Doctor Octopus

Gang War with Hammerhead - Amazing Spider-Man #112-#115

by John Romita, 1972

Dr. Octopus gets into a gang war with Hammerhead for control over New York City's underworld.

The gang war starts slow with Octopus' and Hammerhead's henchmen harassing each other low-level criminals in New York. However, when Spider-Man gets involved (while searching for his missing Aunt May), Dr. Octopus goes to confront the web-slinger directly. In a short battle, Doc Oct manages to unmask Spider-Man but fails to get a good look at Spider-Man's face because of webbing gumming up his goggles. The web-slinger escapes.

Later, Hammerhead's men lure Dr. Octopus to a nightclub and into a trap. However, Octopus easily overpowers the three armed thugs inside.

Again, Doctor Octopus catches Spider-Man snooping around his turf. This time, however, the battle goes Spider-Man's way and he manages to overpower and subdue Dr. Octopus. Hammerhead shows up at the fight scene, and in the chaos, Dr. Octopus manages to escape back to his Westchester Estate where Aunt May is acting as his housekeeper. Unknown to Doc Oct, one of Hammerhead's men has tracked him to the hideout and radioed his location to Hammerhead and his crew.

While Hammerhead smashes in the front door, Spider-Man sneaks into Dr. Octopus' hideout from the roof. While Dr. Octopus deals with Hammerhead's home invasion, Aunt May, remarkably, gets the drop on Spider-Man and knocks him out by smashing a vase across his head. Octopus finally flees from Hammerhead and his men again, and goes to gather Aunt May before making his escape. Again, Octopus is confronted by Spider-Man, and this time Spider-Man loses his temper. Spider-Man beats Dr. Octopus senseless, but Aunt May comes to Dr. Octopus defense by picking up and firing a handgun - narrowly missing Spider-Man. Spider-Man flees, but the police arrive in time to take Dr. Octopus into custody. Despite the events of the day, Aunt May agrees to stay and continue on as Octopus' housekeeper.