Monday, February 21, 2022

The Crushed Plans of the Master Planner!

 

As time permits, I've been slowly working my way back through the Stan Lee/Steve Ditko Amazing Spider-Man issues produced during 1963-66, and one such story has always been on my radar to sit down and read. Having finally done so, it's *ahem* amazing how well it stands the test of time fifty-six years after it first hit the stands, as it does a fine job at hitting all the right notes for both the wall-crawler as well as Peter Parker as far as what made them both unique in Marvel's growing stable of characters during that period. This was a time when Peter Parker hit his stride as someone readers could identify with, a character who experienced growing pains and even hardships which seemed ever-present when his uncle was killed and he became the sole source of income for himself and his elderly Aunt May. And though he originally had every intention otherwise, becoming Spider-Man did not improve Peter's lot in life; on the contrary, often his alter-ego complicated things for him and made his life even more difficult to manage, all thanks to a sense of responsibility that he would not disavow.

It's fair to say that it was Peter's struggles in life which likely attracted a good deal of the book's readership; and it's Spider-Man's growth as a character in tandem with his (yes) amazing abilities which helped to offset the seemingly one-step-forward/two-steps-back life of Peter Parker and give him a sense of purpose and even accomplishment that a reader can't help but envy. All of these facets of the character are on display in Amazing Spider-Man #33, where Peter is depended upon as never before to come through for his family, and for himself--a physical and emotional struggle which you may find does a masterful job of gripping the reader, as well.



It's the prior issue that sets the stage for what's to come, as we find two important developments taking place. First, the mysterious criminal who up to this point has been known only as the Master Planner has been revealed to be Dr. Octopus, one of Spider-Man's deadliest enemies; and secondly, Aunt May has been hospitalized and remains in critical condition, while, to his horror, Peter discovers that the cause of her malady is a radioactive particle in her blood received when he'd previously given her a transfusion. Desperate, Peter (as Spider-Man) seeks out Dr. Curt Connors (indebted to him for his help during the time he had become the Lizard), who informs him of a serum developed on the west coast that might prove helpful in treating the blood deterioration. Unfortunately, Octopus also has his eye on the serum as a means to control his own exposure to radiation and perhaps even enhance his power; and when Connors' courier arrives at the airport, Octopus arranges to have two of his hoodlums steal the serum.

Of course, when Spider-Man gets wind that the theft is the work of the "Master Planner," he angrily turns over every underworld hideout in the city until stumbling upon the villain's gang--and, from there, a secret tunnel leading to the Planner's underwater lair. Upon arrival, however, he instead finds Octopus, who is prepared for him; but it's Spider-Man who, in his rage, ultimately stops himself.





You have to hand it to the Planner's thugs--trashed by Spider-Man on his way to take on their boss, and they're still confidently up for another round with him. As for Octopus, we've seen the last of him for the duration of this story, though in hindsight it's clear that Lee and/or Ditko meant for the story's focus to be on Spider-Man's personal struggle--not just in terms of freeing himself, but in demonstrating the importance of never giving up when faced with adversity.

To that end, Ditko masterfully details that struggle before our eyes, moment by agonizing moment--as Spider-Man, knowing how much is riding on him, fights to survive, and to prevail.



Lee is also deserving of credit for his contribution to these scenes, having shepherded this character since the beginning and keeping firmly in mind the love and obligation that Peter has toward his aunt, as well as the dread and tremendous guilt that he would feel at the thought of failing her.

The situation is a perfect opportunity to move further forward with the characterization that Lee has steadily cultivated in Peter.  In that regard, Ditko and Lee would appear to be on the same page (as it were) in the scenes which follow, as we see that Spider-Man, now noticeably injured, must now deal with the flooding that ensues when the facility's ceiling finally gives way--to say nothing of Octopus's goon squad, which is still gunning for a fight.





The word "gunning" turns out to be misleading in a literal sense, however, as, astonishingly, not one member of this squad is armed--perhaps to accommodate Spider-Man's leg injury and give him a realistic fighting chance against the odds he's facing. Hopefully you won't be reminded of similarly staged fight scenes from the '60s "Batman" show (launched the month before this issue was published), because Ditko and Lee nevertheless provide a first-rate, three-page heroic struggle that no doubt riveted every reader who reached into their pocket to shell out 12¢ for this issue--a sequence which resonates even decades after the fact.




Finally, after making it back to Connors' lab and testing the serum on a sample of his own irradiated blood to gauge its effectiveness, Peter is rewarded with one of those rare scenes parceled out by Lee only on those occasions when it's felt the character deserves a break--and surely coming through for his aunt after fighting so hard to save her qualifies. It's probably fair to say that nothing less would have satisfied the reader at this point... and it makes for an excellent closer that clears the decks for the next new Spider-Man story.


Lee piles it on a bit heavily here, throwing subtlety out the window with that virtual nudge to teenagers to embody the well-mannered qualities of Peter Parker. There must have been any number of other ways to fill that thought caption--but who am I to tell The Man his business. ;)


BONUS!

20 issues later, we learn how Octopus (aka Daddy Longlegs) escaped death that day.



7 comments:

  1. It's justifiably one of the classics! It will always be a nail-biter and heart-rending story.

    It's also, for the time period, mercifully low on narrative caption boxes. The ones that describe to the reader pretty exactly the scene the artist has illustrated in the panel. I've always excused those due to the comic creators of the time having grown up with Golden Age comics where the art was, generally, a step and a half above stick men.

    What Stan couldn't stop himself from doing, in the moment Spider-Man's most intense dramatic struggle, was to put that "Hey! Remember Spidey's origin?" blurb.

    I might give a pass to the goons not having guns as a rare moment of discipline and logic. Isn't the fight taking place in an underwater base? Spraying a fragile environment like that with bullets is a bad idea. BUT, that doesn't explain why they don't have billy clubs or taser-gizmos or something.

    Maybe the goons are also weaponless because their spiffy armour is making them overly cocky? It has to be great armour. Spider-Man is flailing and punching without any finesse or his usual calculated caution. If those goons don't have armour, there are more shattered bones than whole ones when the fight is over. And likely a few fatalities.

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  2. Marvel may poo-poo on continuity these days, Murray, but captions like the one you mention (and some which reference issue numbers, as well) may have gone a long way toward establishing a connection with the reader and engaging them in the month-to-month saga of the hero(s) they'd become interested in. And for the new reader, they get an idea of the ongoing story of Spider-Man and the strong foundation behind this character, enough to pick up another issue or two. Of course, if this issue didn't light a fire under them, it's hard to imagine what would! :)

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  3. Murray's comment got me thinking--as good as Stan's writing was here, imagine how much more harrowing that famous scene would be without ANY word balloons or dialogue.
    Just Spider-Man painfully trying to get up, then going back down, then trying again, over and over...
    Nothing but that image.
    But I think that would have been considered too jarring for a comic book back then.

    M.P.

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  4. M.P., by the same token, I'm sure that thought balloons in place of spoken dialog would have filled the same bill, since I doubt that any person in that situation (well, any person who had the strength to avoid being crushed by all of that metal) would have done a vocal play-by-play of their emotions, their physical condition, their regrets, and their resolve, nor would any actor performing the same scene speaking either similar or identical lines have been taken seriously. It was a curious choice by Lee, duplicated in one way or another by other heroes in harrowing situations, and I would have loved to have heard his take on it.

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  5. At my younger age I had to catch up on the older comics in Marvel Tales (1st runs). Absolute classic storyline, and really the climax to the Ditko era, even though a few more issues were to come. As for the previous comment about the unarmed uniformed thugs, that was pretty much the norm in those comic book days, maybe only one or two would have a weapon. When I first read that issue I thought the fight looked sloppy & chaotic, not the usual smooth Ditko fight scenes. Then realized it was perfect, as Spiderman was hurt & half out of his mind at the time. I thought that this storyline was perfect.

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  6. An excellent observation on the fight scene, Rick.

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  7. While Stan added dialog it should be noted that Ditko was the writer. At this point Ditko and Lee were no longer on speaking terms. The moments you attribute to Stan all belong to Steve: Peter's love of Aunt May, Spider-Man noticeably injured, the three page heroic struggle, the rare scene of the deserved break... Stan had no idea what was happening until Steve delivered the story art as a "fait accompli"

    Happy Trails,
    Smitty

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