The greatest ( comic book) love of all - Gwen Stacy and Peter Parker

With Valentines day rapidly approaching I thought I would reread my old issues of "Marvel Tales" to reacquaint myself with comic books most romantic and tragic couple, Gwen Stacy and Peter Parker. I initially read about this comic book romance in the pages of the UK "Spider-Man Comics Weekly" and as a teenager and I found their relationship as fascinating and entertaining as the adventure element of the stories. I was genuinely shocked and upset when Gwen was killed off. Below are a few of the main events from Gwen and Peters time together.

Above. The first meeting between Gwen and Peter from Amazing Spider-Man #31 ( illo from Marvel Tales #24).

Above - Peter asking Gwen out on their first date from Amazing Spider-Man # 53 ( illo from Marvel Tales ,#38)

Above- Peter and Gwens first smooch from Amazing Spider-Man #59 ( illo from Marvel Tales # 42).

Above- The death of Captain Stacy put a strain on Gwen and Peters relationship from Amazing Spider-Man #90 and 91 ( illo from Marvel Tales #72)

Above- Gwen and Peter reunite after the death of Gwen's father from Amazing Spider-Man #98 ( illo from Marvel Tales #79)

Above - Sadly Gwen and Peter were not to be and with the legendary Amazing Spider-Man #121 Gwen is killed off.

Above - Like many readers at the time I had hoped that Gwen was not dead, but Amazing Spider-Man #122 nipped that hope in the bud showing Gwens body being taken away to the morgue.

Above. In Mexico , La Prensa the publisher of Spider-Man were given the go-ahead to publish an alternative storyline where Gwen did not die and she actually married Peter. Eventually the Mexican publisher had to ignore this story and Gwen was again killed off. Above illo from internet.

Classic comic book pages: The Final Chapter! - Steve Ditko

The opening pages of Amazing Spider-Man #33 are among the very best in comic book history. Steve Ditko’s image of Spider-Man trapped beneath a heavy piece of machinery in Doctor Octopus’s underwater lab, as the lab slowly fills with water and Spider-Man struggles to break free, are the stuff of comic book legend. The pages below are testament to Ditko’s skill as a vital visual storyteller as each panel moves the eye across the page and raises the tension as to whether or not Spidey will survive - of course he does but even now some 50 years after I first read this story as a 13-year-old , I still remember the excitement that these pages generated.

“The Final Chapter!” is Steve Ditko’s crowning glory on Spider-Man in a series where he regularly pushed the boundaries of what comic book art and storytelling could be, five issues later and Ditko would leave the character to be replaced by the equally talented John Romita Sr. who would take Peter Parker and Spider-Man to even greater hights of popularity.

"The Final Chapter!" story has been reprinted many times in various collections and reprint comics including "Marvel Tales" issue 26 from May 1970 (where the above pages are taken from) and later in issue 172 of the same title in 1985. The cover of Amazing Spider-man issue 33 (at the heading) is taken from Marvel Wiki.

I first read this story in "Spider-Man Comics Weekly" issue 27 (August 1973) and have held on to my original copy since that day. Not even the over use of "grey tone" in the art diminishes Ditko's amazing art on this story.

Above the opening pages of "The Final Chapter!" as they appeared in "Spider-Man Comics Weekly " issue 27.

My Famous Firsts: Amazing Spider-Man issue 80 - although it was really Pow! issue 1?

January 1967 was a momentous time in comic book history for most kids in the UK as this was when Odhams launched a new comic called POW! to accompany its already successful comics Wham! and Smash! So, what was so special about POW you may ask, well its lead strip was the Amazing Spider-Man, and this would have been the first time that most kids in the UK were exposed to Peter Parkers alter ego. Move forward 3 years to 1970 (it seemed so much longer than that when I was a kid) POW had ceased publishing (around September 1968) and I hadn’t read a Spiderman comic in what seemed like a lifetime (it was probably less than a year) and on a trip to the local newsagents with my family I spy the Amazing Spider-Man issue 80 which I quickly purchase and becomes my first US Spider-Man comic.

The cover to POW! issue 1 – My first introduction to Spider-Man - Cover taken from Wikipedia.

Amazing Spider-Man issue 80 “On the trail of the Chameleon“ was initially a bit of a disappointment to me as I wasn’t a fan of the Chameleon, but I did enjoy the interaction between Peter Parker and Flash Thompson over Peters misunderstanding that Flash was in a relationship with Gwen, and I liked Gwen (I was 10 years old, I didn’t understand why but things were starting to stir!).

The story itself is full of coincidences starting when the Chameleon disguises himself as Gwen’s dad (coincidence 1) George Stacy in order to steal a painting while Peter and Gwen are at the museum (coincidence 2). Long story short in an attempt to steal more money in a sting set up by Peter to catch the Chameleon and clear Mr Stacy of the robbery, the Chameleon makes the fatal mistake of disguising himself as Petr Parker (coincidence 3) and is unmasked by Spider-Man thereby clearing George Stacy’s name. Not a great issues story wise but John Buscema's art and Gwen Stacy more than make up for that.

Although this wasn't the best issue of Spider-Man I console myslef with the fact that my first US Spidey comic wasn't issue 81 with the Kangaroo!