1979-1980

ASM 201-202 & Annual 13, MTU 86-91 & Annual 2, TAC 36-40 & Annual 1, Spider-Woman 20, Marvel Treasury Edition 25. Due to Marv Wolfman going on a long run of cliffhangers in ASM from 194-200, this is a lot of the other titles catching up and not much ASM. And the word for Peter’s personal life in this period is “new!” Most important to me, Peter meets all his new grad school cast: Dr. Sloan, Deb Whitman, Marcy Kane, Phil Chang & Steve Hopkins. But he also settles into his new job at The Daily Globe under new boss Barney Bushkin, and Spider-Man has his first meeting with Spider-Woman. This period also sees the exit of his most random girlfriend, Cissy Ironwood, who only existed in Marvel Team-Up, after her father is killed when the Soviet Super Soldiers want to use his plans for an anti-matter bomb, and only Spider-Man and The Hulk can stop them. Plus new run-ins with The Punisher, team-ups with The Guardians of The Galaxy, Black Panther, Nightcrawler, Beast, and Ghost Rider, and battles with Doctor Octopus, Morbius, Cutthroat, Hellrazor, Killer Shrike, Modular Man, the unbelievably stupid Hammer & Anvil, and new villain Schizoid Man. Most memorably (Though perhaps not in a good way), Spider-Man battles Swarm, the Nazi bees that walk like a man, Spidey & Hulk fight Mole Man & Kala at The Winter Olympics, Spider-Man turns into The Lizard and only Curt Connors can save him, and some mobsters make the incredibly stupid decision to kidnap Franklin Richards and try to use him to blackmail The Invisible Woman. Spidey comments in story that antagonizing the most powerful member of The Fantastic Four was a really dumb idea. He’s not wrong! This Spider-Man is referenced from the great Keith Pollard in ASM 202. Pollard was the rare guy who was willing to break the unspoken rule that you don’t draw muscle detail in the red part of the costume back then. Originally drawing #32.