Talking about first comics on social media today got me feeling nostalgic for this issue. This was my first issue of Amazing Spider-Man, #192. I was hooked. A powerful story by Marv Wolfman, lots of action and adventure, and beautiful art by Keith Pollard and Jim Mooney. This book made me a comic book fan. It was fun reminiscing over these images from the issue.
About Amazing Spider-Man #192:
"24 Hours till Doomsday!"
Spider-Man and J. Jonah Jameson are shackled to a bomb together by Spencer Smythe, this bomb is primed to go off in 24 hours. Smythe, who is dying gloats that he will destroy the two men he figures destroyed his life. Spider-Man, not wishing to be blown up leaves the scene when he can't convince Smythe to disarm the bomb.
While in the city, the Fly has returned to New York in order to commit a crime involving an Egyptian delegation. At the Daily Bugle, Robbie Robertson tries to get a hold of Peter Parker after hiring him for an assignment after Jonah fired him, and hopes he hasn't made a mistake. However, Peter won't be taking and snapshots of an Egyptian display anytime soon, because he is too busy trying to get across the city with J. Jonah Jameson strapped to his arm, and Jonah being uncooperative and trying to unmask Spider-Man.
Spider-Man takes Jameson to Curt Connors to see if his old ally can help them, however, the police spot Spider-Man and Jameson entering through a window and burst into Connor's lab to investigate just as Connors is examining the device. While the police have a bomb squad investigate the bomb that Spider-Man and Jameson are strapped to, the Fly attacks an Egyptian delegate in order to steal his invitation to a King Tut.
When Blake Tower decides that Spider-Man and Jameson should be taken somewhere safe, Spidey refuses to accept letting Smythe win and escapes with Jameson. Meanwhile, Betty Brant is trying to gather Peter's friends together to be on hand when Peter gets his diploma and even calls Mary Jane. MJ misses the call by moments as she leaves her apartment to go and meet up with Peter for a scheduled date.
As Spider-Man and Jameson bound across the city to try and find a way to free themselves, they are spotted and attacked by the Fly. Because Spider-Man is shackled to Jameson, and more concerned about the newspaper editor's safety, the Fly makes short work of the wall-crawler and tosses him off a building. Spider-Man manages to lessen their fall and uses his body to blunt the impact with the ground, knocking Spider-Man out, and leaving Jameson an opening to unmask his longtime foe.
Meanwhile, Mary Jane grows impatient of waiting for Peter to show up for his date, and calls another date, deciding that Peter has had his final chance with her.
When Spider-Man has revived, he finds that Jameson had dragged the wall-crawler back to Connor's lab. There Connors tells them that he cannot disarm the bomb. Suddenly, Spider-Man realizes that there might be a way to stop the bomb back at Smyth's hideout and so with 4 hours to spare, they cross town to get there. They arrive to find that Smythe had died due to his terminal illness, however, a video of his final moments begins to play mocking their final fate and boasting over his posthumous victory.
With a moment to spare, Jameson begs Spider-Man to save his life, and the wall-crawler deduces that there must be some central control computer for the bomb if Smythe could track their progress. He finds the computer and deduces that if he could freeze it, it would stop the bomb. Finding John Jameson's discarded cryogenic container in the room, Spider-Man uses it's freezing gasses to freeze the computer into inoperation. This causes the shackles to release freeing them. With a few seconds left, Spider-Man tosses the bomb out the nearest window where it goes off harmlessly.
Finally free, and having cheated death, J. Jonah Jameson goes from being a coward begging Spider-Man for help to berating the wall-crawler and accusing him of his involvement in the whole plot. Spider-Man, fed up with dealing with Jameson for one day jumps out the window and escapes, leaving the emotionally unstable Jameson to lament over the fact that he hates Spider-Man for making him feel inferior.
What was your first comic?
Bobby
