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The Amazing Spider-Man #71 cover
Cover: John Romita

The Amazing Spider-Man #71

Apr 1969 · Marvel · 0.12 USD
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“The Speedster and the Spider!”
★ 1st appearance — Martha Robertson
About this Issue

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.

In "The Speedster and the Spider!", Quicksilver—still trying to make amends after his time with Magneto—steps in to capture the villain the Daily Bugle has dubbed Spider-Man, only to find the truth behind the headlines isn't what it seems. With Jonah Jameson out of commission and Robbie Robertson publishing photos that clear Spider-Man’s name, the real culprit behind the golden tablet case begins to surface. Written by Stan Lee and John Romita, with art by Johnny Romita and Jim Mooney, and a cover by John Romita, this 1969 classic blends high-speed action with a twist of redemption.

writer John Romita · writer Stan Lee · artist Johnny Romita · artist, inker Jim Mooney · letterer Sam Rosen · cover John Romita

ComicBooks.com Value

Our Model is In Beta
Raw (VG) $21
CGC 9.8 · 19 in census $4,003
CGC 9.6 · 50 in census $822
CGC 9.4 · 107 in census $480
CGC 9.2 · 116 in census $300
CGC 9.0 · 129 in census $198
CGC 8.5 · 170 in census $153
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CGC 8.0 · 126 in census $123
CGC 7.5 · 151 in census $99
CGC 7.0 · 147 in census $99
CGC 6.5 · 73 in census $71
CGC 6.0 · 83 in census $67
CGC 5.5 · 43 in census $55
CGC 5.0 · 61 in census $55
CGC 4.5 · 47 in census $55
CGC 4.0 · 34 in census $31*
CGC 3.5 · 13 in census $29*
CGC 3.0 · 12 in census $23*
CGC 2.5 · 3 in census $20*
CGC 2.0 · 2 in census $20
CGC 1.5 · 1 in census $20*
CGC 1.0 · 3 in census $20
CGC 0.5 · 1 in census $20*
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Our model’s value — refined as new sales data arrives · CGC census counts shown where available

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CGC 8 $290 1 listing CGC 7 $117 1 listing
Raw — VF/NM $3.99–$144 2 listings
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Raw — VG $40.99–$58 2 listings
Raw / ungraded $32.99–$130 7 listings
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History

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 · 24 characters

Full credits

writer Stan Lee
artist, inker Jim Mooney
letterer Sam Rosen
cover pencils, inks John Romita

Reprints

Reprinted in Marvelserien #31 (1969), El Sorprendente Hombre Araña #90 (1969), Hit Comics #108 (1969), L'étonnant Spider-Man #5 (1970), Sinister Tales #105 (1971), Spider-Man Comics Weekly #83 (1974), Strange #68 (1975), Die Spinne #72 (1976), El Hombre Araña / El Asombroso Hombre Araña #65 (1981), Stan Lee Presents the Marvel Comics Illustrated Version of Spider-Man His Greatest Team-Up Battles #[nn] (1981), Marvel-pocket #4/1985; 5 (1985), Une Aventure de l'Araignée #30 (1987), Spider-Man Comics Magazine #7 (1988), L'Uomo Ragno Classic #22 (1992), The Essential Spider-Man #4 (2000), Spiderman de John Romita #29 (2001), The Essential Spider-Man #4 [Third Edition] (2011), Artist's Editions #[nn] (2011), Marvel Masterworks: The Amazing Spider-Man #8 (2014), Spider-Man: The Lifeline Tablet Saga #[nn] (2017), The Amazing Spider-Man Omnibus #3 (2017), Amazing Spider-Man Epic Collection #5 (2020), Artisan Edition #[3] (2021), El Tony Extraordinario Suplemento [El Fabuloso Hombre Araña] #235 + 4 more

Key issues in The Amazing Spider-Man

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