I: Feature Story: "When Falls the Meteor!"

Pages: 20

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

First Appearance: The Looter/Norton G. Fester, Sally Green

Villain: The Looter

Guest Appearance: Sally Green, Gwen Stacy, Flash Thompson

Synopsis: Norton G. Fester finds a meteor somewhere out in the desert and believes it is his ticket to fortune and fame. Unfortunately, the scientists and banks he approaches are unwilling to invest in him and his meteor. He believes the world is jealous of him and his undiscovered genius, and he decides to study the meteor himself. He goes at it with a hammer and chisel and hits a gas pocket. A strange gas seeps into his skin and he falls into a cabinet, which collapses on him. He comes to a few moments later and finds he can lift the cabinet off of him with one hand. Fester now has super-strength! Now he has true power to wield in a world that has always underestimated him.

Peter is walking through the campus of E.S.U. and is is still persona non grata with his peers. Gwen Stacy's friend Sally Green approaches Peter to prove he's not a snob. Peter is so happy to finally be welcomed by a fellow classmate that he opens up and smiles wide. This makes Gwen terribly jealous - after all, he's paid her no attention! However, when Sally says it would be great to hang out with a brainy guy like Peter, he finds himself insulted. Betty had also liked him for his brains and he's not willing to go through that again. He leaves Sally which confirms Gwen's suspicions that there's no reaching Peter.

Later, a costumed menace called the Looter barges his way into a bank and, leaping over the tellers, helps himself to the cash in the drawers. He pulls out a dazzling light gun and blinds the guards as he leaps away to his escape. The Looter returns home and unmasks to reveal himself as Norman G. Fester. This robbery is only the beginning, and for the next few days, he robs banks, armored cars and vaults.

Spider-Man is on the case but can't find a sign of the Looter. The Looter is lying low, since he has run out of gas from his meteor. He must find another meteor, in case his powers start to wane.

A few days later, Peter has given up on finding the Looter and goes to a space exhibit at a local museum. Gwen notices him and follows him inside, eager for the chance to finally get to know him. Peter wanders through the exhibit, oblivious to Gwen's presence. He notices a curious meteor fragment at the same moment that the Looter arrives. The Looter dives in to steal the meteor and Peter runs off to change to Spider-Man. Gwen watches him run away and decides that Peter's an unmitigated coward!

The Looter punches out the guard and runs to the meteor. He's stopped by the spider-signal and Spider-man barring the way. They trade blows and the Looter tips over an exhibit to throw Spidey off guard. Spider-Man catches the exhibit piece and the Looter punches him in the jaw. Spider-Man dives through a model of the solar system to get at the Looter. The Looter pulls his dazzle light on Spider-Man but Spidey simply shuts his eyes and runs straight at the Looter. The Looter tips over another, bigger exhibit (Editor's note - apparently, tipping things over onto Spider-Man is the Looter's main combat tactic!) and the blinded museum-goers are unaware they're in any danger. Spider-Man catches this exhibit and the Looter escapes. When Peter changes back he sees Gwen, who once again gives him the cold shoulder.

Fester now realizes he actually needs a plan to get the meteor, what with Spider-Man standing in his way. He returns to the museum and monitors the guards. At school, it seems that Gwen Stacy is finally taking part in her classmates' ridicule of Peter Parker.

Later that week, the exhibit closes and the meteor is moved to a truck. Both the Looter and Spider-Man are ready. The Looter waylays the moving men and Spider-Man swings in after him. He throws the meteor at Spider-Man (Editor's note - have you gotten the impression yet that Norton G. Fester is not all that bright?) and launches a giant helium balloon from his backpack, launching him skyward. Spider-Man climbs up a wall after him and springs off a flagpole to reach the rising Looter. The Looter kicks him off, but Spider-Man grabs the Looter's ankle and flips back into the Looter's face, knocking him out. He lets the air out of the balloon and they slowly descend to the ground and the Looter falls into the custody of the police.

--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.