Spider-Tracer: 10 Reasons to Pick Up “The Amazing Spider-Man” Omnibus Vol.6

Welcome back, Spidey fans! It’s good to see you again, and I hope 2025 is off to a great start for all of you. While trying to think about what I wanted to discuss for this month’s Spider-Tracer article, I thought I’d try something a little different, and do something pretty timely, while still feeding you that Spider-Man history that you love. If you’re reading this the day this article comes out on Tuesday, February 11, 2025, then today is also the day “The Amazing Spider-Man” Omnibus Volume 6 comes out! With that in mind, I thought it would be cool to do a quick overview of some of the content that awaits you in this new tome. That said, let’s dive right in, in no particular order, to 10 reasons you should add this mighty collection to your shelf…

 

Kingpin Retires

 

 

Did anyone really buy that Kingpin, one of the most popular villains at Marvel, would really stay retired from crime? No, but he did intend to stay retired. In fact, this story led into the later Frank Miller run on Daredevil, where Fisk begins the run, still retired, until links to his criminal past draw him back into the New York City underworld. Following this 2-part story in “The Amazing Spider-Man” #s 196-197, the Kingpin eventually, as I said, reappeared in Daredevil’s book, where he would go on to become one of Hornhead’s top foes. As a result, while he did later reappear in Spider-Man comics, it was never quite the same for these two enemies following this fight.

 

Big Wheel

 

 

One of Spider-Man’s greatest, deadliest foes, the Big Wheel, first appears in “The Amazing Spider-Man” #s 182-183. And no, in case you’re wondering, I couldn’t type that with a straight face. Seriously, though, one of the silliest Spidey villains of all time, perhaps, one of the silliest villains of all time (period), first appears here. He’s so bad, he’s good; one of those types. Jackson Weele, with some help from the Tinkerer (though I have no doubts that the Tinkerer distances himself from this), rides around in a giant, weaponized wheel, and is so cool, that he seemingly dies in his first battle with Spider-Man when he sinks into the Hudson River (he’s later shown to still be alive). You have to read it to believe it!

 

Ross Andru Concludes His Stellar Run

 

 

In 1978, Ross Andru concluded his stunning 5 year “Amazing Spider-Man” run! I previously did an article that featured some of the many landmarks he included in his Spider-Man run’s battles, so be sure to check that out when you’re done reading this. Ross drew many key Spidey stories during his tenure, including the introduction of the Punisher, the original Clone Saga, and Harry’s start as the Green Goblin, among many others. So, it’s only fitting that Mr. Andru would end his time on the book with…

 

Peter Parker Graduating College (Kind of…)

 

 

Quite a fitting way for Ross Andru to exit the book, no? It may have taken over ten years in real time, but Peter Parker was finally going to conclude his undergrad studies in “The Amazing Spider-Man” #185… And then, the Parker Luck reared it’s ugly head! I won’t spoil what happens, but this does set the status quo for Spider-Man for the next few decades, so it can’t be overstated how important this issue is for Peter.

 

Enter: Keith Pollard

 

 

With Ross Andru’s departure, Keith Pollard became the book’s new regular artist from 1978-1981, which included issue #s 186-205 and the 15^th Annual issue. While he drew Spidey in a classic Marvel style evocative of John Romita, Sr (as did most artists back during this time), Pollard was able to shine through and give the character several features that let you know who was drawing the book, thanks to unique way he drew the legs on the chest emblem spider, and the way he drew the thin points atop a thick, black layer around the outside of the mask’s eye lenses. Keith did a great job, and his work is certainly worth checking out!

 

The Death of Spencer Smythe

 

 

He may have started out as a goofy scientist, but with each subsequent defeat, Spencer Smythe appeared to slip further into madness, which culminated in a final battle shown in “The Amazing Spider-Man” #s 191-192. Poisoned by radioactive materials used in the construction of his Spider-Slayers, Spencer joins J. Jonah Jameson and Spider-Man together at the wrists with a bomb, which was a plot beat that the 90’s animated series used early in its run (although it was Alistair using the bomb in the cartoon). This story changes the Spider-Slayer stories forever, with Spencer’s son, Alistair, continuing the legacy some years later.

 

Peter Parker Proposes to Mary Jane Watson (Take One)

 

 

While Mary Jane Watson eventually did tie the knot with Peter Parker (before it got untied), a previous proposal for marriage (In “The Amazing Spider-Man” #s 182-183) resulted in Mary Jane Watson turning Peter down, saying she wasn’t ready to be tied down. This story led to MJ leaving the books for a while before returning during the Roger Stern run. While Peter and MJ would eventually get back together after the failure of his first proposal, her saying no opened the door for other love interests to enter Peter’s life for a time, including a very important one that we’ll get to later on in this list…

 

Aunt May “Dies”

 

 

What, you didn’t think her first “death” happened during the 90’s “Clone Saga”, did you? In one of Mysterio’s best schemes, the Master of Illusion fakes May’s death under the alias of Dr. Ludwig Rinehart (an alias he used waaaaaay back in “The Amazing Spider-Man” #24), which he does in order to try and get Aunt May to reveal the location of a treasure once hidden in her home in Queens. May seemingly dies in issue #198, for those of you that were curious, and it all leads into the big bicentennial issue, which features…

 

The Death of the Burglar

 

 

After a mysterious man is shown agreeing to rent Aunt May’s home in issue #170, this plot thread is picked back up again in issue #193, when it’s revealed that the Burglar had been paroled, renting Aunt May’s home in hopes of finding Dutch Mallone’s hidden treasure. The Burglar enlists Mysterio’s help in getting the treasure, which all leads to a final confrontation with Spider-Man in issue #200! I won’t tell you how the Burglar meets his end here, but feel free to look up a past article I did on the Burglar which details his final battle with Spider-Man in greater detail. If you’ve never read this story before, you owe it to yourself to check this out.

 

The Black Cat Crosses Our Path

 

 

The Black Cat makes her debut in “The Amazing Spider-Man” #194. Originally intended as a villain in the Spider-Woman comic of the time, this Marv Wolfman and Dave Cockrum co-creation eventually made her way to Spidey’s book in 1979. While it took a few years for her to become one of the most important loves in Spider-Man’s life, she initially started out as a villainess to bedevil ol’ Web-Head. It was this take on her that led to her villainous depiction in the 1981 cartoon simply titled “Spider-Man”. Any fans of the Black Cat, or Spider-Man in general, should definitely look into this early yarn.

 

And with that, I urge you to check “The Amazing Spider-Man” Omnibus Vol. 6 out. However, if you’d like a cheaper alternative with the majority of these stories included, you can wait until the 25^th of this month when the Epic Collection entitled “Nine Lives Has the Black Cat” hits (Volume 11, in case that’s how you like to keep track of these).

 

Will you guys be picking up either of these books? Do you have a favorite story, or thoughts in general on this era of Spider-Man comics? Let me know in the comments section below!