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Amazing Spider-Man, The (1963 series) #73

on-sale: Mar 11, 1969
Stan Lee | Jim Mooney

Amazing Spider-Man, The (1963 series) #73 cover

Story Name:

The Web Closes!


Synopsis

Amazing Spider-Man, The (1963 series) #73 synopsis by Anthony Silvestro
Rating: 3.5 stars
Image from Amazing Spider-Man, The (1963 series) #73

Spider-Man goes to check on Captain Stacy, who was injured by the Shocker last issue. Spidey hides when Gwen comes in, feeling like an idiot hiding in his Spidey costume when he could be with her. After Gwen leaves, Spidey makes his presence known and asks if Captain Stacy knows anything about where Shocker could have hidden the priceless clay tablet that’s been constantly changing hands. Captain Stacy mentions an old girlfriend of Shocker’s that lives on the west side and Spidey heads off to see if she has it. He swings around for awhile until his spider-sense leads him to her apartment. Spidey peeks in the window to see Shocker’s unnamed girlfriend in terror, her apartment being torn apart by a large bruiser calling himself Man Mountain Marko, searching for the tablet! Spidey smashes through the window and lays one on Marko before asking about the tablet himself. Marko turns out not to be so easy to put down and he and Spidey re-engage their fight.

Meanwhile, the man that the Kingpin had hired to decode the tablet, Wilson, is bailed out of jail by someone called Caesar Cicero. They get into a car with the understanding that Wilson will help them decipher the tablet once they soon have it! Back at the apartment, Spidey finds Marko hard to take down, while Marko gets his hands on the tablet. Elsewhere, Joe Robertson and his son Randy continue to debate their different points of view. Robbie doesn’t want Randy to quit school but Randy wonders if it’s worth it and if he’ll still be able to make it in a world stacked against him. Robbie argues that education is the greatest weapon someone can have to fight against bigotry and injustice when suddenly J. Jonah Jameson storms into Robbie’s office, irate at his handling of the paper in his absence. Robbie stands up to Jameson who “accepts his apology” and leaves. Randy points out that’s what he’s talking about, that his father shouldn’t have to take that from a racist like Jameson. Robbie makes sit clear that whatever his other faults, Jameson is not a racist and blanket assumptions like that aren’t going to help anything.

Back with Spidey, Marko holds Shocker’s girlfriend out of the window before dropping her. Spidey dives after her, snagging her on a web-line while Marko makes his escape. Meanwhile, Wilson is taken to Cicero’s boss, the aged boss of the Maggia, Silvermane. Silvermane tasks Wilson with helping him decode the tablet, when Marko arrives at that moment with it. With no leads, Spidey swings home to his apartment. There, he remembers his idea of possibly getting a summer job working for Curt Connors and tries calling him. Peter learns that Connors recently left unexpectedly with two men, which Peter notes as a worrying sign. Worrying indeed, as Connors is brought before Silvermane, in order to help with deciphering the tablet. Connors warns them that bringing him here is dangerous but won’t elaborate, implying the imminent possibility of his becoming the Lizard again! To be continued!


Characters
Good (or All)
CAPSTACY
CURTCONNORS
GSTACY
JJJAMESON
ROBBIEROBERTSON
SPIDERMAN
Plus: Randy Robertson.

Enemies
Man Mountain Marko, Silvermane (Silvio Manfredi).

> Amazing Spider-Man, The (1963 series) comic book info and issue index



This comic is in the following collection:
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Collecting AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (1963) #68-85 and AMAZING SPIDER-MAN ANNUAL (1964) #5.
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Main/1st Story Full Credits

Jim Mooney
Jim Mooney
Unknown
John Romita (Cover Penciler)
John Romita (Cover Inker)
Unknown (Cover Colorist)
Additional Credits
Plot: . Layouts: John Romita. Letterer: Sam Rosen.



Review / Commentaries


Amazing Spider-Man, The (1963 series) #73 Review by (February 26, 2025)

Review: Maggia boss Silvermane and his muscle Man Mountain Marko debut, prompting the ancient tablet MacGuffin to change hands once again! Silvermane is cool enough, as the boss of Marvel’s stand-in for the Mafia, though he never becomes a real A-lister (or even B-lister). Marko is equally underwhelming, being an unremarkable generic strong guy in a sea of unremarkable generic strong guys. Spidey also has more trouble with him than he should, as it’s always implied that Marko isn’t actually superhuman in any way, just a really strong normal guy. They have a rather extended but overall uninteresting fight, made less exciting by the worse-than-usual art. John Romita only provided the layouts this issue, leaving Jim Mooney to do all the actual art and it’s noticeably rougher. The Robertsons also continue to act as Stan’s mouthpiece on racial issues, as Robbie and Randy debate the merits of education when it comes to trying to make it in a society stacked against them. Curt Connors also makes an appearance, captured by Silvermane, meaning you just know his scaly alter-ego is going to pop up only a few issues from now. Overall, a pretty underwhelming main plot, saved by Stan’s (valiant, especially for the time) attempt at showing his support for the ongoing Civil Rights Movement and the strides it was making.

Comments: First appearances for Silvermane and Man Mountain Marko.





Thor

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