How can Spider-Man battle a foe who is stronger than he is? This question has been asked many times in a number of spider-titles over the years and this issue is the first attempt at answering that very question! Get ready for another major classic villain and the first introduced in 5 issues! It's must have felt like years back then when these issues actually hit the stands! Anyway, if you remember the last page from last issue, you remember a mysterious man making a phone call to yet another mysterious man in a high-rise building. We begin this issue with that very same man following Peter as he is walking down the street and his spider-sense goes off. When Peter gets home, he spots the man outside his house and then suits up as Spider-Man when the mystery man leaves. Spider-Man follows him instead of the other way around this time, and finds him making another call from a phone booth before making his way back to the Parker residence. Peter has to be extra careful now not to exposes his secret identity.

The next Saturday morning, as Peter is making his way to the offices of the Daily Bugle, he is still being followed by the same man. At the Bugle, publisher J. Jonah Jameson reads in the paper about a man named Dr. Farley Stillwell, who can cause artificial mutations in animals and this gives him an idea: Create someone who is stronger than Spider-Man! We next learn that mystery man that has been following Peter has been working for Jameson and his name is Mac Gargan. Jameson wanted him to spy on Parker to see how he manages to get all those great pics of Spider-Man, but now has a more important offer for Gargan that may be very dangerous. Jameson and Gargan leaves for their next encounter just as Peter recognizes Gargan as the man who has been following him.

Jameson and Gargan make their way to the laboratory of Dr. Farley Stillwell where Jameson offers him $10,000 to work on a special project. The projects involves experimenting on a human, making him more powerful than Spider-Man, and Stillwell accepts the cash. The Doctor plans on giving Gargan the powers of a Scorpion but warns him that it could be dangerous and affect his brain. The warning doesn't faze Gargan one bit as he also is getting $10,000 for his part of the project. After Gargan drinks some concoction, he holds onto some electrical rods and gradually begins to feel stronger and stronger. The Doctor takes out a synthetic mechanical tail similar to that of a real Scorpion's. After the experiment is over, Gargan puts on the tail and the rest of the Scorpion's costume. Gargan seems overwhelmed with power at this point as he can control his tail and begins breaking some things around the laboratory with it and his newly acquired super human strength.

Peter suits up as Spider-Man and makes his way to talk to Jameson. When he leaves, the Scorpion makes his first attack on him and Jameson has a ringside seat outside his office window. Spider-Man quickly realizes that with his tail and his great strength, that the Scorpion is more powerful than he is. The Scorpion even used his powerful pincer-like fingers to cut through Spider-Man's webbing. While Spider-Man is getting the beating of his life, Dr. Stillwell is making some discoveries back at his laboratory: As the Scorpion's power increases, his evil nature takes over more and more. The Doctor creates an antidote quickly and plans on administering it to Gargan. Back to the battle between the Scorpion and Spidey, has Spider-Man being thrown into a wall and thoroughly defeated. The Scorpion now seems out of control and very enamored with his new powers. He jumps on top of an armored car and rips open the top of it, but there is nothing inside of it so he thrashes some guards and take a sack of jewels. Spider-Man wakes up out of his little daze and ponders his next move concerning the Scorpion, while Dr. Stillwell catches up to the Scorpion on the street to administer the antidote. There's only one problem: The Scorpion wants to stay being the Scorpion! Stillwell is knocked over by the Scorpion's tail also and lose his grip on the antidote. The antidote breaks as hits a wall and the Scorpion gets away free until he runs into Spider-Man once again.

Back at the Bugle, Jameson receives word that Stillwell is dead, and he anguishes over the guilt he is now associating with these current events. All of this would not have happened if not for Jameson's little project. Back to Spidey-Scorpion round II, as Spider-Man is receiving another whooping. He tries to crawl to safety until he hears a cry for help. The cry is coming from Betty Brant inside of Jameson's office where the Scorpion has just arrived threatening to kill Jameson. Spider-Man arrives just in the nick of time and this time instead of going strength against strength versus the Scorpion, he uses his great agility and brains. Spider-Man shoots some sticky liquid webbing at the Scorpion's feet making him stuck and flat-footed. Spider-Man lands many easy blows to the Scorpion completely knocking him out, then asks Jameson to call for the police. Jameson is stunned how he has just been saved by the person he tried so very hard to destroy, but still his true colors shine through. The next day's paper displays a headline reading: "Scorpion is caught! Jameson is Hero!" and that the article goes on to say that when Spider-Man showed up, it was almost over! At this point, Jameson is the only one with the true knowledge of the Scorpion's origin and his participation in it.

What a great overall package this comic is! One of my all time favorite covers with that great Ditko pose of the Scorpion holding Spider-Man over his head and beautiful green colors all over it. Almost just as nice is the Scorpion's next appearance in Amazing Spider-Man #29. Doctor Farley Stillwell is dead but his brother Harley Stillwell is introduced in Amazing Spider-Man Annual #10, and just like his brother, has his hands in creating a Spider-Man villain in the Fly. This is definitely the best of the last half year or so of Spider-Man. The Scorpion will go on to have a long running feud against Spider-Man as well as J. Jonah Jameson.

"Peter Parker And Ol' Webhead" - 1 Page Pin-Up

Artist - Steve Ditko

Reprinted In:
Marvel Tales #15
Marvel Tales #158
Spider-Man Megazine #5
 Marvel Masterworks Vol. 5
Spider-Man Essentials I