This issue opens very unusually for those who haven't read Amazing Spider-Mane #100 . If you didn't, shame on you. The first page picks up right where last issue left off. Peter has just drank a serum to try and rid him of his spider powers so he and Gwen can have a happy marriage (Remember, Peter decided in Amazing Spider-Mane #99 that he wanted to marry Gwen). After taking the serum last issue, Pete dreams and sees Captain Stacy tell him why he must remain Spider-Man. He walks up to a surprise. The serum is untested and was meant to remove the radioactive material from his blood if it one day become dangerous. Well, Peter should have tested the serum because it gave him four new arms. Well, Peter how are you gonna get out of this one?

Peter is not happy about this. He never counted on the serum failing so he never developed an antidote. Stressed out, he considers the positives. He ponders if he should shout his secret from a rooftop at get it over with. He considers how famous he'll be. Peter than realizes that he will be nothing more than a human freak show. Pete's thoughts are stopped by the ring of a phone. He realizes nobody knows about his extra arms and nobody should. He answers the phone and it is Gwen. She wants to celebrate Betty Friedan's birthday by treating Peter to love story. She adds that she has enough Kleenex's to sit through it again. Does Gwen ever run out of tissues? I think the Kleenex company took a big fall when she died. Pete tells her he can't see her tonight and adds that he may be out of town for a while. Gwen asks if it is something she did. Peter asks if she has a guilty conscience (apparently what the readers are starting to ask). Pete doesn't wait for an answer and tells her he has to go. He hangs up and Gwen says she won't bother him any longer. More on Gwen's unusual behavior in the post story review. Peter feels bad about what he did to Gwen but reminds himself to stay focused on the positive. He forces the image of Aunt May's reaction in his head and wonders if she has the "big one" will Spider-Man become the menace everybody has feared?

Joe Robertson telephones Peter to try and get him to do a photo assignment. During this conversation Jonah is ranting a Robbie in the background in his usual manner. Peter tells Robbie he is skipping town to head off a case of mono. After hanging up Daily Bugle publisher J. Jonah Jameson is not happy to hear that Peter will not cover the assignment. Robertson tells Jameson that Peter sounded sincere and that adds that he is worried about him. Spider-Man realizes there is only one person he count on in a time like this. With that in mind he makes a call to the Florida Everglades to speak to Dr. Curt Connors. The last time Curt/ the Lizard appeared was in Amazing Spider-Mane #77. At first the former Lizard does not believe he is really speaking to Spider-Man. Spider-Man then reminds him that he was once the Lizard (this is so he knows he is who he says he is) and Curt believes him. Spider-Man explains that something is happening to him and he needs a place to stay. Curt offers his South Hampton house which has a lab. He tells Spidey that everything is ready and the key is under the door. Spider-Man thanks him by hanging up on him. When he did it to Gwen it just plain rude, but now he is just being mean! Maybe Jameson is onto something.

Peter ponders how he is going to make it to Long Island. Since no other option is going to be secret identity friendly, he decides to swing there. He is lucky it is not dawn yet and nobody will see him and his extra arms. He is also lucky nobody is awake to see him embarrass himself. He is not used to these extra arms and they are making it very hard to keep his balance and timing. Spidey hitches a ride on top a railroad until he reaches his destination. He comments about how it belongs in a horror movie. He reminds himself that it was not a haunted house but it will be when he enters it. Spider-Man's spider-sense tingles but he is pretty sure the house is empty. We are then informed through the writing of Roy Thomas that the danger he is sensing his from a nearby vessel. The crew of the vessel just found the captain dead and this is not the first time something like this has happened. Ever since they picked up a guy in the water people have been dying mysteriously. The crew decides to beat the truth out of him. They gang up on the pale passenger and he informs them he does not wish to hurt them. The crew does not buy it and they rush him. The passenger fights his way through them and outruns them and hides. The crew later assumes he went overboard and turn in for the night. We learn from his thought bubbles that his name is Morbius and that he is very very "thirsty". He attacks the whole crew killing them all after they have "fed" him. He says that they are all dead and adds that how he wishes he was in their place. With nothing left for him on the vessel anymore, Morbius jumps overboard.

Morbius needs a place to sleep until night and he spots Dr. Connors place. Not realizing Spider-Man is downstairs, Morbius flies through an open window on the top floor and lays rest. The next day Spider-Man is frustrated when his latest formula is a failure. He curses himself and comments that he has wasted so many chemicals. He adds that Doc Conners is a great guy who won't mind. Spider-Man adds that he wishes he could give Conners one of his extra arms to replace the one he lost. Spider-Man does not realize that Morbius is aware of his presence and he is very hungry. Morbius attacks Spider-Man, but Spidey recovers from Morbius's first blow to him and attempts a little battle banter. While awaiting a response, Spidey is lunged at by Morbius and Spidey fights off his lethal fangs. He comments on how Morbius is like a costumed version of a vampire. He knocks Morbius across the room. Morbius lunges at him again trying to get his fangs into Spider-Man's neck. Spider-Man tells him that he really is a vampire. Morbius is surprised by this but then says the label is appropriate. He now has Spidey in his grasp. Morbius tells Spider-Man he is the only enemy who has been worthy of his full wrath. He throws Spider-Man down a flight of stairs, and he flies down to feast on his kill. All of a sudden another person enters the house. It is Doctor Connors and he is surprised to see Morbius. Morbius begins to advance on the Doctor who warns him that he doesn't know what could happen to him. We all know what happens now? Doctor Connors turns into the Lizard! Morbius informs him to step away from his kill but Lizard informs him that Spider-Man is his enemy to kill. Spider-Man wakes up right on time to see the two villains lunging at him. Should have stayed asleep, Peter! Isn't this the perfect place to add a "To Be Continued"? Well Roy Thomas thought so!

Very good story. Stan may be the man but Roy Thomas is doing just fine filling in for him. This story has a spooky feeling which you can credit to the scary artwork of Gil Kane. He really sets the mood. I love John Romita but I can't imagine him trying to do a horror story. The storytelling was very good and I enjoyed Peter joking around with himself. He made a lot of funny comments this issue. I do have a problem with the way Gwen is acting. Many people seem to remember Gwen as the person who was perfect for Peter who he should have married. I think people only think that way because she is dead and her death kind of brought her icon status. In this issue it is clear Gwen and Peter are not meant to be. Peter tells her he is too busy and can't go on a date and adds he is leaving town. Gwen now believes based on this information that Peter doesn't care about her. They truly do not know each other too well or trust each other much either. I hate it when Gwen is written like this. I understand that her father's death may have her emotions in a twirl but she should trust Peter. In Web Of Spider-Man 125, the clone Gwen reveals that since her father died she grew apart from most of her friends including Peter. The clone Gwen has the original's memories so Gwen's behavior does make a little sense based on this.

What happened with the cure Dr. Connors keeps on taking? He is always cured but then when he see him again the Lizard is seldomly not far behind. I guess in comic book land, nothing is final. All in all, we like Roy, Kane is scary and Gwen is whiney. The Giant-Size next issue promises to be very interesting.

by Julio Barone

Reprinted In:
Marvel Tales #252
Marvel Treasury Edition #14
Marvel Selects #2