After wrapping up the two-part story last issue introducing the Prowler, Amazing Spider-Man #80 brings back Spider-Man's first true villain - the Chameleon! The Chameleon first menaced Spider-Man all the way back in Amazing Spider-Man #1. But he hasn't been seen since in these pages Amazing Spider-Man #15. Better enjoy him while he's here; the Chameleon isn't seen again until Amazing Spider-Man #186.

The issue starts with the "love triangle" sub-plot from the previous two issues. Peter Parker mistakenly believes that his girlfriend, Gwen Stacy, is cheating on him with Flash Thompson. As this story begins, Flash and Harry Osborn drop by Peter's apartment. Flash and Harry just came by to talk, but Peter isn't interested. "Flash! You've got a sweet nerve showing your face around here!" Peter tells him before jerking him up by his collar. But before Peter can blow his secret identity, Flash explains the situation: he and Gwen were only talking because Gwen is worried about his frequent disappearances. Of course, he's disappearing because Spider-Man is needed, but Gwen doesn't know that. "You don't have to worry about her, mister...'cept for the fact she must be batty to dig a Joe like you!" Flash says. FYI: Harry is sporting the most ridiculous looking Fu Manchu mustache here. It must been seen to be believed! Peter calls Gwen and apologizes. Thankfully, Gwendy accepts and even invites him to a new art exhibit at the Midtown Museum. They see Gwen's father, NYPD Captain George Stacy, at the exhibit, but he strangely doesn't acknowledge them. A few moments later, the most valuable paintings in the exhibit are discovered to be missing - and Capt. Stacy is the prime suspect! Gwen and Peter find him back at home, having never even left. He feels groggy, as though he's been drugged. Of course, Peter and Gwen didn't really see Capt. Stacy at the museum. They saw the Chameleon in disguise. "No one can catch me! No one can stop me! For I am the world's greatest master of disguise!" he boasts. Don't be too sure about that....

Later that night, Peter figures out that his old foe must be behind the robbery. He enlists Daily Bugle editor Joe Robertson to help him catch the Chameleon. Robertson, who always has liked the Web-Slinger, agrees to play up a story about a $1 million bond transfer on the front page of the paper, hoping to lure the Chameleon into the open. "But you better know what you're doing, young man. 'Cause (Bugle publisher J. Jonah) Jameson will have my hide if I play up a dull yarn like that for nothing!" At first, it looks like Spider-Man's plan might backfire. He leaps into the room of bankers at the site of the bond transfer, thinking that will scare the disguised Chameleon into running away and, thus, revealing himself. When that doesn't happen, Spider-Man guesses at the Chameleon's identity and starts tugging at one banker's hair. Unfortunately, he grabs the wrong guy, which only makes Spider-Man look like a menace. But the Chameleon makes a huge mistake that allows Spider-Man to nab him after all. Spidey scans the crowd outside the bank and leaps down to grab - Peter Parker! "You chose the identity of the one person I knew you couldn't be!" Spider-Man tells him. Not sure why he would jeopardize his secret identity by revealing that nugget of information, but whatever. J. Jonah Jameson has a great line in response: "I've no more use for him than you do -- but you can't hit a kid just 'cause he's taken so many pictures of you!" The Chameleon lobs a grenade at Spider-Man and steals a get-away car. Somewhere along the line, he's apparently lost his Russian accent in favor of some American slang: "Get out of there, Mac! I need these wheels more than you!" he tells the car's driver. But Spider-Man stops the car and unmasks the bad guy. When Jonah asks how he knew the Chameleon wasn't Peter Parker, Spider-Man answers, "That's my secret, sweetie!" Not exactly the best alibi.

The Chameleon is a character who should have an honored place in Spider-Man's rogue's gallery - after all, he was first - but for some reason, he doesn't. His appearances have been sporadic over the years and usually, they are one-and-done stories like this one. A big part of the problem seems to be that he doesn't really have any superpowers, he's just really good at disguising himself. So it's hard to make him a physical threat to a guy like Spidey.

Really, the Chameleon wasn't an effective character until writer J.M. Dematteis' run in the mid-1990s. Dematteis explored the Chameleon's long-established relationship with Kraven the Hunter and made the Chameleon a behind-the-scenes manipulator who caused Peter Parker believe his parents were still alive. That's how the Chameleon can be dangerous and interesting - as a psychological terrorist who uses his powers of disguise to mess with other people's minds. But that didn't happen here. Instead, the Chameleon is portrayed as just another two-bit thief, which strikes me as a real waste. That, along with Spidey's reckless disregard for his secret identity, make this a below-average issue for the Stan Lee/John Romita run, particularly after the excellent Prowler storyline. But the Peter-Gwen-Flash love triangle stuff is strong and somewhat makes up for a lackluster main plot. You can really see Romita's influence here, as he had a background in romance comics before taking up the art duties on Amazing Spider-Man.

Next issue: The coming of the Kangaroo!

Reviewed by Bruce Buchanan.

Reprinted In:
Marvel Tales #61
Spider-Man Comics Magazine (Digest) #10
Spider-Man Essentials IV