Hit Comics #17
Hit Comics #17 is the German-language debut of the Rhino (Aleksei Sytsevich), one of Spider-Man's most enduring physical antagonists, making it the first time West German readers encountered this villain in their native tongue. Published by BSV Bildschriftenverlag in 1967 as part of the pioneering Hit Comics run—the first ongoing Marvel reprint series in the German-speaking world—this issue carried Amazing Spider-Man #41 (October 1966) to an entirely new continent within months of its American on-sale date. Beyond the villain introduction, the issue also captures a pivotal moment in the John Romita Sr. era: the quiet but charged scene at Empire State University where Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy begin to truly notice each other, foreshadowing the romance that would define a generation of Spider-Man stories.
In "Die Hörner des Nashorns," Spider-Man faces off against a bizarre threat when a rhinoceros-like creature attempts to abduct John Jameson, targeting his knowledge of America's space program. With dynamic art by John Romita and Bill Ward, and inks by M. Demeo and John Romita, this 1967 issue delivers a tense, action-packed showdown. The cover, penciled by Romita and inked by Mike Esposito and Romita, captures the moment of high-stakes confrontation.
In "Die Hörner des Nashorns," the Rhino targets John Jameson in a high-stakes kidnapping attempt, aiming to hand him over to foreign powers eager for secrets tied to America’s space program. Spider-Man springs into action, racing against time to stop the beast before it’s too late.
In "Sie wohnen in den Tiefen," the Hulk is dragged into the hidden realm of Tyrannus, a once-mighty ruler now weakened by exile from the Fountain of Youth. With his allies Rick, Betty, and Glenn held captive, the aging tyrant pleads for the Jade Giant’s help to reclaim his power—only for the Mole Man to strike with his fearsome Octo-Sapien robot. The battle erupts in chaos, leading to a shocking plunge into the Fountain itself, where transformation awaits.
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We Buy Collections ▸History
BSV (Bildschriftenverlag), based in Aachen, launched the Hit Comics anthology series in 1966 as the first regular home for Marvel characters in German, operating under a licensing arrangement that brought Stan Lee and John Romita Sr.'s stories to West Germany with a very short lag time. The publisher became affiliated with DC/National in 1966 and was later renamed Williams Verlag in 1972 after Warner Communications acquired DC. Hit Comics #17 reprints Amazing Spider-Man #41—a book that was itself produced under deadline pressure, with John Romita noting in a 1966 fanzine interview that artist Bill Ward pencilled several pages to help meet the schedule. The German edition carried the translated title 'Die Spinne' (The Spider) for the wall-crawler and 'Nashorn' (Rhinoceros) for the new villain.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Reprints Amazing Spider-Man #41 (cover-dated October 1966, on sale July 7, 1966), the first appearance of the Rhino (Aleksei Sytsevich), created by Stan Lee and John Romita Sr.
- This is the German-language debut of the Rhino character, here translated as 'Nashorn' (German for rhinoceros).
- The Rhino's origin story in ASM #41: a Russian criminal voluntarily undergoes experimental procedures that bond a super-strong polymer to his skin, then is hired to kidnap astronaut John Jameson to sell U.S. space-program secrets to a foreign power.
- Also features the college campus scene where Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy meaningfully acknowledge each other for the first time, with Peter's thoughts shifting away from Betty Brant—an early seed of the Lee/Romita-era romance.
- The issue also carries a second story featuring the Hulk ('Halk' in German) and the Mole Man ('Der Maulwurf'), with Bruce Banner and Harvey Elder among the indexed characters, consistent with a contemporary Tales to Astonish Hulk backup.
- Published by BSV Bildschriftenverlag (Aachen) as part of the Hit Comics anthology series (1966 series), the first ongoing Marvel reprint vehicle for the German-speaking market.
- ASM #41's creative team: script by Stan Lee, pencils primarily by John Romita Sr. (with Bill Ward assisting on several pages due to deadline pressure, per Romita's own 1966 fanzine interview), inks by Mike Esposito.
- BSV began as Verlag Internationale Klassiker, became Bildschriftenverlag, and was affiliated with DC/National from 1966; the imprint was renamed Williams Verlag in 1972 following Warner's purchase of DC.
Cast · 17 characters
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Reprints
↩ Reprints Tales to Astonish #80 (1966), The Amazing Spider-Man #41 (1966)
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