Marvel Team-Up (1972) 95

Marvel Team-Up (1972) 95

Jul 1980

...And No Birds Sing!

by Steven Grant, Jim Janes, Bruce Patterson, Barry Grossman, John Costanza

Peter Parker is getting ready to head home from Kennedy International Airport when he stops to change his clothes and help Mockingbird fight off a trio of men who attack her as she is headed to her car. Mockingbird explains that the men were from SHIELD but doesn’t take the time to explain what she’s up to before ditching the wallcrawling superhero.

Marvel Team-Up (1972) 92

Marvel Team-Up (1972) 92

Apr 1980

Fear!

by Steven Grant, Carmine Infantino, Pablo Marcos, Carl Gafford, John Costanza

Spider-Man runs into Hawkeye who is scared out of his mind. Hawkeye has just fled the scene of an attack on an armored car. Hawkeye was in the vehicle when it was attacked. It was transporting something of value for his employer, Cross Technology Enterprises (CTE). Mister Fear robbed the armored car and took a device that he expects will help him to build an atomic bomb.

Spidey and Hawkeye go looking for Mister Fear once the effects of the panic inducing gas wear off. They track him down to a penthouse apartment that overlooks the East River. They are ready for his tricks but Mister Fear still gets the upper hand momentarily. Hawkeye almost gets killed but in the end the heroes stop Mister Fear, recover the missing tech, and turn supervillain over to the police.

Amazing Spider-Man Annual 16

Amazing Spider-Man Annual 16

1982

Who’s That Lady?

by Roger Stern, John Romita Jr, John Romita Sr, Stan Goldberg, Jim Novak, Tom DeFalco

Peter Parker’s Spidey-sense goes off when a beautiful woman walks past him. He doesn’t recognize her but he decides to follow her. He gets concerned when he sees her walking into a dangerous neighborhood. She turns out to be more than capable of handling any danger that comes her way, including Spider-Man when he surprises her. She regrets what she did to Spidey but decides to leave the area before he wakes up.

Amazing Spider-Man 230

Amazing Spider-Man 230

Jul 1982

To Fight the Unbeatable Foe!

by Roger Stern, John Romita Jr., Jim Mooney, Joe Rosen, Glynis Wein, Tom DeFalco

Spider-Man chases down the Juggernaut who is headed back to Black Tom Cassidy’s yacht. He catches up to him and tries to stop him but that proves to be almost impossible. Spider-Man tries removing the Juggernaut’s helmet but it is welded in place so precisely that Spidey can’t get it to budge.

Spider-Man hurls first an I beam and then a wrecking ball at the Juggernaut but neither object does any good. He drives a fuel truck into the Juggernaut which has a similar effect on the villain and causes a huge fire. The story ends with the Juggernaut trapped in a block of concrete. Black Tom Cassidy is left wondering what happened to his comrade. 

Amazing Spider-Man 229

Amazing Spider-Man 229

Jun 1982

Nothing Can Stop the Juggernaut!

by Roger Stern, John Romita Jr., Jim Mooney, Joe Rosen, Glynis Wein, Tom DeFalco

Black Tom Cassidy and the Juggernaut target Madame Web. She gets a premonition that something is coming for her and reaches out to Spider-Man for help. Spider-Man tries his best to prevent the Juggernaut from reaching her. 

A brief portion of this story takes place at the Daily Bugle. The Juggernaut is a little too single minded (stay on target!) to swing by the offices of the Daily Bugle but Peter spends some time there, shooting the breeze with Glory Grant and running in to Betty Brant. He has to high tail it out of there when he gets a call from Madame Web.

Amazing Spider-Man Annual 15

Amazing Spider-Man Annual 15

1981

Spider-Man: Threat or Menace?

by Denny O’Neil, Frank Miller, Klaus Janson, Bob Sharen, Jim Novak

J. Jonah Jameson thinks he has the cover story set for the Sep 12, 1981 edition of the Daily Bugle when circumstances conspire to make him change it more than once. Spider-Man fights the Punisher and Doctor Octopus, who are not working together. Punisher kills a phony mystic. Doctor Octopus tries to kill 5 million people. Spider-Man is unable to prevent the Punisher from committing murder but he prevents the success of the tentacled supervillain’s plan and personally rescues J. Jonah Jameson.

Spider-Man’s Tangled Web 11

Spider-Man’s Tangled Web 11

Apr 2002

Open All Night

by Darwin Cooke, J. Bone, Matt Hollingsworth

I really like this story but it’s hard to describe without going into lots of detail. It’s a Valentine’s Day story. Spider-Man is in it but he isn’t the main character. I’m not sure if there is a main character. There are lots of character interactions but not much in the way of fighting.

Most of the players in this story are depicted on the cover. 

Marvel Team-Up (1972) 85

Marvel Team-Up (1972) 85

Sep 1979

The Woman Who Never Was!

by Chris Claremont, Sal Buscema, Steve Leialoha, Clem Robins, Ben Sean, Allen Milgrom

Black Widow dives through the broken window after Spider-Man. She saves him but then needs saving herself when the Silver Samurai cuts the line securing her to the helicarrier. Spider-Man and Black Widow make it back into the helicarrier in time to rejoin the fight before Nick Fury and Shang-Chi are overcome by Viper, Silver Samurai, and the hypnotized agents of SHIELD.

Marvel Team-Up (1972) 84

Marvel Team-Up (1972) 84

Aug 1979

Catch a Falling Hero

by Chris Claremont, Sal Buscema, Steve Leialoha, Diana Albers, Ben Sean, Allen Milgrom

The issue opens with the reveal that Viper (who was once known as Madame Hydra) is the one pulling strings. She has captured the helicarrier and has all of its staff under her hypnotic control. The first five pages are devoted to the reveal and then a dive into her backstory.

Viper fought Captain America (during the brief period when he was known as Nomad) in Captain America 182. She was almost captured but escaped thanks to Ishiro Tagara, a cadre leader of the Japanese Red Army, an occasional ally of Hydra. The Viper and Tagara fell in love as she plotted the downfall of the United States of America.

Marvel Team-Up (1972) 83

Marvel Team-Up (1972) 83

Jul 1979

Slaughter on 10th Avenue!

by Chris Claremont, Sal Buscema, Steve Leialoha, Joe Rosen, Ben Sean, Allen Milgrom

Spider-Man wakes up the next morning on the rooftop where he was shot by Nick Fury. He is surprised that he is still alive but takes that as an indication that Nancy Rushman must also still be alive.

Nick Fury suspects that someone is trying to destroy SHIELD from within. He received a warning from the Black Widow before she lost her memory. He talks to SHIELD Agent Jasper Sitwell about what he knows of the situation while the doctors try to revive the Black Widow.

Marvel Team-Up (1972) 82

Marvel Team-Up (1972) 82

Jun 1979

No Way to Treat a Lady

by Chris Claremont, Sal Buscema, Steve Leialoha, Rick Parker, Sean Ben, Allen Milgrom

Nancy Rushman, a school teacher who looks just like the Black Widow, is walking home at night in Manhattan when she is attacked by three men. Spider-Man shows up just in time to save her. He winds up needing a little saving himself when he slips on a patch of ice. Nancy reacts like the Black Window might and delivers a karate chop to the attacker who is about to stab Spider-Man. He recognizes her as the Black Widow but she passes out when he tries questioning her.

Marvel Team-Up 128

Marvel Team-Up 128
Apr 1983

Sweet Temptation!
by J. M. DeMatteis, Kerry Gammill, Mike Esposito

Peter Parker runs into Steve Rogers at the San Genaro Street Festival. Peter is with Mia Carrera and Roger Hochberg, a couple of his friends, and Steve is there with Bernie Rosenthal. Both men are experiencing a bit of angst. Steve can’t stop thinking about Sharon Carter, his former girlfriend who has been dead for a few years, even though he is now dating Bernie. Peter is fixated on the Black Cat, the fact that he’s in love with her, and that she’s a criminal.

Marvel Team-Up 134

Marvel Team-Up 134
Oct 1983

The Boy’s Night Out
By Bill Mantlo, Ron Frenz, Mike Esposito

The Jack of Hearts narrates as he breaks free from his SHIELD minders and heads to Empire State University. He is looking for Marcy Kane, an old flame of his, and an acquaintance of Peter Parker. Jack crosses paths with Peter but the encounter is a brief one.

Jack’s SHIELD minders track him and do their best to apprehend him. Spider-Man helps Jack fight off his would-be captors until he discovers who they are. Jack ultimately decides to return home and allow to SHIELD to keep him there.

Amazing Spider-Man 70

Amazing Spider-Man 70
Mar 1969

Spider-Man Wanted!
By Stan Lee, John Romita Sr, Jim Mooney

The Kingpin gets thrown in the pokey but it isn't long before he breaks out. Spider-Man tries to figure out what to do now that he's a fugitive. Eventually he heads home for some rest but he doesn't get a good night's sleep.

The next day he is lured into a trap set by the Kingpin. The two start fighting on the street. Spider-Man seems to have the upper hand when two cars pull up. One is driven by a woman, presumably the Kingpin's wife. The Kingpin jumps in and escapes once again. J Jonah Jameson is in the other car. He verbally harasses Spider-Man who he still believes is in league with the Kingpin even after seeing the two fighting. Spidey loses his cool and gives JJJ a piece of his mind. Jonah seems overwhelmed by the verbal response, collapses, and from the looks of it has a heart attack.

There is a scene with the Robertsons, father and son. They learn that Dean Corliss of ESU agreed with the student protestors idea to turn the building into a dorm for low income students. He had to convince the trustees that it was the right thing to do.

Gwen and Peter share a moment once he arrives on campus the next day. She questions him about the disappearing act he pulled the other day. He isn't sure how to respond without revealing his secret identity. The status of their relationship seems very up in the air at this point.

On the surface I sped through this issue very quickly. It seemed to be all Spidey and Kingpin. When I went back and reread it I could see that there was a lot more going on here. I'm not as impressed as I was by the previous issue but this was more of an in betweener sort of chapter that sets things up for a pay off in a future issue, possibly the next issue.

Amazing Spider-Man 69

Amazing Spider-Man 69
Feb 1969

Mission: Crush the Kingpin!
By Stan Lee, John Romita Sr, Jim Mooney

Some this story feels familiar. I don't recall reading it before but I'm sure I have at least seen some of these panels here and there.

Spider-Man tracks down the Kingpin and his men. He handles the Kingpin's men fairly easily but their boss proves to be a lot tougher. In the end the Kingpin is felled by his own cane gun which backfires after Spidey jams it with a web.

Kingpin is taken into custody by the police but claims that Spider-Man is his accomplice. The police believe him and start shooting at Spidey who now has the Petrified Clay Tablet. He acts like he's fed up with the world and ready to be the public menace that so many (the police, J Jonah Jameson) think he is but I ain't buying it. Spider-Man is one of the good guys. What's up with the police just accepting the Kingpin's word about Spider-Man?

Earlier in the issue there are a few moments unrelated to the fight between Kingpin and Spider-Man. In the first of these scenes, Kingpin gets enraged when one of his men mentions his wife. I don't know if she was in the earlier Kingpin stories or not.

The other two scenes both take place at the police station where the protesters who were arrested are being held. One involves a verbal confrontation between Gwen Stacy and one of the protesters who wasn't arrested. She doesn't agree with their tactics which shouldn't be too surprising considering that her father is a police captain. She takes a passionate stand when the protester questions Peter's courage. I haven't read many comics in which Gwen Stacy appeared. This was a different Gwen than I was used to seeing but I suppose the atmosphere of this era and on the campus of ESU may have had something to do with her behavior and the way she was portrayed.

Inside the police station there is another confrontation. This one is between Robbie and Randy Robertson. Robbie doesn't care for the way Randy is expressing himself through the protest movement. He doesn't get it. Randy has to explain to his father why. As with the scene outside the police station this one was passionate and moving.

This issue builds off the last one and engaged me on a deeper level. Maybe if I had read ASM 67 I would have got more out of 68. All in all a great read. I'm pumped to see where the story goes next.

Amazing Spider-Man 68

Amazing Spider-Man 68
Jan 1969

Crisis on the Campus!
by Stan Lee, John Romita Sr, Jim Mooney, Sam Rosen

The Kingpin plots to steal the Petrified Clay Tablet from the campus of ESU on the very same day that some student are organizing a protest. Coincidence? Not exactly. The Kingpin uses the protest as cover for his larcenous activities. Spider-Man gets caught in the middle as attempts to stop the Kingpin and prevent any students from getting injured.

The students were protesting the school's plan to turn the exhibition hall (where the Petrified Clay Tablet was located before the Kingpin stole it) into housing for visiting alumni. The students wanted it to be converted to low rent dorm for students who can't afford to stay in the regular dorms. Among the protesters is Randy Robertson, Robbie Robertson's son. Robbie rushes over to cover the commotion at the university for the Daily Bugle. He arrives just in time to see his son arrested.

Peter clashes with Josh, one of the leaders of the protest. Gwen Stacy goes with Peter to visit Aunt May. The Kingpin shows off his fighting skills as he spars with some of his men.

A pretty good issue which is the start of a bigger story that revolves around the tablet. Lots of ground work has been laid.

This is just the third story in which the Kingpin has made an appearance. The previous stories were in Amazing Spider-Man 50-52 and 59-61.

Amazing Spider-Man Annual 2

The Wondrous World of Dr. Strange!
By Stan Lee and Steve Ditko
1965

Spidey teams up with Dr. Strange to battle Xandu, who has enlisted the aid of a couple tough guys he hypnotized. He sends them to Dr. Strange's home to retrieve the piece Xandu needs to make the Wand of Watoomb whole again. Spidey spots them as they are leaving Strange's Greenwich Village home with the missing piece of the wand.

Spidey unsuccessfully tries to stop them but they get back to Xandu and he is able to make the Wand of Watoomb whole again. Spidey attacks Xandu who uses the wand to banish Spidey to another dimension. Just as Spidey is being hurled through the trans-dimensional portal he uses his webs to pull the wand through with him.

Xandu sends his boys after Spidey. They retrieve the wand and Spidey gets back to Earth. Meanwhile Dr. Strange has located Xandu and attacks him. Together Strange and Spidey break Xandu's hold on the two bruisers and defeat the evil magic-user.

This is (at the very least) their first published team-up. At the time it was published Ditko was the regular artist for both characters.

2/24

GCD: https://www.comics.org/issue/18845/

Tangled Web of Spider-Man 4

Severance Package
By Greg Rucka and Eduardo Risso
Sep 2001

Tom Cochrane, an employee of Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin, is called to his boss's office late one night. He knows what it is all about, as does his wife. He botched a job. He has to pay for his misstep.

Tom considers his options but stoically accepts his fate. He goes to Fisk's office accepting that he isn't going to leave alive.

Spider-Man does not appear in this story. He is mentioned but that is it. This is s story set in the world of the marvel universe but it doesn't feel much like it.

I really like the way this story is told visually. It can be a fast read because there isn't a ton of dialogue or narration. Risso's art isn't the prettiest but it gets the job done in an admirable fashion.

2/21

GCD: https://www.comics.org/issue/69263/

Amazing Spider-Man 86

Beware... the Black Widow!
By Stan Lee, John Romita, and Jim Mooney
Jul 1970

. In the aftermath of a fight with Kingpin, Spider-Man can't seem to focus on anything
. Black Widow designs a new costume for herself and tests it out by taking on Spider-Man hoping to learn Spidey's secrets
. In the end Peter isn't feeling any better and he suspects that his Spider powers may be fading away
. Black Widow is unsuccessful in her attempt to learn Spidey's secrets and accepts that she will just have to fight crime in her own way

. This is a back door pilot for the upcoming Black Widow series in Amazing Tales and the first appearance of Black Widow's modern costume

Black Widow's appeared fairly consistently in comic books in the 1970s following this story
. Amazing Tales 1-8 (Aug 1970 - Sep 1971)
. Daredevil 81 - 124 (Nov 1971 - Aug 1975)
. Champions 1-17 (Oct 1975 - Jan 1978)
. Spectacular Spider-Man 17-18 (Apr - May 1978)

Spectacular Spider-Man 96

The Final Answer!
By Al Milgrom, Jim Mooney
Nov 84

Part 3

- lots of recap and references to other comics
- Final confrontation involving Spidey, the Black Cat, Cloak, Dagger, Kingpin, Silvermane, and the Answer
- trapped inside Cloak's cape Silvermane lashes out and fights his way back out causing considerable pain to Cloak
- after changing into his old costume Spidey meets Up with Black Cat and they head to Kingpin's HQ
- the Answer doubts that Dagger can help Vanessa now because Dagger is so weak; the Kingpin doesn't want to hear it and sets a plan in motion to have Dagger's life energy transferred to Vanessa
- interlude 1: MJ thinking about her relationship with PP
- interlude 2: Flash Thompson and Betty Leeds trying to avoid armored men running around the city wrecking havoc
- Spidey questions BC as they head to KP's HQ; he thinks she is hiding something; she won't tell him but later on he hears it from KP that she owes KP a favor
- Spidey and BC arrive at KPHQ and find Silvermane fighting a bunch of KP's thugs
- Cloak arrives and tries attacking KP but the Answer takes him out of the fight fairly quickly; Cloak is still weak
- Spidey and Kingpin fight; then Silvermane busts through a walk and joins the brawl, he is after Dagger; Kingpin fights Silvermane to prevent him from getting to Dagger and gets beaten pretty badly by the cyborg
- the fight ends when the Answer takes the comatose Dagger's hand and then vanishes; Dagger awakens and gives back to Silvermane the life energy she took from him; Silvermane is restored and leaves without saying a word
- Dagger is cracking with energy; Kingpin begs her to restore his wife, she refuses; she restores Vloak who has collapsed on the floor and then they teleport away
- Black Cat and Spidey take off after Kingpin turns on them, leaving Wilson Fisk alone with his wife, Vanessa
- final page get a glimpse of Spidey's black suit trapped at the Baxter Bldg trying to escape

- what happened to the Answer in the end ? Converted to energy helping to heal Dagger; according Comic Book DB his power is to develop a power for whatever he needs but just one or two powers at a time; 1st appeared in SSM 91-97; but his appearance in SSM 97 might just have been a recap appearance and then nothing until 1993 (9 years later); just 5 appearances in 1993 and then nothing until 2005

- first mention of the Dark Dimension

- see Thor 349 for the reason why it is snowing in the Summer; must have something to with the cask of ancient winters
- see ASM 258 for the full details on why Spidey is back to his old costume and how it is that MJ now knows that Peter Parker is Spidey

- my favorite story of this collection, very intricate; the art not so hot but it gets the job done; the only story of this collection not written by Mantlo

6/7