Mysterio

Amazing Spider-Man #14

by Steve Ditko, 1965

After his last defeat, Mysterio "wanted revenge on Spider-Man for years" - not sure how years are possible since it has only been 11 issues since he first appeared in Spider-Man comics.

He realized the Spider-Man was too strong to to fight man-to-man, but Mysterio thought he could defeat Spider-Man by making Spider-Man doubt his own sanity and lose confidence in himself. When Jameson's started publishing man-on-the-street style "what do you think of Spider-Man?" editorials, Mysterio realized that the time was right and put his plan into motion.

He posed as 'Dr. Rinehart', a famed, European psychologist, and met with Jameson to offer his "professional opinion" that Spider-Man was on the verge of a breakdown. Jameson naturally published these offerings causing Peter to question whether being Spider-Man was mentally healthy or not. When Spider-Man approached the Daily Bugle offices (to get more information about this Dr. Rinehart, Mysterio observed him from a nearby rooftop. Mysterio activated some pre-programmed holograms of Spider-Man's foes - Dr. Octopus, Sandman, and the Vulture - making Spider-Man think he was hallucinating and having a breakdown.

Later, when Spider-Man came to Dr. Rinehart's home, Mysterio used more holograms and other tricks like rotating rooms to further convince that he was having a nervous breakdown. Right when Spider-Man was about to reveal his secret identity to 'Dr. Rinehart', Jonah burst into the office exposing Dr. Rinehart as a crook and a fraud. Exposed, Mysterio tried to flee but was easily captured and unmasked by Spider-Man.