The "Petrified Tablet" storyline continues with this, the second chapter of the story. Here's what has happened so far: An ancient Petrified Tablet is on display at Empire State University. The tablet is rumored to have vast, mysterious powers, but to most of the world, it's just a priceless ancient artifact. ESU officials anger some students with a plan to turn the Exhibition Hall into private dorms for rich alumni, rather than converting it to housing for low-income students. A group of students, including Randy Robertson, son of Daily Bugle City Editor Joe Robinson, protests the plan. However, the Kingpin uses the protest as a distraction, breaks into the Exhibition Hall and steals the tablet. Randy and the other protesters are arrested and Spider-Man is on the trail of the Kingpin.

Spider-Man doesn't know that the Kingpin is allowing him to trail the crime-lord, hoping to lure the hero into a trap. One of the Kingpin's henchmen says the wrong thing, though. "The Kingpin ain't scared'a nobody -- except his missus!" The Kingpin snaps when he hears his wife mentioned and beats the terrified goon. This won't come into play this issue, but the Kingpin's wife certainly will factor into stories down the road. The Kingpin then hides the Petrified Tablet in a safe with no lock -- only someone with his strength can open the heavy door.

The scene shifts to the police station, where Joe Robertson is talking with his son about what happened on campus. "Can't you even understand? I have to be tougher...I have to be more militant...because of you!" Randy says. "You've become part of the white man's establishment! I've gotta live that down!" Joe Robertson responds, "But isn't this what we all want...what we're all fighting for boy? To make it on own own? To prove we're as good..or better...than anyone??" Given that this story was written less than a year after the assassination of Martin Luther King, this is scene is both timely and extremely powerful. Stan Lee increasingly was using the pages of Spider-Man to make a statement about the ongoing Civil Rights movement, although he didn't let that message get in the way of the story.

Outside the police station, Gwen Stacy talks to some protesting students who are calling for the release of the other students. One of the protesters makes the mistake of calling Peter Parker a "chicken," which fires Gwen up. "He could be half the man he is..and still make ten of you!" she says, slapping the guy across the face. One thing about Gwen: she was as loyal as they come.

Back at the Kingpin's lair, Spider-Man realizes he's walking into a trap. So he creates a dummy out of webbing and uses it to draw the fire of the Kingpin's men. He comes in and cleans house, setting up a one-on-one showdown with the Kingpin. "This time, we battle...to the end!" the Kingpin says. The two brawl for seven full pages. These types of fight scenes aren't John Romita's strong suit compared to, say, Jack Kirby. But this still is an exciting sequence. The fight ends when Spider-Man webs up the Kingpin's cane-gun just as he's about to fire. The explosion knocks out the Kingpin and the police come to arrest him. But the Kingpin incriminates Spider-Man as he's hauled away to jail, claiming the two of them were working together to steal the Petrified Tablet.

Spider-Man does indeed find the tablet in the Kingpin's safe. But as he goes to return it, the police begin firing at him! An angry, confused Spider-Man is forced to flee with the tablet. "From now on...it's Spider-Man against the world!" he declares. "If they call me a menace...and treat me like a menace...I might as well be a menace!"

The main story wasn't anything special -- mostly just one big fight scene with Spider-Man and the Kingpin. But the secondary stuff with the Robertson's and Gwen is just classic stuff. This just goes to show that Spider-Man has the best supporting cast in all of comics, as they carried the story this month and it made for a good comic.

Next issue: The "Petrified Tablet" storyline continues, as Spider-Man is now wanted by the police. And don't think that the Kingpin is out of the picture either!

Reviewed by Bruce Buchanan.

Reprinted In:
Marvel Tales #52
Spider-Man Comics Magazine (Digest) #6
Spider-Man Essentials IV