Issue(s): Amazing Spider-Man #46
Cover Date: Mar 67
Title: "The sinister Shocker!"
Credits:
Stan Lee - Writer
John Romita Sr. - Penciler
John Romita Sr. - Inker

Review/plot: Spider-Man fights the Shocker for the first time.

The plot follows the standard format where Spidey loses the first fight...

...but figures out how to beat the bad guy in the second fight (this time by webbing up the Shocker's thumbs so he can't trigger his vibrations).

The Shocker is the second of Spidey's villains introduced during the Romita run, and while he never made it as big as the Rhino, he has endured. I've always liked the visual, and the powers are fairly unique.

Foswell has been trailing Parker trying to figure out how he gets exclusive Spider-Man pictures.

He sees Peter turn a corner and when he looks around he sees Spider-Man instead and figures it out. But then Spidey's spider-sense warns him and he changes back into Peter, stuffs his Spider-Man costume full of webbing, and has a dialogue with himself pretending that Spidey is telling Peter where to go to get pictures of his next fight with the Shocker. Peter gives the costume a push to make it look like he's swinging off. Foswell buys it.

I could *almost* buy it myself if both Peter and Spider-Man weren't walking around with slings around their arms.

Also in this issue we see a resolution to the Gift of the Magi-esque plot where both Aunt May and Peter want to move out of the house but don't say anything because they think the other won't like it. May (who has just returned from her vacation) is going to move in with Aunt Watson, and Peter moves in with Harry Osborn (who went from being a major Parker hater to best buddy in a quick 180 when he saw that Peter was dating hottie Mary Jane). The issue does end with Peter moving in with Harry, but it still manages to not be a happy ending.

Romita is updating Gwen's look, as well, taking those weird beads out of her hair and making her eyebrows less severe.

Quality Rating: C+

Historical Significance Rating: 7 - first Shocker, Peter moves out of Aunt May's house.

Chronological Placement Considerations: Spider-Man is still wearing a sling due to having strained his arm in a fight with the Lizard.

References: N/A

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: Marvel Tales #186

Shocker is very cool because he is sane, rational, rarely bears a grudge so he pretty much just wants money. Plus he has a really good record against Spider-Man.

There is a legend that his name was originally meant to be "The Vibrator" and that is why he has a V on his belt.
http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2012/08/17/comic-book-legends-revealed-380/

As the article mentions, that legend was debunked. (That name probably wouldn't have gotten past the comics code anyway.)

I wouldn't buy that name for a villain either unless he was going up against Stripperella.

@Haydn, don't forget this is only 3 years after a major motion picture had a female character called "Pussy Galore", so it's not completely impossible that the Comics Code Authorities might have not "gotten" the connotations of the name Vibrator. That said, I trust Romita when he says that wasn't his intention.

I have always liked the Shocker. Cool name, cool costume, decent powers, and a no-nonsense attitude. Also, I love Romita. One of Marvel's all-time great artists.

I doubt the comics code would have missed that. Besides Pussy Galore was from an novel and a feature film that had nothing to do with the CCA. In fact, Hollywood's notorious Hayes Office had just closed and nudity was beginning to appear in main stream films.

Was Foswell disguising himself by putting an eyepatch on and calling himself 'Patch' that long before Wolverine did?

I also always liked Shocker’s costume and powers. It’s hard to pinpoint what’s so slick about it: the yellow & brown colour scheme, the V’s and cross-stitching, the power gloves, whatever... it just works.

Although the costumes have stood the test of time, the “youthful” dialog definitely has not. If I hear someone call someone else “Dad” one more time...