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The Amazing Spider-Man was a title that took off like wild-fire! It eventually went to a monthly release after initially coming out every 2 months...Anyway, Spidey first met the Fantastic Four in his very first issue while also meeting the Chameleon...#2 brought us a "double-header" with the debut of both the Vulture and The Terrible Tinkerer...Issue #3 gave us a more formidable foe in Doctor Octopus and that same formidability in issues 4, 5 & 6 meeting up with the Sandman, the Fantastic Four's Doctor Doom and the Lizard...A little fun in the next 2 with a "Team-Up" with the Human Torch which there was another similar one in Strange Tales Annual #2 & a re-match with the Vulture.

            A little fun in the next 2 with a "Team-Up" with the Human Torch of which there was another similar one in Strange Tales Annual #2 & a re-match with the Vulture...Electro & the Enforcers are introduced in issue #9 & 10 with a 2 part Doc Ock storyline up next...The next 3 issues gives us a 1st look at 3 great classic Spider-Man foes: Mysterio, Green Goblin, and Kraven the Hunter...1964 was the year that Spider-Man's first Special (or Annual) was published and introduced the Sinister Six  which consisted of 6 great Spidey foes...The first meeting with Daredevil against the Ringmaster and his circus of crime was next as Spidey later reciprocated and appeared in Daredevil #16 & 17...Re-matches with Sandman, Green Goblin and the Enforcers were next and then we round out the first 20 issues with introduction of the Scorpion...What a first 20 issues huh?!...The next 18 issues that completed Steve Ditko's run on the series was not as creative but none the less as entertaining as the first 20 issues...Spidey meets up with The 1st Spider-Slayer, the Beetle, Princess Python and more re-matches with the Green Goblin & the Scorpion...One major character that was introduced was the Molten Man in issue #28.

No new villains were introduced until #36 when the last memorable villain from Steve Ditko's Era was born: Looter (or Meteor Man)...Till then we got to see some excellent stories, most notably the great Doctor Octopus 3 part story-line in issues #31-33...This was a high point in Steve Ditko's Spider-Man career as displayed the true character of Spider-Man...If you want to invest in some great reading issues, go find these! (Marvel Tales #170-172 for some inexpensive reprints)...After this great story, Spidey had a second shot against Kraven the Hunter and the Molten Man...Issue #31 was also significant in that it introduced Peter's future Girlfriend, Gwen Stacy, who was later killed at the hands of the Green Goblin in issue #121 & Peter's friend & roommate Harry Osborn, the 2nd Green Goblin who later died in Spectacular Spider-Man #200.

Special #2 came out in 1965 and it introduced a lesser known villain named Xandu as well as guest starring Doctor Strange...Issues #37 and 38 seem to be fill-in issues to some extent as nothing significant occurred as they introduced some lesser-known characters in Mendall Stromm in issue #37 and "Just a guy named" Joe in issue #38...Issue #38 was the last issue that Steve Ditko was a part concerning Spider-Man...Its very hazy about the "why's" concerning his departure (there are rumors of a possible conflict in-house about who the secret identity of the Green Goblin is to be and other control problems and other creative restrictions) but in my opinion, hasn't been matched since. His achievements were even greater when considering the fact that he did an excellent job with Doctor Strange and other titles for Marvel at the same time as his classic Spider-Man work, not to mention his work for other Comic companies...His leaving the titles began a stint of another great Spider-Man comic creator: John Romita, whose son is artist on the current Peter Parker: Spider-Man...This of course, is the title of our next lesson in the History of Spider-Man

Lesson 2