"DISASTER!"
Writer: Stan Lee/Penciller: John Romita Sr./Inker: Mike Esposito/Letterer: Sam Rosen/Editor: Stan Lee/Cover Art: John Romita Sr.
Synopsis: Doc Ock has Spider-Man convinced that the two of them are partners in crime, and sends the web-head to steal the last vital component of the nullifier...
Review: This fourth and final part of the Doc Ock/nullifier storyline is probably the weakest, but it's still a tremendous amount of fun. It's perhaps less climactic than it could be, as despite Ock being arrested for his crimes, the issue ends on yet another cliff-hanger, but that doesn't really bother me when the cliff-hanger in question is so good and so well handled.
One thing that bugs me slightly about this final instalment is just how contrived the plot feels. It turns out that though Doc Ock stole the nullifier in the previous issue, where it was working perfectly fine, he now needs to acquire one last component for it to work to its full power without overheating. I have double checked, and to be fair, John Jameson does mention in the previous issue that the nullifier is being moved to Tony Stark's factor so that "final modifications" can be made, but it still begs the question: why was the nullifier working at all if it still required one last part? I know it's a comic book, and comic books have their own brand of logic, and in all honesty, the sequence in which Spider-Man breaks into the military base to steal the isotope that Ock requires for the nullifier is pretty damn great - if a tad short - so I can't knock the issue too much for this.
One thing that really makes this issue stand out is that Spider-Man isn't really the hero. Having been rendered amnesiac and roped into helping Doc Ock with his scheme, the web-head takes on more of a passive role in this issue - perhaps too passive - going along with what Ock says whilst instinctively feeling that it's wrong. They get into a couple of fights, but the truly active protagonist of this finale is John Jameson, who discovers where Ock is hiding out - admittedly helped by Spidey's subconscious actions - and leads the charge to take the nullifier back in a fantastic action sequence that ends the issue; I particularly love the moment when John turns the nullifier on Ock's tentacles, rendering them inoperative; it's a fittingly ironic fate for the arch-villain after the four issues of hell he's put everyone through. It's also nice to see John Jameson being given more prominent roles in the stories since he re-appeared early in the Lee and Romita run; his military background means that we get a nice change of pace for this story as the soldiers lay siege to Doc Ock's hideout. It's certainly not the kind of thing I'd want from Spider-Man all the time, but when used sparingly, it's a great deal of fun.
John Jameson isn't the only supporting character that stands out, however; making his debut in this issue is retired police captain George Stacy, father of Gwen, though you wouldn't think it from looking at him; the man looks ancient. Captain Stacy is another much beloved character of this era, and he's already displaying his shrewdness in this issue despite his advancing years; he immediately guesses that his daughter has feelings for Peter, even though Gwen mentions that it's Aunt May who is concerned that her nephew has disappeared. We'll cover Stacy in more detail in a few issues' time when he takes on a more prominent role, but for now, it's just nice to see him.
ASM #56 may not be quite as good as its predecessors, but it's far from a disaster. On reflection, I think my biggest gripe with the issue is just how passive Spider-Man himself is; without the web-head taking action and driving the plot forward, the story just isn't quite as enjoyable. It'll be a bit longer before Peter regains his memories, however, as he ends the issue with his brain still fogged by amnesia in a beautifully ominous final scene. I may be in two minds about how well an amnesiac Spider-Man works in terms of delivering a satisfying Spider-Man story, but I can't deny that it's highly dramatic, and I am actually rather glad that Lee and Romita chose to extend this idea for more than just the one issue.
And that's the epic Doc Ock/nullifier saga over. As stated in my review of ASM #53, this is quite possibly my favourite Doc Ock story of all time, second only to the Master Planner Saga, and to be honest, that story, masterpiece though it is, doesn't really show off how good a villain Doc Ock is, instead being a showcase for how fabulous and inspiring a hero Spidey is. This story, on the other hand, is perhaps the best example of why Doctor Octopus is one of the all-time greatest bad guys; he's near-unstoppable, egomaniacal, and gets a few wins in over the web-head. There are other contenders for my all-time favourite Ock story - ASM #11, which I've already covered, and a few others that we'll get to later down the road - but for now, I'm calling this peak Doc Ock.
Rating: 4.5/5
Next time, Spider-Man wanders the streets of New York, searching for some clue to his identity, whilst Ka-Zar visits the Big Apple to claim his inheritance...
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