Taking sixth place on my list of the "Top 10 Spider-Man comics by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko" is the third issue in the series, "Spider-Man vs. Doctor Octopus!"It marks the first appearance by Doc Ock, and he manages something that, up until that time, I had never seen happen in a super-hero comic - he defeats the hero!
Oh, it wasn't unusual for the bad guys to have success or escape the hero, but here Dr. Octopus actually beats Spider-Man and breaks his spirit, leaving the hero to wonder if he should stop being Spider-Man!
The first part of the story details the Doc's origin. A scientist at an Atomic Research Center, Otto Octavious invents mechanical arms to allow him to handle radioactive materials. An explosion injures him and leaves his mind twisted - and he finds he can animate his powerful mechanical arms.
He takes over the hospital and Spider-Man investigates, secure in the knowledge that he can handle anything. When he confronts Doc Ock, he is easily beaten and thrown out of the building, and crawls away in disgrace.
The next day at school, he attends a talk by his sometimes-rival Johnny Storm (the Human Torch), who urges the students to learn to accept setbacks, but to never give up (it's the kind of pep talk every student should get every now and then).
With new resolve, Spider-Man takes on one of his greatest foes again - but this time, he uses his scientific know-how to even the odds.
From the first issue, Stan and Steve were crafting super-hero stories that were out of the ordinary, but this one really broke the mold, allowing the hero to be thoroughly beaten and learning how to overcome adversity.
For too many super-heroes, winning was just a matter of showing up for the fight. It would never be that easy for Spider-Man, and that made him easy to relate to - and is just another reason why this comic helped lead Marvel into the Silver Age of Comics.
Grade: A
2 comments:
Amazing Spider-Man #1 was Lee & Ditko finding their way. No major
antagonist yet...except Spidey himself? He often WAS his own worst
enemy!
#2 was another step. But The Vulture? And the Terrible Tinkerer?
Not major adversaries for our hero yet!
But #3! Doctor Octopus! This was a big bad villain, the first of many
to appear in this and future issues...followed closely by The
Sandman! The Lizard! Electro! Mysterio! The Green Goblin! And
Kraven The Hunter! A great Rogue's Gallery in a matter of less than
two years!
Sam Kujava
Sam, excellent point - those first couple of years were really the foundation that has supported the comic ever since. I really think the major mistakes over the years have been when the writers tried to step away from the basic concept that has worked so well - unmasking Spidey, for example.
There's plenty of room for growth, new characters and fresh stories - but they should stay true to the core of the character.
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