Amazing Spider-Man #68

[iamrman]

The Kingpin looks to use a protest at Empire State University as a distraction to steal a mystical tablet on display.

The Ditko version of Peter would gave just yelled at the protesters. Something-something Ayn Rand. I dunno, it's a reference that goes over the head of an ignorant Brit like me.

Comments

[thanekos]

' But I'm still stronger than he suspects! '

Incredible how many Kingpin/Spidey fights can be read through the lens of " Kingpin's definitely not a pushover, but also Spidey's likely holding back against Still Normal Human Guy. "

[scorntx]

"Another puny flea trying to stop the Kingpin!"
Kingpin SMASH puny human!


... I forget, how rich was Fisk at this point? Because if he wanted the tablet so damn much, why not just buy out / off the exhibit?
Heck, just have his goons pretend to be a security firm moving the tablet to somewhere safe because of the protests and then walk out the door with it.
Sure, less risk, but at the same time... less risk.
(Someone's hugging the villain ball.)

[lego_joker]

I think this came out at a time where in the public imagination, "gangsters" were still mainly thought of as oversized bank robbers/stickup men. Hell, even if Fisk did have the money to buy it legit, New York still had enough Old Money circulating in its arts & culture society to go "Um, you don't go to the right clubs and we don't have your grandpa on our registry, GTFO."

[numeronone]

Ah yes, the Kingpin...sneakiest and stealthiest of all of Spider-Man's foes.

Also: I imagine he hired a guy named "Wilson" purely to dispell rmpurs that he was constantly talking to himself.

[cainofdreaming]

I can see why the courts were always fooled by his "I'm just a lowly spice merchant" cover. It's not like he was ever seen by dozens of people while doing some breaking and entering and burglary.

[lbd_nytetrayn]

Seen and recognized.

[scorntx]

Don't forget slamming Randy into a wall.
Pretty sure that's assault?

[lbd_nytetrayn]

1) So what were they protesting, that they thought Spider-Man would come for them?

2) What's the deal with the tablet that Fisk wants it so bad? It have an inscription about how to bring back dead wives or something?

[lego_joker]

I remember this storyline from my first ASM read-through about a decade ago and... IIRC they never explain what the hell he wanted with it in the first place. It eventually winds up in a rival gang's hands, but by that point there's like three other plotlines in the mix...

My best guess is there was some big archaeological discovery in the news, and Lee and Romita wanted to be Topical.

[blues32]

If I recall...it contains secrets about the restoration of youth. Which is why Silvermane will eventually get his hands on it. Or maybe I'm thinking of a different tablet.

[iamrman]

No, this is the same tablet.