Marvel Immersion Project: The Amazing Spider-Man #29-35

Once again, Peter Parker's personal life offers the most interesting story lines.  I had not realized that Peter met Gwen Stacy before he met Mary Jane Watson.

My Recent Reads

The Amazing Spider-Man #29
Originally Published October 1, 1965
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Steve Ditko

• Villain: The Scorpion
• Ned Leeds is back from Europe and appears to have the inside track with Betty Brant.
• Is Aunt May sick?

The Amazing Spider-Man #30
Originally Published November 1, 1965
Lee/Ditko

via Marvel Database

• Villain: The Cat Burglar
• Flash is stalking Liz Allan and Peter Parker intervenes.
• Ned proposes to Betty.  She still loves Peter but confesses to him that she'd be terrified to be with someone like Spider-Man (not knowing Peter is Spidey), preferring a quieter life with someone more dependable.  Sensible woman, really.  Though it breaks his heart - and hers - Peter steps out of the mix.  He doesn't explain why but he walks away from Betty and doesn't take her calls.  Let's be honest, it's the merciful choice.  For once, Parker did the right thing.

The Amazing Spider-Man #31
Originally Published December 1, 1965
Lee/Ditko

• Part one of three - longer arcs are creeping in.
• Villain: the Master Planner.  We don't know who he is yet but we know it's someone Spidey has faced before.
• Peter starts at Empire State University, meeting Harry Osborn and Gwen Stacy, a particularly important character for the franchise and - again, no hyperbole - the American comic book medium as a whole.

via Wikipedia

via Wikipedia

The Amazing Spider-Man #32
Originally Published January 1, 1966
Lee/Ditko

• Part two of three
• Master Planner is revealed to be Doctor Octopus.
• Dr. Connors (Lizard) returns, this time trying to help Spider-Man find a cure for Aunt May's current ailment, probably caused by a blood transfusion from Peter.
• Doc Ock's goons intercept the curing serum en route so Spidey has to go get it.

The Amazing Spider-Man #33
Originally Published February 10, 1966
Lee/Ditko

• Master Planner story concludes.

The Amazing Spider-Man #34
Originally Published March 1, 1966
Lee/Ditko

• Villain: Kraven the Hunter
• Betty Brant finally gives up on Peter, leaving her job at The Daily Bugle.  Jameson has a new secretary, as yet unnamed.

The Amazing Spider-Man #35 
Originally Published April 1, 1966
Lee/Ditko

• Villain: Molten Man
• Peter meets Jameson's new secretary (still unnamed).  He learns from her that Ned Leeds has also left for the West Coast.  Peter suspects Betty and Ned have run off to get married.
• Yogi Berra reference!  A New York baseball legend, and history's most quotable athlete, the Hall of Fame catcher retired as a player after the 1965 season.  In 1966, he was a coach for the Mets.

via Wikiquote

Yogiisms, Because I Can

"It ain't over till it's over."

"Pair up in threes."

"It gets late early out there."

"We made too many of the wrong mistakes."