The next twelve months in the life of Spider-Man cover the remainder of co-creator Steve Ditko’s tenure on the title as primary plotter and sole artist, as well as the early issues of Ditko’s replacement, John Romita. As has been widely discussed in fan circles, Ditko became increasingly disenchanted working at Marvel in general and with scripter/editor Stan Lee in particular and eventually terminated his association with the company.
However, a legend has grown up that Ditko quit The Amazing Spider-Man after an argument with Stan Lee over how to reveal the Green Goblin’s secret identity. The tale is told that Stan Lee insisted on the villain being a familiar face to satisfy readers’ expectations, while Ditko’s unbending personal philosophy dictated that the “face of evil” be anonymous. This legend has been pretty well debunked, though it never really seemed to hold water in the first place. First of all, it’s unlikely there was any “argument” between Lee and Ditko, since they were no longer on speaking terms by this time, dealing with each other through an intermediary, production manager Sol Brodsky. Lee has discussed how Ditko would turn in finished pages of art without any marginal notes to guide Lee, leaving him to puzzle out the story while writing the script. The best example of the problem with this situation is the confusion over who some costumed hijackers were working for in issues #30–31. Lee clearly had no idea where the book was heading or what Ditko was planning to do with the characters, but since sales were strong, he was content to let Ditko lead the way. For them to suddenly argue over a specific plot point would require a drastic change in their working relationship, and no one has ever claimed this took place.
Furthermore, Ditko had just done the “villain is revealed to be some unknown guy” routine with the Looter in #36, and was, I think, unlikely to repeat himself with the Green Goblin. In issue #37, he is clearly setting up Norman Osborn as a crafty villain who would bedevil Spidey again. Issue #38 would be Ditko’s last, so we’ll never know what he would have done had he continued. Unlike the grand finale Ditko provided for the “Doctor Strange” feature, the end of his run on Spider-Man offered no sense of resolution.
In the very next issue, Stan Lee took back control of the book and began altering Ditko’s status quo. Harry Osborn, who had so far treated Peter with nothing but contempt, suddenly became his friend. And the mysterious Green Goblin, whose face Ditko had made a point of never showing, ripped off his own mask to reveal himself as a crazed Norman Osborn. Within four months, Lee and Romita also revealed the face of Mary Jane Watson, ending one of Ditko’s long-running visual gags. It’s easy to see how fans assumed there had been a power struggle behind the scenes, which Ditko lost.
Other than a few cryptic comments, Steve Ditko has not, as yet, explained his true reasons for quitting Marvel Comics in 1966. Where the “Green Goblin argument” myth originated is not clear.
Nevertheless, this chronology covers a time of tremendous change in the life of Peter Parker which has never been equaled. He graduates from high school and enters college, moves out of his childhood home into a shared apartment in the city, and endures a painful breakup with his first love. This is the year that Peter Parker becomes an adult.
Note: The following timeline depicts the Original Marvel Universe (anchored to November 1961 as the first appearance of the Fantastic Four and proceeding forward from there. See previous posts for a detailed explanation of my rationale.) Some information presented on the timeline is speculative and some is based on historical accounts. See the Notes section at the end for clarifications.
Now spinning out more of… The True History of the Amazing Spider-Man!
January 1963 – Peter Parker begins the second semester of his senior year in high school, along with classmates Flash Thompson and Liz Allan. Liz continues to flirt with Peter, much to Flash’s annoyance, but Peter remains committed to his rocky relationship with Betty Brant. In the late evenings, Peter continues to sneak out of the house in Forest Hills, Queens, where he lives with his Aunt May, to patrol New York City as Spider-Man. Selling photos of Spider-Man’s exploits to the Daily Bugle newspaper remains Peter’s sole source of income, which helps Aunt May make ends meet.
Peter learns that the internationally renowned Kraven the Hunter, who normally deals in traditional big game hunting, has chosen Spider-Man as his latest prey. During their initial skirmish, Kraven scratches Spider-Man with a poison claw that makes his hands tremble uncontrollably. The effect lasts throughout the next day, causing problems for Peter at school. The following night, Spider-Man tracks Kraven to Central Park, where they have a major battle. Spidey overcomes Kraven’s attempts to handicap him and captures his foe, also bagging Kraven’s accomplice, the Soviet spy known as the Chameleon. Peter sells photos of their arrest to Daily Bugle publisher J. Jonah Jameson, soon after which the pair is deported.
Peter’s social life is complicated when Aunt May insists he go on a blind date with Mary Jane Watson, the niece of their elderly neighbor Anna Watson. Not interested in meeting someone new, Peter does his best to avoid Mary Jane, assuming from Aunt May’s description that she must be a homely girl. Nevertheless, the mere presence of Mary Jane and Liz in his life disrupts Peter’s relationship with Betty, who is very insecure.
When Peter sees a circus poster claiming that Spider-Man will be making a personal appearance, he decides it might be good publicity to go ahead and do the show. However, he soon discovers that it is all a scheme by the Ringmaster and his Circus of Crime to boost attendance at their felonious carnival. Finding himself hypnotized by the Ringmaster’s mind-control technology, Spider-Man is forced to battle the superhero Daredevil, who appears unexpectedly at the scene. Daredevil proves to be immune to the Ringmaster’s hypnotism and manages to free Spidey from his trance. Enraged, Spider-Man defeats the entire Circus of Crime singlehandedly while Daredevil applauds his remarkable fighting skill.
After a close encounter with the fast-flying Thor, Spider-Man searches the city for his old foe Doctor Octopus, who has escaped from prison. While walking down the street in his civilian guise, Peter’s spider-sense alerts him to a suspicious character, but before he can follow the man, Peter is accosted by Flash Thompson and his pals. Flash challenges Peter to a fight, angry that Liz has been paying so much attention to Peter lately. Peter dodges Flash’s punches for a minute or two, then takes the opportunity to slip away when the fight is interrupted by a mysterious man in a dark blue cape. Peter quickly changes into Spider-Man and pursues the suspicious character, only to witness the man suddenly dissolve into a pile of empty clothes. Confused, Spidey heads home for dinner. When he arrives, though, he finds Aunt May in the attic, looking tearfully at old photos of his Uncle Ben. Overwhelmed with guilt and sadness, Spider-Man wanders the rooftops of Manhattan, brooding over how a single act of irresponsibility on his part cost Uncle Ben’s life. Suddenly, he stumbles and falls, shocked to discover that all his spider-powers are gone. Clinging precariously to a flagpole, Spidey watches helplessly as the Fantastic Four pass by in their Fantasti-Car. Though they see him, they offer no help, clearly assuming he is just clowning around. Peter saves himself and slowly makes his way home.
The next day, Peter skips school and wanders the city, confused, distracted, and depressed. By chance, he witnesses Giant-Man and the Wasp apprehend a gang of criminals at the waterfront, which makes him realize how much being Spider-Man meant to him. Later that day, Peter learns from Jameson that Aunt May and Betty Brant have been kidnapped by the Sandman and Electro. Suddenly, the Vulture appears in the window, instructing Jameson to publish a challenge to Spider-Man from the “Sinister Six.” Peter realizes that Doctor Octopus would know Spider-Man fought for Betty Brant twice before and must be the mastermind behind the conspiracy. Aunt May was clearly just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Distraught, Peter realizes that Spider-Man must attempt to rescue them, even without his super-powers.
Following the Vulture’s instructions leads Spider-Man into a battle with Electro at Stark Industries, just about five miles from the Parker home. During the confrontation, Spidey realizes he hasn’t lost his powers after all; it was merely a psychosomatic reaction to his loss of self-confidence. Emboldened, Spidey defeats Electro just as Iron Man shows up to investigate the ruckus. Leaving Iron Man to deal with the unconscious Electro, Spider-Man moves on to defeat Kraven the Hunter again at Flushing Meadows Park, three miles away, where the new World’s Fair is under construction. This leads Spidey into a fight with Mysterio and his robotic doppelgängers of the X-Men, followed by a struggle with the Sandman inside an airtight trap. Finally, Spider-Man faces the Vulture in aerial combat and forces the villain to reveal the location of Doc Ock’s hideout. There, in a large manor house on eastern Long Island, Spider-Man captures Doctor Octopus and frees Aunt May and Betty, who spent their period of captivity quite comfortably in a well-appointed sitting room. The police soon arrive and take Aunt May home, where she claims to have found her infamous “host” to be very charming, giving Peter and Betty a chuckle. Later, Spidey swings by the city jail, hoping that Doctor Octopus, Electro, Kraven the Hunter, Mysterio, Sandman, and the Vulture will all remain safely in police custody.
Spider-Man is suddenly attacked one day by Giant-Man and the Wasp, and their conflict goes on in cat-and-mouse style for quite some time before they realize they were tricked into fighting each other by the criminal mastermind known as Egghead. Giant-Man leads them to a warehouse on the Hudson River, where they find Egghead has just committed a major heist. Together the heroes apprehend Egghead and his gang and turn them over to the police. Spider-Man is irritated by the Wasp’s negative attitude toward him and departs in a huff, leaving the two Avengers to get all the credit for Egghead’s capture.
Peter learns that Flash Thompson is organizing a Spider-Man Fan Club and they will be holding their inaugural event at a posh Manhattan supper club owned by Liz Allan’s father. Flash is hopeful that Spider-Man will make a public appearance to support his fans, and Peter thinks it would be a good idea, especially in light of his recent public blunders. His decision is confirmed when he witnesses the Human Torch being cheered and congratulated after helping the police catch an armed robber. Plus, as it turns out, the event will allow him to put off meeting Mary Jane Watson. At the event, Spidey is surprised by the large turnout, although the audience includes detractors such as J. Jonah Jameson and the Human Torch. Unfortunately, his performance is interrupted by the Green Goblin, and Spider-Man tries hard to make the attack seem like part of the show, to prevent a panic. During the fight, however, Spider-Man overhears the maître d’ taking a phone message about Peter Parker’s aunt being hospitalized. Frantic with worry, Spider-Man races out of the club, certain that the Human Torch can finish off the Goblin. Arriving at the hospital, Peter learns that Aunt May has suffered a major heart attack and is in surgery. He spends the rest of the night in the hospital waiting room. The next morning, Aunt May’s condition is stable, and after visiting hours, Peter finally returns home. He is thoroughly disgusted to find the media is abuzz with the story of Spider-Man’s “cowardice,” even though it was the Human Torch who let the Green Goblin escape.
In the days that follow, Aunt May is released from the hospital. Peter forgoes being Spider-Man to stay home and take care of her, with Anna Watson helping out while Peter’s at school. Worried about raising money to pay for Aunt May’s medical expenses, especially after a gloating Jameson claims he will buy no more photos of Spider-Man, Peter goes out in costume only to try finding other sources of income. He offers an exclusive contract to a trading card company, but they are not interested due to Spider-Man’s poor public image. He tries selling the formula for his web fluid to a glue manufacturer, but they reject it upon learning that it completely evaporates after one hour. On the way home, Spider-Man is chased by a jeering Sandman, who has already escaped from jail. Unwilling to risk a confrontation, Spider-Man refuses to fight the villain, which bolsters the claims that the wall-crawler is a coward. Peter sinks into a profound depression and is ready to give up being Spider-Man forever, until Aunt May chastises him for moping and worrying so much about her. Inspired by his aunt’s gumption, Peter rededicates himself to doing good as Spider-Man. He goes out later that night for a very successful campaign of crime-fighting. Renewed in spirit, Spider-Man publicly redeems himself the very next day by rescuing the Human Torch from the Sandman, the Enforcers, and their henchmen. The crooks are taken into custody and Spider-Man and the Torch part on amicable terms, sharing credit for the capture. After selling photos of the battle to Jameson for a premium price, Peter is feeling so good that he is even gracious when Betty introduces him to a man she’s been dating, reporter Ned Leeds.
February 1963 – A few days later, Peter realizes that J. Jonah Jameson has hired a private eye named Mac Gargan to follow him around for some reason. He decides to find out what Jameson is up to, but he is distracted when Betty asks him to accompany her to Idlewild Airport to see Ned Leeds off. Peter is happy to learn that Ned is going to be on assignment in Europe for the next six months, since he won’t have to compete for Betty’s affections. As soon as he is back in Manhattan, Spider-Man is attacked outside the Daily Bugle by a new villain called the Scorpion. They brawl on a rooftop while Jameson cheers on the Scorpion from his office window. The Scorpion manages to overpower Spider-Man twice, knocking him out both times, before their final battle in the Daily Bugle offices. There, Spidey is finally able to defeat his murderous foe by webbing his feet to the floor and ripping his scorpion-tail weapon off the back of his body armor. Jameson is somewhat conflicted that Spider-Man has just saved his life, and Peter is not surprised later when he finds Jameson has claimed the credit for capturing the Scorpion. Though Peter watches carefully for several days, Mac Gargan seems to have disappeared.
After spotting a Spider-Man impostor entering Avengers Mansion with Captain America, Spidey listens in on the argument between the impostor and Cap, Thor, Giant-Man, and the Wasp. He hears the impostor claim that Iron Man is being held prisoner at the famous Temple of Tirod in Mexico and realizes the Avengers are racing into a trap. He makes his way to Idlewild Airport, changes into Peter Parker, and buys a plane ticket for Mexico City, using up a good chunk of his savings. By the time Spider-Man arrives at the remote temple, the impostor has already defeated Giant-Man, Wasp, and Thor. Spider-Man saves Captain America from falling to his death, then attacks the impostor, who turns out to be a highly sophisticated robot. Spidey manages to outwit his computerized foe, leaving it smashed to pieces on the jungle floor. Spider-Man then races back to civilization to catch his return flight to New York. He is annoyed later when the Avengers make no attempt to thank him.
While running some errands on a Saturday afternoon, Peter helps out a pretty teen-aged girl named Doris Evans, after she gets jostled by some roughneck children. Finding Doris has lost her billfold, Peter takes it to her house to return it to her. Doris is very friendly and invites him in for a Coke, and they seem to hit it off. Peter is feeling on top of the world when he meets up with Betty Brant to do some window shopping, but his mood is spoiled when the Human Torch suddenly accosts him, explaining that Doris Evans is his girlfriend. Betty is crushed to hear that Peter was hitting on some other girl, and Peter is furious with the jealous Torch for causing problems. He decides to get even by making a play for Doris as Spider-Man. However, as soon as he arrives at the Evans home, the web-slinger is attacked by the Beetle, an old foe of the Torch, and their battle causes a good deal of property damage. When the Beetle spots Doris, he grabs her as a hostage and flies away. Spider-Man pursues him and is soon intercepted by the Torch, who assumes Spidey has kidnapped Doris. Spider-Man leads the Torch to the Beetle, and the two heroes attack the villain independently. Although they end up getting in each other’s way more than cooperating, Spider-Man and the Human Torch manage to defeat the Beetle and rescue Doris. She accuses Spider-Man of being in league with the Beetle, causing Spidey to take off, feeling angry, frustrated, and dejected.
The following weekend, Spider-Man happens upon the Human Torch arriving for a party at Doris Evans’s house. Still angry with the Torch because Betty has refused to speak to him all week, Spidey decides to crash the party. The kids jeer Spider-Man, knowing he recently wrecked the place, and the Torch tries to drive him away. Their fight takes them to a nearby beach, where the Human Torch’s teammates intervene. Spider-Man briefly tussles with Mister Fantastic and the Thing until the Invisible Girl stops the fight. Fed up with celebrity superheroes, Spider-Man swings off back to the city.
March 1963 – While Peter is visiting the campus of SUNY Hegeman, he once again runs into the Human Torch and the Thing. The Torch remembers him as the kid who tried to hit on Doris last month, and they trade insults. Peter decides that if the Human Torch is planning to go to that school, then he won’t enroll there.
A few days later, Peter and Betty finally make up and attend the opening of an art exhibition sponsored by J. Jonah Jameson. Unfortunately, the gallery is robbed by the Ringmaster’s Circus of Crime. Spider-Man tracks down the Ringmaster elsewhere in the city, only to learn that he’s been dumped by his gang, which is now being led by the crafty Clown. Cursing his luck, Spider-Man hypnotizes the Ringmaster with his own device, forcing him to reveal the likely hideout of his former cronies. Upon arrival at the warehouse where the circus is storing its equipment for the winter, Spider-Man easily defeats the Clown, Ernesto and Luigi Gambonno, and the Human Cannonball but has a very difficult time apprehending their latest recruit, Princess Python, since he’s reluctant to hit a woman. Finally, the police arrive and capture her, along with the Ringmaster and the rest of the gang. Peter later sells photos of the arrest to the Daily Bugle.
Peter and Aunt May commemorate the first anniversary of Uncle Ben’s death.
Spidey feels insulted when he is not invited to the engagement party for Mister Fantastic and the Invisible Girl, especially when he learns the Avengers and the X-Men will all be there. Realizing he is persona non grata due to the incidents with Doris Evans, Spider-Man nevertheless swings by the Baxter Building and snags a piece of cake with his webbing. When he spots a strange-looking “flying saucer” approaching the building, he swings away, not wanting to get involved.
Peter becomes suspicious when Frederick Foswell, the former crime boss known as the Big Man, gets out of prison and is given his old job back at the Daily Bugle. Trailing Foswell gets Spider-Man involved in a gang war between a mobster called Lucky Lobo and the Green Goblin. Lobo and his gang end up getting arrested, but Spider-Man is unable to stop the Green Goblin from getting away. Peter is also troubled to discover that Betty has been exchanging letters with Ned Leeds while he’s on assignment in Europe.
April 1963 – Peter feels increasingly agitated and paranoid, worrying about investigative reporter Frederick Foswell discovering his secret identity, struggling to keep up in school while needing to make money selling crime photos, fretting about winning a scholarship to Empire State University, and fuming about Betty writing letters to Ned Leeds behind his back. When Liz Allan asks Peter to tutor her in science so she won’t fail the class, he agrees to do it, partly because he wants to get back at Betty. After this, he becomes convinced Flash Thompson is following him.
Peter’s worries are magnified when he reads in the Daily Bugle that the noted European psychiatrist Dr. Ludwig Rinehart is convinced that Spider-Man is suffering from acute psychological problems and is heading for a complete nervous breakdown. On his way to the newspaper office to learn more about Rinehart, Spider-Man is attacked by phantoms of Doctor Octopus, the Sandman, and the Vulture. Fearing that he is now having paranoid hallucinations, Peter starts to panic, imagining what would happen if an insane Spider-Man were unleashed on the world. Thus, Spider-Man goes to visit Rinehart, where more hallucinations convince him he is in need of immediate psychotherapy. Rinehart attempts to convince him that his only hope of remaining sane is to abandon his Spider-Man identity, but their session is interrupted by J. Jonah Jameson, who accuses Rinehart of being a fraud. Flash stumbles in as well, causing Rinehart to bolt for the door. Spider-Man chases the psychiatrist, discovering that the “hallucinations” were all generated by Rinehart, who is revealed to be Mysterio in disguise. With
Mysterio captured, Jameson is forced to retract the entire series of fraudulent articles, since the real Ludwig Rinehart is dead. Peter is relieved to know he’s just stressed out, not going crazy.
Realizing his Spider-Man costume is starting to get a bit worn out, Peter begins working on making himself a new one. He finds it to be a difficult and frustrating process.
May 1963 – Peter meets the robotics expert Spencer Smythe when the scientist tries to convince J. Jonah Jameson that his latest invention could capture Spider-Man. Jameson is reluctant to finance the scheme, but Peter talks him into it, hoping to profit from selling photos of Spider-Man fighting Smythe’s robot. He comes to regret it, however, when the robot proves to be far more formidable than he expected. After an exhausting chase all across the city, Spider-Man is finally captured in the robot’s unbreakable metal coils. Worse, he is forced to listen to Jameson’s incessant gloating via the robot’s viewscreen. When the screen goes blank, indicating Jameson and Smythe are on their way, Spidey breaks into the robot’s chest panel and figures out how to deactivate its offensive systems. Wanting to play a prank on Jameson, Peter rigs up a dummy made of webbing inside his costume and leaves it in the robot’s clutches. From a hidden vantage point, he takes photos of Jameson’s enraged antics when the publisher discovers Spider-Man has made a fool of him again. Unfortunately, Peter is forced to leave his costume behind when Smythe stays late trying to repair the robot. When Peter gets home, Aunt May scolds him for having missed another chance to meet Mary Jane Watson. She is more angry, though, to have found the Spider-Man costume he was working on. Peter tries to explain away the unfinished costume, but Aunt May just decides to get rid of it. After Aunt May goes to bed, Peter searches the house but is unable to find it. He realizes he is now a superhero without a costume.
The next day, after getting into a fight with Flash Thompson at school, Peter hits on the idea of buying a Spider-Man outfit from a costume shop. He finds one for a good price but soon discovers that the elastic in the costume is worn out, so the gloves and boots keep falling down, the shirt rides up, and the mask won’t stay in place. He is forced to use webbing to keep the cheap costume from falling apart. He soon learns from Jameson that Smythe has his real costume. Spider-Man’s outfit proves to be a constant distraction as he investigates a new gang war between the Green Goblin and a masked mobster called the Crime-Master. Peter suspects that Frederick Foswell is one or the other and spends the evening looking into it. Despite being captured and chained up by the Goblin, Spidey fights off the Crime-Master’s entire gang, with the help of some officers of the NYPD. The Green Goblin soon abandons the fight and flies off into the night sky. Spider-Man chases the Crime-Master but loses him in the sewers. Convinced Foswell is behind one of the masks, Spider-Man races to the Daily Bugle, only to learn that the Crime-Master has been gunned down in a battle with the police and was then revealed to be a mob boss named Nick “Lucky” Lewis. Spider-Man receives assurances that Foswell is involved strictly as an investigative journalist.
The next morning, Peter decides to sell his photos of last night’s escapade to the Daily Globe, since he is annoyed with Jameson. He visits the offices of the rival paper and meets their picture editor, Barney Bushkin. Though Bushkin happily buys the photos, he asks so many questions about how Peter got such shots that Peter decides he is better off just dealing with Jameson. Left without a usable costume, Peter decides he’s too busy finishing up the school year to go out as Spider-Man anyway. Instead, he spends as much time as he can with Aunt May, taking her out to the movies and other fun diversions.
A week or so later, Peter celebrates his 18th birthday at home with Aunt May. He and Betty Brant are still angry with each other, so Peter avoids going to the Daily Bugle.
June 1963 – As the school year at Midtown High winds down, Peter decides to give up trying to make a new Spider-Man costume and to just get his old one back from Spencer Smythe. He retrieves his costume from Smythe’s laboratory but is drawn into conflict with Smythe’s violent lab assistant, Mark Raxton, when an accident mutates him into the Molten Man. During their battle at Raxton’s apartment building, Spider-Man tries to avoid getting punched in the face, not wanting to look bruised at graduation. He finally manages to bind the super-strong Molten Man with extra-thick webbing and leaves him for the police.
Peter attends the graduation ceremonies at Midtown High, where Principal Davis announces that he has won a science scholarship to Empire State University in the fall. Peter is thrilled that he’ll be able to afford to go to college, though he’s not too happy to hear that Flash Thompson will be attending ESU as well, on a football scholarship. Then, J. Jonah Jameson takes the stage to give the commencement address, causing the students to groan. After the ceremony, Peter meets up with Aunt May and her friend Anna Watson in the courtyard. Aunt May tells Peter how proud she is of him. Then Jameson joins them, trying to be charming, and Peter realizes he must have caught wind that Peter sold some exclusive photos to the Globe. Peter moves off to say goodbye to Liz Allan, who is depressed about becoming an adult. Liz admits she had a crush on Peter, though he clearly preferred more mature girls like Betty Brant. Peter feels bad when he notices Flash pays no attention to Liz as she leaves with her parents. Finally, Peter takes a last look at Midtown High School before heading home with Aunt May.
Soon after, on the wedding day of Mister Fantastic and the Invisible Girl, Spider-Man can’t help but swing by the Baxter Building to check out the event, which has turned into a media circus as crowds fill the streets outside the Fantastic Four’s headquarters. Spidey is surprised to find Captain America and Hawkeye fighting with the Cobra, Mister Hyde, the Executioner, and the Enchantress in the street and uses his webbing to save Hawkeye from a falling safe that materializes out of thin air. Realizing a super-powered slugfest is raging all around the building, Spider-Man gets out his camera and starts taking pictures. He gets some spectacular shots as Mister Fantastic, the Thing, the Human Torch, Daredevil, Captain America, Hawkeye, Thor, Iron Man, Quicksilver, Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Angel, Iceman, and the Beast battle a horde of villains including Electro, the Beetle, the Black Knight, Diablo, the Eel, the Grey Gargoyle, the Human Top, Kang the Conqueror, the Mad Thinker and his Awesome Android, the Mandarin, the Melter, the Porcupine, the Super-Skrull, and the Unicorn. That evening, Peter sells his photos to J. Jonah Jameson for a handsome sum. Peter and Betty make up and agree to go out on some dates again, though their relationship remains strained.
Later in the month, Spider-Man fights with two burglars who appear to be in a trance, after he spots them coming out of an attic window in Greenwich Village. Spider-Man trails the thugs back to their master, a wizard named Xandu, but in the ensuing altercation, Spider-Man finds himself falling through a portal to another dimension. Luckily, he snags the wizard’s magic wand with his webbing and pulls it through the portal with him. His gambit pays off, as the thugs soon appear to capture Spider-Man and take him back to the wizard’s lair. Returned to Earth, Spider-Man finds Xandu battling Doctor Strange, the mysterious occult expert. Strange contacts Spidey telepathically, instructing him on how to defeat the ensorcelled thugs. Once that is accomplished, Spider-Man joins Doctor Strange in attacking Xandu, and they finally manage to separate him from his magic wand. Doctor Strange uses his magic amulet to drain all the power out of the wand and casts a spell that removes all knowledge of black magic from Xandu’s mind. Somewhat mystified, Spider-Man watches as Doctor Strange floats off into the night. The next morning, Peter wonders if any of it really happened.
July 1963 – Peter sees Betty Brant infrequently and generally finds the summer to be lonely and dull. He finds few opportunities for newsworthy photos and consequently spends little time at the Daily Bugle. His activities as Spider-Man are limited to stopping petty street crime and the occasional cat burglar.
Peter is astonished when the news breaks that the Hulk is actually the alter-ego of Dr. Bruce Banner, one of America’s leading nuclear scientists. The Hulk is thought to have been vaporized following an altercation with the U.S. military in Washington, D.C.
Late in the month, Peter is startled when the entire sky is suddenly engulfed in flames. The city is gripped in a panic, although his spider-sense tells him there is no immediate danger. After a while, the flames vanish as mysteriously as they appeared, though other bizarre aerial phenomena follow over the next week.
August 1963 – For a few days, a curtain of space debris circles the globe, darkening the sky with asteroids, though, again, Peter’s spider-sense indicates there is no immediate danger. The debris vanishes as a gigantic figure appears briefly on the roof of the Baxter Building and encounters the Fantastic Four. After the giant disappears in a flash, J. Jonah Jameson publishes an editorial in the Daily Bugle claiming that the entire “Galactus” incident was a hoax.
Spider-Man defeats the Scorpion again when the villain breaks out of prison and tries to get revenge on Jameson. Their fight wrecks some of the offices at the Daily Bugle, and Betty is terrorized in the process. Peter is upset when he realizes that Ned Leeds, who has just returned from his assignment in Europe, is taking much better care of Betty than Peter ever could. Later that night, Spider-Man becomes more frustrated when he fails to prevent a gang of costumed crooks from hijacking a truck laden with radioactive materials.
The next day, Peter is shocked when Betty tells him Ned has proposed to her. Realizing that he’s lost his first love and that Spider-Man is mostly to blame, Peter responds with anger, lashing out at Betty. He storms out, changes to Spider-Man, and takes out his frustrations on a gang of armed bank robbers. In order to avoid Betty’s phone calls that evening, Peter goes out as Spider-Man to try claiming the $1000 reward J. Jonah Jameson has offered for the capture of the notorious Cat Burglar. Unfortunately, though he is able to track down the Cat Burglar, the police manage to arrest the crook first, thus depriving Spider-Man of the reward money. Peter confronts Betty at the Daily Bugle in the morning, telling her they’ve nothing more to say to each other.
September 1963 – Spider-Man comes across the same gang of hijackers he encountered last month, and though he crashes their helicopter, he again fails to stop them from escaping with the containers they’ve stolen from a nuclear research complex. He does not pursue the matter in the days that follow, as he is distracted with the beginning of the fall term at Empire State University. Peter is excited as he attends orientation and registers for his courses. However, the night before classes are to start, Aunt May falls ill and must be hospitalized. The next morning, Peter is so exhausted and sick with worry that he can’t concentrate on his professors and is too distracted to even greet his classmates. Thus, his Introduction to Biology class with Professor Miles Warren does not get off to a very good start.
The second day of classes doesn’t go any better than the first, as, desperate for money to pay Aunt May’s medical bills, Peter spent the previous night as Spider-Man searching for crimes to photograph. Thus, he barely notices when one of his new classmates, Gwen Stacy, tries to strike up a conversation. He rushes off to visit Aunt May before going on the prowl as Spider-Man again. The wall-crawler manages to finally foil the costumed hijackers with the help of an underworld informant known as “Patch,” but he is unable to capture them or get any photos, so his victory is a hollow one.
At the hospital the next day, Peter learns that Aunt May is dying of radiation poisoning due to the blood transfusion he gave her last November. Mad with rage, guilt, and grief, Spider-Man tracks down Dr. Curt Connors for help devising an antidote to save Aunt May. The vital component in Connors’ proposed serum is a rare chemical called ISO-36, but their supply is stolen from the airport by the same gang of costumed hijackers. Enraged, Spider-Man hunts them down, finally discovering their hideout at the bottom of Upper New York Bay. There, he learns that the gang is in the employ of Doctor Octopus, so Spider-Man fights his old enemy viciously to retrieve the canister of ISO-36. Unfortunately, the structural damage caused by their battle causes tons of cast-iron machinery to topple over onto Spider-Man, trapping him. Doctor Octopus escapes, but with tremendous effort and determination, Spider-Man frees himself from the wreckage, fights his way through his foe’s remaining henchmen, and delivers the ISO-36 to Dr. Connors. The antidote proves effective, and after receiving a total blood transfusion, Aunt May begins to recover. Meanwhile, Spider-Man gives Frederick Foswell a scoop on Doctor Octopus and his gang, getting exclusive photos of the gang’s arrest. Peter then demands enough money for them from Jameson to pay Aunt May’s hospital bills and cover Connors’ research expenses.
As Aunt May recovers, Peter finally meets some of his classmates, such as Harry Osborn and Sally Green, and first notices how attractive Gwen Stacy is. He also discovers that the other students think he’s been snubbing them because he’s full of himself for winning a scholarship. Peter starts trying to make up for his bad first impression, though he is still spending as much time as he can taking care of Aunt May. When a phony Spider-Man further trashes his reputation by relentlessly harassing J. Jonah Jameson, Peter sets out to track the impostor down. Spidey quickly discovers that Kraven the Hunter has been impersonating him as part of a revenge scheme. Their battle is constantly interrupted by mobsters eager to capture Spider-Man for some reason. Annoyed by the distraction, Kraven helps Spider-Man defeat the mobsters so they can focus on their personal combat. Spider-Man finally knocks out Kraven and leaves all the crooks webbed up for the police.
During a sudden blackout of the entire east coast of the United States, Peter stays home with Aunt May so she won’t worry. Soon after, Spider-Man catches the Molten Man when he tries to rob a jewelry store. While trying to sell his photos of the incident to Jameson, Peter learns that Betty has quit her job. When Jameson’s new secretary mentions that Ned Leeds has also left for the west coast, Peter assumes that the couple has run off to get married. He returns home feeling depressed.
October 1963 – Peter makes more of an effort to socialize with his college classmates, but things do not go well at first. Over the course of a week, Spider-Man tries to capture a costumed thief known as the Looter. He finally succeeds when the Looter tries to steal a worthless meteorite from Empire State University.
Next, Spider-Man trails Frederick Foswell around, hoping the investigative reporter will lead him to some opportunities for newsworthy photos. From Foswell he learns of Professor Mendel Stromm, a scientist who has just been released from prison after serving ten years for embezzlement. Stromm has sworn revenge on his former partner, the industrialist Norman Osborn, father of Peter’s classmate Harry. Spider-Man stops a strange amoeboid robot sent by Stromm to destroy Osborn’s electronics factory, but not before it burns down the main building. With the help of the informant known as “Patch,” Spidey is able to locate Stromm’s hideout in time to stop a more traditional robot from assassinating Norman Osborn. Spider-Man is knocked out in the melee, but Osborn manages to escape from the robot. The web-slinger then tracks the robot back to Stromm’s hideout, where he is finally able to destroy it. A sniper tries to kill Stromm before he can reveal a secret about Osborn, but Spider-Man pushes him out of the line of fire. Though Spider-Man tries to apprehend the sniper, his assailant mysteriously vanishes. Returning to Stromm, Spider-Man finds the revenge-seeking scientist has died of a massive heart attack. Later, the sniper incident leads Peter to worry that there’s something wrong with his spider-sense.
As the weather starts turning chilly, Spider-Man comes into conflict with Daredevil when he begins to suspect that DD might be in league with the criminal mastermind known as the Masked Marauder. Daredevil launches an unprovoked attack on Spider-Man, during which the Marauder and his gang steal an experimental auto engine. Spidey uses his spider-sense to track Daredevil down, but it leads him to a law office in which he finds only a woman, a blind man, and a short, pudgy guy. Since none of them could possibly be Daredevil, Peter’s concerns about his spider-sense grow. When J. Jonah Jameson announces that the Masked Marauder failed to steal the formula for the only fuel that works in the new engine, Peter realizes the Marauder’s gang is sure to strike again. Thus, Spider-Man stakes out the building where the formula is kept, and when the villains finally arrive, Daredevil appears and helps Spider-Man capture them. Unfortunately, the Masked Marauder manages to escape. Spider-Man and Daredevil part on friendly terms.
November 1963 – While at the Daily Bugle, Peter runs into Ned Leeds and discovers that he and Betty didn’t run off together after all. In fact, Ned has no idea where Betty is. Peter worries about Betty until he is distracted by a super-strong troublemaker in a green-and-orange costume. Changing into Spider-Man, he attacks the strangely silent man, trying to stop his rampage. Unfortunately, the man overcomes Spidey, throwing him into a garbage dumpster. By the time the dazed Spider-Man emerges, the man is long gone. That evening, another wave of mobsters attack Spider-Man, intent on capturing him, and he is forced to fight them off. He stumbles upon his unnamed foe battling a gymnasium full of prizefighters and decides to intervene, only to find himself attacked by one and all as soon as he enters. Spidey learns from the prizefighters that some underworld figure has put out a contract on Spider-Man worth $20,000, which is why so many ordinary crooks have been willing to attack him lately. During the fight, the man in the green-and-orange costume loses his super-strength and comes to his senses. As the police burst in to break up the brawl, Spider-Man learns that his mystery foe was just a guy named Joe Smith, who gained his temporary powers in a freak accident. Later, Peter is disheartened to learn that Joe Smith has signed a lucrative deal to star in a new superhero TV series, while Spider-Man remains a pariah.
Peter comes down with a bad head cold but still goes to campus since he’s already had too many absences. He finally hits it off with Harry Osborn, who opens up to Peter about the troubles he’s had recently with his father, Norman Osborn. Peter is sympathetic, revealing that he can’t even remember his own father, who died when he was very young. Harry’s previous animosity toward Peter is forgotten. After classes finish up for the day, Peter decides some web-swinging might make him feel better. Before long, Spider-Man breaks up a robbery on the observation deck of a skyscraper. One of the crooks hits him with a gas grenade, though it seems to have no effect. After leaving the robbers for the police, Peter stops off at the Daily Bugle on his way home, still fretting about the false impressions he’s received from his spider-sense lately. There, he and Ned Leeds come to an understanding about Betty, and Peter assures Ned he has no intention of standing in the way of their relationship; whatever was once between Peter and Betty is now over. Peter then heads home to his house in Forest Hills.
When he arrives at home, Peter is shocked to find the Green Goblin waiting for him, and he realizes his spider-sense has completely failed. Worse, the Goblin has somehow discovered that Peter Parker is really Spider-Man. Worried that Aunt May will witness their battle, Peter allows himself to be captured and carried off to his foe’s hideout. Once there, the Green Goblin pulls off his mask and reveals his true identity to Peter—he is Norman Osborn. Peter tries to keep him talking to stall for time, and Osborn tells him something of Harry’s childhood, his history with Mendel Stromm, and how he became the Green Goblin. Peter goads him into a final showdown, so Osborn releases him from his bonds and allows him to don his Spider-Man costume. Their battle tears up the place, causing Osborn’s equipment to short out, catching the building on fire. Finally, Spider-Man kicks the Green Goblin into some damaged machinery near his chemistry bench, causing the villain to receive a staggering jolt that erases his memory. Spider-Man burns the Goblin’s costume and carries Osborn out of the fire, leaving the scene just as the police and firefighters arrive. Free of the Goblin’s chemical gas, Peter’s spider-sense soon returns to normal.
While buying a used motorcycle to help him commute between Forest Hills, Queens, and the ESU campus in Manhattan, Peter runs into Betty Brant outside a coffee shop. She has just returned from her trip, having left town to try and get her head together. Peter quickly realizes he and Betty have become virtual strangers to each other, and he is actually relieved when Ned shows up. Later that night, Spider-Man stops a powerful thug called the Rhino from kidnapping Colonel John Jameson, the astronaut son of the Daily Bugle’s cantankerous publisher. At school the next day, Peter shows off his motorcycle to Harry, Gwen, and Flash. When he arrives home, he learns that Anna Watson has invited him and Aunt May to a Sunday dinner so Peter can finally meet her niece Mary Jane. Though he is now interested in Gwen Stacy, Peter decides to just get this Mary Jane business over with.
Spider-Man is invited to try out for membership in the Avengers, so he goes to the team’s headquarters and meets with Thor, Iron Man, Goliath, the Wasp, Captain America, and Hawkeye. After a few misunderstandings, the team sends Spider-Man to track down the Hulk, who has been spotted in the city lately, and to then lure the green behemoth back to Avengers Mansion. Spidey sets off immediately, thinking that the Hulk is pretty stupid so he’ll be easy to trick. After hours of searching, Spider-Man finally finds the Hulk hiding out near the Gamma Radiation Research Center. It’s been nearly a year since their last encounter and the Hulk clearly doesn’t remember Spider-Man. As they fight, Spider-Man begins to feel guilty about hounding the Hulk, who seems like he just wants to be left alone. When Hulk accidentally smashes a gamma ray machine, he is bathed in radiation that turns him back into Bruce Banner. Spider-Man and Dr. Banner have a few moments to talk before he changes back into the Hulk. This convinces Spidey to let the Hulk go free, thinking he couldn’t live with himself if he kept persecuting the misunderstood brute and that a great physicist like Bruce Banner deserves better than to be a prisoner of the Avengers. Thus, Spider-Man swings back over to Avengers Mansion and tells the team he couldn’t even find the Hulk. They are disappointed, but Spider-Man leaves before they can ask any questions.
Along with the rest of the class, Peter and Gwen give tissue samples to lab assistant Anthony Serba in Miles Warren’s Intro to Biology class. After doing some routine experiments on the cells they have collected, they forget all about it.
While Peter is at the bank one morning, his spider-sense alerts him to a bomb hidden inside a locked money bag. He changes into Spider-Man, breaks into the vault, grabs the bag, and hurries away to the Queensboro bridge, where he drops the bag into the East River seconds before it explodes. He knows Spider-Man will be accused of robbing the bank until they can determine that there’s no money missing, but there’s nothing he can do about it. Later that evening, he is accosted by Colonel John Jameson, who has somehow acquired super-strength. John announces his intention to use his new power to bring Spider-Man to justice for robbing the bank but soon becomes completely irrational. Spider-Man is only able to defeat him by luring him inside a power station and hitting him with a massive surge of electricity. John collapses and reverts to his normal size, losing his powers.
On Sunday, Peter has a restful day before heading next door with Aunt May for dinner at the Watsons’ house. Peter is amazed when Mary Jane Watson arrives and turns out to be a stunningly beautiful redhead. Peter is smitten with her and learns that she is an aspiring actress taking drama lessons. Following dinner, Mary Jane accompanies Peter into the city when he learns from the TV that the Rhino has escaped from jail and is on another rampage. She is happy to wait in the crowd while Peter goes off to find a vantage point from which to take photos. He quickly changes into Spider-Man and attacks the Rhino. Unfortunately, the Rhino knocks Spider-Man for a loop and escapes. After changing back into Peter Parker, he spots a small piece of the Rhino’s hide-like costume in the rubble and slips it into his pocket. After dropping Mary Jane off at her apartment, Peter pays a visit as Spider-Man to Curt Connors’ lab. Connors helps Spidey analyze the fragment from the Rhino and develop a means to dissolve the villain’s protective armor. Thus armed, Spider-Man is able to stop the Rhino’s second attempt to kidnap John Jameson. With his armored hide destroyed, the Rhino is taken into custody by federal agents.
On the way home, Peter runs into Harry, Gwen, and Flash and learns that Flash is joining the Army to fight in Vietnam. A few days later, Spider-Man is recruited for the X-Men by Iceman and the Beast. However, after his recent experience with the Avengers, he declines their offer. He then writes a letter to the blind attorney Matt Murdock, having deduced that Murdock must be Daredevil. Peter remembers that the Masked Marauder’s dazzling “opti-beam,” which temporarily blinded him, seemed to have no effect on Daredevil. Likewise, the Ringmaster’s hat, which hypnotized Spidey, failed to work on Daredevil. This would make sense if Daredevil were blind. Peter also realizes that his spider-sense had, in fact, led him to Daredevil last month, but he dismissed Murdock due to his blindness and focused on his law partner instead. He speculates that Murdock must possess some kind of extra-sensory perception to compensate for his lack of sight. Hoping to make some kind of personal connection with another superhero, Peter mails the letter but never receives a response.
Peter forgets about his letter to Daredevil when President John F. Kennedy is assassinated in Dallas, Texas. Both he and Aunt May are shocked and saddened by the event, which casts a pall over their Thanksgiving dinner with the Watsons.
December 1963 – On doctor’s orders, Aunt May takes a vacation to a warmer climate. While seeing her off at Penn Station, Peter spots Martha and Billy Connors, just arrived from Florida and looking very worried. Curt Connors has disappeared, Martha explains, and she fears he has turned into the Lizard again. Spider-Man searches the city for a while before heading to ESU. At the coffee shop after class, Peter introduces Mary Jane to his classmates. He notices that Gwen seems jealous when Mary Jane invites him out on an impromptu date. The next evening, Spider-Man finally tracks down the Lizard. However, after a fierce struggle, the Lizard causes Spider-Man to sprain his arm before escaping. Worried his sprained arm might compromise his secret identity, Peter cancels his next date with Mary Jane. At school the next morning, Peter claims that he injured himself riding his motorcycle. When he tells Harry he’s worried about earning enough money to pay for Aunt May’s trip to the seaside, Harry offers to put in a good word for Peter with his father, certain that Norman Osborn could find a place for a science-whiz like Peter at his company, even just part-time. Peter says he’ll keep it in mind.
Later, Spider-Man catches the Lizard attempting to hijack a traveling exhibit of reptiles, leading them to a fight atop a speeding freight train. Spider-Man defeats the Lizard by luring him into a refrigerated train car. The cold makes the Lizard sluggish, allowing Spider-Man to finally knock him out. He administers the antidote to turn the Lizard back into Curt Connors and reunites him with his family. On the way home, Peter discovers that Harry and Mary Jane are out on a date together. Deciding that Mary Jane is pretty but shallow and somewhat annoying, Peter realizes he actually prefers Gwen, even though they haven’t really gone out yet.
Harry asks Peter if he wants to be his roommate in an apartment near ESU that Norman Osborn is renting for him. Peter is unsure about leaving Aunt May alone until, upon returning from her vacation, she informs him that she has decided to move in with Anna Watson. Peter then accepts Harry’s offer, excited about the prospect of having his own place in Manhattan. Despite his sprained arm, Spider-Man is able to defeat a costumed criminal called the Shocker after a destructive battle at the Federal Reserve Bank.
Peter gets settled into his new apartment with Harry and continues to go out with Mary Jane, though he hopes to woo Gwen. He soon “meets” the amnesiac Norman Osborn, and they hit it off well. While with Mary Jane at a football game between Empire State University and Metro College, Peter is startled when a strawberry-blond girl in a yellow catsuit materializes on the field in a flash of light, with a gigantic bulldog at her side. They disappear again after speaking briefly with one of the Metro College students. Peter tries to sell his photos of the incident to the Daily Bugle, but Jameson dismisses it as a publicity stunt.
Gwen hosts a farewell party for Flash Thompson, as he will soon be leaving for basic training. Peter invites Betty Brant and Ned Leeds to join him and Mary Jane at the party. The festivities are interrupted by Kraven the Hunter, who crashes into the soda parlor and grabs Harry, demanding to know where his father is. Peter assumes that Kraven must have had some dealings with Norman Osborn when he was the Green Goblin. He slips out, changes into Spider-Man, and attacks Kraven. The other kids help Harry get to safety as Spider-Man lures Kraven to a construction site across the street. After several minutes of battle, Kraven gains the upper hand by hitting Spider-Man with an energy ray that jangles his central nervous system. The villain’s attention is diverted when Norman Osborn himself appears on the scene in a taxi. Kraven grabs Osborn and demands the $20,000 the Green Goblin owes him. Osborn doesn’t know what he’s talking about, and as Spidey recovers, Kraven flees the scene. Flash is thrilled that his going-away party culminated with seeing his hero, Spider-Man, in action. Afterwards, Peter shakes Flash’s hand and wishes him luck in Vietnam.
Spider-Man runs into Daredevil, who is searching for Stilt-Man. When Daredevil makes no mention of the letter Spider-Man sent to Matt Murdock last month, Peter begins to doubt his conclusions. Later, Spider-Man comes across Stilt-Man breaking into a jewelry store and tries to apprehend him. Unfortunately, Stilt-Man manages to surprise Spider-Man with a gas grenade and escape.
Peter and Aunt May have a fun Christmas with the Watsons and the Osborns. Despite enjoying all the festivities, Peter finds he can’t stop thinking about Gwen Stacy.
Notes:
January 1963 – The adventures of Spider-Man continue in Amazing Spider-Man #15 and following. Spidey runs into many of his fellow superheroes and battles the Sinister Six in Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1. The mysterious man in the dark blue cape is, of course, Doctor Strange, though Peter is too preoccupied to notice that fact. The suspicious character who disappears suddenly is the Sandman. Of Spider-Man’s six foes captured in this story, only the Vulture would stay behind bars for more than a few weeks. Later, Spider-Man teams up with Giant-Man and the Wasp to battle Egghead in Tales to Astonish #57.
February 1963 – Peter is unaware that Mac Gargan and the Scorpion are one and the same. Spider-Man then saves the Avengers from a robot impostor sent by Kang the Conqueror in Avengers #11. As pointed out by continuity-pioneer George Olshevsky in his Marvel index series, the Spider-Man / Human Torch back-up story in Amazing Spider-Man #8 must logically follow the story in Amazing Spider-Man #21, in which Peter meets Dorrie Evans for the first time.
March 1963 – Peter runs into the Fantastic Four at “State University,” the alma mater of Reed Richards, Ben Grimm, and Victor Von Doom, in Fantastic Four #35. In Amazing Spider-Man #22, we see Peter reading up on the latest research by Dr. Henry Pym. Spidey then pays a discreet visit to the Baxter Building during Reed and Sue’s engagement party in Fantastic Four #36. The “flying saucer” is being piloted by the Frightful Four.
June 1963 – Following his graduation from high school in Amazing Spider-Man #28, Spidey makes a brief appearance at the chaotic wedding of Reed Richards and Sue Storm in Fantastic Four Annual #3. Afterwards, he and Doctor Strange team up for the first time in Amazing Spider-Man Annual #2.
July 1963 – The Hulk’s secret identity is revealed to the world in Tales to Astonish #77. The Watcher causes the “flaming sky” phenomenon in Fantastic Four #48.
August 1963 – Galactus menaces the world in Fantastic Four #48–50.
September 1963 – Peter starts his college career in Amazing Spider-Man #31. Spidey remains unaware that the underworld stoolie known as “Patch” is really Frederick Foswell in disguise. In Amazing Spider-Man #34, the mobsters and Kraven are all trying to claim the $20,000 bounty the Green Goblin has placed on Spider-Man’s head. The blackout of the entire east coast of the United States occurs in the S.H.I.E.L.D. flashback story in Strange Tales #161.
October 1963 – In Amazing Spider-Man #37, Spidey remains unaware that Norman Osborn is working against him, knocking him out with a blow from behind during the battle with the mechanical robot. Osborn is also the sniper taking aim at Mendel Stromm from a high window. Presumably, Osborn used his goblin glider to reach the precarious vantage point and to disappear so quickly. Later, Spider-Man and Daredevil battle the Masked Marauder in Daredevil #16–17.
November 1963 – Spider-Man battles the Hulk while trying out for the Avengers in Amazing Spider-Man Annual #3. Peter and Gwen are seen giving their tissue samples to Miles Warren’s lab assistant in a flashback in Amazing Spider-Man #148, thus setting the stage for the whole business of the Jackal and his clones. Spidey runs into Iceman and the Beast in Uncanny X-Men #27. Spider-Man’s letter to Daredevil, which is intercepted by secretary Karen Page, is revealed in Daredevil #24. Peter would not learn that he was correct about Matt Murdock being Daredevil until Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #110, though Matt discovered that Peter was Spider-Man in Daredevil #103. The Kennedy assassination occurs behind the scenes, but this satisfies my initial research question as far as Spider-Man is concerned.
December 1963 – Peter witnesses the brief appearance of Crystal and Lockjaw at the ESU-Metro football game in Fantastic Four #61. Crystal speaks with the Human Torch’s roommate, Wyatt Wingfoot. Spider-Man’s brief battle with Stilt-Man occurs in Daredevil #27. This brings us up to Amazing Spider-Man #47.
Jump Back: Spider-Man -- Year One
Next Issue: Spider-Man -- Year Three
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