Electro went through the 60s alternating between good fights against Spider-Man and pathetic ones against Daredevil. How will the 70s start?
The Amazing Spider-Man #82 (1970)
by Stan Lee & John Romita
cover by Marie Severin
Despite being a 1964 character, this is only the SECOND time Electro gets a solo issue of Spider-Man.
In fact, Spider-Man thinks so rarely about Electro that he doesn’t even recognize him without the costume.
The reason for Electro to come out of supervillain retirement is that he believes J. Jonah Jameson will pay whoever unmasks Spider-Man on live television.
I still don’t quite get HOW electro flies.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone being bullied into giving out a bounty.
Once again I must repeat that the Spider-Man issues are not the main part of this retrospective, so I’m skipping most of this one. It does feature a fight in a TV studio, so that’s something.
Up to this point the main methods of defeating Electro have been:
A) water
B) curtains
C) his feet (???)
Historical significance: 6/10
Not for Electro, but it is slightly important for the soap-opera side of the series.It’s also the last time Stan Lee writes Electro, leading me to believe he didn’t really care all that much about the character considering how rarely he used him.
Silver Age-ness: 6/10
Does it stand the test of time? N/A
Once again no real score, but it’s still Lee & Romita. It SHOULD be required reading for any superhero fan.
Daredevil #87 (1972)
by Gerry Conway & Gene Colancove
r by John Buscema
Electro’s second-ever appearance was the second-ever Daredevil story.
The second time Electro fought Spider-Man it was his first annual; the second time he fought Daredevil it was his first Annual.
So where ELSE could Electro show up next?
This is the issue where Daredevil moves to San Francisco with Black Widow.
He won’t return to New York until #109 in 1974, and she will stay there even longer until #120.
Daredevil and Black Widow are totally just friends, if the Comics Code asks.
The San Francisco era of Daredevil is often overlooked. But it’s an important part of his past, although Gene Colan would probably make any place look as cool as you could imagine.
Daredevil and Black Widow are not the only ones to have moved.
For completely unrelated reasons, Electro is also there AND has switched to the worst costume he will probably ever wear.
It’s wild that Electro wants to DESTROY SAN FRANCISCO because Daredevil dropped a curtain on him 85 issues ago.
Daredevil’s senses are so keen that he can recognize Electro’s
wavelength.
So I guess he can smell electricity?
Once again: HOW IS ELECTRO MISSING???
Also, the fact that he’s not talking like Electro is not just because he has a new writer: it’s a plot point.
Electro… you can LITERALLY kill people with a touch, do you REALLY need to resort to punching?
The whole reason why Electro has gone nuts… is that he’s REALLY jealous of more successful supervillains.
Even if his abilities make no sense, even if he’s wearing the worst possible costume…
…everyone can look cool with Gene Colan artwork.
Daredevil #89 (1972)
by Gerry Conway & Gene Colan
cover by Sal Buscema
With an ending like that, it’s no surprise that Electro is back two issues later.
Electro is offered a partnership by Purple Man, but he doesn’t appreciate it.
Dude, maybe you’d be offered more jobs if you didn’t try to electrocute the messenger!!!
He’s still after the platonic friends in costume.
So Electro attacks them on some sort of… uhm… whatever this thing is supposed to be.
Things you can use to defeat Electro:
A) water
B) curtains
C) his feet
D) throwing something in his face really hard
And that’s the extent of Daredevil’s fight with Electro (!!!), since he then goes to fight Purple Man.
Not that Black Widow can’t handle Electro on her own.
Despite him vowing vengeance, I believe that to this day this is still the last time Electro has fought Black Widow.
Historical significance: 8/10
Daredevil moving to San Francisco will obviously change a lot of dynamics for him.
Plus, can you believe that him and Black Widow become *gasp* more than good friends?
Silver Age-ness: 2/10
Electro hamming it up because he’s jealous of more established supervillains is quite ridiculous considering how straight it’s played.
Does it stand the test of time? 8/10
Daredevil’s chemistry with Black Widow and of course the GORGEOUS Gene Colan artwork are what make this work.
Electro, on the other hand, is completely wasted and blatantly out of character the entire time.
At least he regains enough sanity to return to his classic costume.
Superheroes Electro has fought: 4
Spider-Man, Daredevil, Iceman (his one panel in the Fantastic Four Annual) and Black Widow.