spider-Man, but not on Daredevil.

There’s a short fight - because, of course - but, at least, once Daredevil ends Spidey’s trance, they part as friends. Spider-man proceeds to fight the circus performer’s and everyone gets arrested.

The Green Goblin returns and it's a better showing than last time. He’s been practising against a Spider-Man dummy, but now he's ready to face the real thing.

At the same time, Flash Thompson decides to start a Spider-Man fan club and announces it with a big splashy newspaper ad that promises Spider-Man's presence. He showed up for a charity circus performance, why wouldn't he show up for his fans?

The first meeting attracts a big crowd, including Johnny Storm and his girlfriend Dorrie, J. Jonah Jameson, Betty, Liz and, of course, the Green Goblin. The audience thinks it's a performance, but Johnny gets suspicious and decides to interfere.

Spider-Man takes advantage of the distraction to change clothes and make a brief appearance as Peter Parker. He's worried - and maybe a little paranoid - because Liz noticed Peter and Spider-Man are never seen together. In the process, he implodes his relationship with Betty, who now believes Peter didn't invite her to the meeting because he wanted to come with Liz.

Peter changes back and rejoins the fight with the Green Goblin, only to overhear a phone call looking for Peter Parker: his aunt had a heart attack and is in the hospital. Without a second thought, Peter abandons the fight and races to the hospital, leaving everyone to believe that Spider-Man is a coward.

Everyone but Johnny, who later tries to contact him through sky message and gets stood up, and Flash, who eventually decides to go out dressed as Spider-Man, hoping to get some positive publicity for his hero. That plan doesn't pan out, but Flash doesn't give up on Spider-Man.

Unlike Peter. He spends weeks worried about Aunt May and how to afford her medicine. He tries to use Spider-Man's image, but that's not selling anymore. He tries to sell the formula for his web, but manufacturers aren't interested in a glue that dissolves itself - I guess post-its aren't a thing yet.

And Betty is now going out with Ned Leeds.

But Aunt May gets better and tells Peter is time for him to stop worrying. She's not ready to give up, and he shouldn't be either.

Just like that, Spider-Man is back.

The news finally wipes the smile off Jameson's face, to the relief of his employees, who didn't know how to deal with a happy boss.

The criminals don't change their plans. The Sandman and the Executioners plan to take out all the heroes. They start with the Human Torch (tired from Strange Tales #127), who they trap in a glass tank without enough air for him to flame up.

Hearing they're out and about, Spider-Man tracks the Executioners to their lair and an obvious trap. He's still surprised by the Sandman, but he frees Johnny and together, they stop the criminals. Also, they get tangled in Spidey's web together.

A new classic villain is introduced: the Scorpion. Mac Gargan was hired by Jameson to follow Peter around and discover how he takes the Spider-Man pictures.

Peter never finds out what that's about, because Jameson comes up with a plan to end Spider-Man. He learns about the work of Dr. Stillwell, who's capable of inducing mutations in animals - give a rat the ability to breathe underwater and a fish the ability to breathe on land - and offers him money to give Gargan powers superior to those of Spider-Man.

Stillwell is conflicted, but the money convinces him. He devises a serum that gives Gargan strength and durability,. but also affects his mind, i.e. turns him evil.

He also comes up with the mechanical scorpion tail.

The Scorpion and Spider-Man fight, with the Scorpion knocking out Peter a couple of times. Dr. Stillwell's conscience gets the better of him and he tries to give Gargan an antidote. He's too far gone though. He chooses to start a life of crime and kills the doctor. He then goes after Jameson, the only one who knows his secret identity.

By now, Peter has figured out he can't rely on brute force alone to beat the Scorpion, so, when he corners him in Jameson's office, Peter uses his agility and glues him to the floor with liquid web.

Jameson gets away without his involvement being revealed and learns an important lesson: absolute power corrupts absolutely, and Spider-Man is bound to get corrupted,. sooner or later.

Peter’s love life is looking good again, since Ned was sent to Europe on assignment and Betty is talking to him again, but then Peter gets embroiled in another love triangle and he goes back to a nihilistic funk. The Beetle - remember him? From Strange Tales? - is released from jail and immediately goes about seeking revenge on the Human Torch. Learning the Beetle is free, Johnny immediately flames on and goes searching for him, to the chagrin of his girlfriend. Dorrie then demands he spend 24 hours without flaming on - sorry Doris, but if you have a problem with costumed heroes, don’t date one.

During that day, Dorrie happens to have a run in with Peter, who returns a lost wallet to her. She invites him to her house for a refreshment. Johnny sees him leave and Dorrie tries to make him jealous - she wishes Johnny was more of a gentleman, like Peter Parker.

It works. Johnny finds Peter and goes off on him for trying to get in with his girl. Betty overhears them and gets upset, easily believing Peter is seeing yet another girl - she needs to work on her self-esteem, honestly. Peter, on his turn, goes off on Johnny for upsetting his girl. Knowing Johnny won’t fight him because he believes Peter to be a regular guy, he decides to get back at him by having Spider-Man sweet talk Dorrie.

Before that happens, the Beetle finally shows his face and two get on a fight outside Dorrie’s house. She tries to call Johnny for help, but he thinks she’s just testing him. When he shows up at her place, the Beetle has taken her hostage and is on the run. Johnny thinks Spider-Man is responsible and the two fight, Johnny too heated to listen to Peter, until he sees Dorrie being dragged by the Beetle.

Johnny and Peter manage to take down the Beetle, but Dorrie is suspicious of Spider-Man and Johnny doesn’t entirely disbelieve her, which sends Peter further down the aforementioned nihilistic funk.

So, that was a lot of relationship drama, but they’re teenagers, you know?

And it should be noted that Betty and Peter are in good terms by the next issue. In the one following that, Peter is the one getting jealous because Betty forgets to tell him she received a letter from Ned.

In similar fashion, the Ringmaster and his crew aren't getting along so well. The Masters of Menace are tired of the Ringmaster's incompetence and elect the Clown as their new leader. Their first robbery - of Jameson's sponsored art exhibition - is successful, but things fall apart. They're found out by Spider-Man, the Ringmaster and the police, and can't help but to betray each other.

Another two villains return next. There's Falwell - the Big Man - remember him? He worked for the Daily Bugle and wanted to take over as Kingpin of crime? Well, he's free and working for the newspaper again. Jameson likes to keep up his image as do-gooder.

Well, the Green Goblin is taking a page from his playbook and making a play to take over the city's gang. He leaks information about a mob gang to the police through Falwell - unclear how they're working together. Peter is suspicious of Falwell, but has nothing concrete to base that on.

He's also wondering if the Green Goblin changed sides and ends up following to a mob hideout. As he deals with the mobsters, he learns the Goblin is actually trying to take over the gang.

Spider-Man and the Green Goblin fight and it ends in a stalemate: the Goblin empties his bag of tricks and Spider-Man runs out of web fluid.

In the end, the Goblin's plan fails because it worked too well: all the gangs are disbanded and there's nothing for him to take over.

And Peter is back to feeling sorry for himself.

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