Amazing Spider-Man #131 concludes the Doctor Octopus - Hammerhead storyline that actually began in Amazing Spider-Man #120, but really started in earnest in issue Amazing Spider-Man #130.

The story picks up on the cliffhanger from the end of Amazing Spider-Man #130, as Spidey looks through the window of Doc Ock's suburban estate to see the arch-villain marrying his Aunt May! The stunned Spider-Man doesn't know what to do. "Ock's got his entire 'army' in there and I don't dare try breaking in, not with Aunt May's life at stake!" he thinks. Lucky for him, he doesn't have to think of a solution, as Hammerhead and his crew of thugs smash through the door and interrupts the ceremony. They intend to kidnap Aunt May (who looks absolutely preposterous in a wedding dress, by the way) for reasons unknown. The tuxedo-clad Doctor Octopus hustles May out the door to a secret helicopter pad, leaving the two respective teams of goons to shoot it out. Spider-Man follows, intending to rescue Aunt May, but Doctor Octopus knocks him down and escapes. I love the dialogue where Doc Ock is pretending to be the gentleman in front of Aunt May. "Do you suppose I'd let you threaten this darling lady's life even for a moment?" he tells Spidey.

As luck would have it, Hammerhead has his own 'copter. He says he doesn't know what "that old dame" inherited, but since Doctor Octopus was willing to kill Canadian lawyer Arthur Rimbaud for it in Amazing Spider-Man #120, he figures it's worth a fortune. Hammerhead doesn't realize it, but Spider-Man has hitched a ride on the underbelly of the helicopter. He hears Hammerhead's explanation and the wedding suddenly makes sense: if Doctor Octopus marries Aunt May, he'll get half of what she has inherited - or all of it if she dies. But it turns out that what May Parker has inherited is a "crummy Canadian island," as Hammerhead puts it. But that island is rich in uranium and is home to a nuclear power plant. "A plant that, in the wrong hands, could produce weapons powerful enough for a madman to wreak incredible havoc," the narrator tells us. Given how dangerous this plant is, I'm not sure why the Canadian government is letting a little old lady from Queens, N.Y. have the run of the place, much less a super-villain like Doctor Octopus. Must be some obscure Canadian by-law or something. Hammerhead attacks and Spider-Man leaps into the fray, intending to rescue Aunt May. He and Doctor Octopus rumble, but Spidey is pretty angry at Doc Ock for putting his beloved aunt in jeopardy. He punches out the villain, saying, "Pleasant dreams, you pig!" Aunt May faints from shock and Spider-Man carries her to safety. As luck would have it, he comes across a supply plane. "This cockpit's been modified so even an idiot can pilot it," he discovers. Well, that sure was lucky. He and Aunt May fly back to New York.

Meanwhile, Doctor Octopus and Hammerhead stumble into the nuclear reactor chamber. "This is an active nuclear breeder," Doc Ock says frantically. "The slightest vibration could set off a chain reaction!" Hammerhead isn't in the mood to listen to reason, though, so he charges. The last thing we see is an atomic boom, presumably killing both Hammerhead and Doctor Octopus (although that won't prove true, as they both resurface - Doc Ock turns back up in Amazing Spider-Man #156, while Hammerhead next reappears in Amazing Spider-Man #157.)

Back in New York, Mary Jane is angry at Peter for cutting out of Betty Brant's Christmas party in Amazing Spider-Man #130. Ned Leeds says Peter can do better than a girl as "flighty" as Mary Jane, while Joe Robertson, always the voice of reason, advises that Peter can make his own decisions about women. But would Mary Jane take Peter even if he expressed interest? "I'll think about Petey tomorrow," M. J. tells Betty. "Yeah. Like Scarlett O'Hara said...tomorrow is another day!"

This issue wasn't quite up to the lofty standards Gerry Conway and Ross Andru set during the previous year. I realize that accepting certain things on faith is part of being a comic book fan, but too many things in this story just don't add up - i.e. Aunt May inheriting a Canadian island and Spider-Man miraculously finding a plane that could almost fly itself. It's an entertaining read, but not a classic.

Next issue, Peter's old high school classmate Liz Allen returns and so does her step-brother - the Molten Man!

Reviewed by Bruce Buchanan.

Reprinted In:
Marvel Tales #108