The Amazing Spider-Man #38
In "Just a Guy Named Joe!", a desperate Joe Smith—just an average man with big dreams—takes a bizarre turn when a lab accident transforms him into a violent, robotic menace. Meanwhile, Spider-Man faces a new wave of threats as Norman Osborn offers a bounty for his capture, and Peter Parker narrowly avoids a chance encounter with Mary Jane. Written by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, with art and inks by Ditko and colors by Stan Goldberg, this 1966 classic blends sci-fi absurdity with the web-slinger’s signature struggles—on a 12-cent cover by Steve Ditko.
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Average Joe, Joe Smith, fails at being a fighter and tries his hand at acting. Dressed up as a robotic monster, he is zapped with electricity and chemicals which causes him to go on a violent spree against those who doubted his abilities. Meanwhile, Norman Osborn puts a price on Spider-Man’s head and our hero is plagued with goons trying to bump him off. Pete narrowly misses meeting Mary Jane.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).
