I still feel a little weird about running the 90s retcons with the actual 60s stuff, but I must say, it gives me some variety switching back and forth, and that’s nice. Kind of the idea of the whole blog in microcosm. Here’s another one I’ve been trying to get on ebay for like 2 years. My reasoning being, it’s only the 2nd Vulture. Still very early, of course, but it’s not the debut of a villain or anything. I figure I could find a busted up, junky copy in my price range, but so far, no good. Anyway, he’s back, America’s favorite flyin’ grandpa. Literally, now, as they’ve made the bizarre decision in recent years to give him a granddaughter who also flies. But that’s obviously skipping ahead. The splash gives us a 2nd shot of Spidey & Vultch mixing it up in mid-air and then we can get into it. Sort of. Half the first page recaps Vulture’s first appearance superfast, and the other half shows him secretly reconstructing his flying rig in prison just as fast. These prisons just keep letting him remake his wings. Come on, guys.
Peter gets a lot of his leads from a guy walking by with a radio in these comics. We’re treated to Spider-Man carefully explaining all his gadgets, including the anti-magnetic converter that beat The Vulture last time, and then told he has to wait 20 minutes to leave Aunt May’s house without being seen in daylight. A kid spots him running across the roofs, but no one believes him. He’s sure he’ll have no trouble beating The Vulture again. For his part, Vultch is already on the prowl in his regular suit with his improved wings. When seen by a police chopper, he takes the chance to test them out, zooming around way faster than they can track, and diving into a window that happens to be a jewelry showroom. He’s got a gun, so he robs it. Lucky break. He tells us if he flies low, the police can’t find him on radar as he zooms off down the street over terrified pedestrians.
Always got to trust your magic danger sense, man, that’s rule #1. Vulture presses the attack on his surprised foe, really whupping him as a gathering crowd watches. Spider-Man goes falling to the ground, and is dazed enough to miss firing his web, and crashes into a lower roof. For some reason, Vulture and all the people watching from the street assume Spider-Man is dead. Vultch flies away and a cop monologues about how he always thought Spider-Man was one of the good ones and we’ll miss him. Sheesh. Our man pops right back up, but he landed on his arm, and feels it might be broken as he slumps away from the scene.
Vulture really loves that silo. All told, Peter got away pretty lucky there.
Had to show that page because it’s a legit great gag to have him tell her the truth. The idea that Vulture thinks all Jameson’s employees get paid in cash is pretty silly. I mean, I don’t know the ins and outs of payroll in 1962, but Spider-Man not being able to cash a check has already been a plot point in this very title. Seems like people at The Bugle were probably getting checks. Vulture demands all the money, and JJJ’s such a tightwad he stands there arguing about it with a gun on him. Peter slips away and carefully changes to Spider-Man, webbing his arm and hoping no one notices it’s working like a sling.
Spidey and Vulture begin a rollicking chase through The Daily Bugle, papers, desks and cabinets flying everywhere to JJJ’s horror as Vulture tries to find a window to fly out of , which seems a lot harder than it should be. He zips down a stairwell with Spider-Man in hot pursuit and Jameson ranting like crazy behind them. Vulture emerges in the print room, pleased to get some room to maneuver, but Spider-Man’s dropped down the stairs a lot faster than his foe expected, and catches him off guard, landing on his back. This proves maybe not the best idea as Vulture begins flying backwards trying to smash him into things…
Vulture flies Spider-Man way up into the sky, intending to drop him from a height he couldn’t possibly survive. But as he gets to the apex, Spider-Man webs his wings closed.
Vague next issue blurbs because Stan didn’t know what next issue was about yet were not uncommon in these days, but he’s pretty on the mark with that one. And look at that, Peter Parker may not have any friends, but he might just have himself a girlfriend. That’s a big development. And we’re gonna see how the Untold Tales gang dance around it in our next post. This issue is the first of a few bonus covers by superstar Olivier Coipel, Mark Morales & Chris Sotomayor! Already making a name for himself when these came out, by now Coipel’s one of the most sought after names in comics art, and has done some memorable Spider-Man stuff. That’s pretty cool.
