"CAPTURED BY J. JONAH JAMESON!"
Writer: Stan Lee/Penciller: Steve Ditko/Inker: Steve Ditko/Letterer: Sam Rosen/Editor: Stan Lee/Cover Art: Steve Ditko
Synopsis: J. Jonah Jameson employs the services of local inventor Spencer Smythe, who has created a robot that he claims will allow the publisher to capture Spider-Man...
Review: There's a brief moment on only the second page of this issue that proves rather telling about how little Stan and Steve were talking by this point. In the previous issue, Peter used his spider signal to avoid a confrontation with Flash, and left the gadget on a rooftop afterwards. At the start of this issue, he's going back to reclaim it. Fine enough, makes sense. That is, it would without Stan having already added a line of dialogue into the previous issue where Spidey says that he already has retrieved the device (though of course, Ditko didn't draw this event taking place). It's certainly not enough to bring this issue or the previous one down, but it's a sign that things weren't running smoothly behind the scenes. The splash page informs us that Steve came up with the plot of this particular issue (what, like he didn't come up with a good chunk of the others, Stan?), the first time he's ever been credited for the full extent of the work he was doing, and even then, as it's not written as a formal credit, I'd argue it still comes across as if Stan wrote some kind of script based on Steve's idea, which wasn't the case. By this point, it was pretty much entirely Steve's show, and he's turned out another wonderful issue.
The Spider Slayers have a long and varied history, and it all comes back to this first appearance, a rather simple and almost comical story in stark contrast to their later appearances. The robot itself isn't even called a Spider Slayer - the name would come later - and Spencer Smythe is more of a crackpot inventor here than the deranged supervillain he would gradually become with each return. I know some people prefer him this way, and don't like how his character became more openly villainous down the line, but I must confess, I favour Smythe when he's completely off his rocker; you can never beat a raving mad scientist character. The robot is also not my favourite design for a Spider Slayer - I prefer them when they're shaped more like spiders themselves - but I still love Ditko's knack for making something look harmless at first, before revealing just how dangerous it is; the steel coils snaking out to grab Spider-Man is a fantastic image, and when Spidey's caught in them, as he is on the cover, it's such an intricate, complex network of tendrils that I marvel at just how long it must have taken Steve to map them out and draw them. What makes this initial outing for Smythe and his invention so interesting, is that it's actually Peter himself who persuades Jameson to try the robot out in an attempt to make the publisher look a fool, thinking that it looks so ridiculous, it could never pose a threat to him and he'll defeat it easily and make Jameson a laughingstock; I do like it when Peter's over-confidence gets the better of him every now and again; he's capable of making mistakes like anyone else.
This issue makes full use of the supporting cast, with Flash wanting to fight Peter over Liz's continued interest in him, Liz herself tagging along to try and talk Flash out of it, and Betty largely stuck at the Bugle office, desperately trying to come up with a way to save Spider-Man, after the way he's saved her life in the past. It's interesting that there's not been any mention of her brother's death since Issue #11, not even here, when she comments that she never even really liked Spider-Man; surely the perfect time to bring that traumatic event up again, seeing as she initially blamed Spider-Man for Bennett's death. Jameson, of course, is terrific fun as he controls the robot, not allowing his hunt for Spider-Man to get in the way of him barking orders at his employees to get back to work, and eventually he starts making quips of his own as he closes in on the web-slinger. This is easily the closest we've seen to Jameson actually capturing his sworn enemy, and it makes the generally light-hearted tone of the issue have a greater sense of danger and urgency when needed, particularly towards the end, when Spider-Man is finally ensnared in the robot's coils.
As well as everything I've just mentioned, this issue also features a brief cameo from Norman Osborn, and the first - although her face is obscured - appearance of Mary-Jane, whose beauty is so staggering that it knocks both Betty and Liz for six, and leaves them wondering where Peter's been hiding her. The issue also ends on an interesting note, when Aunt May finds Peter's spare Spider-Man costume in his bedroom, and although she doesn't think he could possibly be the masked crime-fighter, she confiscates the costume anyway, leaving our hero without a hero's threads. These kinds of problems - something so mundane as your parent/guardian finding something incriminating in your room - are what define the Ditko era, and sadly very few writers tap into the same brand of little inconveniences again once Steve leaves the book.
ASM #25 is yet another classic in a now three-issue stretch of top tier stories. It's definitely a contrast to the later Spider Slayer stories in that its approach is much more comedic, so focused is it on Jameson and his glee at finally having his nemesis where he wants him, but it's still an exciting, enjoyable adventure. There are Spider Slayers and Spider Slayer stories that I prefer, but this first appearance is still a great deal of fun, and another winner for a duo that by this point wasn't even communicating.
Rating: 4.5/5
Next time, the Green Goblin returns, but he's not alone. Spider-Man will have to fight harder than ever to overcome the Man in the Crime Master's Mask...
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