Hold it, fella! I noticed you hanging around! In case you're too shy to ask me, here's my autograph anyway! Don't bother thanking me... I'm just all heart!
What am I supposed to do, sleep with it under my pillow??
Appearing in "The Return of the Green Goblin!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- ⏴ Dorrie Evans ⏵
- ⏴ Wilson Allan ⏵ (First appearance)
- ⏴ Seymour O'Reilly ⏵
- The Spider-Man Fan Club (First appearance)
- Mary Jane Watson (Mentioned)
- Beatles (Mentioned) (Topical Reference)
- Dodgers (Mentioned)
Races and Species:
Locations:
Items:
- Spider-Man's Suit and Web-Shooters
- Spider-Man's Spider-Signal
- Goblin Armor
- Pumpkin Bombs (First appearance)
- Razor Bat (First appearance)
Vehicles:
- Goblin Glider (First appearance)
Synopsis for "The Return of the Green Goblin!"
Flash Thompson announces to his classmates that he's forming the Spider-Man Fan Club and everyone (except Peter Parker) is invited. As Peter is walking home, he notices three mysterious figures getting into a helicopter making some sort of getaway. As Spider-Man leaps up into the helicopter, the film's director is furious for him ruining the shot of the movie, and Spider-Man is ridiculed by The Daily Bugle and others for his mistake. While walking Betty Brant home, Liz Allan sees Peter and shows him an ad in the newspaper about the Spider-Man Fan Club and it promises an appearance by Spider-Man himself.
Flash figures that if he says it's so, Spider-Man won't disappoint his fans, and Peter realizes he ought to show, but doesn't know how. As the discussion continues, his Spider-Sense goes off from a mysterious figure in a purple hat whom he doesn't recognize. Finally, Spider-Man goes to the fan club meeting and as he swings in, his web line is snapped by an electronic frog. Johnny Storm sees this and realizes that the acrobatic maneuver Spider-Man just did to land to save his life wasn't part of the show. His suspicions are confirmed when Green Goblin enters on his new improved glider. The crowd, thinking it's part of the show goes along with it, cheering Spider-Man in the fight. Realizing it's not an act, Johnny becomes Human Torch and battles Green Goblin.
Spider-Man fights alongside Human Torch when he hears someone on the phone say Aunt May has suffered a heart attack. Panicked, Spider-Man flees the scene, leaving Human Torch to handle Green Goblin, but the Goblin flies away for another day. Spider-Man is ridiculed for being yellow and a coward for running away, and Peter is upset that, despite all his superpowers, he still can't protect Aunt May or do anything to help her.
Notes
- At some point (on pages 17–18), Peter Parker goes to the Spider-Man Fan Club while wearing the boots of his Spider-Man uniform even though he is otherwise in his regular identity and clothes. He apparently forgot to wear his regular shoes as a result of having changed his identity too quickly. However, this is not addressed in the story: Betty, Liz, and Flash do not seem to notice what kind of footwear he is wearing while they interact with him, and nobody else in the large crowd realizes this either.
- This is later mentioned on a letter from Amazing Spider-Man #23.
Continuity Notes[]
- Peter Parker wonders what happened to the Green Goblin after their first encounter. He is referring to the events of Amazing Spider-Man #14.
- The true identity of the Green Goblin, kept a secret here, is revealed in Amazing Spider-Man #39.
- Mary Jane swears off a date with Peter Parker in this story. Although she claims she is sick, Untold Tales of Spider-Man #16 reveals it is because she knows Peter is secretly Spider-Man and is unsure if she wants to get involved with him. They do end up meeting in Amazing Spider-Man #42.
- Johnny Storm shows up at the Spider-Man Fan Club meeting with his then girlfriend Doris Evans. The pair began dating in Strange Tales #113. Eventually she gets fed up with his superheroic antics and breaks up with him in Fantastic Four #45.
- Charlie Murphy is first identified here by his first name. His full name is revealed in Untold Tales of Spider-Man #3.
- Seymour O'Reilly's first name is stated here. His last name was revealed in Marvel Knights: Spider-Man #7.
- Liz Allan's father is misnamed here. His real name is Wilson Allan, as revealed in Untold Tales of Spider-Man #10.
Continuity Errors[]
- Liz Allan's father is mistakenly called "Mr. Brant" in this story.
Publication Notes[]
- This issue features a letters page, The Spider's Web. Letters are published from Larry Schenker, Gary Rafferty, Douglas Moench, David Bradley, Walter Taylor, Richard Farrell, Morris Smart, Bill Dubay, Patricia Jones, Keith McWalter, Neil Gould, Jerry McCall, and Rudy Rankins. The letters page also features the Special Announcement Section which plugs most of the the other Marvel magazines published this month.
- Credits:
- Ruggedly written by: Stan Lee
- Robustly drawn by: Steve Ditko
- Recently lettered by: S. Rosen
