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In honor of the fiftieth anniversary of Spider-Man, we're doing four straight months of polls having to do with Spider-Man, culminating with the release of the Amazing Spider-Man film in July. We've done Spider-Man covers, Spider-Man characters, Spider-Man creators and now, finally, Spider-Man stories!
You all voted, now here are the results of what you chose as the 50 Greatest Spider-Man Stories! We continue with #10-6. Click here for a master list of all the stories revealed so far!
Enjoy!
10. 'The Harry Osborn Saga,' Spectacular Spider-Man #178-184, 189-190, 199-200
J.M. DeMatteis began a classic stretch of stories spotlighting the slow descent of Harry Osborn into madness beginning with the Child Within storyline in Spectacular Spider-Man, where we see just how badly emotionally abused Harry was by his father Norman (a few years later, DeMatteis would re-visit this idea in a Spectacular Spider-Man Annual where Spider-Man relives Harry and Norman's childhoods). Meanwhile, the fact that Harry knew Peter's secret identity was being used by Harry torment his best friend..now his enemy.
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Things seemed to come to a fever pitch in #189..
With Spidey finally saying, in effect, 'screw it'..
Harry kept the secret and later, died a heroic death fighting against his own madness (as his body fought against itself). DeMatteis always does exemplary character-driven work, but this character study of Harry Osborn was really top of the line. Sal Buscema did a great job on the artwork.
My pal Chris has this to say about the Harry Osborn Saga:
I like the inherent drama in Peter's best friend being his worst enemy, as set up by Conway [who first had Harry Osborn become the Green Goblin - BC]. This conflict was best realized here, with Demateiss probing the psyches of the characters involved and Buscema delivering the best storytelling of his career. To me, it comes down to the moment of peak tension, where Harry has everybody sitting down to dinner in Spectacular Spider-Man #189. We see Harry descending into madness, Liz worried, Peter doing his best to calmly eat, Normie enjoying all the fun, and Raxton ready to lose his cool, all perfectly realized by Sal Buscema. I consider this the best modern Spider-Man story; I even think this has already earned its place among the best Spider-Man stories right alongside the classics.
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9. 'Spider-Man No More!' Amazing Spider-Man #50-52
The majority of the voters voted for just #50, but a goodly amount voted for the whole three-part story, so I'm including the whole thing.
The comic is obviously best known for the opening act, where Peter Parker is driven nearly mad from all the bad press Spider-Man was getting on TOP of all of Peter's personal problems (like Aunt May being sick..AGAIN). Finally, Peter decides to give up being Spider-Man..
However, the Kingpin of Crime (introduced this story) has taken control and he is ratcheting up the attacks in New York City and after Peter saves the life of an elderly security guard (who bears an uncanny resemblance to an uncle of Peter's), Peter realizes once again that he has too much responsibility to quit doing good..
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This leads to an awesome cliffhanger as Spidey returns and takes the fight to the Kingpin..
This story also saw the introduction of Joe 'Robbie' Robertson and the heroic death of Frederic Foswell. It is a Stan Lee/John Romita/Mike Esposito classic.
8. 'The Kid Who Collects Spider-Man,' Amazing Spider-Man #248
People always remember the ending of this one-off tale by Roger Stern, Ron Frenz and Terry Austin, but I don't think the beginning gets enough credit. Stern comes up with a truly novel approach to telling the story, intercutting the article about Timmy with Spider-Man meeting the boy, in response to the article..
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It is a great plot device and Stern uses it really well. Frenz and Austin shine on the artwork and, of course, the character drama at the heart of the tale is quite gripping. Peter sharing time with a young boy who idolizes him gives readers a unique perspective on Spider-Man and what it means, truly, to be a hero. A touching work that is hard to read without getting a bit sentimental about it.
7. 'Nothing Can Stop the Juggernaut!' Amazing Spider-Man #229-230
On the other side of things, this two-parter by Roger Stern and artists John Romita Jr. and Jim Mooney spends less time on character development (although Peter's dogged approach to heroism does play a role) and more on one of the most inventive and well-designed fights in comic book history.
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Ever since Stan Lee and Wally Wood put Daredevil through the paces against Namor, one of the hallmarks of the Marvel Universe is putting a David up against a Goliath and watch the underdog, if not pull it off, at least make it far more interesting than it should be.
Here, Spider-Man throws everything and the kitchen sink against Juggernaut, including some really well-designed page layouts by Romita Jr. (as he wrings every little bit of drama that he can out of the tale)..
Such a haunting image for Spidey, but this is Spider-Man, after all..he'll find a way! But HOW? Read the story!
6. 'The Original Hobgoblin Saga,' Amazing Spider-Man #238-239, 244-245, 249-251 and Spectacular Spider-Man #85
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One of the things that has gone a bit forgotten when it comes to Hobgoblin is the fact that writer Roger Stern made a point of setting it up so that Peter Parker was, once again, sort of responsible for something bad happening. Just like when he let the burglar get away and then his uncle got shot, so, too, did Peter let a crook get away rather than chase him into the sewers.
The result is the petty criminal stumbling on to one of Norman Osborn's hidden Green Goblin lairs..
Spidey realizes that in the issue in question (that a Goblin lair was discovered by the petty crook), so when the Hobgoblin shows up, Spidey knows that the two things are connected.
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What things DO remember about the Hobgoblin is that he had a slightly different approach to villainy than most. He was not crazy, exactly, he just figured that he could use Osborn's goods to gain power and fortune. He was calculating in a way that most super-villains just aren't. And come on, how do you beat this introduction by Johns Romita..
The other interesting aspects of the Hobgoblin were his schemes, like when he found information on a bunch of notable businessmen and blackmailed them all together. Plus his quest for power (the Spectacular Spider-Man issue has him finally finding the Goblin Serum, which gave him the powers of the Goblin and not just his gear). Also, John Romita Jr's great artwork. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, there was a great mystery as to WHO the Green Goblin was. Looking back, knowing who Stern intended him to be, Stern plays it very fair in just the relatively few issues that the Goblin appeared in during Stern's run.
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Stern would return to the character years later to give it his original reveal.
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The Spectacular Spider Man The Child Within 1-6 Book
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With the release of the first Spider-Man: Far From Home trailer, fans are excited to see a cinematic take on one of Spider-Man's greatest foes, Mysterio. Previously, the character had only been seen in animation, but with Jake Gyllenhaal finally bringing the villain to the silver screen, it's high time fans revisited some of his greatest stories.
RELATED: Mysterio-us: 10 Crazy Facts Only Hardcore Fans Know About Spider-Man's New Enemy
Fortunately, there have been some fantastic tales about Mysterio over the years in Spider-Man books as well as many others. Whether he's a villain you love or one of those characters you love to hate, it's hard to deny these aren't the greatest Mysterio stories ever told!
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10 THE MENACE OF.. MYSTERIO!
The Amazing Spider-Man #13 is one of Stan Lee and Steve Ditko's classic introductions featuring what has to be one of the strangest villains Spider-Man has ever faced. Here was a bad guy who used his skills and trickery to do wondrous things, all without the benefits of superpowers.
The story has everything you would want out of Mysterio. Jameson supports him as a would-be crimefighter, Spider-Man looks bad in the press and best of all, Spidey gets to shove it all in J. J.'s face at the end. It's a classic tale and a must read if you're looking into Mysterio's origins.
9 OLD MAN LOGAN
In the original 'Old Man Logan' storyline, Wolverine was an aged former superhero who refused to pop his claws. This let the Hulk gang take advantage of him, but he had a good reason for keeping his signature claws at bay, and it all had to do with Mysterio.
While this wasn't a Mysterio story at its core, the villain played a major role by tricking Wolverine into slaughtering the entire X-Men within the X-Mansion. Through his various means of trickery, he fooled Logan into killing all of his friends, and the old man never fully recovered from what he did that day.
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8 DILEMMA! & ALIENS AND ILLUSIONS!
One of Spider-Man's core traits is his love for Aunt May. Spectacular Spider-Man #50-51 features a story of how she keeps ending up in danger thanks to his many foes when a group of aliens attacks while the group is having dinner. They demand to know where a mobster's fortune is and abduct Peter to a spaceship.
It is then revealed that the scheme's mastermind is Mysterio. The plot unfolds to reveal the whole alien abduction story to be a ruse created by the great illusionist. Ultimately, May is safe from evil and Mysterio is taken out by a single punch.
7 THE MAN'S NAME APPEARS TO BE.. MYSTERIO!
After running his precious Spider-Mobile into the river, Spider-Man finds himself sleeping in class and having a bit of a hard time in Amazing Spider-Man #141. He later gets knocked off a building by a strange gas and is attacked by Mysterio and all of his old rogues.
RELATED: Spider-Slayers: The 25 Deadliest Spider-Man Villains, Officially Ranked
While beating on them mercilessly, he realizes it was all an illusion and he had bloodied up his fists punching a brick wall. When Mysterio appears to taunt him, letting Spidey know more was coming, it sends him to the Bugle for answers. What he learns about Mysterio shocks him to his core.. Mysterio died in prison a year ago!
6 MYSTERIOSO
Mysterio was long dead in the Marvel Universe by the time Amazing Spider-Man #618 hit the stands, but that didn't stop his inevitable return. Not only has Mysterio returned, he's brought along some familiar faces leaving our Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man more than a little confused, but he's not alone.
Alongside crime scene investigator, Carlie Cooper, Spidey dives deep into the investigation to solve the strange mystery of Mysterio's return. This story was a relatively recent return to form for both Spider-Man and his nemesis Mysterio, but as his name implies, nothing is what it seems in this daring Spider-Man tale!
5 THE SINISTER SIX
If there's one thing everyone knows about Spider-Man, it's that he has an impressive rogues gallery. Until The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1 hit the stands, he never had to face the biggest and baddest of them all at once. However, this was the issue that gave birth to the infamous Sinister Six!
RELATED: Marvel Legacy's Spider-Man to Reintroduce Iron Spider & Sinister Six
While this story wasn't centered solely on Mysterio, he played a major role in the formation of the evil team. Alongside Kraven, Vulture, Sandman, Electro and Doc Oc, Mysterio nearly helped bring an end to the Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man! This is a must-read for fans of Spider-Man as well as Mysterio.
4 THE MADNESS OF MYSTERIO!
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The Amazing Spider-Man #66-67 explore the talents of Mysterio as he takes on Spider-Man in an episode battle for vengeance! After he successfully busts himself out of prison, Mysterio takes to television to issue a challenge to his nemesis, which he accepts by meeting him at the site of their first confrontation.
During the battle, Spider-Man is knocked out by a blast and when he awakens, he is shrunken down to mere inches in height! How did Mysterio manage this amazing feat and how will Spider-Man escape from the nightmarish miniature amusement park from hell Mysterio has put him in?
3 MYSTERIO IS DEADLIER BY THE DOZEN!
There's a lot to unpack in the issues leading up to Spidey's bicentennial book, but the main thing to remember here is you can't trust Mysterio. The story revolves around Mysterio tricking Peter Parker into believing he was responsible for Aunt May's death thanks to some elaborate illusions.
RELATED: Spider-Man: Far From Home's Jake Gyllenhaal On What Drew Him to Mysterio
It was all a ploy to find a hidden fortune hidden somewhere within the Parker estate, but more importantly, the story featured a final confrontation with the man responsible for killing Uncle Ben. This was an important and transformative storyline for ole' Web-Head and Mysterio was the key to making it all happen.
2 ..AS DREAMS ARE MADE ON..
Webspinners: Tales of Spider-Man was an anthology series from back in 1999 that featured stories by creators who dove deep into Spider-Man lore. In the first three issues of the series, Mysterio played a large part via J. M. DeMatteis' words and art provided by John Romita Sr. and Michael Zulli.
The story takes a deep dive into Mysterio's background with more info revealed about his origin. It also features some trickery of J. Jonah Jameson, who was fooled into believing he had gone to hell where he was surrounded by demons who bore a strong resemblance to our Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man.
1 DAREDEVIL: GUARDIAN DEVIL
The story most consider to be the best in Mysterio's library didn't come out of Spider-Man, but rather, Daredevil's eight-issue miniseries, Daredevil: Guardian Devil. The story was penned by Kevin Smith and takes a hard look at how much of an impact Mysterio can have on a superhero's life.
Daredevil is charged with caring for a child who may be the messiah or the antichrist. The story unfolds when Mysterio becomes responsible for the death of Karen Page. The impacts of this remain years after the book hit the stands in what is easily Mysterio's most compelling story ever told.
NEXT: 10 Most Sinister Mysterio Moments
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