The Amazing Spider-Man #182
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeAmazing Spider-Man #182 holds a firm place in the Peter Parker–Mary Jane Watson love story as the issue in which Peter, hiding an engagement ring inside a Cracker Jack box, proposes marriage to MJ for the first time — a cliffhanger left unresolved until the following issue, when she declines. That suspended moment of romantic vulnerability gave the relationship a new, more serious emotional weight that would echo through the Spider-Man mythos for decades, culminating in a second proposal (ASM #291) and eventual wedding (ASM Annual #21). The issue also marks Marv Wolfman's effective debut as the new regular writer on the title, initiating a run that would later introduce the Black Cat and other enduring additions to Spidey's world. As a Bronze Age character study wrapped inside a Rocket Racer caper, it demonstrates the era's habit of threading genuine personal drama through otherwise street-level action plots.
In "The Rocket Racer's Back In Town!", Peter Parker faces a pivotal moment as the mysterious Rocket Racer returns to New York, threatening to destroy businessman Jackson Weele unless he surrenders everything. With the stakes higher than ever, Spider-Man races to uncover the secret behind the villain’s sudden resurgence—and the truth behind his identity—while grappling with a decision that could change everything. Written by Marv Wolfman and brought to life with dynamic art by Ross Andru and Mike Esposito, the cover by Andru and Esposito captures the tension perfectly.
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We Buy Collections ▸History
Marv Wolfman succeeded Len Wein as the regular writer of Amazing Spider-Man, stepping in directly after a transitional origin-recap issue (#181); this issue — #182 — was his true creative debut on the series. Wolfman served simultaneously as writer and editor, a common Marvel arrangement of the period, working alongside veteran Spider-Man artist Ross Andru (on breakdowns) and inker Mike Esposito, a pairing that had defined the visual identity of the title through much of the mid-1970s. The issue went on sale April 11, 1978, carrying a July 1978 cover date, situating it squarely in the heart of Marvel's Bronze Age output under Editor-in-Chief Jim Shooter.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Peter Parker proposes to Mary Jane Watson for the first time, hiding an engagement ring inside a Cracker Jack box — she does not answer until Amazing Spider-Man #183, when she declines.
- First appearance of Jackson Weele (Earth-616), the corrupt businessman who will become the villain Big Wheel in the very next issue (#183).
- Written by Marv Wolfman (also serving as editor) — his first issue as regular writer on Amazing Spider-Man, succeeding Len Wein.
- Art by Ross Andru (pencil breakdowns) and Mike Esposito (finished inks), with lettering by John Costanza and colors by Glynis Oliver; Ross Andru also contributed the cover (with Esposito inks).
- Story title: 'The Rocket Racer's Back in Town!' — part one of a two-issue arc also featuring the second appearance of the Rocket Racer (Robert Farrell).
- On-sale date: April 11, 1978; cover-dated July 1978; published under the Marvel Comics Group imprint with Jim Shooter as Editor-in-Chief.
- Reprinted in at least eight international editions (Australian, German, Greek, British, Italian, Spanish, and Mexican markets) and collected in the Amazing Spider-Man Epic Collection Vol. 10 — Big Apple Battleground (2024).
- Mary Jane would ultimately accept a second proposal from Peter in Amazing Spider-Man #291 (1987), leading to their marriage in Amazing Spider-Man Annual #21 (1987); Jackson Weele's alter ego Big Wheel later appeared in the Spider-Man: The Animated Series episode 'Rocket Racer,' voiced by Michael Des Barres.
Full credits
Reprints
Reprinted in Edderkoppen #2/1979 (1979), Spindelmannen #2/1979 (1979), The Spectacular Spider-Man Weekly / Spider-Man Comic #338 (1979), L'Uomo Ragno [Collana Super-Eroi] #266 (1980), Strange #135 (1981), Spiderman #4 (1983), El Hombre Araña / El Asombroso Hombre Araña #178 (1983), Marvel Masterworks: The Amazing Spider-Man #18 (2016), The Amazing Spider-Man Omnibus #6 (2024), Amazing Spider-Man Epic Collection #10 (2024), Aventuras do Homem Aranha [Spider-man] #27, Die Spinne #33, Σπάιντερ Μαν [Spider-Man] #94, The Amazing Spider-Man #182
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