The question isn't "who is on first?" The real question should be "where's the scorecard? Why don't they have their names on the back of their jerseys?"

April 27, 2026 Gerry Conway, comic book writer, The Punisher, "Death of Gwen Stacey", age 73
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□ [“Trump and Melania Welcome Charles and Camilla at the White House"]

I will admit, I'm surprised.  I'd heard Charles would be coming over, I just didn't realize it was happening this quickly.  And right after the latest assassination attempt but before the next communist strike starts later this week.  That's some timing.

I would like to think this is a big deal, something to do with the globalist elites surrendering to Trump.  That would make a nice image, they had to come over here, Trump wasn't about to go see them.  Unfortunately it's probably something less important, my guess is Charles trying to get some business taken care of before he dies.

It's not a world tour where he's just stopping by, the whole point was to come out here and I'm guessing he won't be available on July 4th.  He'll spend a few days here, then head to Bermuda for a short stay, then go home.  Nothing remotely suspicious about that.  It's not like Trump could give him some orders and he gives them to his homies in the western Atlantic.

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□ [“Democrat Rep. Virtue Tweets ‘Concern’ Over WHCD Shooting, Reminded of Her Own Rhetoric"]

This will probably the biggest result of the attempted assassination.  A lot more people are going to have their own calls for violence brought up and more people are going to start searching social media posts for the same thing.  I pulled out this news headline as an example but there are others and that's just counting Congress.  There are teachers, actors, other famous people all urging violence against someone they don't like.  A brewery owner tweets that they'll give free beers when there's a successful assassination of Trump but it won't be today, darn it.

Even some leftists face some reaction from their own.  Bruce Springsteen had to give a speech on stage and say he was glad Trump wasn't hurt.  He was probably just reading a teleprompter, no clue that Bruce actually knew what he was saying, but someone in charge had decided this needed to be done.  Obama has made a public statement too although he only mentioned the Secret Service, nothing about the guy they're paid to protect.

They'll all be insisting 'nobody ever said anything like that!' about Trump being killed.  Point out actual quotes from these people and they'll say 'I wasn't aware of them saying this.'  Point out their own statements and it'll be 'you're taking that out of context!'  Basically it'll require highly-paid lawyers to be involved to get each leftist to say 'my statements may have been misunderstood and I am profoundly sorry for them.'  And then they'll keep going like they did before.  

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□ [“Wisconsin School District Cancels All May 1 Classes So Teachers Can Join ‘Day Without Immigrants’ Protests"]

Safe to assume they will be expecting their students to join them on this 'sudden day off.'  I also assume that at least some districts have a bit of sense and will tell their teachers to show up to work like they're supposed to.  You know, how are kids going to learn leftist propaganda if you aren't there?

This does show that the left really does assume they're already their own national government and we have to submit to their will.  It just seems so unnatural that there's really no clue how they got there or why.  But the kids are their property, no exceptions.  The illegal immigrants probably are too although some may bring some guidance on how to handle the property, maybe move it around to new locations.

Total guess but I don't think this Friday's strike will work out as well as the left thinks it will.  If the economy is so bad, you don't want to risk losing your job.  If Trump is such a tyrant, you've identified yourself as the enemy.  It's a bad movie if immigrants actually want to be part of this country and if they don't, they'd also be singled out as the enemy.  Considering the last year of protests have been old white people, I want to say this won't matter either.  There will probably be more teachers skipping work than in actual businesses.

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Marvel had started moving into multiple-part stories several months earlier with Fantastic Four #25-26.  Spider-Man #17 is also a multi-parter although it doesn't officially say so.  Storylines are carried through the next issue or two.  It opens with Peter thinking about the Green Goblin for no reason, then immediately cutting to the Goblin obsessed with destroying Spider-Man.  No reason is given this time, not even the brief mention of his global criminal syndicate that can only happen when Spidey is gone.  Because apparently the Avengers and the Fantastic Four are irrelevant to things like that.  Gotta be smart to be a world-wide mob boss.  He changes into normal clothes and goes out walking into the streets, unnoticed by anybody.  So obviously he's not some rich famous businessman or inventor who gets lots of publicity.

This issue makes a good snap-shot of the various social structures Ditko is building here.  At school, Flash has decided to start a Spider-Man fan club.  Liz insists that Peter get to join but neither of the boys want that.  So Liz is going to figure out a way to get around them.  Turns out her dad is rich and owns the rich-people's clubhouse.  He'll let Flash's club use it but Liz requires Petey to be allowed to join.  It looks like she stalked Petey to drag him in and meets him walking Betty home.  Oh the girls get at it.

There's some dealings with the public.  At the beginning of the story, Spidey sees a crime, tries to stop it and it turns out to be a movie being filmed.  How embarrassing.  A little later he sees another criminal but before he can do anything, the Human Torch gets involved and is immediately surrounded by fans.  He starts doing autographs and even gives one to Peter for free.

The Green Goblin has decided to attend the club meeting.  JJJ decides to go and orders Betty to call Peter and they'll both be there.  Betty makes a point of not calling Peter.  Aunt May is still trying to hook up Peter with Mary Jane Watson, she's even a fan of Spider-Man so she'd love to go to this club.  But darn it, she's sick again.  Liz's father thinks this will be good promotion for the club and even Johnny Storm has showed up for the meeting, promising to stay out of the limelight.

So most of the cast are here and have various motivations.  Spidey shows up and is immediately attacked by the Goblin.  This is quite restrained since they both need to pretend to the crowd that it's fake.  Johnny knows something is wrong but still feels obligated to stay quiet.  Then he sees some insane crooks through the window on the roof - 'Spider-Man is right there, let's start robbing people now!' - and that spoils everything.  He flame on, interferes with the fight, does nothing except make the crooks run away and gives Spidey an excuse to duck out so now Johnny is fighting the Goblin.  Not sure how either of them know what's going on at this point.

Peter shows up briefly, Liz runs her hands all over him, Peter sees that Betty is watching them.  She's got a reason to dump him now.  This quick break is over, Spidey gets back into the fight but then hears someone on the phone reciting a message for Peter that his aunt just had a heart attack and is in the hospital.  So now he's got a reason to run away like a coward.  The Goblin has won, blinds the Torch briefly and escapes.

JJJ is thrilled, Flash's club has all ditched him.  These are the same people who believed Spidey was a criminal just a few issues ago, not a good look for teenagers.  Peter is now worried about May, the public hates him, he's sure Betty hates him and the Goblin is still out there.  Definitely a step above the last few issues.  The title had been monthly for a year by now and it does give the impression that Ditko had been building towards this storyline.  The next year would finish Peter's time in high school and lead to the 'Master Planner trilogy' which was effectively a sequel to this multiparter,

#18 covers people's reactions to this, various villains, other Marvel characters and good-old J. Jonah Jameson.  May's getting better but is still sick and they need money, so Spidey tries to find ways to make it without fighting crime.  He even runs away from the Sandman and is caught on camera, more bad publicity.  Even Johnny Storm wants to talk to him - "at our last meeting place" which was not the meeting we saw last issue, a footnote tells us where to find out why it's the Statue of Liberty instead - 
and Spidey never shows up.  Flash is so desperate to make Spider-Man look good that he dresses up like him, again, and gets beaten up by crooks.  Flash always comes across as creepy but this is a problem for everybody.

Betty has been avoiding Peter all issue, making herself miserable.  This is turned around by the next step in Ditko's storyline, which unfortunately he will not be there to conclude.  Betty has met some random stranger who's taken her to a movie and she's happy for the first time in ages.  Peter sees them and has had enough, it's time to quit being Spider-Man.  This lasts a page and a half, Aunt May insists she's not as helpless as she looks - or as helpless as she's always assumed Peter is - and gives a speech which somehow inspires Peter to not quit, this is what he's here for.

It was certainly a good follow-up to the previous issue, Stan even points out in a caption that the adventure hero didn't fight any actual enemy this time around.  The motivation for some of these events is a bit shaky and I really don't see much point for the way the ending was done but otherwise it was effective, focusing on the hero's problems in his life.

Because the Sandman was left running around loose - just as Doc Ock had been during Betty's origin - that needs to be taken care of in #19.  Because Johnny Storm is increasingly relevant, he needs to be included.  Marvel did try to make him a solo character although it wasn't really that successful.  Johnny can have his own adventures here or there but he really is a team-player.  And because there's still the underlying theme of big business and organized crime, the Enforcers are brought back, working for Sandman.  This is their last appearance in Ditko's run.

Spidey's back, criminals are being defeated.  JJJ's reaction is probably one of the most popular sequences in any Ditko comic.  The Human Torch has just finished some adventure in Strange Tales #127 - available on news stands everywhere! - and the Enforcers take him prisoner.  Um, why?  Sandman says the goal is to get rid of every superhero but they leave Johnny alive.  There's a really easy way to solve this problem.  But instead they put him in a glass cage.

The next morning, Peter deals with May, watches Flash and Liz argue for more entertaining rom-com behavior.  After school he sees an Enforcer and follows him to a bunch of crooks but the main baddies escape during the fight.  He goes to the Bugle and Betty introducers her new man, Ned Leeds.  He isn't a brand-new hire, he's worked here at least for a little while, but the three of them are only just getting introduced.  Betty, how did Ned get his paychecks until now?  Ned, you work the city desk, did you ever notice the pictures of Spider-Man being used, all by this one photographer?  Peter, did you ever look anywhere else in this building other than when you were fighting supervillains or harassing the man in charge?  But Peter and Ned seem to like each other, no jealousy or threat, so now Betty has yet-another reason to worry she's losing him.

Spidey decides to get back on the Enforcers, finds a random stoolie who tells him everything.  The villains have set up a trap with the Torch still in a glass cage.  It's been well over 24 hours since he was taken prisoner, has Johnny not had to... use his bowels for anything in all that time?  And haven't the FF been looking for him?  Anyway, there's a fight scene, it's only a few pages and the villains are all taken care of.

Peter sells pix to JJJ, is not remotely bothered by Betty and Ned.  The public is reading these stories and assumes Spidey and JJJ are working together to trick the public.  The story ends with some mysterious figure spying on Peter after school the next day and reporting it to a mysterious boss.  It's a well-done set-up and it's disappointing that it becomes irrelevant so quickly in #20.

The following day, the guy is still following Peter who realizes it but can't tell who he is or who he's reporting to.  The day after that - there must not have been any need for Spider-Man - Peter goes to the Bugle to see Betty.  The guy follows him inside and goes upstairs to see JJJ whom he's been working for.  It was broke up across two issues but that's still only five pages of curiosity for the reader.

Just before the guy - Mac Gargan - showed up, JJJ had just discovered a local scientist who could create a supervillain for him to destroy Spider-Man.  JJJ has supported supervillains before but now he's adding to the roster.  Most of the issue is a long fight scene, the Scorpion is much stronger than Spider-Man but is going insane from the chemicals.  He tries to kill JJJ and is eventually defeated because he can break out of webbing but can't break out of webfluid sticking him to the ground.

This is another effective story, Jameson is the real villain, and it's one reason I think Ditko was deliberately exploring big business and media effect on the public.  JJJ caused the mess and now it's coming back to get him.  Once again the Bugle is being ripped apart by a supervillain but JJJ just uses it as an excuse to promote himself as the hero who finally stopped the Scorpion, lecturing that anyone with too much power will become a menace.  There's a very obvious 'dude, look in the mirror' reaction which I assume Ditko and Lee intended.

He was also showing long-range plans for Betty and Ned.  Ned is being sent to Europe to cover the disarmament conferences - are Captain America and Reed Richards also attending? - and Peter has a few thought balloons showing that he really was getting jealous of the time Ned spent with Betty.  When the Scorpion arrives, he does attack her but she seems normalized to this, discussing it calmly with Peter at the end of the issue.

Stan deserves credit and blame for what happened but this is one of those instances where he had to fit whatever he could into the pages he was given.  I also think he was very busy so he wasn't always sure what the story was at any given point.  Betty and Peter's relationship goes all over the place and wasn't easy to keep track of.  Peter is also clearly becoming more mature and I think it was a deliberate decision to have that cause problems for him as well as help his social life.  He's more willing to fight Flash, he's better at approaching girls, he still has to give pointless lies to Aunt May, even when it contradicts previous issues.  In this issue, he gets home covered in bruises and tells her he was playing football.  Not long ago she gave him grief for his lie about playing volleyball and this really isn't something she should be falling for, yet here it is.

But at this point the series had become even deeper that it had been a year ago.  This is an example of why these are such classics, and there is every reason to think Ditko had much longer-range plans.  Just from the first twenty issues, it remained an entertaining regular series and there was enough to build on for a long time.  Given what happens in the next year, I suspect Ditko had planned through roughly a hundred issues and it's one of comics' greatest shames that he wasn't allowed to carry it out.  And I'm still focusing as much as possible on the romance plotlines, I haven't even gotten into the business/organized crime themes.

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