Summer Fun: Spider-Man's Best Team-Ups
The first decade of Spider-Man's Best Team-Ups, by year
Spider-Man's 1962 debut in Amazing Fantasy #15 precedes Amazing Spider-Man #1. He tries to join the Fantastic Four, so this in his mind will be a colossal team-up. In the Marvel Universe, at this point, there's only Thor, Hulk, Ant Man and the Wasp out there, besides the FF and Spidey. So this would've been an awesome new direction, right?
And very Issue #1!
Strange TAles Annual #3 is the 1963 pick.
Spidey and the Human Torch in particular still have a desire to spar and show out. Here, though, their agreement to meet atop the Statue of Liberty establishes the beginning of them working together, as they did probably more than anyone else in the Marvel Age who didn't share membership on a team (like Torch and Ben). Not the best of villains, but it's really about getting these two hot-heads to work together.
1964 Amazing Spider-Man #16 Daredevil and his supporting cast, Foggy and Karen, cross paths with Peter at the circus, robbed by Incredible Hulk foe, The Ring Master! OK, for one, a guest star helping with, essentially, a guest villain, really threaded the stories of those three titles together. They wouldn't stay intricately interlinked past that, but as time passes, changes in each title come along with the characters as they guest-appear.
I'd say it was good for Ringmaster to find soeone more in his weight class, but he and the Circus of Crime will be up in Thor's business one day- to say nothing of Howard the Duck. This story at least makes sense- now, this would have made a fun basis for an episode of Spider-Man's cartoon in '67.
But wait! That all goes double for the next three issues. The Torch helps out against the Green Goblin, but Spider-Man's rep is in tatters for fleeing (Parker reasons). This one also features Sandman, in a bookend of sorts to the entry at this post's end.
Just as he's prepared to hang it up rather than leave his Aunt May alone in the world from a 2nd tragedy, Pete chews over some sage advice - from Aunt May! That's a pretty cool team-up. But if what you really paid to see was The Human Torch and a fighting mad Spidey versus The Sandmman and The Enforcers, "Spidey STrikes BAck!' makes the best team up of Spidey's '64. Torch is virtually a supporting cast member during this period. Sandman will next appear punching up a weigh class, for sure, as a more powerful member of the newly established Frightful Four! So, I think he's Spider-Man's first enemy to cross over to other heroes' titles. And their arch-nemesis Dr. Doom was the first of their foes- or anyone's at Marvel- to cross paths with Spider-Man!
1965 In ‘65, Amazing Spider-Man Annual #2 follows the graduation of Peter Parker to deliver a summer tale of mystic struggle, other dimensions, and art by the co-creator of both Spidey and Dr. Strange, Steve Ditko. It's the single instance of which I know where his two best creations team up! It was reprinted in 1984, one copy of which was jammed into a magazine rack where I could find it- for five cents less than other comics on the stand, from before they went to sixty-five- and on my family's way to camping in the mountains! Spidey's not really in Doc's league, so this becomes Strange versus Xandu for the Wand of Watoomb, but hey. Strange's powers and the ethereal level of ploys and battle look great, and then Spider-Man's positively overwhelmed by being dragged out of reality! But he has a way of getting his head together: as Audrey Hepburn put it, "'I'm possible' is right there in the word 'impossible'"
I still tell people the lines I take from the final panel. "May the Vishanti Ever watch over thee!" "And may your amulet never tickle!"
‘66 ASM Ann. #3 (or DD #17) The Avengers ask Spider-Man to ...audition? By finding the Hulk alone and bringing him to them? Pretty cool, but not logical. Their 80s meeting is better! Now if only someone had asked Byrne or Perez to draw hi into a c0ouple of issues of Avengers in the 70s!
‘67 ASM #54 w/ Doc Ock! Yeah, funny mind-stuff that Turns Spider-Man Evil seems to happen around Doctor Octopus, sometimes. Here, the Ultimate Nullifier is first introduced as a missle deterent. It's cool for once Peter and Gwen are on an actual date AND it's a science exhibition. People forget Gwen was a 'science major,too!' I think that's an under-developed part of her, but oh well. Better luck with new charqacters. Anyway, the latest dual of wits culiminates with Doc Ock hiding in May Parker's house (the first time he uses Parker family credibility to his own ends, but not the ultimate time!). An accident gives Spider-Man amnesia- his mind is what's 'nullified'! The U.S. Army, with Colonel John Jameson in the reluctant lead, now faces a deadly duo- so long as Spider-Man's true self remains, to him, lost!
‘68 Fantastic Four #73 I never had or read this one. Not a lot of Spidey teaming up from '66-71. That is kind of the point of his adventures in ASM #1 and ASM Annual #3: he always decides to go it alone.
‘69 ASM #77 is a primary example of why he doesn't keep active partnerships. In addition to his need for time as Peter Parker, sometimes, if he can't properly inform his would-be partner...ah well, Peter would've hesitated to let Storm know the Lizard is Dr. Curt Connors. He has to settle for trying to stop the well-meaning Torch from harming the Lizard with his constant butting-in! John Buscema on art, which is especially good on #76.
’70 Cap #138-9
Another one I never had to read in formative years. I found an interesting commentary- I think through Bronze Age Babies or someone on their recommendations?
Gene Colan on art - not always the strongest guy for pacing physical battles, but here he gets mood and clarity together (with inks by Bill Everett) to make all three heroes and their mobster enemies look pretty right. The Falcon has a hard time against Spider-Man, but doesn't look weak. There's some internal strife in the Cap and Falcon partnership, agitated by Spider-Man. Harry Osborn's involvement helps bump this up a special notch- Peter's best friend. Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson are best friends, too, but they have to work things out in the middle of a misunderstanding match with Spidey, then, a stoney new mob menace. Let's not forget John Romita takes over the art chores in #138! So, Stan Lee and John Romita, Cap, Spidey, and the Falcon. ONe of the last true Silver AGe classics?
‘71 MTU #1
"Have Yourself A Sandman Little Christmas"- Roy Thomas writes the best Spider-Man/ Human Torch team-up in all their early years working together= tho' now I recall ASM #19! Hey, I might need to go back and plug that in as the best Spider-Man team-up of 1964. Both stories also feature Sandman. He's sneaking home to visit his mother. You can't do it every month, but there's good will a plenty supporting this story. After all, when the craft's up to these standards, and not even on a hero's life changing event, but an villain's, you remember why you like Marvel Comics. Or any!
It's a promising start to Marvel Team-Up.
Of these, the best are ASM Annual #2, ASM #55, and MTU #1.
That Cap one with the Falcon and Harry Osborn is almost certainly worthy next of mention and, unlike Doc Ock, is not a brain-washed team-up! The first one's so pure Ditko, I'm surprised he actually did it! The Christmas one's extra good for representing a new depth for Sand Man that leads to a villain story arc resolved in the last year of Marvel Team Up with Sandman now on the marquee! That one turned out to be the one that finally started my montly collection.
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