Issue(s): Amazing Spider-Man #74, Amazing Spider-Man #75
Cover Date: Jul-Aug 69
Title: "If this be bedlam!" / "Death without warning!"
Credits:
Stan Lee - Writer
John Romita Sr. - Layouts ("Innovator")
Jim Mooney - Finishes ("Illustrator")
Jim Mooney - Inker

Review/plot:
Dr. Connors tries to translate the tablet (it turns out it is written in "bio-chemical symbols" which is why no linguist has been able to translate it, something only a bunch of mob guys could figure out) while Spidey tries to rescue Connors' wife and son. Connors translates the tablet and creates the serum it describes, resulting in a fountain of youth potion for Silvermane.

On his end, Spidey is unsuccessful, in part due to the appearance of Harry Osborn's "fu manchu face fuzz", which causes laughing spasms in all who survey it.

Back at the mob headquarters, Connors panics and turns into the Lizard.

Meanwhile, Silvermane continues to de-age. Being younger somehow also makes him strong enough to whip some loyalty back into Man-Mountain Marko, and Caesar Cicero justifyably flips out due to all the insanity.

Spider-Man eventually shows up, having learned the mob headquarters location by beating up a couple of bookies. Spidey beats up on mob goons while Silverman de-ages to the point where he no longer exists, and the Lizard escapes.

Spidey frees Billy and Martha Connors.

Quality Rating: C+

Historical Significance Rating: 3

Chronological Placement Considerations: Spider-Man ends this issue with Martha and Billy Connors, and he's still with them at the start of ASM #76, so no Spider-Man appearances should occur in between.

References: N/A

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: Marvel Tales #55, Marvel Tales #56

This is probably my favorite Silver Age story. Last 3 pages of #74: brilliant. A cheap read in the Essential series (looks as good as I remember, despite the lack of color).
#75's conclusion, with Spider-man, weeping over the death of a villain: when had that happened before in the comics? Powerful stuff. One of my childhood friends was forbidden from reading #75 because it was too disturbing.

Not for children anymore? Not necessarily a bad thing for the field.

Can of odd that Fu Manchu comes up, as we will later find out that he actually inhabits this world.

Haydn, maybe Spidey is crying but I always figured it was closer to facepalming or just holding his head in distress a moment. Crying? Well, maybe so I never thought of that.

So...Harry has been "in hiding" for WEEKS, because he wanted to surprise his MALE roommate with his new mustache? Where you been hiding, Harry...IN THE CLOSET?? Gay, gay, gay, gay, gay. And also? GAY.

I guess there actually was Peter/Harry homoerotic tension before Maguire and J. Franco spent that death scene in the third movie eye-fucking each other. Who knew? I must have been young and innocent when I read the Marvel Tales version of this, way back when.

There's about a million really bad Green Goblin jokes I'll avoid.

Interesting that Silvermane was clearly meant as a one-shot villain, but he got revived and used again, eventually becoming the cyborg we're all now familiar with. As Lee/Romita villains go, he never achieved the prominence of Rhino, Shocker, or Kingpin, but he seems to have endured as well.