Spider-Man: The Death of Captain Stacy

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Summary: The death of Captain Stacy comes between Peter and Gwen
Review: "Spider-Man: Death of Captain Stacy" reprints issues #88-92 of "The Amazing Spider-Man," although I think it would be an even better trade paperback collection if it also include the issues right before and after that quintet. In #87, "Unmasked at Last," Peter Parker becomes convinced that he has lost his superpowers and shows up at Gwen's birthday party where he confesses he is Spider-Man. Gwen almost becomes hysterical and Peter runs away, entering a hospital as Spider-Man so they will believe that he has radioactive blood only to discover that he has the worst case of the flu the doctor has seen in years. Spider-Man gets Hobie Brown (a.k.a. the Prowler), to pretend to be Spider-Man so that Peter can make up a story and get himself off the hook. This issue sets up the not only the whole secret identity angle, with Harry remembering when Dock Ock had unmasked Spider-Man only to discover it was only Peter Park (#12), but the importance of the Stacys in Peter Parker's life.

All of the issues here are written by Stan Lee, while John Romita draws issue 88 with Jim Mooney doing the inking and then Gil Kane draws the rest of the issues with Romita doing the inking. "The Arms of Doctor Octopus!" (#88) begins with Otto Octavius learns how to control his mechanical arms from long distance, which means Spider-Man has to right them by themselves. Once Doc Ock has his arms back he hijacks an airplane and demands a ransom, which requires Spider-Man to rescue the hostages. There is an explosion, but any thought that Doc Ock is dead is dispelled by the next issue, "Doc Ock Lives!" (#89). This time the fight is on the rooftops of New York and at the end Doc Ock hurls a beaten Spider-Man from the roof. "And Death Shall Come!" (#90) has the rematch of the battle, which ends with Captain Stacy's death when he saves a child from falling debris when Doctor Octopus' arms start acting on their own because of Spider-Man's specially created web fluid. Captain Stacy dies in Spider-Man's arms, with his final words telling Peter to take care of Gwen.

The import here for the Spider-Man mythos is that once again the father figure in Peter Parker's life has died. First Uncle Ben, and now Captain Stacy. But for those who truly remember the early days when Betty Brant's brother Ned was shot, Peter has to deal with Gwen blaming Spider-Man for her father's death. "To Smash the Spider!" (#91) begins with Gwen saying just that at her father's funeral. She goes to Sam Bullit, the shady businessman running for mayor, who agrees to go after Spider-Man for her (especially since J. Jonah Jameson will support his candidacy). Spider-Man ends up kidnapping Gwen to get her away from Bullit, when is "When Iceman Attacks" (#92) as the X-Man tries to rescue her. But they end up working together to rescue Joe Robertson and end Bullit's political career instead.

They really should have gone one more issue, adding #93, "The Lady and--the Prowler!" Not only because it creates symmetry with adding issue #87 at the front because of the Prowler, but regardless of that this one ends with Gwen flying off to London to get away from New York City and its memories, which would provide more of a sense of closure to the storyline. Because he knows Gwen thinks that Spider-Man is responsible for her father's death, Peter feels he cannot ask her to stay, and the on-going tragedy that is Spider-Man's personal life continues.

In retrospect one of the key defining aspects of the first decade of "The Amazing Spider-Man" versus what we today, was Spider-Man's secret identity. Today both Mary Jane and Aunt May know that Peter is Spider-Man and it provides a level of support that was not there in the early years when it was just the Green Goblin who admitted the fact. Captain Stacy never did, until the end, and we always suspected Robby knew as well. But it was the key factor in what made Spider-Man such a loner. Another defining element represented by this story line was that those close to Peter died because of Spider-Man, and with regards to the Stacy family there was something worse to come.