I: Feature Story: "The Thrill of the Hunt!"

Pages: 20

Script: Stan Lee
Plot: Stan Lee
Pencils: Steve Ditko
Inks: Steve Ditko
Letters: Artie Simek

First Appearance: Nails Hogan gang, JJJ's post-Betty Brant secretary #1

Villain: Kraven, Nails Hogan gang

Guest Appearance: Aunt May, Anna Watson, J. Jonah Jameson, Betty Brant, Harry Osborn, Gwen Stacy, Frederick Foswell, JJJ's post-Betty Brant secretary #1

Setting: Nairobi, Kenya

Synopsis: Kraven the Hunter strolls through his trophy room until he comes to a blank mannequin head. This space is reserved for the mask of Spider-Man, his greatest nemesis. To defeat him, he must step up his training. He drinks a special jungle potion and leaps into the jungle, where he wrestles and defeats a full-grown lion. Ready to return to New York to face down his prey, he boards a ship in Nairobi.

Betty Brant finally decides to directly confront Peter about his secret. In response, he climbs the walls and tears off his shirt, revealing Spider-Man's costume. She wakes up screaming. It was only a dream! And whatever her dream meant, it couldn't possibly mean that Peter is Spider-Man, she thinks. But she thinks to herself that it is finally time to make a decision about her life with Peter Parker.

Meanwhile, Peter is in a better mood. Aunt May is on the mend, receiving visitors like Anna Watson, and he can finally concentrate on his studies. But when he gets to school, he finds the other students, including Gwen Stacy and Harry Osborn, are against him. He ignored them on his first day worrying about Aunt May's condition and is now paying the price. Gwen won't even let him pick up a book she's dropped, and Harry Osborne taunts him out in the open. In spite of that, Gwen can't help but obsess over Peter in class. She wonders why someone like Peter is ignoring her, while unknown to her, he is fully aware what a knockout she is!

Peter hears police sirens on his way home and stops himself. For once he can afford to skip the action, and lets the police handle the call.

Kraven arrives at the Chameleon's old hideout to prepare his potions, and his plans. While Peter is enjoying a slice of cake from Aunt May, Spider-Man accosts J. Jonah Jameson in the street and causes a very big and very public ruckus. He leaps to the rooftops out of sight and, in private, takes off his mask, revealing he is really Kraven trying to set a trap for Spider-Man. Jameson uses this event, and subsequent, similar attacks, to drag Spider-Man's name through the mud. Everywhere Peter goes, he hears more bad news about Spider-Man. He knows he has to get to the bottom of this and figure out who is posing as him, so once Anna Watson takes Aunt May out of the house, Peter is on the scene as Spider-Man.

It isn't long before he spots the imposter Spider-Man and chases him to a condemned city block. A group of thugs from the Nails Hogan gang see the chase and decide it's the perfect opportunity for revenge against Spidey. Kraven drops his disguise and sprays Spider-Man with a jungle scent that blocks his spider-sense. He's also rigged booby traps throughout the building, such as a chimney that collapses on Spidey. Kraven ducks into the building and Spider-Man follows him into yet more traps.

The mob enters the building and Spider-Man surprises them from the ceiling. He knocks them out and webs them up. He trips more with a web net in the alley. He leaps back inside but his weakened spider-sense makes him easy prey for Kraven. They are evenly matched until more mobsters enter the fight. Spider-Man leaps out of the room and Kraven pushes his way through the gangsters. They are separated as they take out the rest of the gangsters but Kraven can smell Spider-Man's scent. He catches Spidey on the outside wall and drops on him from the roof. They fall inside the building once more and face off for the final time. Spider-Man gets the upper hand and, by continuously hammering Kraven, he finally defeats him. Spider-Man recovers his camera but can't bring himself to return to the Bugle with the pictures. He simply can't face Betty again.

The cops pick up the gangsters and Kraven confesses to harassing Jameson. At the Bugle, this is the last thing Jameson wants to hear, as once again he's been humiliated by Spider-Man. He sends his secretary, the first girl to replace Betty Brant, home for the day. No one knows where Betty has gone.

Peter returns home and, after a quick hello to Aunt May and Anna Watson, returns to his room to wonder how Betty is doing, and thinks to himself that he must be parted from her "for as long as I live".

--synopsis by Jonathan Clarke, aka doesitmatter, and Gormuu

Issues Reprinted
Amazing Spider-Man #31-40

Click on cover image to learn more about each issue.