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Greetings, true believers! I am one of the oldest fans of Spiderman. I still have a copy
of Spiderman #1, a collector's prize ! ( I read these comics when I was still in college.)
Origin
Spiderman, my favorite masked vigilante ! Our hero was actually introduced before
Spiderman No. 1. He was the subject of Amazing Fantasies No. 15, its final issue. The
response to this mag was so great that Spiderman was awarded his own series.
...It's a tale of a young teenage boy who was bitten by a radioactive spider ... or was it
the tale of an older teen bitten by a genetically altered super-spider ? Well anyway it
happened at a science exhibit in New York and Peter Parker hasn't been the same since !
Girlfriends
It's odd how the Spiderman movies portray romance between Peter Parker and Mary Jane
Watson. True, she was the "girl nextdoor" and very pretty, but Peter never had a
"thing" for her. She liked Spidey, of course, but she never slowed down long
enough to pine over him. She lived in the fast lane. The disco circuit did not afford her
the luxury of a relationship. Peter's first crush was Liz Allen. She was in Spiderman No.s
1 through 4, but wasn't given a name until issue No. 5. He didn't actually date her
though; she became Flash Thompson's girl. Betty Brant was also named in Spiderman No. 5.
She was Peter's first girlfriend. Things were great between them until she was sent by the
Bugle to Paris for a year on special assignment. When she returned they discovered with
embarrassed chagrin that the "chemistry" was gone. Peter dated Gwendolyn, a
college co-ed, for quite a while. It's a shame she was killed by the Green Goblin ( and
never had a clue that her boyfriend was Spiderman !)
J Jonah Jameson and Flash Thompson were named in the first issue of Spiderman. Peter
needed money to help his Aunt May with the bills. He won $100 by defeating a powerful
wrestler and was offered a sort of side-show by a wrestling manager to display his amazing
powers. Jameson heard about these exhibitions and was jealous. He used his newspaper to
sway public opinion against the wall-crawler by saying kids would get hurt trying to
imitate their new hero and called him a menace !
[ In one early mag, Jonah Jameson's son, John Jameson, was saved by Spiderman. John was an
astronaut. His space capsule developed complications and went spiraling out of control.
Spiderman was the only person available at the time to help. He convinced the scientists
at NASA's command center to let him have the control module replacement that would correct
the capsule's orbit. He hijacked a plane to reach the capsule and darringly jumped off the
plane to the capsule! He installed the control module from outside the capsule and
everything was set straight. Did Jonah Jameson commend Spiderman for his heroic deed ? No.
He reported Spiderman as glory-hungrey and even accused him of sabatoging the control
module in the first place! ]
In later issues, Jameson delighted in Peter Parker's action photographs but hated
Spiderman with a passion. He used Peter's photos of Spiderman and anything else he could
get his hands on to defame our hero. Jameson called Peter by his first name and Peter
called Jameson "JJ". Frequently "JJ" paid Peter bonuses for getting
particularly tough pics of The Vulture and other super villains. The understanding was
that Jameson would never press Peter into revealing how he got the photos!
Flash Thompson was a loud-mouthed bully and football jock. He dispised bookworm Peter
Parker but, ironically, was Spiderman's strongest supporter ! This character had no
redeeming qualities in the movie although Flash Thompson and Peter Parker had a long,
antagonistic relationship in the comics. They even became roomates in Far Rockaway at one
point, before Peter met Harry Osbourn.
Villains
What would a superhero be without super-villains to match his powers ? Against the
Shocker, Sandman, Green Goblin, and the atomic scientist, Doctor Octopus, Spiderman must
survive by wit and skill, not just speed and brute strength !
From the beginning Spiderman combined his analytical abilities as a science student with
physical prowess to fight crime. In the comics, his first foe was the Cameleon who
specialized in identity-theft--he was way ahead of his time! This villain could imitate
others appearance, even Spiderman's. But he couldn't imitate super powers! The second foe,
The Vulture was more of a challenge. Spiderman foiled him by disabling his
magnetic-powered wings. When he defeated his third foe, the Tinkerer, he was pretty cocky
. Just when he thought he was unbeatable, Doctor Octopus became deranged by an atomic
accident and menaced the world ! Spiderman was easily defeated by this fourth foe, who
dismissed Spidey as beneath his notice. But on their second encounter, Spiderman devised a
mixture from test tubes in the lab Doc Oc was holed up in, and fused two of the powerful
tentacles together with a chemicle action!
Plight of a Writer vs
Flight of a Spiderman
Spiderman's my inspiration !
He spins webs to "net" the villains;
I spin yarns to get "web" positions.
Didn't get bit by a spider--missed my calling !
Can't be a webslinger, gotta settle for webmaster!
( Sorry, Stan ! Just couldn't resist a corny pun ! )
I have a feeling Spidey is just getting started !
Two installments and the Saga continues. So stay tuned, folks. There's a lot more to come
!
Spiderman Ride
There is an excellent Spiderman ride at Universal Studios' Islands of Adventure in
Orlando, Florida. This seems like a roller coaster but roller coasters don't usually hover
while the riders take in action scenes and reverse directions frequently. The motion comes
from a combination of raises, pitch & yaw, and the acton of the 3D images. You wear
polarized glasses to enhance the experience.
The Dailey Bugle is the theme. Amid the sounds of incessant typing, we enter the Bugle
building and pass by Betty Brant's desk. We riders are "interviewed" and
"hired" by J Jonah Jameson himself. The assignment is to patrol New York at
night, scouting for activities of the "culprit" Spiderman so Jameson will have
more ammunition in his latest expose' against our favorite wall-crawler.
To accomplish this we are to man an experimental vehicle which roves through town on
wheels and often becomes airborn ! Almost immediately we encounter a gang of hoodlems led
by Electro, Sandman, Doc Oc et all. Spidey saves us and even hitches a ride a short time
on our vehicle. Later we follow him hither and yon as he fights super villains. We ascend
perilous heights over structures, weaving in and out among the sites of New York. At one
point we dive headlong between two tall buildings. It seems like we're plunging to our
deaths for a few frantic moments, but we're saved by Spiderman's webbing! At the end
Spidey weaves a surprise for ol' JJ you'll love to see!
What a thrill! This is the most exciting ride in Orlando so if you have a chance to go to
Islands of Adventure, don't miss it !!
'Nuff said !
Spiderman Ride Video!
Click for preview of Islands of Adventure. Hint: this plays LOUD so save your eardrums & lower the volume right away!
The Spiderman ride is near the beginning. In the park it's located cater-corner from
The Hulk rollercoaster.
Incidentally I've seen the trailer for Spiderman 3 ...
More dark super-villains, betrayal by a trusted friend, and almost non-stop action and
special effects. I can't forsee a happy ending to this episode, but it promises to be a
thriller !!
Spiderman 3 Trailer
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