Holy cow, it’s been two months since I discussed The Amazing Spider-Man run! The break between Ms. Marvel and She-Hulk: Attorney At Law will hopefully give me a chance to talk about two issues of the ASM. I also want to squeeze in a Comic Reading for the Week, so let’s hope for the best! In the previous mag, Spider-Man had his webs busy with the dicey desperado we all know as Mysterio. Spidey was framed, tricked, and beaten by Mysterio. He held his own against the web-slinger for a guy without any powers. J Jonah Jameson loved the work Mysterio did because it proved his claims about Spider-Man to be true. His happiness was short-lived since Spidey was an innocent man. It wasn’t all sadness for him because Peter brought some glamorous photos of Spider-Man! In terms of Peter’s personal life, he was getting lucky with the ladies. He had eyes set on Betty Brant, but Liz Allan started to warm up to him too! In the end, Spidey defeated Mysterio with his spider-sense. Once he found his weakness, it was easy to capture him. It was a great tale with an iconic villain, so what will issue number 14 have in store for us? Let’s not waste another minute, comic comrades!
The Amazing Spider-Man #14 (July 1964) “The Grotesque Adventure of the Green Goblin!” Written by: Stan Lee, Illustrated by: Steve Ditko & Lettered by: Art Simek
Instead of catching up with the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, the world got their first look at the Green Goblin outfit. An unknown man worked on his flying broomstick before meeting with an outlandish group, the Enforcers! Montana, Fancy Dan, and Ox were back after appearing in the 10th issue of the ASM. The Green Goblin knew the Enforcers wanted revenge after their defeat to Spider-Man. They all agreed to team up against the wall-crawler. Goblin had a plan to finish Spidey. Haven’t we heard that one before? At a Hollywood studio, a filmmaker named B.J. was desperate for another hit film. He was in luck because Gobby had a proposal for him. How about a movie starring the Green Goblin, the Enforcers, and Spider-Man? B.J. wasn’t turning that down! Back in New York, Liz flirted a bit with Peter. Flash didn’t like that at all, but Liz had to put Flash in his place. While Thompson argued with Parker, a bulletin over the radio informed them about Goblin roaming around the city.
Peter checked out the scene as quickly as he could. Green Goblin explained his offer to Spider-Man, and Spidey wasted no time making his way to B.J. He would do it if there were no interviews, no publicity, and no sight-seers on set. You’re probably wondering why Spidey would even sign up for this, right? Well, the main reason Peter signed up for the movie was for Aunt May. Aunt May would have no more worries with the money Peter receives from the film. Now it was time for an excuse to go to Hollywood! Jameson heard Spider-Man was cast in the movie, so Peter was set to go to get pictures. Easy! Betty worried Peter would fall in love with a Hollywood gal, but she shouldn’t. She’s a beauty herself. On the set of the movie, Spider-Man was surprised at how close the Enforcers looked true to the real ones. The Enforcers and Goblin wanted to rehearse action scenes with Spider-Man. It gave them a chance to attack him. The truth was revealed! The Enforcers were ganging up on him at the same time. Add Green Goblin to the mix, and it wasn’t an easy task. Spider-Man continued to fight, though. The Web-Head ran inside a cave to catch his breath. He hid once the Enforcers and Gobby entered the cave. The group placed a boulder in the opening so no one could escape. Spidey went in stealth mode. He couldn’t hide forever, though. They all battled once again, but the fight was about to get worse.
The Incredible Hulk appeared! They were inside one of his hiding spots. The Hulk wasn’t on anyone’s team either; he was on a rampage. Spider-Man tried his best to dodge every attack the Hulk threw at him. It was tiring, so he had to come up with a plan. If he timed it perfectly, the Hulk would smash the boulder holding everyone inside the cave. It worked, with the help of his spider-sense! The job wasn’t done yet. Green Goblin was still on the loose. Spidey couldn’t maneuver Gobby’s broomstick since the fight with the Hulk took out most of his energy. He ended up falling into a small spring. Goblin viewed that fall as a defeat. In his eyes, he won. In reality, Spider-Man was hiding from the Hulk. He decided to help the Enforcers escape the cave because the Hulk would, for sure, ruin their lives. A true hero! Back at B.J.’s office, he was done with Spider-Man. He wanted a movie with the Hulk! Of course, the web-slinger came by to pick up his check, but it wasn’t the amount he was promised. He took it anyways since anything is better than nothing. In Gobby’s lair, Goblin thought about the battle. It was a chance to build a crime empire without Spidey in the picture, but mistakes were made. He has a secret identity and a power undiminished, so there will be another opportunity to strike. The Goblin will return! Peter will have to be on the lookout because a man like that could cause terrible damage to him and the citizens of New York.
Favorite panels from ASM #14 - Page 2 Panel #1, Page 11 Panel #3, Page 13 Panel #4 - The first one - I just love looking at the goblin costume. It looks menacing and creepy without a man in the suit. An iconic look and a favorite of mine! The second one - At this moment, Spider-Man was struggling against the Enforcers. All three of them were on top of Spidey, and it looked like there was no escaping them. The willpower shown by Spider-Man was awesome! The final one - who doesn’t love a stealth web attack? Everyone in the light can’t see what happens in the dark. It’s pretty rad.
Page 2 Panel #1
Page 11 Panel #3
Page 13 Panel #4
Hello there! I’m happy you took the time out of your day to read my post. Remember, if you have any questions or want to have a discussion, leave a comment! The following newsletter will be a Comic Reading for the Week, depending on the time. If I can't get that done, we’ll dive into issue #15 of the Amazing Spider-Man. Stay tuned! Happy days and take care!