This isn’t even the first time Peter’s thought about throwing in the towel (costume), and it certainly won’t be the last! On another note, I always liked the self-reflection that Peter does here.
For eagle-eyed movie buffs, Sam Raimi did a pretty spot-on adaptation of this scene in Spider-Man 2.
Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #50
Published: c. May, 1967?
Cover Date: July, 1967
“Spider-Man No More!”
Writer: Stan (“The Man”) Lee
Artist: John (“Ring-a-Ding”) Romita
Inker: Mike Esposito
Letterer: Sam Rosen
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I don’t know if this is true, but I love how Stan said at the time that he heard that this issue was being used in psychology classes in universities.
It’s funny that this issue is usually mentioned when people talk about Peter quitting being Spider-Man, but it’s not even the first time he quit. Technically it’s not even the second! Pretty sure Josh once had a Spider-Jeopardy called “Spider-Man Quits” with questions about all the times Peter quit being Spidey, and he said he could have made even more questions for that category.
@William: What’s cool about ASM 17-19 is that Aunt May gives Peter that classic pep talk that snaps him out of his funk, and then declares that he’s done wasting his time in self-pity and worrying about Aunt May. That obviously doesn’t last, but it’s pretty awesome anyway.
@Mark: It’s always funny how these things work out. I’m sure this won’t be the last time.
Adam – you and I are in sync! I’m doing this issue next month in Cobwebs! I love that image.
I have to admit, I’ve always thought the arc in ASM 17-19 was a slightly better rendition of the Spider-Man quitting story, mostly because it goes way further in pulling Spidey down and humiliating him with everyone thinking he’s a coward, making it all the more satisfying when he gets over his funk.
Spider-Man No More is still very interesting in that it’s more of an introspective crisis Peter goes through, and it’s definitely worthy of the praise it gets. I think it’s one of the vital stories to read if you want to understand the character, which is why adapting it for Spider-Man 2 was a great idea. ASM 17-19’s arc also doesn’t have an image nearly as iconic or brilliant as the one showcased here!