"THE MOLTEN MAN REGRETS...!"
Writer: Stan Lee/Plot/Pencils: Steve Ditko/Inker: Steve Ditko/Letterer: Art Simek/Editor: Stan Lee/Cover Art: Steve Ditko
Synopsis: The Molten Man is released from prison and goes on a crime spree...
Review: This has long been one of my least favourite issues of the Ditko era, if not my absolute least favourite. That's not to say it's bad, because I don't believe there's a single 'bad' issue in Ditko's tenure, but there really isn't a whole lot going on here. It's about as basic as you can get, a simple 'good guy fights bad guy and wins' story, with little in the way of subplots and characterisation; most of the things that we love Ditko for just aren't present here. I wonder if he was feeling fatigued with Marvel at this point, and perhaps he was already considering moving on, hence why this issue feels so lacklustre in comparison to his previous efforts. Even the Molten Man himself isn't quite as cool looking as he was last time he appeared; he no longer has that glinting, metallic sparkle that Ditko gave him back in Issue #28.
I will admit that I like how the Molten Man has learned from his past experience and goes about his crimes in a more intelligent way, donning disguises so no one can link him to the robberies he attempts. This is also the first - and one of the very few - times that he's just committing crimes just for kicks; in his first appearance, he simply went on a brief rampage after gaining his new powers, and in future stories, he's stealing chemicals in order to cure him of his degenerative condition. His motivation here is far more basic, like the story - if you want to call it that - into which he's been put. There are still some fantastic fight scenes between Spidey and the Molten Man, with the epic flip-over on page 13 being a real highlight, but that's pretty much all the issue is; one big fight featuring a villain who has never been all that interesting. Even the typically excellent - and admittedly exciting - artwork can't save this issue too much.
The thing that does, however, is the final scene, or more specifically, the final page. Peter goes to drop some photos of his fight with the Molten Man off at the Bugle, only to find that Betty doesn't work there anymore. She's left town, and suspiciously, so has Ned Leeds. Peter assumes that Betty and Ned have run away together, and leaves the Bugle office dejected. Before he can leave, however, Jameson's new secretary - one of many he'll have until Betty returns - hands Peter a photograph of himself that he once gifted to Betty. Peter takes one last look before he throws it in the trash, broken glass tinkling around his silhouette as he walks away. It's simple, it's moving, and it's absolutely gorgeous; one of my favourite final pages in a Spider-Man comic.
ASM #35 is a pretty weak issue overall, but it's entertaining enough to not be a total loss, and that final page is just incredible. If nothing else, it's a fantastic example - possibly the best example - of how even in the rare dud issues produced by Ditko, there's always at least one thing in them that absolutely blows you away.
Rating: 2.5/5
Next time, a new supervillain arrives on the scene in the form of the Looter, and Peter's life at ESU gets even worse...
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