"DOC OCK WINS!"
Writer: Stan Lee/Penciller: John Romita Sr./Inker: Mike Esposito/Letterer: Sam Rosen/Editor: Stan Lee/Cover Art: John Romita Sr.
Synopsis: Doc Ock is once again after the nullifier, and with it finally in his clutches, he makes himself virtually invulnerable...
Review: This is quite possibly the quickest any issue of ASM cements itself as top tier; within the first two pages it's just astonishingly gripping reading. In my opinion, the front cover is where the greatness starts; such a simple idea but executed to perfection, and I love the small detail of Spider-Man's reflection being at a slightly different angle in each of Doc Ock's lenses. Turn the cover over and you have an absolutely incredible splash page of Spider-Man tearing open the roof of one of Doc Ock's hideouts, surprising a horde of uniformed henchmen. It's one of the very best splash pages Romita ever produced; check it out:
And once that's over, it just gets better, as Spidey relentlessly pummels the bad guys, demanding to know where Ock himself is hiding out, before the arch villain appears on a video monitor to taunt the web-slinger, adding the humiliating remark that Spider-Man is not worth him worrying about right now, as he has more important matters to attend to. Cue Spidey tearing the hideout apart in frustration at being outwitted and humbled by his nemesis, whilst the webbed-up goons shudder at the thought of what the web-head is going to do to Ock if he ever should find him. It's an absolutely perfect opening scene, and the issue only gets better from there.
If you thought Romita did a great job drawing Doc Ock before, wait until you see him pull out all the stops here; this is easily the most destructive and supremely powerful we have ever seen Doctor Octopus, and I can never get enough of it. Rarely is Ock better than when he's like an unstoppable powerhouse mowing everyone down with his tentacles, whilst revelling in his own superiority. The scene in which he attacks the military convoy carrying the nullifier is truly a sight to behold, as he reduces the cars to battered wrecks and makes off with his prize without any difficulty at all. I think one of the big reasons why Romita's version of Ock is almost certainly my favourite is down to the fact that Romita really emphasises the sheer size and strength of Ock's tentacles; you feel the weight of them as he walks suspended in the air, as he smashes something to pieces, or as he attacks somebody. Ditko depicted the tentacles as very much an extension of Ock's flesh and blood body; in Ditko stories, Ock would often be standing neutrally, whilst his tentacles would be doing any number of things in the background; this almost casual use of the extra appendages really emphasised the physical weirdness of the character. Romita, on the other hand, chooses to focus on the idea of the tentacles as weapons: deadly, dangerous instruments of destruction. I love both approaches, but for pure spectacle, I have to give the edge to Romita.
One thing that you'll notice about this particular issue is just how serious it all feels. Yes, it's still a fun, action-packed Spider-Man story, but for the first time in Spidey's history, there's a sense that the wider world will be affected by the events that are happening in this story, something you don't always get in Spider-Man - he is a friendly neighbourhood superhero, after all. The scenes with John Jameson, involving top secret briefings and military convoys, feel ripped straight from the pages of The Incredible Hulk rather than ASM, and to my mind, this is a really nice change of a pace, and you feel that the stakes have really been raised for this story. No longer is this just a matter of organised crime or a mad scientist hungry for power; the threat of the nullifier poses a significant threat to US national security, and Spider-Man is caught right in the middle of it. Adding to this feeling of a story with grander scope is the presence of Tony Stark's factory, and a neat little plug for what's going on in Iron Man's life right now.
And then, of course, there's the ending, in which Doc Ock turns the stolen nullifier on Spider-Man, which has the unusual effect of causing the web-head to forget who he is or why he's wearing such an outlandish costume. Ock quickly realises this is no bluff and uses it to his advantage, convincing Spider-Man that the two of them are criminal partners, and Spider-Man, feeling lost and confused, decides that he has little choice but to believe what the villain is saying. This is a truly unexpected and genuinely brilliant twist to end the issue on, and shows that Stan really wasn't kidding when he came up with that title: Doc Ock really does win this time around. He has the nullifier, and his mortal enemy is now convinced that the two of them are in cahoots. It's just sensational stuff.
The Doc Ock/nullifier storyline is a saga that just gets better and better with every issue, and this is by far the most gripping chapter yet, giving us plenty of action, drama and a shock ending that still has the power to leave readers wondering what the hell is going to happen next. This is one of the most consistently great runs of ASM ever: there hasn't been a single issue since ASM #50 that I've given less than full marks to. Maybe I'm getting soft, but personally, I think it's just because Lee and Romita are at the very top of their game.
Rating: 5/5
Next time, Spider-Man joins forces with Doc Ock, whilst John Jameson puts together a plan to take back the nullifier...
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