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For the first time, Spider-Man encounters Electro in the comic book Amazing Spider-Man 9. The villain Electro uses (you guessed it) electricity as a weapon in order to rob banks and armored trucks. Spider-Man, aka Peter Parker, needs to discover a way to out-wit his enemy in this classic issue.
Amazing Spider-man 9 is not like many of the past issues. We get to see a new side of Peter Parker that we haven’t seen before. Although we have sides of his personal life before, we begin to see much deeper emotional aspects. His aunt May is sick and bedridden, and the comic is no longer solely focused on him clobbering bad guys.
The inspiration behind Marvel’s original Electro has similarities to the New York World’s Fair exhibit. At the fair, the Westinghouse Electric Corporation showcased Elektro, a remarkable robot that captivated audiences. Elektro was not only a walking and talking machine but also served as a promotional tool, highlighting the extraordinary capabilities of electrical power and representing the marvels of modern technology. Marvel’s first iteration of the character, which made its debut in Marvel Mystery Comics #4 in 1939, was actually quite different from the one we know today. Rather than being a superhuman with electrical abilities, this early version was depicted as a remote-controlled robot. This robotic version of Electro could possibly have been inspired by Westinghouse’s Elektro, emphasizing the mechanical aspect rather than the awe-inspiring abilities related to electricity.
However, it is worth noting that around the same time, rival comic company Fox Features Syndicate introduced their own character named Electro in the debut issue of Science Comics. This iteration of Electro exhibited powers and abilities that aligned more closely with our conventional understanding of the character. In fact, Science Comics #1’s Electro possessed an unrivaled mastery over electricity, akin to Magneto’s complete control over magnetism.
Marvel’s original Electro debuted just two weeks before Science Comics #1, stealing the spotlight and overshadowing the competing version of the character. To avoid confusion and differentiate their respective characters, Marvel and Victor Fox likely reached a mutual agreement. As a result, Fox’s character was renamed Dynamo starting from Science Comics #2, allowing Marvel’s Electro to maintain its uniqueness and separate identity within the comic book world.
Something else that I noticed in Amazing Spider-Man 9 is that Steve Ditko’s art had been improving. If you were to compare it to earlier issues, you would see that his art work has not always been very good. But now his figures are crisp, his women are pretty, and his poses are dynamic. I have begun to see why Steve Ditko had become such a popular artist. If you are a hardcore fan of Spider-Man, you have probably heard of Electro. For this reason alone, you know the significance of this story and the issue. Locating a copy of Amazing Spider-Man can be hard to come by (Affiliate Link).
Electro proved popular enough to be featured in other media, such as Amazing Spider-Man 2 from 2014, and video games like Spider-Man vs The Kingpin. The appeal of this character is clear, since controlling electricity is quite an appealing ability to have. His name sounds similar to Pyro, an enemy of The X-Men who can manipulate fire.
It’s always shocking to see Spider-Man fighting against a villain that can wield electricity as a weapon. You could say that Electro really amps up the danger factor for our friendly neighborhood hero. But I suppose you could also joke that Spider-Man is really “conducting” himself well in these situations. Either way, it’s clear that Electro poses a unique challenge for Peter Parker, and it will take more than just his wit and web-slinging to come out on top. As Spider-Man faces off against Electro, he must be careful not to get too “charged up” in the fight. After all, he doesn’t want to get electrocuted and end up with a shocking defeat. Despite the danger, our hero manages to stay grounded and focused on his mission. But with Electro’s electric blasts flying left and right, it’s clear that Spider-Man will need to keep his wits about him to come out on top.