Spider-Week Retro Review: The Amazing Spider-Man 1964 Annual
In The Amazing Spider-Man Annual (1964) #1 by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko (“possibly the most talked-about team in comics today”), with lettering by S. Rosen, readers are treated to the introduction of one of the most important teams to ever appear in the panels of a comic book: the Sinister Six!
Photo Credit: Marvel Unlimited.
This malignant bunch of malcontents are sick of that jerk Spider-Man pushing them around, so they’ve joined forces to kidnap Betty Brant (who works at the Daily Bugle) and Aunt May. Worse still, Spidey has lost his powers… he can’t defeat one foe, let alone six of them! How will our hero make it out of this one?
The Sinister Six
Photo Credit: Marvel Unlimited.
Back when Spider-Man: No Way Home was first announced (and before we had any idea that’s what the movie would be called), we started hearing rumors that villains from past movies would be appearing. As soon as I heard that, I wondered if we would get an interdimensional Sinister Six!
Photo Credit: Marvel Unlimited.
Now, we know that villains from previous Spidey movies will indeed play an antagonistic role in the highly anticipated threequel, which arrives in theaters on Friday, December 17th, 2021. But to prepare for that incredible event, I had to return to the source: the comics!
Photo Credit: Marvel Unlimited.
The Amazing Spider-Man Annual (1964) #1 is the issue that first introduced this voluptuously villainous team! This issue featured a story that ran to forty-one pages, and saw Spidey having to face off against the Sinister Six in order to save Betty and May… However, he had lost his powers!
This subplot reminded me of Spider-Man 2, and I don’t think we’ll see Peter losing his abilities in No Way Home.
Photo Credit: Marvel Unlimited.
But I do think we’ll see him fighting the Sinister Six! In this issue, each of the six villains get a special full-page splash, in which they each get to battle with Spidey one-on-one.
Photo Credit: Marvel Unlimited.
And I also appreciated the back matter in this book, which included an awesome rogue’s gallery, and short bonus comics that shared information about Parker’s friends, powers, and home address!
Spider-Man Annual (1964) #1
Photo Credit: Marvel Unlimited.
If you want to read The Amazing Spider-Man Annual (1964) #1, you can do so right now on Marvel Unlimited.
Who do you think the sixth member of the Sinister Six will prove to be in No Way Home? We’re waiting to hear from you, Marvel Blog True Believers!
