The Essential Spider-Man #3
In "Where Crawls the Lizard!", Peter Parker steps away from the web-slinging life, trading the suit for a college student’s routine—until a discarded costume ends up on display at the Daily Bugle, sparking a wave of crime that forces him to reconsider his legacy. Written by Stan Lee and illustrated by John Romita with inks by Mickey Demeo and letters by Sam Rosen, this 1998 tale captures a pivotal moment of doubt and redemption. The cover, also by John Romita, shows the iconic suit on display, a silent reminder of what Peter once left behind.
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Fearing for his aunt's health and tired of being hounded by Jameson, Peter gives up being Spider-Man and concentrates on being a simple college student. A kid finds the discarded Spidey suit in the trash can and brings it to the Daily Bugle where Jonah proudly puts it on display. Pete's personal life starts looking up but crime increases as the Kingpin gathers the mob under his leadership. Feeling guilty about the crime wave, Peter remembers the lessons taught to him by his uncle's death and decides to become Spider-Man once again.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).