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The Amazing Spider-Man (1963-1998)
Amazing Spider-Man (1963-1998) #100
Peter creates a potion that will rid him of his powers. Upon drinking the potion, he finds that he’s bitten off more than he can chew as he has grown four extra arms!
- GenresComicsSpider ManMarvel
20 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 10, 1971
About the author
Stan Lee
7,581 books2,362 followersStan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber) was an American writer, editor, creator of comic book superheroes, and the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics.
With several artist co-creators, most notably Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, he co-created Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, Thor as a superhero, the X-Men, Iron Man, the Hulk, Daredevil, the Silver Surfer, Dr. Strange, Ant-Man and the Wasp, Scarlet Witch, The Inhumans, and many other characters, introducing complex, naturalistic characters and a thoroughly shared universe into superhero comic books. He subsequently led the expansion of Marvel Comics from a small division of a publishing house to a large multimedia corporation.
With several artist co-creators, most notably Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, he co-created Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, Thor as a superhero, the X-Men, Iron Man, the Hulk, Daredevil, the Silver Surfer, Dr. Strange, Ant-Man and the Wasp, Scarlet Witch, The Inhumans, and many other characters, introducing complex, naturalistic characters and a thoroughly shared universe into superhero comic books. He subsequently led the expansion of Marvel Comics from a small division of a publishing house to a large multimedia corporation.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 3, 2025
And I might as well admit that the hundredth issue was indeed special. It turned out to be my least favorite issue of Spider-man so far, with the worst coloring job I've ever seen in this once-amazing comic.
June 10, 2021
Issue 100 of ASM promises “the wildest shock-ending of all time”, well it’s certainly something…
The issue opens with Spidey on patrol, musing that he’s all a little bit bored with this life and wonders if “maybe I’m finally growing up, at last”. He decides that if he is to settle down with Gwen then he must quit being Spider-Man; what’s the easiest way to do that? Burn the costume? Melt down the web-shooters? Nope! Peter creates an experimental formula and chucks it down his neck quicker than students knocking back shots during happy hour. Parker falls into a deep sleep and falls into a dream state which gives us chance to re-visit his origin (once again) and we have a kind of greatest hits showdown as he goes up against The Vulture, The Lizard, The Green Goblin, Doc Ock and The Kingpin. When Peter finally awakes from his nightmare he finds out that.. well, read on for spoilers..
“As editor and scripter, Stan had just finished doing the controversial “drug issues” with artist Gil Kane (and with, as always, the input of staff artist and Spidey specialist John Romita Snr.), and wondered what to do in ASM #100. In those days, nobody made a big deal about landmark issues. For the 100th issue of Fantastic Four a year earlier, Stan and Jack Kirby had concocted a story in which the FF battled a number of their erstwhile enemies, but had been a relatively low-profile affair. And, though notice of the “great, long-awaited 100th anniversary issue” of ASM was heralded in a cover blurb, the new title would follow the same route.
Stan, of course, had wanted to do something a bit unusual for the century-mark, but I don’t recall much how he decided just what. All I recall is that in the end it was decided that Peter Parker, in trying to rid himself is spider powers, and after hallucinatory combat with several of his most fearsome foes, would wind up in the final panel of #100 with two extra pairs of arms… becoming in effect a true “spider man”. I was curious to see what he and Gil would do with them.
I’m still waiting.” -Roy Thomas
“My role in this period was always changing. Art director chores kept me jumping off and on Spider-Man, but always acting as a “watchdog” on covers and characters. Stan Lee and Gil Kane began the fun with issue #100, which I co-plotted with Stan. When the pencils from Gil came in, Stan called in with a problem. On the last page Gil had a figure of Spidey with an extra pair of arms and an extra pair legs! We had plotted for Peter to have a severe reaction to some drug he’d taken and find himself turned into an eight-limbed man. But we expected two extra pairs of arms to do it. Gil’s extra legs were growing out of Peter’s thighs… bizarre and, not only comically scary, but hardly functional. I sketched out the six-armed figure for Gil and he made it work for the next issue. I took a lot of ribbing from everyone for that version of Spider-Man. Only Stan and I thought it was a good idea.” –John Romita Snr.
The issue opens with Spidey on patrol, musing that he’s all a little bit bored with this life and wonders if “maybe I’m finally growing up, at last”. He decides that if he is to settle down with Gwen then he must quit being Spider-Man; what’s the easiest way to do that? Burn the costume? Melt down the web-shooters? Nope! Peter creates an experimental formula and chucks it down his neck quicker than students knocking back shots during happy hour. Parker falls into a deep sleep and falls into a dream state which gives us chance to re-visit his origin (once again) and we have a kind of greatest hits showdown as he goes up against The Vulture, The Lizard, The Green Goblin, Doc Ock and The Kingpin. When Peter finally awakes from his nightmare he finds out that.. well, read on for spoilers..
“As editor and scripter, Stan had just finished doing the controversial “drug issues” with artist Gil Kane (and with, as always, the input of staff artist and Spidey specialist John Romita Snr.), and wondered what to do in ASM #100. In those days, nobody made a big deal about landmark issues. For the 100th issue of Fantastic Four a year earlier, Stan and Jack Kirby had concocted a story in which the FF battled a number of their erstwhile enemies, but had been a relatively low-profile affair. And, though notice of the “great, long-awaited 100th anniversary issue” of ASM was heralded in a cover blurb, the new title would follow the same route.
Stan, of course, had wanted to do something a bit unusual for the century-mark, but I don’t recall much how he decided just what. All I recall is that in the end it was decided that Peter Parker, in trying to rid himself is spider powers, and after hallucinatory combat with several of his most fearsome foes, would wind up in the final panel of #100 with two extra pairs of arms… becoming in effect a true “spider man”. I was curious to see what he and Gil would do with them.
I’m still waiting.” -Roy Thomas
“My role in this period was always changing. Art director chores kept me jumping off and on Spider-Man, but always acting as a “watchdog” on covers and characters. Stan Lee and Gil Kane began the fun with issue #100, which I co-plotted with Stan. When the pencils from Gil came in, Stan called in with a problem. On the last page Gil had a figure of Spidey with an extra pair of arms and an extra pair legs! We had plotted for Peter to have a severe reaction to some drug he’d taken and find himself turned into an eight-limbed man. But we expected two extra pairs of arms to do it. Gil’s extra legs were growing out of Peter’s thighs… bizarre and, not only comically scary, but hardly functional. I sketched out the six-armed figure for Gil and he made it work for the next issue. I took a lot of ribbing from everyone for that version of Spider-Man. Only Stan and I thought it was a good idea.” –John Romita Snr.
February 9, 2018
Good but not #100 Good
I like this issue and I really like the issues that follow but this seems to be not quite the issue it could be, especially give the story that follows, and oh by the way Ock is still just out there or something...
I like this issue and I really like the issues that follow but this seems to be not quite the issue it could be, especially give the story that follows, and oh by the way Ock is still just out there or something...
April 20, 2025
ASM #100—the big centennial issue! And what better way to mark such a milestone than with Spider-Man growing four extra arms? Yes, you read that right.
The issue opens with Peter Parker in existential crisis mode. Tired of the double life, emotionally exhausted from recent tragedies, and yearning for a peaceful future with Gwen, Peter does what any science student with superpowers and questionable decision-making would do: he brews a homemade serum to "cure" himself of being Spider-Man. Naturally, he downs it like it’s spring break, and things spiral fast.
What follows is an extended dream sequence as Peter lies unconscious, giving readers a trippy "greatest hits" recap of his most iconic villains—Vulture, Lizard, Green Goblin, Doc Ock, and Kingpin all make appearances in his nightmare. It’s a fitting way to celebrate 100 issues, offering a nostalgic look back at the rogues' gallery and Peter’s ongoing emotional burden. But the real kicker is saved for the final page: Peter wakes up to discover that the serum didn’t take away his powers—it gave him four extra arms. Cue one of the most bizarre and infamous cliffhangers in Spidey history.
Gil Kane’s pencils shine, especially in the dreamscape battle scenes, and Frank Giacoia’s inks bring added weight and dimension. John Romita Sr.’s iconic cover featuring Spidey surrounded by the ghostly faces of friends and foes alike remains one of the most memorable in the series.
While some may find the issue a bit padded due to the lengthy dream sequence, there’s a charm to its ambition—and its weirdness. The transformation into a true “spider-man” might seem absurd, but it’s a bold swing for a landmark issue, and classic Marvel all the way: dramatic, imaginative, and just a little bit ridiculous.
Is it the “wildest shock-ending of all time”? Maybe not. But it is a wonderfully strange, emotionally-charged, and memorable celebration of everything Amazing Spider-Man had become by the dawn of the 1970s.
The issue opens with Peter Parker in existential crisis mode. Tired of the double life, emotionally exhausted from recent tragedies, and yearning for a peaceful future with Gwen, Peter does what any science student with superpowers and questionable decision-making would do: he brews a homemade serum to "cure" himself of being Spider-Man. Naturally, he downs it like it’s spring break, and things spiral fast.
What follows is an extended dream sequence as Peter lies unconscious, giving readers a trippy "greatest hits" recap of his most iconic villains—Vulture, Lizard, Green Goblin, Doc Ock, and Kingpin all make appearances in his nightmare. It’s a fitting way to celebrate 100 issues, offering a nostalgic look back at the rogues' gallery and Peter’s ongoing emotional burden. But the real kicker is saved for the final page: Peter wakes up to discover that the serum didn’t take away his powers—it gave him four extra arms. Cue one of the most bizarre and infamous cliffhangers in Spidey history.
Gil Kane’s pencils shine, especially in the dreamscape battle scenes, and Frank Giacoia’s inks bring added weight and dimension. John Romita Sr.’s iconic cover featuring Spidey surrounded by the ghostly faces of friends and foes alike remains one of the most memorable in the series.
While some may find the issue a bit padded due to the lengthy dream sequence, there’s a charm to its ambition—and its weirdness. The transformation into a true “spider-man” might seem absurd, but it’s a bold swing for a landmark issue, and classic Marvel all the way: dramatic, imaginative, and just a little bit ridiculous.
Is it the “wildest shock-ending of all time”? Maybe not. But it is a wonderfully strange, emotionally-charged, and memorable celebration of everything Amazing Spider-Man had become by the dawn of the 1970s.
April 19, 2022
I think from here on things are about to get crazy(er). Peter tries to get rid of Spidey and gets a nasty surprise in return.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews