Appearing in ""Preeeeeesenting...the Clown, and his Masters of Menace!""
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Villains:
- Masters of Menace
- ⏴ Ringmaster (Maynard Tiboldt) ⏵
- Princess Python ⏵ (First appearance)
- Precious (Princess Python's snake) (First appearance)
- ⏴ Clown ⏵
- ⏴ Human Cannonball ⏵
- ⏴ Great Gambonnos ⏵
Other Characters:
- Mrs. Van der Twilliger (First appearance)
- New York policemen
Locations:
- United States of America
- New York City, New York
- Manhattan
- West 22nd Street (First appearance)
- Circus of Crime Hide-Out
- Madison Ave. Art Exhibit
- Forest Hills, Queens
- Manhattan
- New York City, New York
Items:
- Spider-Man's Suit
- Spider-Man's Web-Shooters
- Spider-Man's Spider-Signal
- Spider-Tracer
- Ringmaster's Hat
Vehicles:
- None
Synopsis for ""Preeeeeesenting...the Clown, and his Masters of Menace!""
Spider-Man pays a visit to the Ringmaster and his cronies giving them a warning and subtly placing a Spider-Tracer on the Ringmaster's hat before leaving. Seeing their current trick no longer works, the gang decides to give Ringmaster the heave-ho and elect the Clown as their new leader. Meanwhile, Betty Brant invites Peter to join her at an art exhibit that J. Jonah Jameson is sponsoring. Outside though, the Clown and his cronies are breaking in to rob the place, using the Cannonball to break down a door and the Clown distracting the art exhibit visitors. Peter recognizes the Clown from the Ringmaster's gang and Jameson sees Cannonball stealing a picture off the wall. While trying to stop the theft, Jameson gets knocked out cold by a headbutt from Cannonball. Spider-Man, not knowing the split-up of the gang, follows his Spider-Tracer to the Ringmaster to see him leaving a police station as an innocent man, but uses the Ringmaster's hat to hypnotize him and find out where the real crooks are. Yet, as the newly-named Masters of Menace celebrate their heist, Spider-Man finds them and while kept off balance manages to fight them all off. One of the members, Princess Python runs away and Spider-Man tries to be a gentleman, not fighting a woman and instead pleads with her to surrender. While Spider-Man is knocked into her snake pit, the Ringmaster decides to get revenge and knocks the Clown out cold making his way out with the treasure. The Ringmaster is caught red-handed with paintings and the rest of the gang (including Princess Python) is rounded up by the police.
Notes
- This issue contains a letters page, The Spider's Web. Letters are published from Robert Bell, Kenneth S. Gallagher, David H. Fenimore, Ronald R. Matthies, Bob Sanker, Tip Daniels, Steve Chapman, George L. Handler, Wendy Bell, Howard Kurtz & Randall Eisenstein, and Timothy Scott.
- The letters page also contains the Mighty Marvel Checklist and a Special Announcement Section.
- This issue is reprinted in Marvel Tales #17 as well as Essential Spider-Man #1.
- Credits:
- Written by: Stan Lee
- Illustrated by: Steve Ditko
- LETTERED BY: ARTIE SIMEK
- We let Artie do this occasionally! It's cheaper than giving him a raise!
- References: Amazing Spider-Man #16 and Amazing Spider-Man #21
Trivia
- Peter Parker is seen reading a paper about chemical discoveries by Dr. Henry Pym, also known as Giant-Man.
