Obsessively putting our comics in chronological order since 1985.
| 1965-05-01 00:20:10 |
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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): showCharacters Appearing: Aunt May, Betty Brant, Big Man (Frederick Foswell), Flash Thompson, J. Jonah Jameson, Liz Allan, Mysterio, Spider-Man 1965 / Box 2 / Silver Age Previous:
Uncanny X-Men #11Up:
MainNext:
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.
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.
Don McGregor has a letter in this issue.
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.
@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.
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.
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.
