The Amazing Spiderman #3

July, 1963

Written by Stan Lee, Illustrated by Steve Ditko

My Favorite Bizarre Reference Made by Spiderman:

Doc Ock: Spiderman!
Spiderman: Well, it ain’t Albert Shweitzer!

Wikipedia tells me that Albert Schweitzer is the 1952 Nobel Peace Prize winner. He’s a philosopher and musician. I have no idea why Spiderman would bring him up.

Spiderman Versus the Strangest Foe of all: Dr. Octopus

In Amazing Spiderman #3 we get our first “book length” story, as it says on the cover. Lee and Ditko introduce Dr. Otto Octavius, a brilliant physicist who’s developed a harness with metal arms to help him work with radioactive chemicals, earning him the nickname ‘Dr. Octopus.’ A horrible accident ensues and Octavius is left brain damaged and forever bonded with his metal arms. When he wakes, he has left Otto behind and become the homicidal scientist, Dr. Octopus.
The difference between the shorts and full-length is stunning. Gone are the radio-show-like, paper-thin plots that dominated the first half dozen Spiderman tales. They are replaced by an actual character study of Dr. Octopus and development of the main character, Peter Parker. The slower pace resulted in the best issue so far, with a believable science fiction storyline and legitimately exciting action. But the most interesting bits are the throw-away lines from a restless Spiderman.
Peter Parker, to the young fan, seems like a precocious hero looking to mix it up with some bad guys. But a more sophisticated reading reveals a dark and troubled child. Peter’s parents are missing and no one ever talks about them. His only male guardian was shot and killed and he’s haunted by feelings of guilt. The guilt is compounded by the fact that his widowed Aunt is pawning her jewelry to pay rent (Amazing Spiderman #1). Plus, he has no friends and a huge secret he couldn’t tell them if he did. This isn’t the making of a hero, but a recipe for a psychopath. The line between hero and villain is precariously thin and the Spiderman from the first three issues straddles it.
At the beginning of this issue, Spiderman stops three criminals from stealing a large safe, presumably full of money. After knocking the crap out of the bandits he thinks “I almost wish for an opponent who’d give me a run for my money.” (Page 3) He feels no joy at stopping the crime and serving justice to outlaws very similar to those who killed his Uncle Ben. He is just prowling the streets in search of violence.
Dr. Octopus has taken over the hospital where he was recovering from his accident and has put it in lockdown. Peter hears about the situation from J. Jonah Jameson at The Daily Bugle, which he apparently runs alongside Now Magazine. Like his encounter with the Vulture, he goes after Doc Ock looking to take pictures and pay some bills. Dr. Octopus holds some of the doctors and nurses captive, making them assist him in his mad experiments when Spiderman comes upon them. Peter thinks, “So the good doctor has flipped his lid, eh? Well, this is just what I’ve been hoping for, a little action.” (Page 6) He is not driven to save the people Octopus has taken captive, he just wants to fight. He has no father and no more Uncle Ben, so he needs to go toe-to-toe with every tough guy he can find in order to prove to the world that he’s a man. His motivations are not justice and responsibility, but greed and suppressed rage.
It’s a devastating letdown when Octopus defeats him in their first battle. There’s a particularly gut-wrenching box on page seven where Spiderman is bound and helpless in the mechanical arms. Octopus slaps him across the face with his real hand and says, “You dared to mock me before! Why aren’t you mocking me now? Where are your brave words and taunts now, Spiderman?” (Page 7) Octopus then hurls him out the window. The loss is so crushing that Peter almost retires the costume.
This proves to be one of the early steps in the building of Spiderman’s superhero morale. The next day he attends a speaking event held by the Human Torch where he’s told, “Don’t be discouraged if it sometimes seems tough. The important thing is, never give up!” He thanks the Torch, devises a plan, and defeats Octopus on the second go-round. Though he still harbors dark psychological issues, Spiderman has learned a lesson which will get him through many battles: have courage in the face of adversity.