The History of Spider-Man: 1969

For over 50 years, Spider-Man has been a sensational standout in the Marvel Universe, and this summer, the web-slinger swings onto the silver screen once more in “Spider-Man: Homecoming”! In celebration of this stories history, we present Spidey’s spectacular step-by-step story!

Peter Parker tried to stay out of the student demonstrations at Empire State University in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #68, but still entered into the chaos when The Kingpin and his men used the disturbance as a distraction to steal an ancient stone tablet from campus.

After quickly attending the wedding of Janet Van Dyne and Yellowjacket in AVENGERS #60, Spider-Man traded blows with Kingpin over the aforementioned tablet in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #69, and though he retrieved the object, the cops still mistook him for the real thief. On the run in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #70, our hero tracked the crime boss down, but lost him again when a mystery woman showed up to spirit Kingpin away.

With J. Jonah Jameson in the hospital following a heart attack, Robbie Robertson cleared the web-slinger’s name in the Daily Bugle in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #71. The mutant speedster called Quicksilver sought Spidey to make himself look good to the authorities, but swiftly realized the police’s mistake. Peter smarted from Gwen Stacy’s anger at him in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #72, but worked out his frustrations on The Shocker when the super criminal attempted to steal the tablet.

The Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #68

• Published: January 10, 1969
• Added to Marvel Unlimited: November 13, 2007
• Writer: Stan Lee, John Romita
• Penciller: Jim Mooney, John Romita

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The wallcrawler looked everywhere for the missing tablet in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #73, and when he discovered Maggia leader Silvermane’s interest in it, found himself dealing with enforcer Man-Mountain Marko. Silvermane got his hands on the coveted artifact in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #74, and forced Peter’s friend Dr. Curt Connors to make a serum from the alchemical instructions on it. Believing the concoction to be the fabled Fountain of Youth, the mob boss drank it and began to turn younger.

Spidey tracked down Silvermane in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #75, but Connors transformed into his alter ego The Lizard to complicate any kind of a rescue. Loose on the city in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #76, Lizard presented the web-slinger with another challenge, one that seemed like a cakewalk to the young hero when later Gwen’s father Captain Stacy began to pry into the secret of Spider-Man’s identity.

The Human Torch involved himself in the Lizard’s capture in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #77, and sometime later Peter found Gwen on a date with returned war hero Flash Thompson in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #78. Elsewhere, window washer Hobie Brown turned his safety inventions into workable gear to become The Prowler. When the wallcrawler came across him in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #79, he discovered the Prowler’s identity and convinced the young man to give up his newly acquired life of crime.