Frequently I hear my DC friends discuss how they watched Dick Grayson grow from Robin to Nightwing. That he started off as a kid and grew into an adult. I whole heartedly feel that Peter Parker is Marvel's Dick Grayson. Peter started off as a high school student who is learning how to deal with his powers, balance his real life and be successful and he grows into (what I know now) as a great scientist working for Horizon. If you follow Peter from the beginning to see him age and mature which is not common in comics.
At this point in the story of our friendly neighborhood Spider-man, Peter is a college student who is learning how to have a roommate (Harry Osborn), balance two women (Gwen Stacy and MJ Watson) and somehow have time to websling without anyone really realizing it. On top of all of that his Aunt May is still struggling with her health and is convinced Peter is a frail young man.
While Peter is struggling with his personal life, his life as a superhero is becomming more difficult. He has a lot more people out to get him while he wears his webbed tights and because of this life has become a lot more difficult for him. Most notably during this span of comics we are introduced to Kingpin and Doctor Octopus has returned to destroy his arch-nemesis.
Starting with Doctor Octopus, he is still very much a criminal and there is a lot of bad going on. First he finds an base and tries to trap Spider-Man there with a trip bomb...he fails. Soon after he decides to become a renter from Peter's Aunt May. Of course as soon as Peter sees him he loses his cool but is threatened by Doc Ock to not say anything or Aunt May would get it. He comes in as Spidey and May has yet another bout with passing out and hospitalization.
Peter quickly goes after Doc Ock after he steals the Defense Department Nullifier which is supposed to nullify any electronics that it comes in contact with. During their fight, Doc Ock uses the Nullifier on Spider-Man in an attempt to deactivate his webshooters but instead it responded to his strange chemical DNA and forces Spider-Man to lose his memory. Doc Ock takes advantage of this and uses him to help him commit some crimes. This of course backfires due to Spidey having an engraved hate for the Doctor and he is able to get him arrested and he flees before the police can arrest him as well.
Peter is able to regain his memory thanks to a follow-up fight with Ka-zar. Ka-zar was convinced by J. Jonah Jameson that Spider-Man was a villain and must be stopped. During the fight Ka-zar knocks Spider-Man out and he falls into a body of water. The shock from falling into the water restored his memory and Ka-zar realized he was fighting a good guy and not a baddy.
The last major thing going on (and it is still happening so I can't give a conclusion yet) is The Kingpin is back as The Brainwasher and he is trying to take over the minds of the most powerful people in New York. One of these people just so happens to be Captain Stacy, Gwen's father, who Peter had recently met. During a short meeting with Captain Stacy, Peter asked too many questions and was attacked by the Captain which Gwen walked into Peter defending himself. Of course Gwen thought Peter was attacking her father and quickly threw him out of their house. Way to go champ...he had just started getting closer to her too.
With Captain Stacy brainwashed and Spidey going after The Kingpin the following issues are bound to be full of excitement. As I read each issue of this series I am becoming more and more enthralled with the story-telling. It is so hard to believe this comic has been running for 50 years! 60 issues in and I am excited to read all the way to 700...hopefully the Clone Saga during the 90s doesn't hurt my head too badly.
Anyhow, that's all I've got right now for Amazing Spider-Man. I do want to mention quickly that MJ is still annoying me greatly...Gwen is my winner thus far as Peter's great love...too bad I know what's coming for her....
Happy reading guys. If you get the chance to ever undertake something like this, you should. It is completely enjoyable to see how much comics have progressed over the years.
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