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1965-05-01 00:20:10
Previous:
Uncanny X-Men #11
Up:
Main

1965 / Box 2 / Silver Age

Next:
Fantastic Four #37-38

Amazing Spider-Man #24

Issue(s): Amazing Spider-Man #24
Cover Date: May 65
Title: "Spider-Man Goes Mad"
Credits:
Stan Lee - Writer
Steve Ditko - Penciler
Steve Ditko - Inker

Review/plot: Mysterio messes with Spider-Man's head, pretending to be a psychiatrist (it's worth noting that Mysterio's first appearance in Amazing Spider-Man #13 also drove Spidey to a psychiatrist, albeit a real one).

A great use of Mysterio's powers and a very different sort of super-hero story, especially for 1965. Peter's romantic subplots continue to boil as well.

Quality Rating: B

Historical Significance Rating: 4

Chronological Placement Considerations: N/A

References: N/A

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: Marvel Tales #162

Inbound References (1): show

  • Amazing Spider-Man #141-142

Characters Appearing: Aunt May, Betty Brant, Big Man (Frederick Foswell), Flash Thompson, J. Jonah Jameson, Liz Allan, Mysterio, Spider-Man

Previous:
Uncanny X-Men #11
Up:
Main

1965 / Box 2 / Silver Age

Next:
Fantastic Four #37-38

Comments

One of the interesting things Ditko did with Mysterio is not simply keep him in his fishbowl head costume, but use him in his entirety as a special effects artist. If only more writers were as creative with this villain.

Posted by: Chris | August 14, 2012 11:01 PM

I'm kind of torn with Chris' comment. One hand: I feel Mystrio is missing something without his fishbowl/ghost face/shattered mirror look. Other hand: yes this is really effective and creative.

So style vs. substance I guess.

Posted by: david banes | April 14, 2014 11:40 PM

Don McGregor has a letter in this issue.

Posted by: Aaron Malchow | September 13, 2015 6:34 PM

When he's doing his Scooby Doo "if not for those darn kids" speech, Mysterio says he's wanted revenge on Spider-Man for years, yet he only appeared 11 months prior in real time and presumably far shorter Marvel time.

Posted by: Robert | February 15, 2016 9:57 AM

@Robert - I think Marvel time was moving a lot quicker in this early period; Peter went from a high school sophomore to a senior in only about two and a half years real time. Mysterio was also retconned into ASM #2 by Roger Stern decades later.

Posted by: TCP | February 15, 2016 10:19 AM

I always liked this issue because it was such a different sort of plot and I loved Ditko's cover. The name Mysterio used Ludwig Rinehart stuck in my memory.

Posted by: Bobby Sisemore | October 31, 2016 10:18 PM

The reference to Mysterio wanting revenge for years can be partly explained by Stern's retcon that Mysterio was one of the Tinkerer's aliens in ASM #2. Still fast-moving for Marvel Time & you might have to allow for some exaggeration by Mysterio, but Peter's about to graduate so it probably has been over a year Marvel Time.

Posted by: Jonathan, son of Kevin | May 4, 2018 12:28 PM




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