Issue(s): Amazing Spider-Man #35
Cover Date: Apr 66
Title: "The Molten Man regrets...!"
Credits:
Stan Lee - Script
Steve Ditko - Plot
Steve Ditko - Pencils
Steve Ditko - Inker

Review/plot:
The Molten Man is let out of jail on a suspended sentence. It's easy enough to believe - he was clearly out of his mind in his last appearance (however, he should still be sentenced for attempting to steal from Smythe in the first place). This issue, however, he goes from being a potentially sympathetic character to a straight-ahead villain. The vast majority of this issue is a big fight between him and Spidey.

I think that last panel is really cool, with Spider-Man looking dark and menacing.

The last two pages are Peter learning that Betty is gone.

Quality Rating: C+

Historical Significance Rating: 3 - basically the end of any Betty Brant plots for a while

Chronological Placement Considerations: N/A

References:

• The Molten Man first appeared in Amazing Spider-Man #28

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: Marvel Tales #174

its clear ditko liked drawing the molton man which is why he brought him back so soon

Where's the panel which says: Later, in the privacy of his own apartment, Raxton peels off his outer clothes, again to revel in his awesome power...

Isn't that panel better left to the imagination? ;-)

On second thought, maybe you're right.

The vast majority of this issue is a big fight between him and Spidey.

Stan even addresses that on the splash, saying "This is one for the real old-fashioned, dyed-in-the-wool Spidey fanatics who like to see ol' web-head fighting as only he can!" Despite the obvious problems between Lee and Ditko at this point, and this most definitely not being among the best of their collaboration on this title, it's still a fun fast-paced issue.

"Isn't that panel better left to the imagination?" You mean you're not going to show the panel of Molten Man debuting his gold swimming trunks? (Surely that deserves a historical significance increase? Also, had he been wearing them in prison, as the scene implies? Where did he get them from? Did he steal some of Namor's and dye them gold?)

Agree this is still a fun issue and while there is several pages of fight scene, there is still an interesting plot, even if it almost entirely revolves around Molten Man's plans and Spider-Man's attempts to capture him. (There's 3 pages just of Peter stalking him, which seems almost decompressed in retrospect.)

Molten Man committing a crime in plain clothes works well for him at the start, letting him get the drop on Peter. (Surprised villains don't do this more, it always seems to work.)

Ha no telling how many years the amnesiac Namor had been wearing his costume swimming trunks under his trousers either, when Johnny Storm found him sulking around the Bowery in Fantastic Four #4. He must have been really out of it if he didn't wonder about those fancy underpants not to mention his little ankle wings. Maybe in his confused state of mind he thought everyone had ankle wings and wore red underroos with S-insignias on their jockey short belt buckles.

Irving Forbush is mentioned in a wisecrack by Spidey during the fight. First Forbush joke in continuity?

R.i.p parker/brant!

this was a pretty uninspired second appearance. Spidey beats Raxxon the same way as last time but with some random gray thing lying around rather than webbing. Its clear Stan didnt know what Ditko intended the gray thing to be if I recall correctly (apologies if im wrong, im writing from memory).