MRL - Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #47-52, Annual #3-4

[sonotadream]

Amazing Spider-Man (1963) - #47-52, Annual #3-4 - Stan Lee/John Romita/Larry Lieber

Spider-Man gets an invitation to join the Avengers, so team update: all the originals are back, although Giant Man now goes by Goliath.

They can't decide what test to give Peter at first (the test things is new), so a fight breaks out in the meeting room. Then, Iron Man remembers the Hulk is around and the Avengers ask Spider-Man to bring him to their HQ.

Peter finds the Hulk at the Gamma Ray Research Centre. The Hulk is not happy at being attacked with no warning, and Peter has to concede he has a point. He gets hit by some gamma rays and turns back into Bruce Banner, who explains what has happened to him to a sympathetic Peter. When he turns back into the Hulk, Peter can't bring himself to deliver him to the Avengers, not knowing the Avengers only want to meet the Hulk because they feel he needs their help.

Kraven escapes from jail and tries to go after the Green Goblin to get his money. Apparently (this wasn't depicted in his last appearance), the Green Goblin promised Kraven 20k for dealing with Spider-Man. Kraven didn't get it, but he believes Norman Osborn is working for the Goblin. Osborn is out of town, so Kraven goes after Harry and interrupts Flash going away party - he got recruited into the Army.

At least, he gets the best gift: seeing Spider-Man battle Kraven up close!

The Vulture is dying, after an accident in the prison shop. He still has strength to confide in his cellmate where he hid his last pair of wings - which is exactly why Blackie Drago engineered said accident. He escapes prison, retrieves the wings and goes on a crime spree, which Spider-Man tries to stop. His first attempt fails because Peter is battling a bad cold and a fever.

The new Vulture drops him in a snow-covered rooftop, believing to have won. The cold ends up reviving Peter and he slinks back home. A night's rest gets in back in good health, but he has to (pretend) to stay in bed to assuage Aunt May - he’s such a fragile boy!

He has to sneak out because Kraven isn't happy about the publicity the new Vulture is getting. The fight between the two can be highly destructive and Peter has to stop them. It's easier this time, when he can turn the two against each other and get some nice pics in the process.

We get the classic Spider-Man No More story here. Peter’s decision to stop being Spider-Man has been building for a while. He’s tired of Jameson’s crusade against him, tired of not having time to date either MJ or Gwen, tired of not being able to take Norman’s offer of a job. The turning point comes when Aunt May suddenly gets sick.

Upset that he hasn’t there for her, Peter throws his suit in the trash and quits.

Spider-Man’s absence is the opportunity the Kingpin had been waiting for. He decides it’s time to finally unite the city’s gangs under his leadership. Peter is able to ignore the crime wave at first, but he walks into an attempted robbery and can’t walk away. The victim reminds him of his uncle and he remembers why he started being Spider-Man in the first place. He steal his suit back from Jameson - who had it hanging in his office like a trophy - and gets back in the action.

After Spider-Man busts another couple of robberies, the gangs aren't happy with the Kingpin. They try to fight him, but his size isn't just for show - it’s all muscle. He's also quick enough to hold his own against Spider-Man.

And he's not afraid to get his hands dirty, despite preferring to stay in the shadows.

Kingpin has his men bring him Jameson. He wants to intimidate him to stop publishing about the Kingpin’s existence. He uses Foswell - who decided to give up clean living and try to untie the gangs again himself; Kingpin is mot too impressed with him either - to try to reason with Jameson, but he refuses to back down.

Spider-Man followed them to Kingpin’s lair, but he’s caught in a gas cloud. Kingpin decides to dispose of him and Jameson by locking them up in a room and filling it with water. Peter makes a web bubble and he’s ready to take down the Kingpin once the door is open. Jameson, I’m sorry to say, acts like a coward the entire time - but it’s only his life on the line, not his money 🙄

Kingpin escapes, but Foswell, feeling like he couldn’t abandon Jameson, is killed by some goons.

Meanwhile, Ben Urich and Ned Leeds step up at the Daily Bugle, leaving Betty to wonder why she keeps falling for guys who like danger…

The annual is a big Spider-Man/Human Torch team up. Where they constantly heckle each other.

The Human Torch is rampaging through Manhattan and Spider-Man is the only one who can stop him! Except, Johnny is actually shooting a movie and Peter just made a fool of himself. Especially, after the Daily Bugle publishes photos of the whole affair (these were not taken by Peter, btw).

Still, the publicity generates interest in a movie featuring both heroes fighting and Peter heads to Hollywood, hoping for a big pay day. Things are going well - he and Johnny strike a truce, but Peter’s spider-sense keeps going off.

And for good reason. The movie thing is just a plot from the Wizard - last seen mind-controlling the Thing with the Frightful Four - and Mysterio - last seen tricking Peter into believing he lost his mind - who want Spider-Man and the Human Torch to destroy each other. The Wizard attacks Peter disguised as the Human Torch and their plan seems to be working. Peter and Johnny fight, but they’re both holding back. The Wizard gets impatient and sends a ray their way that exposes the evil duo.

Peter and Johnny stop fighting, and start working together to get past the Wizard’s traps. The evil guys get arrested and Peter even gets some reward money for his troubles.