Harry’s mustache has gone, the Vietnam War is still raging, and we’re slowwwly moving towards the death of Gwen Stacy.

Harry appears briefly in ASM #83, seeing Flash off. MJ gives him a big kiss on the lips, but isn’t she supposed to be Harry’s girlfriend?

Things are not good in Harry-MJ town. Harry looks kind of glum on the drive back, too.

More of Stan Lee’s thoughts on the Vietnam war, there.

Harry and MJ are going to see Easy Rider. Fun fact: that film starred Peter Fonda, who later played Mephisto in the Ghost Rider movie, and of course in the comics Mephisto would tie into Harry’s story eventually.

On to ASM #86, in which Black Widow debuts her most famous look! Harry, meanwhile, is comforting Gwen. Her life is gradually getting more and more dangerous, even though she doesn’t know Peter and Spider-Man are one and the same.

Really, Peter should just tell her at this point.

Oh yeah, there’s mere issues to go before Captain Stacy dies, too.

Harry kindly drives Gwen and her father home, meanwhile Peter goes out and encounters the new improved Black Widow.

Luckily, Harry doesn’t see him. But yet another near miss, there’s a lot!

Now, ASM #87 has a famous cover, not to mention premise…

And Harry plays a pretty big role!

Peter, convinced he’s losing his powers, decides to reveal the truth… at Gwen’s birthday party. Not a great idea.

“No cat’s worth getting all uptight about” says MJ, another demonstration of just how incompatible she and Harry are.

Awww, Captain Stacy calls Harry ‘son’. (I know, I know, that was common back then, but still.)

You’ve probably seen this panel before!

No-one knows whether to believe him or not, so Harry pipes up with a story.

This happened in Amazing Spider-Man #12!

Dammmmn, MJ. Cold.

Peter recovers from what turns out to be a bad case of the flu, and asks Hobie Brown to help him out with the whole I-just-blew-my-secret-identity thing.

Hobie enters dressed as Spider-Man and the problem is fixed! For now.

But George Stacy’s death is coming up very soon and that will have terrible repercussions…

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Want to read these stories? They’re collected in Amazing Spider-Man Masterworks Vol. 9.