I: Feature Story: "Where Crawls the Lizard!"

Pages: 20

Script: Stan Lee
Pencils: John Romita
Inks: John Romita
Letters: Sam Rosen

Villain: Lizard

Origin: Lizard

Guest Appearance: Aunt May, Dr. Curt Connors, Martha Connors, Billy Connors, Betty Brant, J. Jonah Jameson, Frederick Foswell, Gwen Stacy, Harry Osborn, Flash Thompson, Mary Jane Watson

Flashback Cameo: Whitey Mullins

Synopsis: As Peter takes Aunt May through the train station to see her on a way to a recuperative vacation by the seashore, Dr. Curt Connors is in a nearby alcove, desperately trying to stop his transformation into the Lizard. The transformation temporarily subsides and Connors realizes the potion he created to help Spider-Man defeat the Rhino (see ASM #43) may have triggered his own transformation.

Martha and Billy Connors disembark on a train from Florida to reunite with Curt, but Curt can no longer hold back his transformation. He flees from his family before they see him as the Lizard and goes to hide in the shadows. Once again, he has become the Lizard! He bashes through the tunnel walls and escapes into the sewer.

Peter sees Aunt May off and notices the worried face of Martha Connors, who think's she has seen her husband race away and fears the worst. He changes to Spider-Man and, after calming her nerves, decides to crawl into the tunnels to investigate. While reflecting on their last battle (see ASM #6), Spider-Man finds the hole in the tunnel wall and assumes it can only be the work of the super-human Lizard. He sends Martha and Billy back home to Connors' lab, and after a fruitless search decides to let the Lizard make the first move.

Later that day, he goes to the Bugle and wishes Betty good luck on her engagement to Ned Leeds. Peter feels completely over her now, and realizes she's more like a sister than a girlfriend. Peter then pitches a photo essay on the Lizard, but J. Jonah Jameson doesn't believe the Lizard exists. Frederick Foswell watches Peter go and becomes suspicious. "How does Peter get all those pictures of Spider-Man anyway?", he thinks, and decides to try and tail him to find out. JJJ starts riding him on another project, so Foswell decides to table that project for later.

Peter stops by the Silver Spoon and meets Harry Osborn, Flash Thompson and Gwen Stacy. The gang has really warmed up to Peter now (except Flash, naturally!) Flash is getting ready for his draft physical and one of the kids wonders what will become of the football team once Flash is in Vietnam. Maybe they can recruit Whitey Mullins, they say! Mary Jane arrives and all the guys are stunned, not only at her beauty, but that she gives Peter the time of day. He introduces her to the group and she takes him out to a club. None of them can believe that Mary Jane would date a guy like Peter, least of all Gwen, who simmers on a slow burn in jealousy.

Meanwhile, the Lizard breaks into a jewelry store to try and attract Spider-Man's attention. When the police see a figure climbing the wall, they pin the robbery on the wall-crawling Spider-Man. JJJ is thrilled to have another opportunity to dog Spider-Man with unfounded allegations. When the news hits the Bugle headlines, Peter suspects the Lizard and calls Martha Connors. She hasn't seen her husband since she arrived, and he tells her he's going to take care of it.

Peter is distracted throughout class and immediately sets out to find the Lizard. He finds him quickly and plows into the creature! Spidey tries to pin the Lizard with his own tail but it backfires. Lizard is able to flip him into the wall with his tail and escapes into the sewer. Spider-Man follows him in and makes the Lizard so angry he follows him back out onto the rooftops. The Lizard knocks him off the roof and even slashes the webline Spidey fires to save himself. Spidey crashes on the ground and when he gets up, he finds he can't move his left arm! The Lizard escapes as a doctor tends to Spider-Man. He diagnoses a bad sprain. The doctor puts it in a sling and Spidey takes off before the doctor can get any any closer to finding out his secret identity.

Spider-Man tries to console Mrs. Connors but she frets that the Lizard cannot be changed back to her husband. Peter gets home and cancels a date with Mary Jane. He doesn't want to let her see him with a sprained arm, and then perhaps connect him with Spider-Man and his bum arm. After she hangs up, Peter thinks he's finally done himself in with her. His life's responsibilitiesand desires all come crashing down on him, and with the Lizard still on the loose, he can't even rest.

(continued in ASM #45)

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

Issues Reprinted
Amazing Spider-Man #41-50, Annual #3

Click on cover image to learn more about each issue.