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Cover: John Romita

The Amazing Spider-Man #81

Name: The Amazing Spider-Man #81
Brand: Marvel
Availability: InStock

Feb 1970 · Marvel · 0.15 USD

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“The Coming of the Kangaroo!”

★ 1st appearance — Kangaroo

About this Issue

The Amazing Spider-Man #81 marks the first appearance and origin of the Kangaroo (Frank Oliver), an Australian criminal who honed his leaping ability by living among actual kangaroos before turning to crime in New York. Though the character sits firmly in the lower tier of Spider-Man's rogues' gallery — and was always used that way deliberately — his debut represents the early-Bronze-Age moment when the Lee-era title was experimenting with street-level, gimmick-themed antagonists alongside its more operatic cast of foes. The issue's plot device — Spider-Man forced to pull his punches because the villain unknowingly carries a vial of deadly bacteria — is an understated but clever constraint that shows Lee still finding fresh angles for wall-crawler action even as the creative team was in transition.

In "The Coming of the Kangaroo!", Peter Parker faces a rare moment of personal crisis when Aunt May, worried for his health, puts him to bed—only for him to sneak out to stop a fleeing criminal with a dangerous secret. The Kangaroo, evading federal agents, accidentally steals a vial of deadly bacteria, and Peter’s attempt to retrieve it leads to a tense confrontation that leaves Aunt May terrified upon discovering the web-slinger’s ruse. With art by John Buscema and Jim Mooney and a cover by John Romita, this 1970 issue captures a rare emotional weight in Spider-Man’s early years.

writer John Romita · writer Stan Lee · artist John Buscema · artist, inker Jim Mooney · letterer Artie Simek · cover John Romita

ComicBooks.com Value

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Raw (Fine) $37

CGC 9.8 · 32 in census $1,605

CGC 9.6 · 70 in census $448

CGC 9.4 · 108 in census $356

CGC 9.2 · 119 in census $160

CGC 9.0 · 121 in census $157

CGC 8.5 · 116 in census $127

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CGC 8.0 · 111 in census $123

CGC 7.5 · 86 in census $77

CGC 7.0 · 71 in census $77

CGC 6.5 · 57 in census $65

CGC 6.0 · 38 in census $61

CGC 5.5 · 29 in census $61

CGC 5.0 · 37 in census $56*

CGC 4.5 · 18 in census $48

CGC 4.0 · 19 in census $48*

CGC 3.5 · 6 in census $41

CGC 3.0 · 5 in census $36*

CGC 2.5 · 3 in census $27*

CGC 2.0 · 1 in census $24*

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History

By the time this issue went to press (released November 1969, cover-dated February 1970), John Romita Sr. had deliberately pulled back from interior penciling duties to manage his growing responsibilities as Marvel's de facto art director; for issues #76–81, he contributed only covers while John Buscema provided layouts that Jim Mooney then finished. The Marvel Fandom wiki credits the plot to Romita with script by Stan Lee under the standard Marvel Method — consistent with the documented practice in which Lee continued to rely on Romita's story instincts even when other pencillers handled the pages. The cover, one of Romita's last on this six-issue stretch before he returned to full interior duties, depicts the Kangaroo mid-leap against Spider-Man.

Trivia · 7 facts

First appearance and full origin story of the Kangaroo (Frank Oliver), an Australian who trained his body to mimic kangaroo locomotion and fled deportation to become a New York criminal.
Story title: 'The Coming of the Kangaroo!' — script by Stan Lee, plot by John Romita Sr., interior pencils/layouts by John Buscema, inks by Jim Mooney, cover by John Romita Sr., lettering by Sam Rosen.
The central story complication — Spider-Man deliberately restrains himself because Kangaroo unknowingly carries a vial of lethal experimental bacteria, the actual contents of which Kangaroo believes to be jewels — gives the fight a tactical dimension absent from a straight brawl.
John Romita Sr. was providing covers only for ASM #76–81 while transitioning toward a full-time Marvel art director role; this issue is the last of that six-issue stretch.
Iron Man (Tony Stark), Thor (Thor Odinson), Crimson Dynamo (Alex Nevsky), and Titanium Man (Boris Bullski) are indexed for this issue because of a 'Pick a Pair of Winners from Mighty Marvel!' house-advertisement page inside the issue spotlighting Iron Man #22 and Thor #172 — none of these characters appear in the main story.
The issue was reprinted in Marvel Tales #62 (October 1975), Spider-Man Comics Weekly #100 (Marvel UK, January 1975), Essential Spider-Man Vol. 4, and the Amazing Spider-Man Omnibus, among several international editions.
Frank Oliver's Kangaroo was eventually killed by radiation exposure in Amazing Spider-Man #126, and has since appeared in clone form during the 'Dead No More: The Clone Conspiracy' storyline; his non-speaking animated likeness appeared as a background figure on Asteroid M in X-Men: The Animated Series.