Amazing Spider-Man #25
Captured By J.Jonah Jameson!
As Peter goes to sell pictures of a crime to J. Jonah Jameson, an inventor named Smythe comes in with a robot guaranteeing the destruction of Spider-Man. Since Peter needs money bad, he eggs Jameson on to hear out the wacky inventor. Smythe shows how his robot instantly shoots out steel tentacles at the hint of a spider's presence and grabs a hold of Peter much to his surprise. Jameson is given a remote control and they agree to a deal. Betty is furious with Peter for trying to trap Spider-Man, not understanding his true reasons. Peter shows up at school and has Flash Thompson waiting to fight him as he hangs around Liz Allan too much to his liking.
As Peter exits school, he sees the robot and begins to run. Flash, thinking he's running away from a fight runs after Peter. Peter turns and fights the robot and tries to put webbing on the robot, but it slides off and avoids its steel tentacles until he can come up with a plan. Meanwhile, Liz is concerned for Pete's safety due to Flash Thompson and Betty is concerned since the robot is attacking Spider-Man and both head to his house. Both are in for a shock as a humble Mary Jane Watson is waiting for Peter Parker to come home. Although we can't see her face, Betty thinks that she looks as beautiful as a movie star. When fighting the robot, Spider-Man is caught by the steel tentacles and can't escape.
Both Smythe and Jameson rush off to locate the robot and unmask Spider-Man but Spider-Man undoes the power box so when Jameson goes to unmask him he comes up empty-handed. Peter goes home, happy that he lives another day but is in trouble when Aunt May has discovered his extra Spider-Man outfit and demands an explanation. She accepts it but now Peter Parker has no Spider-Man costume.
Recurring Characters
Spider-Man, J. Jonah Jameson, Betty Brant, Aunt May, Flash Thompson, Liz Allan, Spencer Smyte, Spider-Slayer, Seymour O’Reilly, Mary Jane Watson, Norman Osborn (unidentified)
Continuity Notes
Peter recovers the Spider Signal that he left on a roof top last issue.
Certain elements in this story should be considered topical references per the Sliding Timescale of Earth-616. Such as the type of camera used by Spider-Man, and the technical specifications of the Spider-Slayer.
Betty reminds Peter how Spider-Man saved his Aunt May from Doctor Octopus. That happened in Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1.
Flash Thompson mentions how he helped Spider-Man defeat Mysterio. That also happened last issue.
Mary Jane's face is obscured in this story, her face is finally revealed in Amazing Spider-Man #42, this is also the time when Peter will meet her for the first time.
Did Spider-Girl Appear Behind the Scenes in This Issue?
Note: The following is speculation on my part and has no official standing.
Years later, in Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 3) #9, during the Spider-Verse event, Spider-Man runs into the Spider-Girl of Earth-928 and recognizes her. For those who don’t know, Earth-928 takes place in an alternate reality where Mary Jane didn’t have the miscarriage she had in Amazing Spider-Man #418. In this reality, Mayday Parker is born and, as a teenager some 15 years later, became Spider-Girl. In Spider-Girl #10-11, Mayday ends up going back in time and encounters the younger version of her father. The events of that story take place circa Amazing Spider-Man #25.
The other thing to take into account is that both Earth-616 and Earth-928 operate on Sliding Timescales. That Spider-Girl’s adventures are the present day of Earth-928 and not the future of Earth-616. 928’s Age of Heroes ended about 15 years in the past and mirrors Earth-616 until about the 1990 era of publications, where it diverges. This is important.
Most people have assumed that Mayday went back in time and visited the past version of Earth-928’s Spider-Man. However, at no point in the run of Spider-Girl comics does Peter Parker-928 recall meeting his daughter in the past. Given the fact that the Earth-616 Peter Parker recognizes her in Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 3) #9 suggests that May didn’t visit the past of Earth-928, but the past of Earth-616.
So, how does that fit with this story? Well, Amazing Spider-Man #25 starts with Peter Parker finishing a tutoring session with Liz Allan before going to recover his spider-signal (left on a rooftop in the previous issue) and then takes photos of some crooks. He then sells them to the Daily Bugle and it is here that he is introduced to Spencer Smythe and his first Spider-Slayer robot.
In Spider-Girl #10 actually has Spider-Girl arrive in the past, running into Peter Parker in her civilian identity. She later fights Spider-Man briefly. Near the end of that story, we see the same scene where Peter is introduced to Spencer Smythe and his invention. The following scene shows the Spider-Slayer finding and attacking Spider-Girl. Issue #11, shows Mayday escaping the Spider-Slayer and later shows Peter’s first encounter with the robot.
That said, if we are to accept the events of Spider-Girl #10-11 take place on Earth-616 then the chronology would work like this:
Spider-Girl #10 Page 9-19: Mayday arrives in the past. Goes to Midtown High. Meets Peter Parker. Battles Spider-Man as Spider-Girl. Escapes. Visits Aunt May.
Amazing Spider-Man #25 Page 1-3, Panel 3-5: Peter tutors Liz Allan. Recovers his spider-signal. Goes to sell his photos to the Daily Bugle.
Spider-Girl #10, Page 20/Amazing Spider-Man #25 Page 3, Panel 4-Page 6, Panel 6: Spencer Smythe reveals his Spider-Slayer. Thinking it’s a fucking joke, Peter eggs on Jameson to use it to hunt Spider-Man.
Spider-Girl #10 Page 21-22: Spider-Girl leaves Aunt May’s, changes into Spider-Girl is ambushed by the Spider-Slayer.
Spider-Girl #11 Page 1-5: Spider-Girl escapes the Spider-Slayer. Gets into a fight with the Human Torch.
Amazing Spider-Man #25 Page 6, Panel 7-Page 8, Panel 5/Spider-Girl #11 Page 6: Peter Parker goes to school. Flash challenges him to a fight. Jameson and Smythe send the Spider-Slayer to hunt Spider-Man. Peter spots the robot coming toward Midtown High and makes a run for it. Flash spots this and chases after him.
Spider-Girl #11, Page 7-8: Spider-Girl escapes the Torch.
Amazing Spider-Man #25, Page 9-16, Panel 1: Peter gets away from Flash and his buddies, changes into Spider-Man, battles the Spider-Slayer. Betty and Liz Allan get upset and both head to Aunt May’s where they are shocked to discover Mary Jane waiting to meet Peter as well.
Spider-Girl #11, Page 9: Mayday shows up making matters even worse.
Amazing Spider-Man #25, Page 16 Panel 2-5: Liz and Betty leave the Parker house in a huff. Flash decides to wait around for Peter to come home so he can fight him,.
Spider-Girl #11, Page 10: Mayday and Mary Jane leave Aunt May’s and have a talk. Mayday changes back into Spider-Girl after this encounter.
Amazing Spider-Man #25, Panel 16, Panel 6-Page 19/Spider-Girl #11 Page 11, Panel 4: Spider-Man is snared in the Spider-Slayer, has to abandon his costume before Jameson and Spencer Smythe arrive to catch him, takes photos of their humiliating defeat. Flash Thompson is chased off by a police officer.
Spider-Girl #11: Page 11, Panel 5-20: Spider-Girl ends up in a fight with both Spider-Man and the Torch, is returned to her own era.
Amazing Spider-Man #25: Peter comes home and faces the music when Aunt May finds his spare Spider-Man costume.
