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The Amazing Spider-Man #35

Apr 1966

Stan Lee, Steve Ditko

Story Name:

The Molten Man Regrets...!

Synopsis

The Amazing Spider-Man #35 synopsis by Anthony Silvestro

Rating:

Our story begins with the Molten Man being released from prison. The judge rules that his sentence has been suspended due to his good behavior. Molten Man heads home to his apartment and tests out his powers, finding himself just as strong as before, possibly even stronger! Having no intention of going straight however, Molten Man elects to bide his time and wait for the right time to strike. Many days later, Molten Man, disguised as a normal man, visits a jewelry shop, and attempts to rob the place. The owner is surprised when his bullet has no effect, as Molten Man easily crushes the man’s gun.

Spider-Man happens to be swinging by and hears the commotion, entering the store, causing the still disguised Molten Man to feign surrender. Molten Man takes an overconfident Spidey unawares, stunning him with several punches before hightailing it out of the store. Spidey sprints up the roof to see if he can spot him, but Molten Man gets away, making it back to his apartment. Peter makes his way home, and due to the almost metallic feeling of the man’s punches, concludes that his foe could be Molten Man! Spidey then swings over to Molten Man’s apartment and waits around to see if he still lives there. Eventually, Molten Man comes home, and Spidey takes the opportunity to sneakily place a spider-tracer on his coat, in order to keep tabs on him.

Throughout the next few days, Peter keeps getting alerted via his spider-tracer but keeps finding Molten Man doing nothing overtly suspicious. Eventually though, his tracer leads Spidey to follow Molten Man once more, as Spidey witnesses him don another disguise. He follows the disguised Molten Man and catches him breaking into the same jewelry store from before. Spidey sets up his camera and jumps in on Molten Man, webbing him up and causing him to shed his disguise. Spidey and Molten Man trade punches until Molten Man grabs Spidey, causing Spidey to attach his webs to the ceiling, flipping the both of them over! Molten Man escapes out the window and makes it back to his apartment to find Spidey waiting for him! Spidey knew he would head here and sped there first!

Molten Man once again attacks Spidey, but Spidey came prepared! Spider-Man presents some extra thick web ropes he prepared and thanks to his agility, manages to hog tie Molten Man, just like last time they fought. Spidey leaves Molten Man for the police with a note saying that Spidey will bring proof that Molten Man was responsible for the recent robberies. While Molten Man is being held at the police station, Spidey swings by with some of the photos he took, surprising Molten Man and causing him to confess. Peter then heads to the Daily Bugle to sell the rest of his photos and discovers the new secretary hired to replace Betty. She tells Peter that Betty left for the west coast, and that Ned possibly went with her, and presents Peter with his photo that Betty left for him. Our issue ends with Peter despondent over the news, as he throws out the picture Betty left him, feeling like their relationship was a lifetime ago.

Review / Commentaries

The Amazing Spider-Man #35 Review by Anthony Silvestro (February 28, 2024)

Review: Molten Man returns once again and he continues to be kind of a boring villain. There is an interesting reversal in which he dresses up like a normal guy to commit crimes, when it’s the other way around for most villains. However, this issue mostly just boils down to Molten Man getting out of prison and deciding to do crime again, with things just a little more drawn out than last time he appeared. Spidey uses his spider-tracer to hunt him down and fights him the second time he tries to rob the same place. There’s a nice little section that’s entirely the two trading punches with just sound effects and no other words, giving Art Simek some time to shine. However, Spidey ultimate defeats Molten Man in the exact same way he did last time, hogtieing him with extra thick web ropes. Apparently Molten Man doesn’t learn from his mistakes.

There’s an odd little moment where Molten Man is able to pick a safe lock due to feeling the tumblers with his own metallic fingers which is…questionable to say the least. Chalk it up to goofy early comic logic. Peter also finally learns that Betty has left, possibly with Ned Leeds, putting a close on their already ended relationship for good. The other oddity about this issue is that none of the usual supporting characters appear, just Spidey, Molten Man, and the new unnamed secretary. There’s not a whole lot else to say about this one, it’s a fine issue, if a bit derivative of Molten Man’s last appearance, and he was already pretty uninteresting. Apparently the writers agreed as he won’t appear again for almost 100 issues!

Comments: This issue contains no named supporting characters, just Spidey, Molten Man, and the new unnamed secretary. Spider-Man mentions Irving Forbush, claiming it’s an “in” joke. Jack Kirby and Sol Brodsky also contributed to the cover.

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This comic is in the following collection:

Collects Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #29-38.

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Holy smokes, Batman!
(The Boy Wonder)

Main/1st Story Full Credits

Stan Lee

Steve Ditko

Stan Goldberg

Steve Ditko (Cover Penciler)
Steve Ditko (Cover Inker)
Stan Goldberg (Cover Colorist)

Additional Credits

Plot: Steve Ditko. Letterer: Art Simek.

All stories. Listed in alphabetical order.

Spider-Man
(Peter Parker)

Plus: Molten Man (Mark Raxton).

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