1964! We’re back! This one I got at Heroescon 2019. 2018 was the year I found out that you could get Silver Age comics for less than hundreds or thousands of dollars, and then proceeded to go into The Great eBay Hysteria of 2018, so by June 2019, I returned to the convention with a specific range of books to chase and a better idea of what to pay for them. This is one of a few good deals made, despite its half cover. The long-awaited return of Doctor Octopus! Not seen since ASM 3, back to cement his place as a top tier villain. The splash indicates Betty is going to have beef with Spider-man. It’s kind of crazy to go back to this Betty after seeing the end of the Hobgoblin stuff recently. As it’s a 60s comic, we really get rolling quickly:
And we’re off! Spider-Man breaks into Ock’s prison to beg the warden not to release him, but the warden says he’s served his time, and also he won’t be told what to do by a masked adventurer, which, you know, fair, I guess. Spider-Man showed up trying to tell you how to do your job, you probably wouldn’t be too keen, either. But Ock is free, and is thinking that he got off for good behavior, and now that he’s had time to practice with his arms, he’ll never be captured again. Then the scene shifts to Peter Parker’s bedroom, where he’s working on something…
The first spider tracer! Betty helping Doc Ock! Mass hysteria!
The amount of guys named “Blackie” in old media is bonkers. And that’s how we meet Bennett Brant, Betty’s in-over-his-head brother. Blackie says he’ll cancel Bennett’s debts as soon as Ock busts him out of jail, and then a dejected Bennett leaves the prison. Lotta prisons in the first 6 pages of this issue! He heads home to find Ock harassing Betty, and when she asks Bennett to help her, Ock slaps him. Bennett says once this is all over, he’ll find some way to make her proud of him.
Who knew Peter had “fly to Pennsylvania” money lyin’ around??
Ock easily springs Blackie, and insults him the whole time, Doc Ock style. Spider-Man arrives at the jail too late, and is spotted by some guards who wonder if he helped the guy break out, even. He flees the scene, and suddenly realizes Betty is probably in serious danger now. And he’s right, as she & her brother find themselves surrounded by hoods who’re herding them to the ship Blackie plans to flee the country in, I guess to be hostages. Ock is bringing Blackie to the ship as Spider-Man arrives, lucky that the hoods drove the Brants there in the car he tagged. Onboard, Bennett pleads with Blackie to let them go.
Betty’s history with Spider-Man sure is a mess. Casts an interesting light on her forgiving him in Web 92. I can’t recall if she’d ever made peace with him before. I guess we’ll see! Right now, it’s classic Ditko action as both Spider-Man and Doc Ock are plowing through Blackie’s goons for different reasons. Spidey wants Blackie caught, Ock wants to fight Spider-Man. And he soon reaches his target. Spider-Man worries that he had enough trouble beating Ock last time, without a sprained ankle and various goons in the mix.
Ock is waiting for him, snagging his arm with one of his tentacles, but Spider-Man whips a big rope pulley around, ensnaring 2 of Ock’s arms, then drops down into the ship’s hold to try to get some breathing room.
But it’s Ock who saves Betty from those guys, tho he just wants the money. Betty faints, and Ock plans to use her as a hostage, himself, but then Spider-Man’s on top of him, and pretty angry, too. Ock transfers to a smaller boat that was apparently going to pick up Blackie (Why’d he need 2 boats for this escape?), and Spider-Man has no choice but to follow. The battle continues in these much smaller confines, with the boat’s pilot abandoning ship rather than deal with all this, until a police boat pulls up.
Another tale comes to an end in the classic tradition of Spider-Man walking off into the night. Good to be back in the classics. The letter page features an announcement of a new title starring a character called Daredevil. I wonder how he’ll turn out? Here’s the complete cover to this issue:
