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| > Amazing Spider-Man Masterworks Volume 1 |
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From the Mouths of the Marvels:
"Here, Peter dear! This miniature camera was your Uncle Ben's. I'm sure he'd have wanted you to have it!"
- - Aunt May, page 3
Look out, Spidey! The Vulture is coming! |
Amazing Spider-Man #2
Publication Date: February 12, 1963
Letters Page: No letters page published in this issue.
House Ad: Ad #1
Ranked #52 in 100 Greatest Marvel Comics of All Time list
I: Feature Story: "Duel to the Death with the Vulture!"
Pages: 14
Script: Stan Lee
First Appearance: The Vulture/Adrian Toomes
Villain: The Vulture
Guest Appearance: Flash Thompson, Liz Allan, Aunt May, J. Jonah Jameson, Mr. Warren
Gadgets & Technology: Anti-Magnetic Inverter
Marvel Milestones: First appearance of Jameson's NOW Magazine
Synopsis: A new menace threatens the peace of the city in the form of the Vulture, a winged man who swoops around town using his powers to be a master thief. J. Jonah Jameson demands pictures of the Vulture to run alongside feature stories about him, and that sparks an idea in Peter Parker's head: he will use his abilities as Spider-Man to put himself in position to snap photos of the Vulture! He gets an old camera that Uncle Ben used to own, and sets out to take shots of his villainous target.
The Vulture is on his way to his next crime job, which is to heist a transfer of jewels from one office to another. Spider-Man spots the Vulture as he makes a pass by a police precinct, tossing a note attached to a heavy object which crashes through the window. The note taunts the police that the Vulture is going to steal the jewels out from under their noses. As he cackles in gloating glee, he spots the wall-crawler setting up his camera, and attacks the wall-crawler from behind! He knocks Spider-Man out and deposits his limp body inside a water tower, where Spider-Man wakes up to his own drowning! His web-fluid chambers are empty, and he can't climb the sheer, slick walls of the tower, but he sinks to the bottom of the tower chamber and uses his incredible strength to propel himself upward and out through the door. The Vulture has gotten away, but at least Spider-Man is free!
His photos are shot well enough to sell to Jameson, and Peter Parker sets out to improve his costume. He adds an extra capsule of web-fluid so he won't run out as quickly. He also fashions a belt that will hold the items he needs to carry with him, including an attachment for his camera. He also thinks he's got the Vulture's powers figured out, and works on a device that will help him defeat the flying menace. Later, at the Daily Bugle offices, Peter pitches his action shots of Spidey vs. Vulture to J. Jonah Jameson, who loves them! The crusty publisher opens the door to more employment for young Parker if he can continue to deliver such high-quality shots of "that public menace" Spider-Man.
As he leaves the Bugle offices, Parker encounters Flash Thompson and his gang, who are all headed to the jewel transfer to see if the Vulture will show. A helicopter hovers overhead to guard the armored cars below. The diamond delivery is brought out under heavy armed guard, and from below, the clever Vulture pops up through a manhole cover and extricates the case of diamonds from the delivery man's hands! He flies through the massive and winding sewer system with his stolen goods and gets away scot-free.
Spider-Man is now in costume and wings his way into action. His spider-sense tingles to let him know he is near his quarry; in fact, the high-flying Vulture has spotted him and decides to put Spider-Man out of action once and for all. He flies down and kicks Spidey off the top of the roof, but the web-spinner aims and scores a direct hit of webbing on the Vulture's ankle. They fly through the sky as the Vulture tries to kick his assailant away, but Spider-Man is able to turn on his anti-Vulture gadget, which indeed disables the Vulture's mechanical flying mechanism and sends him dwindling down to earth. The police helicopter spots the Vulture and the cops set down to arrest him. Spidey explains that his "anti-magnetic inverter" device was all he needed to put the Vulture down.
Jameson eats up the photos that Parker brings in, but the teenage photographer resists his entreaties for his secrets on how he gets such great shots: "Don't ask me how I get these photos" is all Peter asks. Peter gives all his earnings over to a very appreciative Aunt May, while the Vulture broods from his prison cell about getting revenge against the cursed Spider-Man!
Pages: 10
Script: Stan Lee
First Appearance: The Tinkerer, aliens, Professor Cobbwell
Villain: The Tinkerer, aliens
Guest Appearance: Mr. Warren, Professor Cobbwell, Flash Thompson, Liz Allan
Synopsis: Peter has the opportunity to work on science experiments with the famous Professor Cobwell; his first task is to pick up a small radio the professor had repaired on his way to his lab the following morning. Naturally, Peter is excited about such an opportunity, but he gets lots of grief from Flash Thompson for being such a nerdy bookworm. After putting on his Spidey costume underneath his street clothes, he stops by the repair shop to run the professor's errand.
He is greeted by a wisened and seemingly harmless old man who goes to get the radio Parker requests, but the teenager's spider-sense is tingling like crazy! Downstairs, the old man enters a room where a space alien is putting the final touches on Cobbwell's radio. He promises that this radio, like all the others they are "repairing", will help them enact their "secret plan". Peter takes the radio back to Cobbwell, but is confused that the old man only charged a dime for his radio repair services! Peter is extremely skeptical, and checks out the back panel of the radio and sees technology he doesn't recognize, and it is emitting odd impulses. He swings over to the Tinkerer's business to investigate further.
In following the impulses to the basement, he uncovers the plot: the Tinkerer and his alien compadres are installing spyware in the radios of important scientists to get inside information on their strengths and weaknesses, all in order to more effectively attack the planet at a later date. Spider-Man acts decisively to end their plans, and a fight breaks out. Spider-Man is able to fend off attack from several aliens, but the Tinkerer zaps him with a ray gun and places him in a "Resisto-Glass" enclosure. As they drain the air from the Resisto-Glass, Spider-Man has to act fast to break free. He escapes by using the pinpoint control of his web-shooters, shooting a tightly-wound stream of webbing that flips the switch that opens his cell. In the confusion, a fire breaks out, and the aliens flee. The Tinkerer tries to catch up, but Spider-Man grabs him, though the smoke gets thicker and thicker and the wall-crawler loses hold of him. As Spider-Man flees the scene, a firefighter assumes that it was Spider-Man that started the fire.
The aliens take off, vowing never to return to Earth since they will always be on guard against Earthlings with powers like Spider-Man. Life returns to normal for Peter as he continues to help Dr. Cobbwell, but the last thing he grabbed before he evacuated the Tinkerer's lair was a mask, in the form of the Tinkerer's face, and Spider-Man can only wonder the true extent of what he just experienced!
--synopsis by Gormuu
Issues Reprinted Click on cover image to learn more about each issue. |
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 AF #15 |
 ASM #1 |
 ASM #2 |
 ASM #3 |
 ASM #4 |
 ASM #5 |
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 ASM #6 |
 ASM #7 |
 ASM #8 |
 ASM #9 |
 ASM #10 |
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Website design by Doug Roberts and John Rhett Thomas. All images on this site are copyright of Marvel Comics. This site is for reference purposes and promotion of the Masterworks line of books as well as Marvel Comics and their properties. |
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