Issue(s): Amazing Spider-Man #141, Amazing Spider-Man #142
Cover Date: Feb-Mar 75
Title: "The man's name appears to be... Mysterio!" / "Dead man's bluff!"
Credits:
Gerry Conway - Writer
Ross Andru - Penciler
Frank Giacoia & David Hunt - Inker

Review/plot:
Here it is, my favorite innovation of the 70s.

Luckily, thanks to Mysterio's illusions, he drives it off a pier in the beginning of this issue and that's the last we see of it (for now).

After his all night Spider-Buggy rodeo, Peter has trouble staying awake in Professor Warren's class.

After class, MJ tries to make the moves on him...

...but the memory of Gwen still holds him back.

Peter is also stealing food from random pedestrians coming out of McDonald's.

Then Mysterio attacks again.

Or at least Peter thought it was Mysterio, but he finds out from Ned Leeds that Mysterio is supposed to be dead.

It turns out that the guy currently in the Mysterio costume was the real Mysterio's former cell mate (Daniel Berkhart). He had a deal with J. Jonah Jameson to kill Spider-man...

...and when Spidey faces him again...

...he defeats him and brings him to the police, so Berkhart threatens to spill the beans on JJ, so JJ flees the country.

Spider-Man shreds his hands punching a wall thanks to Mysterio's illusions.

Also this issue, Betty and Ned finally (!) announce a date for their wedding, and Peter gets the first glimpse of the Gwen Stacy clone (presumably we're to think it's part of Mysterio's illusions at this point).

Quality Rating: C

Historical Significance Rating: 2 - this 2nd Mysterio makes a number of other appearances

Chronological Placement Considerations: N/A

References:

• The Jackal has been harassing Spider-Man "these last few months".
  
• Spider-man made the deal with Corona Motors to sponsor and build the Spider-mobile in Amazing Spider-Man #126.
  
• Peter's apartment exploded in Amazing Spider-Man #136.
  
• Spidey put Mysterio in jail back in Amazing Spider-Man #67.
  
• Mysterio tried to convince Spider-Man he was going crazy in Amazing Spider-Man #24.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: Marvel Tales #118, Marvel Tales #119

The appearance of the Spider-Mobile in the comics was actually forced on Marvel by a toy deal they had with Corgi.

Mysterio was projecting illusions by means of a miniature lens he attached to the chest of Spider-Man's costume. I can't figure out how Mysterio knew who the Mindworm and the Jackal were, though.

Not sure what Berkhart and Jameson's deal was. Jameson has been explicitly shown in the past to not want Spider-Man killed, but exposed and turned over to the police. Maybe he just wanted Berkhart to drive Spidey insane?

And if that's the case, what crimes would the police be able to pin on Berkhart? Spider-Man couldn't exactly press charges, so why did the cops arrest him? Is wearing Mysterio's costume illegal?

And if that's the case, what crimes would the police be able to pin on Berkhart? Spider-Man couldn't exactly press charges, so why did the cops arrest him? Is wearing Mysterio's costume illegal?

I'd figure being a parolee using your super-villain ex-cellmate's costume and gadgets would be enough to get your parole revoked, and maybe see conspiracy charges filed.

In any case, hiring a mercenary to attack someone is illegal, as is attacking them, so Berkhart and Jameson would be in some kind of legal trouble here; as a convicted felon, Berkhart can't get a PI or bounty hunter license.

OK, hiring a mercenary to attack someone is illegal, but again, the person being attacked is Spider-Man, who can't go to the police and file formal charges, nor can he testify against Berkhart in court.

I also kinda wished the issue did more to explain Berkhart and Jameson's relationship. It just seemed like an excuse to shuffle Jameson off to Paris for the next story. Plus, if Jameson never did anything with Berkhart after this story, why did there seem to be no ramifications made by Berkhart toward Jameson? It seems like Conway didn't really think this through.

But this is like catching the mercenary with all his guns and bombs int he middle of the city, and then finding out he's got a felony record. Someone's going to look into that regardless of who the mercenary's target was.

OK, I'll concede that Berkhart can be arrested and charged with parole violation, possible conspiracy, maybe the Mysterio stuff is contraband, etc. Heck, maybe the rules in the Marvel Universe are more strict when it comes to costumed activity considering all the stuff that happens there.

I still wish the Jameson/Berkhart connection was further explored.

Conway really didn't think it through, as noted above.

But yes, it's very hard to see who approached who here. Conway seems to be loosely riffing on the original Mysterio's first appearance, where he came to Jameson posing as a new superhero and offered to bring in Spider-Man (after framing him). So maybe the idea is that Berkhart gets ahold of Beck's stuff and has no better ideas than repeating the scam. This doesn't explain why Jameson would go in for it, though, or why he avoids any legal trouble after skipping town for a few days.

Mysterio was projecting illusions by means of a miniature lens he attached to the chest of Spider-Man's costume. I can't figure out how Mysterio knew who the Mindworm and the Jackal were, though.

Mindworm is shown in flashback being arrested by the police in Spectacular Spider-Man #35, so maybe his clash with Spidey made the papers. As to the Jackal, he's running around trying to take over the underworld at this point, since Conway is still writing him asa substitute for the original Green Goblin, so I suppose he'd be known among other costumed criminals and thugs as a guy with a mad-on for Spider-Man.

Alternatively, the psychoactive fog is doing some of the work, and some of the villains aren't projections, but rather hallucinations.

If someone can just send all this ad hoc rationalization back in time, maybe I can get a No-Prize.

But was the Jackal still trying to take over the underworld after #130? For example, when we see the Scorpion later, he has no idea who the Jackal is.

In #142 there's a panel where aunt May grins like a super-villain.

Andrucoia do a cute MJ and it's very sturdy depictions, angles, great backgrounds, all around. But yes, Aunt May's drawn like a fill-in host for the Crypt Keeper sometimes.
For Pete's sake, playing Hamburgler! With great power, remember? Or is it, "With great hunger must also come...minor ethical compromise"? (I realize it's a joke of the everyday hang-ups sort without which no issue of ASM is complete.)
I got these all in color for a dime! There was a time in the mid-80s where Marvel's mainstream 70's output was practically given away.
I never have placement suggestions. This once, let me say I'm sorry.