Amazing Spider-Man #16 is most important for the teaming-up of two heroes that will go on to join forces many times over in the future, Spider-Man and Daredevil. Daredevil at this point, is still a very new character and still in his yellow and black duds and the villain they fight is the Ringmaster, a character that was introduced back in the Golden Age of comics and re-introduced in Incredible Hulk #3. Working with the Ringmaster is his Circus of Crime, a collection of circus whackos with particular abilities who are following the Ringmaster in his life of crime.

The story begins as Aunt May is still trying to convince Peter to date her friend's niece and she is given a name this time: Mary Jane. To get away, Peter suits up as Spider-Man (Mary Jane finally pops-up with her face obscured in Amazing Spider-Man #25, but misses out on meeting Peter) and goes out swinging till he discovers some thieves running away with money bags. The thieves run into a blind man named Matt Murdock then Spider-Man makes his move efficiently webbing the thieves up. This is the very first meeting between Spidey and Daredevil (who if you are wondering, is really Matt Murdock). Matt returns to his law offices as Daredevil then changes back into his suit and tie. His partner and secretary Foggy Nelson and Karen Page talk him into going to the Circus that is in town the next night.

At the circus preparing for their show, the Ringmaster and his circus of Crime go over the last details that include falsely advertising that Spider-Man is going to be part of the show in order to sell tickets. After Peter sees the poster, he decides that it may not be bad idea to show up especially since it lists that proceeds go to charity. At the circus, Peter recognizes the blind man from the other day before suiting up as Spider-Man again and preparing his entrance. Finally, Spider-Man swings from the tip of the circus tent to the delight of all in attendance except that of the Ringmaster who quickly comes out and starts to hypnotize the crowd using his Hat to do the trick. While the crowd is in his command, the Circus of Crime goes out and takes their jewelry and wallets. Matt Murdock, because of his blindness, is the only person not in a trance and he changes into Daredevil after noticing that something is wrong. To combat DD, the Ringmaster commands Spider-Man to battle him. After a couple of pages of the two fighting, Daredevil discovers that the true power of the Ringmaster's lies in his hat and he knocks it off him using his Billy-Club. He then uses it to release Spider-Man from his trance.

With Spider-Man now on Daredevil's side, the Ringmaster send his highly trained Circus of Crime to attack them. The duo of Spider-Man and Daredevil are just too much though, so much so that DD gets back to his life as Matt Murdock and returns to the crowd leaving Spider-Man to clean up with the rest of the villains. Spider-Man takes good care of doing just that. Even one last attempt to try to hypnotize Spider-Man by the Ringmaster does not work as Spider-Man closes his eyes then knocks out the Ringmaster. Lastly, Spider-Man figures out how the Ringmaster's hat works and breaks the hypnotic spell over the crowd.

A fun read but not exactly an issue that compares to the greatness of the surrounding issues. Spider-Man returns a guest appearance in Daredevil's own title a little later on in his 16th issue, Daredevil #16 & 17. The Ringmaster continues his criminal ways in most Marvel Comic titles over the years including Spider-Man again in Amazing Spider-Man #22.

Reprinted In:
Marvel Tales #11
Marvel Tales #154
Giant Size Spider-Man #3
Spider-Man Megazine #1
 Marvel Masterworks Vol. 5
Spider-Man Essentials I