Our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man certainly has seen better days. In Amazing Spider-Man #55, Spidey battled Doctor Octopus, who was attempting to steal an experimental military weapon called the Nullifier. In the battle, Dr. Octopus zaps Spider-Man with the Nullifier, wiping out the hero's memory - even of his own name! Dr. Octopus convinces the confused hero that they really are partners and he has Spider-Man help him steal the Nullifier. Spider-Man, with some help from Col. John Jameson, eventually manages to beat Doc Ock and return the Nullifier to the military in Amazing Spider-Man #56, but he is forced to flee, still not remembering who he really is.

This story begins with Spider-Man swiping sandwiches from a high-rise party and sleeping on a ledge high above Grand Central Station. "Boy, I may not know my name, but I'm sure of one thing...I'm probably the original hard-luck Charlie!" he thinks. With Peter Parker gone, his family and friends are worried. His roommate, Harry Osborn, discovers one of Peter's spider-tracers and figures that Spider-Man must have abducted his friend. Meanwhile, Aunt May can't help but think that something terrible has happened to her beloved nephew. She collapses; thankfully, Anna Watson is there to call for help. Of course, Doctor Bromwell blames Peter, not realizing the truth of his situation. "Her best medic would be knowing that her nephew is safe and well," he says. Spider-Man has other problems besides amnesia and a sick aunt. City officials are angry with John Jameson for letting Spider-Man go at the end of the previous issue. "He had saved my life three times in the past, sir! I--couldn't overlook that fact," he says. Captain George Stacy is there to back up John's claim. "His record makes it difficult to believe Spider-Man could really have turned bad," he says. But John's father, Daily Bugle publisher J. Jonah Jameson, doesn't buy it. As usual, he's out to make Spider-Man look bad - regardless of the facts. "Who needs proof? Everyone knows he's a rotten, low-down, no-good killer!" Jonah says. I don't particularly like this somewhat cartoonish portray of Jonah. He works better as a generally honorable man whose irrational hatred of Spider-Man drives him to do things he probably knows are wrong.

At that time, Ka-Zar, the English nobleman who grew up as a wild man in the jungles of the Savage Land, arrives in New York with his companion, Zabu the Sabretooth tiger. If that character sounds familiar, well, yeah, Ka-Zar pretty much is a Tarzan clone. Jonah approaches the jungle man and tries to convince him to defeat Spider-Man in battle. He first offers him money, but then tells Ka-Zar that Spider-Man is a public menace that no one else has been able to beat. That appeal to Ka-Zar's pride is enough to convince him to tackle the Web-Slinger. Spider-Man hears a radio report mentioning John Jameson and Spider-Man. He finds John and Captain Stacy and explains his amnesia. "I don't know who I am...or what I've done! I don't know anything!" the desperate hero explains. At that time, Gwen Stacy enters the room and she's hysterical, thinking Spider-Man has captured her love, Peter Parker. "Why do I feel--as though I know her? Her perfume -- the very touch of her makes my heart pound!" Spider-Man thinks. Should be a clue, Spidey!

He swings away, more confused than ever. He doesn't know that Ka-Zar, a master tracker, is stalking him. Spider-Man actually goes to Jonah's office thinking that a newspaper might have some information about his past. He doesn't remember that the publisher is his hated enemy! After realizing the situation, Jonah fakes being friendly and tries to convince Spider-Man to remove his mask. But Ka-Zar smashes into the room before Spidey can reveal his true identity. The two men fight into Central Park. Spider-Man is getting the better of the battle, but Zabu knocks him into a pond. The Sabretooth tiger comes out of the water; Spider-Man doesn't. Ka-Zar dives in to save his adversary and pulls the unconscious Spider-Man out. "The battle has ended...forever!" he says, ominously.

The amnesia storyline has become a cliché on television, but here, Stan Lee and John Romita pull it off quite nicely. Stan was the master of putting Spider-Man into seemingly impossible situations and here, Spider-Man's memory loss leads him into more trouble than anyone can handle, both as Spider-Man and as Peter Parker. I'm not a big Ka-Zar fan - he's too much of a Tarzan rip-off - and normally, he wouldn't be much of an opponent for Spider-Man. But in this story, Jonah needs an honorable but misguided patsy and Ka-Zar serves the purpose well enough. Ka-Zar and Spider-Man will team up in Amazing Spider-Man #103-104, when Spidey visits the Savage Land.

Next issue: As if things weren't bad enough, Spidey must deal with the return of the Spider-Slayer!


Reviewed by Bruce Buchanan.

Reprinted In:
Spider-Man Essentials III
Ka-Zar #3