The Amazing Spider-Man #71
Amazing Spider-Man #71 closes the 'Petrified Tablet' storyline — one of the earliest sustained multi-issue arcs in Silver Age Marvel — that ran from issue #68, showcasing a level of serialized continuity that was genuinely rare for late-1960s superhero comics. The issue also marks the first time Joe Robertson steps up as acting editor of the Daily Bugle (with J. Jonah Jameson hospitalized), a storytelling development that highlights Robertson's growing importance as a moral counterweight in the Spider-Man supporting cast. It delivers the first full appearance of Martha Robertson, wife of Robbie, and the first-ever meeting between Spider-Man and Quicksilver — two characters whose shared Marvel universe had largely kept them apart. All of these threads are woven into a single 20-page Stan Lee/John Romita Sr. package that demonstrates how densely plotted the Lee–Romita run had become by early 1969.
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The issue was plotted by John Romita Sr. and scripted by Stan Lee, with Romita providing layouts and Jim Mooney finishing the pencils and inks — the collaborative division of labor that had become standard on the title by this period. It was published with a cover date of April 1969 and a cover price of 12¢. The story flows directly out of the preceding three-issue Kingpin/tablet arc (ASM #68–70), resolving Peter's exoneration subplot before pivoting to an impromptu fight with Quicksilver, whose motivation is drawn from continuity established in Avengers #53 (June 1968). The Bullpen Bulletins page in this issue reflects the energetic cross-title chatter typical of the Lee-edited Marvel line of the era.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Published April 1969 by Marvel Comics; cover price 12¢; story titled 'And Now… Quicksilver!' / 'The Speedster and the Spider!'
- Written (script) by Stan Lee, plotted by John Romita Sr., with art by John Romita Sr. (layouts) and Jim Mooney (finishes/inks); cover by John Romita Sr.; lettered by Sam Rosen.
- First full appearance of Martha Robertson, wife of Daily Bugle editor Joe 'Robbie' Robertson (she appeared only in a photograph in ASM #68; this is her first in-person appearance).
- First meeting between Spider-Man and Quicksilver (Pietro Maximoff), who attacks the wall-crawler while trying to redeem himself after being forced to serve Magneto in Avengers #53.
- Concluding chapter of the 'Petrified Tablet' saga (ASM #68–71), described by comics historians as one of the first sustained long-form storylines in Silver Age Amazing Spider-Man; Kingpin appears only in photographs Peter sells to the Bugle.
- First time J. Jonah Jameson is hospitalized and first time Joe Robertson serves as acting editor-in-chief of the Daily Bugle — a pivotal character moment for Robbie as a moral center of the supporting cast.
- Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff) and Toad appear in flashback only, recounting events from Avengers #53; Edwin Jarvis has a cameo at Avengers Mansion.
- Reprinted in: Essential Spider-Man Vol. 4 (1996/2011, black & white); Marvel Masterworks: ASM Vol. 8 (2014); Spider-Man: The Lifeline Tablet Saga TPB (2017); Amazing Spider-Man Omnibus Vol. 3 (2017); Amazing Spider-Man Epic Collection Vol. 5: The Secret of the Petrified Tablet (2019); IDW John Romita's The Amazing Spider-Man Artist's Edition (2011) and Artisan Edition (2021).
Cast · 36 characters
Full credits
Full plot ⚠ may contain spoilers
▸ Reveal full plot — may contain spoilers
With Jonah down for the count, Robbie publishes Peter's pictures in the Bugle showing Kingpin, and not Spider-Man, to be the real crook in the case of the golden tablet. Trying to redeem himself after his recent career with Magneto, Quicksilver decides to bring in the menace known as Spider-Man but discovers he isn't the villain the Bugle has painted him to be.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).
