Amazing Spider-Man #124

cover date September 1973

     The story was written by Gerry Conway. Gil Kane did the interior pencils. Inks were by Romita and Tony Mortellero. The splash page has Spidey stealing a newspaper from an unsavory newsstand. How do I know he’s stealing it? He webbed the paper away from the stand while its operator wasn’t looking and there’s no indication that he’s making any attempt to pay for it. How do I know the newsstand is unsavory? Two of the magazines we can see have naked women on them. Really. Naked women in a Code-approved comic in 1973. A caption tells us that this is about ten days since the deaths of Gwen Stacy and Norman Osborn. It would be years before I really understood how important that caption was!

     Spider-Man is very broken up over the death of Gwen in particular but also feels sorry for Norman. The Herald-Star’s headline is a fair: “Spider-Man…Killer or Victim.” The Daily Bugle is, of course, entirely unfair: “Spider-Man Murders Prominent Businessman!”

     Meanwhile, at the Daily Bugle offices, city editor Robbie Robertson is trying to convince Jonah that their brutal attacks could backfire if it turns out that Spider-Man is innocent. Jameson is having none of it, though. A friend of his is dead, Spidey is related to the crime, ergo Spider-Man must be guilty of the murder. Even as a kid, it was obvious that this guy was a class-A jerk. The conversation between the publisher and editor is interrupted by the arrival of John Jameson. Jonah introduces his astronaut son to Robbie. John is there to take his dad to dinner so the elder Jameson can meet John’s fiancé, Kristine Saunders.

     Jonah meets John out in the hall. John isn’t looking at all well. He seems to have a terrible headache and is sweating. What only the reader can see is that a red gem on John’s necklace is glowing. John just tells his dad that he has a touch of the flu. Enter: the beautiful Kristine. She makes an immediate good impression with J.J.J.

     Peter is trying to forget his woes by attending classes. It doesn’t work, though. He imagines that all the other students are staring at him because of his recent loss. Unable to stand the imagined pressure, he storms out. Mary Jane follows him out of the classroom and tries to cheer him up, despite being Harry Osborn’s girlfriend. When Flash comes up to ask about Harry (who is Peter’s roommate), Peter explodes at both of them and then storms off.

     “Later that same evening…” A man stumbles out of a building and seems to be in pain. “It’s happening again! My special outfit—doesn’t stop it—like it’s supposed to--!” By the time we see his face, it is completely transformed to a wolf-like appearance. Any normal clothes have been ripped away and all this werewolf-appearing creature has on is a yellow and green one-piece. The creature takes to the rooftops. It jumps, seemingly without effort, from roof to roof through the city. It is looking for someone in particular. It finally finds its target: J. Jonah Jameson! It bursts through the window into Jameson’s home, scaring the old man. Jonah recovers from the shock quickly, though, and goes into his typical bluster. “Do you realize who I am> The name is Jonah Jameson, my friend—and I’ll have you know…” etcetera. Even Jonah isn’t completely dense, though, and quickly figures out that this isn’t just some costumed creep. This is a real-life bestial menace and he begins to truly fear for his life.

     A few minutes back in time, Peter Parker is stealing another newspaper. He’s not only stealing it, but he breaks the glass front of a display to grab it. He is, to put it mildly, incensed over the latest “Spider-Man Menace” headline. His emotional state already fragile, Jameson’s slanderous “article” is the straw the breaks the camel’s back. Pete changes into Spider-Man, checks his web fluid, and rushes off to attack Jameson. He arrives at the Jameson home just in time to see the grey werewolf dive into building.

     The appearance of a true menace breaks through Spider-Man’s bad mood. He dives in and stops the Man-Wolf from grabbing Jameson. Jolly Jonah, of course, instantly puts two and two together to get thirteen. “Spider-Man! You’re in this too?” he yells. Jerk. The Man-Wolf is a real challenge to Spidey, especially in this close quarters and with an (ahem) innocent nearby. Spidey is doing great until his head connects with the floor. 

     Unconscious, Spider-Man doesn’t see the Man-Wolf gently stop Jameson from telephoning the police. Although unable to talk, the grey beast seems to want Jameson’s attention and even pity. The red gem on the beast’s necklace is all too familiar to Jameson. Spidey comes back to the waking world just in time to see the creature exit. Spider-Man is ready to pursue the monster but Jameson is having none of it. Although he doesn’t share the information, he now knows that the Man-Wolf is his own son. He makes it crystal clear that he will make Spider-Man’s life a living Hell (like it isn’t already!) if he pursues the creature. Spider-Man agrees to leave it alone but feels bad about having played Good Samaritan for such an ungrateful louse. Well, with great power…

      Outside and crouching on a rooftop, Spider-Man ruminates on the day’s events. He’s actually feeling much better. The intense workout released his pent-up tensions. The life and death battle was, in a strange way, therapeutic. So much for relaxing, though. His spider-sense starts going off like crazy and…the Man-Wolf attacks! The end.

     Okay, not the end. To be continued. It was still, like so many comics from my youth, decades before I would be able to read the next issue. The story was very exciting even if Conway’s script was, honestly, a bit heavy-handed in the text department.