Spectacular Spider-Man in the 1970s
Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man was the first ongoing spin-off title to feature Marvel’s flagship character… that is if you don’t count Marvel Team-Up. While Amazing Spider-Man focused more on Spider-Man’s monthly super-heroics and dating woes, Stan Lee intended that Peter Parker was supposed to be more grounded and centered around Peter Parker’s personal life, particularly his time at Empire State University, something that was mostly glossed over in the main title.
Sal Buscema pencilled the series almost consistently until issue #238. Gerry Conway wrote the first 3 issues, having Spider-Man battle the Tarantula, Kraven the Hunter, and a new villain named Lightmaster. Issues #4-5 were written by Archie Goodwin, introducing a new gun-toting vigilante called the Hitman. Issue #6 was a fill in issue, reprinting a Morbius story from Marvel Team-Up #3, that’s never a good sign. Goodwin then followed this up with another two part story that featured the return of Morbius the Living Vampire (who was lost in another dimension at the time)
Despite these growing pains, Spectacular Spider-Man finally got a consistent writer with issue #9 when Bill Mantlo came onto the title. In an odd twist, Mantlo made the White Tiger — a character he regularly wrote in the Deadly Hands of Kung Fu magazine — into the Spider-verse. He also tied up an ongoing plot about Flash Thompson trying to reconnect with his Vietnam sweetheart, Sha Shan Nguyen in one of the oddest plot twists ever. Peter Parker #12-15 which saw a plot involving the Man-Beast — disguised as the Hate-Monger — trying to use a cult to infect the world with hate. This story was only made weirder with the inclusion of Razorback, a boar themed super-hero who was also a trucker. Issues #17-18 featured a story that wrapped up remaining plot threads left over from the recently cancelled Champions series, a thing that Marvel did a lot in the 70s. After a return of Lightmaster in issues #19-20, Spider-Man fought the Scorpion (issue #21), met Moon Knight (issue #22-23) Mantlo then introduced us to the glory that is the Hypno-Hustler, a disco themed villain in issue #24. Issues #25-27 featured Spider-Man teaming up with Daredevil to stop the Masked Marauder. This also saw legendary artist Frank Miller join the title as artist.
Miller was on hand when Mantlo went into his next, most ambitious arc yet with Peter Parker #28-32 which saw Spider-Man attacked by Carrion, a creature that was later revealed to be an imperfect clone of Miles Warren, aka the Jackal. Sadly, Miller was replaced with Jim Mooney after issue #28. But, after over 30 issues the title was finally going to where it was supposed to, being less focused on super-heroics and more focused on Peter Parker’s personal life. Issue #32-34introduced two new supporting cast members outside of the ones that were on regular rotation in Amazing Spider-Man. It introduced Peter’s university professor Morris Sloan as well as fellow students Marcy Kane. It also introduced a new villain, the Iguana and you better believe that Mantlo used this as an opportunity to pit the Iguana against the Lizard, as Curt Connors had also became part of Spectacular Spider-Man’s supporting cast. Ending the decade, Mantlo introduced more new supporting cast members (Phillip Chang, Steve Hopkins, and Chip Martin) as the title tried to get into the direction Stan Lee intended for it 3 years prior. However, this attempts to keep Peter Parker grounded in this title proved less than spectacular as will become evident in the next decade….
