"Spider-Man Goes Mad!" - What a great title and very appropriate for this story with a shock ending that really isn't as shocking if you looked at the handy little Issue Information above! The cover is truly gorgeous and one of the best illustrated Spider-Man covers by Ditko. A cover that only he can draw, but you must have the original to look see what I mean. Marvel Tales #162 has a different color scheme on that reprint, but Marvel Tales #19 reproduces the original much closer...Check these much less expensive reprints out for this classic tale.

The story begins as Peter/ Spider-Man is looking for some good photos to sell to the bugle but it is very quiet in the city at that time. He discovers a minor robbery taking place and sets up his camera. All is well in his plans but here comes Bugle reporter Frederick Foswell on the scene who spoils the fun. Foswell would remember that Parker was not there at the scene of the photos and could possibly report this to J. Jonah Jameson who has a new bright idea of going out to the streets to tape other people's views of Spider-Man. Of course Jonah puts his little slant on their views by having the reporter ask the right kind of question to receive just the answers that Jameson wants and basically closes shop whenever someone has a positive viewpoint of the wallcrawler.

We next cut to the "meat" of the issue where a Psychiatrist from Europe named Dr. Ludwig Rinehart visits the Bugle offering Jameson his "professional" opinions on why Spider-Man is a "Sick Man". Jameson eats this up of course and plans on meeting him again. Peter receives a call from Jameson's secretary Betty Brant about this news which sends Peter off to find the Doctor. This is where Spider-Man goes "Mad" as he is confronted by images of Doctor Octopus, Sandman, and the Vulture. The images seem very real to Spidey but in reality the images are projected by a artificial black cat on a rooftop. Peter then goes back home in a state of shock then quickly heads back out in search of the Doctor again worrying his Aunt May very much.

He finally arrives at the Doctor's house as Spider-Man just to learn that the room where he meets Rinehart is upside down. More images fill the rooms to which he runs to and he is really at a deep end now. The Doctor consoles him asking him to lay on the patients couch for help. Cut to the offices of the Daily Bugle where we find that Jameson has learned something dramatic concerning Rinehart and runs out of the office to the Doctor's home. When he arrives there he barges in on Rinehart just about as Spider-Man was going to reveal his identity to Rinehart. Rinehart made Spider-Man believe that the root of his problem lay in the fact that he has a dual identity. Jameson ruined what was to be a major revelation by his blaring out that Rinehart is a phony with no license. So what's going here?

A major tussle evolves as Spider-Man chases Rinehart throughout the house and he learns that a room was rigged to appear upside down and that projectors were planted throughout which were responsible for the images Spider-Man was seeing in the house. Spider-Man finally catches up to Rinehart and grasps his hair only to discover that this familiar man was wearing a mask. Spider-Man remembers that this man is none other than Mysterio whom he fought in Amazing Spider-Man #13. Mysterio admits to his desire to learn Spider-Man's identity and it was only a matter of seconds for him being successful before Jameson's rude interruption.

I could see how readers were pleasantly shocked by this story when it first came out. The entire story made sense and it was all told in 1 issue! Great stuff all for 12¢. Mysterio is not seen for now until Amazing Spider-Man Annual #4 & chronologically next in Webspinners: Tales of Spider-Man #1-3 but he does come back, again, again, and again! The alias of Dr. Ludwig Rinehart would be assumed again much later by Mysterio in the pages of Amazing Spider-Man #193 - 197.

Reprinted In:
Marvel Tales #19
Marvel Tales #162
Marvel Treasury Edition #8
 Marvel Masterworks Vol. 10
Spider-Man Essentials II