I: Feature Story: "The Coming of Ka-Zar!"

Pages: 20

Script: Stan Lee
Layouts: John Romita
Pencils: Don Heck
Inks: Mike Esposito (credited as Mickey Demeo)
Letters: Sam Rosen

Guest Appearance: Ka-Zar, Zabu, Gwen Stacy, Aunt May, Anna Watson, Norman Osborn, Col. John Jameson, Captain Stacy, J. Jonah Jameson

Cameo Appearance: Dr. Bromwell

Synopsis: Spider-Man wanders the city, still in the grip of amnesia. Terribly hungry, he steals a sandwich from a party, then tries to find a place where he can rest. It is raining, which makes it even more uncomfortable for him on the rooftop he lies huddled in, so he heads into a train station and finds a place to sleep on the eave of an over-hanging sign. His beloved Aunt May rises from her sleep, worried about her missing nephew, and she collapses on the floor. Anna Watson discovers her and calls Dr. Bromwell.

At a meeting of the city council, Col. John Jameson meets Captain George Stacy, a retired police commissioner who is consulting the council. Stacy confesses to Jameson that he very much wants to learn more about Spider-Man and his fascinating career as a crime-fighter. Col. Jameson's father, J. Jonah Jameson, meets the two of them outside the council office, telling them he's planned to enlist Ka-Zar in a bid to bring Spider-Man to justice. Ka-Zar and his pet sabretooth Zabu have just arrived by plane to New York City so Ka-Zar can pursue important legal matters.

Ka-Zar is greeted at his hotel room by a pushy JJJ, who offers him ten grand to chase down Spider-Man. Ka-Zar is told by Jameson that Spider-Man is a threat and a menace. Ka-Zar listens to what he has to say...

Meanwhile, Harry Osborn finds a Spidey Tracer in his missing roommate's bedstand, and assumes that it means that Spidey has been in the house and kidnapped Peter. A missing person's report is filed and a radio report blares across the airwaves, alerting people to Peter's disappearance and Spidey's complicity. Spidey hears this, as well as news info that Col. John Jameson "supports Spider-Man's innocence". He figures Col. Jameson is the person to help him recover his lost memory, and he starts searching for him.

He finds Jameson, sharing an audience with Captain Stacy, and tells the pair that he's lost his memory. Capt. Stacy's daughter, Gwen, comes in and barks at Spider-Man, demanding to know what he's done with Peter! Nobody is able to help him, and he takes off swinging through the sky. At that same moment, Ka-Zar has agreed to track down Spider-Man, and he leaps across the city rooftops as agile as Spider-Man or Daredevil, and he uses his jungle smarts to track Spider-Man down.

But Spider-Man decides to go to a newspaper office, where he hopes he can get some information that will help him figure out who he is. He finds the Daily Bugle and approaches J. Jonah Jameson, telling him he's lost his memory and needs help. Jameson senses opportunity: he tells Spider-Man that he's a good friend of his and tells him to remove his mask, which Spidey is about to do when Ka-Zar crashes through the window! Jameson's plot is ruined! Ka-Zar grabs Spidey as he tries to leap out the window, and they tussle outside the window balanced on a flagpole. Zabu senses his master in need and he rages out of the hotel room and down towards the city streets. Spidey realizes that he's out of web-fluid, so he figures the best thing to do is try to get away, since he has no idea what is going on.

Ka-Zar is relentless in chase, however, and catches up to Spider-Man in Central Park. They wrestle with each other, and after Spidey plants a left hook against Ka-Zar's chin, Zabu leaps out from behind a bush and knocks him into a lake. Ka-Zar gets up off the ground and swims down to grab Spidey, bringing him up, limp in his arms.

(continued in ASM #58)

--synopsis by Gormuu

Issues Reprinted
Amazing Spider-Man #51-61, Annual #4

Click on cover image to learn more about each issue.