The Amazing Spider-Man #135
Amazing Spider-Man #135 is the second full appearance of the Punisher — Frank Castle's first outing in which he is a genuine co-protagonist rather than an end-of-issue cameo — and the issue that delivered his earliest team-up with Spider-Man, firmly establishing the hero/anti-hero dynamic that would define Frank Castle for decades. The same issue reveals the complete origin of the Tarantula (Anton Miguel Rodriguez), a South American mercenary whose backstory writer Gerry Conway rooted in the real-world politics of early-1970s Latin America. On top of those villain milestones, the issue plants a critical seed in the Spider-Man mythos: Harry Osborn finding Peter Parker's spider-suit, a discovery that sets Harry on the road toward becoming the second Green Goblin — one of the most consequential subplots of Conway's entire run. Taken together, those three story threads make this a dense, pivotal Bronze Age chapter whose reverberations echoed through Spider-Man comics for years.
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The issue is Part 2 of a two-part story that began in Amazing Spider-Man #134 (July 1974), both scripted by Gerry Conway, who had taken over the title from Stan Lee at just nineteen years old and was already responsible for landmark events such as the death of Gwen Stacy in #121. Conway co-created the Punisher only six issues earlier in #129, and the character's quick return here — under editor Roy Thomas — signals how immediately popular Frank Castle proved with readers. Interior art was handled by penciler Ross Andru with inks by Frank Giacoia, while John Romita Sr. supplied the cover; the issue shipped in August 1974 with the cover-titled story 'Shoot-Out in Central Park!'
Trivia · 9 facts
- Second full appearance of the Punisher (Frank Castle); his prior appearance in ASM #134 is widely catalogued as a last-page cameo, making this his first extended story role after his debut in ASM #129.
- Second appearance of the Tarantula (Anton Miguel Rodriguez), whose full origin is revealed here: a South American revolutionary turned government enforcer turned mercenary.
- Harry Osborn discovers Peter Parker's Spider-Man costume in this issue, confirming his suspicion about Peter's double identity and directly setting up Harry's transformation into the second Green Goblin.
- Written by Gerry Conway (who co-created the Punisher), with pencils by Ross Andru, inks by Frank Giacoia, and a cover by John Romita Sr.; edited by Roy Thomas.
- The Punisher and Spider-Man team up for the first time here, after the Tarantula manipulates the Punisher into briefly fighting Spider-Man; the two then combine forces to take down the Tarantula at his safe house.
- Reprinted twice in Marvel Tales — issues #112 and #211.
- The letters page contains Marvel Value Stamp Series A #4 (The Thing, art by John Buscema and Joe Sinnott); a Mark Jeweler advertisement insert variant also exists.
- Flash Thompson grows suspicious of Peter Parker's double identity in this issue, an ongoing subplot Conway used to create pressure on Peter's secret.
- The Punisher's next appearance after this issue was Giant-Size Spider-Man #4.
Cast · 14 characters
Full credits
Full plot ⚠ may contain spoilers
▸ Reveal full plot — may contain spoilers
The Punisher interferes in Spider-Man’s battle with the Tarantula on a cruise ship, allowing the bad guy to get away. Spider-Man and the Punisher team up to track down and bring in Tarantula. Harry discovers that Peter Parker is Spider-Man.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).
