Spider-Man
| Spider-Man | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | Amazing Fantasy #15 (August 1962) |
| Created by | Stan Lee Steve Ditko |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Peter Benjamin Parker |
| Species | Human mutate[a] |
| Place of origin | Queens, New York City |
| Team affiliations | |
| Partnerships | |
| Notable aliases | Spidey The Amazing Spider-Man Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man The Spectacular Spider-Man Webhead Webslinger Wall-Crawler Masked Marvel Webspinner Webswinger Ricochet[1] Dusk[2] Prodigy[3] Hornet[4] Ben Reilly[5] Scarlet Spider[6] Captain Universe[7] |
| Abilities |
|
Spider-Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books, created by the writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko and was published by Marvel Comics. Spider-Man made his first appearance in the anthology comic book called Amazing Fantasy #15 (August 1962) in the Silver Age of Comic Books before Spider-Man first stars in his own self-titled series after his official debut starting in The Amazing Spider-Man issue #1 (March 1963), and has been featured in the comic books, television shows, films, video games, novels, and plays.
Spider-Man's secret identity is Peter Parker, an average academic teenage high school student and a science-whiz from Midtown High School, who is an orphan, raised by his Uncle Ben and Aunt May in Queens, New York City, as their surrogate son after his parents, Richard and Mary Parker, died in a plane accident. Peter Parker is bitten by a radioactive spider that was exposed by a radioactivity demonstration at the science exhibit in his origin story during his attendance, and discovers that he has gained his spider-powers similar to a spider characteristics, and becomes a masked red and blue spider-costumed superhero, "Spider-Man". Spider-Man possesses his superhuman spider-powers and abilities which are highly proportionate to a spider; his superpowers of a spider gives him his superhuman strength, speed, agility, jump, reflexes, stamina, durability, coordination, and balance, wall-climbing ability that allows him to climb on walls and roofs like a spider, and his precognition ability to sense any danger, known as "spider-sense". He builds his wrist-mounted devices called "web-shooters", which allows him to shoot his amazing artificial spider-webs of his own design which are used for both web-shooting at his enemies and web-swinging throughout the city. Peter Parker originally used his powers for his own personal gain and fame in his youth to cash out some money at first, but however, after his Uncle Ben was killed by a thief whom he didn’t stop, Peter learns that "with great power comes great responsibility"—a famous line included in a text box in a final panel of the first Spider-Man's origin story, but is later retroactively attributed to his late Uncle Ben, inspiring Peter to use his spider-powers to fight crime as the spider-themed masked-vigilante superhero as Spider-Man. Spider-Man has been dealing with some of his problems and struggles of his adolescence and his financial issues, and has many of his supporting characters like Flash Thompson, Liz Allan, J. Jonah Jameson, Betty Brant, Robbie Robertson, and Harry Osborn, and his romantic love interests, such as, Gwen Stacy, Mary Jane Watson, and Black Cat. Spider-Man used his powers to fight crime to save the innocent people from evil. Peter goes to the newspaper Daily Bugle, where he works for Mr. Jameson as a freelance photographer, to take pictures of himself as Spider-Man while Jameson and the Daily Bugle members remain unaware that Peter Parker is Spider-Man. Spider-Man fights his main enemies including his arch-enemy, Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus, Sandman, Chameleon, Vulture, Mysterio, Electro, Lizard, Kraven the Hunter, Scorpion, Kingpin, Rhino, Shocker, Hammerhead, Morbius the Living Vampire, Jackal, Hydro-Man, Tombstone, Hobgoblin, Venom, and Carnage.
When Spider-Man first appeared in the early 1960s, teenage superheroes were played and considered as a sidekick to the main protagonist since before in 1960s. Spider-Man comic book series have successfully broken the ground by featuring Peter Parker, a high school student from Queens, as Spider-Man's secret identity, whose "self-obsessions with rejection, inadequacy, and loneliness" were the comic book issues to which the younger generation readers could ever relate to.[8] Spider-Man was originally seen as a quintessential sidekick by these comic viewers, but unlike previous teen superheroes such as Bucky Barnes and Robin, Spider-Man had no superhero mentor, like Captain America and Batman; he has learned the lesson for himself to be an independent hero in his own right with the strong sense of justice and responsibility to use his powers for the forces of good and protect the ones he loves while facing his personal problems of his double life.
Marvel has featured Spider-Man in several comic book series, the first and longest-lasting of The Amazing Spider-Man. Following his introduction, the mainstream-continuity version of Peter Parker has gone from his time as a high school student to attending college to currently being somewhere in his late 20s. Spider-Man becomes a member of numerous superhero teams, such as Avengers and Fantastic Four. Doctor Octopus also took on the identity for a story arc spanning 2012–2014, following a body swap plot in which Peter appears to be dead apparently.[9] Marvel also published comic books featuring alternate versions of Spider-Man, including Spider-Man 2099, featuring Miguel O'Hara, the Spider-Man of the future; Ultimate Spider-Man, featuring the adventures of the Ultimate Spider-Man in the alternate universe; and it's sequel, Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man, depicting Miles Morales who takes up the mantle of Spider-Man following the apparent death of Ultimate Peter Parker. Miles later became a superhero in his own right and was brought into mainstream continuity during the Secret Wars event, where he would sometimes work alongside with the mainline version of Peter.
Spider-Man is one of the most popular and commercially successful superheroes.[10] He has appeared in all forms of media, including all several animated TV series: the first animated series Spider-Man, with Paul Soles voicing Spider-Man, a live-action television series, syndicated newspaper comic strips, and series of films. Spider-Man was first portrayed by Danny Seagren in live-action Spidey Super Stories, a recurring skit on The Electric Company from 1974 to 1977.[11] Spider-Man appears in live-action films, and was portrayed by actors; Spider-Man was first portrayed by Tobey Maguire in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy starting from the first movie, Spider-Man and it's two sequels (2002-2007), before he was being portrayed by Andrew Garfield in The Amazing Spider-Man duology, directed by Marc Webb starting from The Amazing Spider-Man and it's sequel (2012-2014).[12] And in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man was currently portrayed by Tom Holland (2016-present). Spider-Man was starred by Reeve Carney in the 2010's Broadway musical Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark.[13] Spider-Man was voiced by Jake Johnson and Chris Pine in the animated film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, with Johnson reprising his role in the sequel, and will return to re-portray the role in the upcoming third film.
Publication history
Creation and development
In the summer of 1962, with the success of the Fantastic Four, Marvel Comics editor and head writer Stan Lee was casting for a new superhero idea. He said the idea of creating Spider-Man arose from a surge in teenage demand for comic books and the desire to create a character with whom teens could identify.[15]: 1 As with the Fantastic Four, Stan Lee saw Spider-Man as an opportunity to "get out of his system" what he felt was missing in comic books.[16] In his autobiography, Lee cites the non-superhuman pulp magazine crime fighter the Spider as a great influence,[14]: 130 [17] and in a multitude of print and video interviews, Lee stated he was inspired by seeing a spider climb up a wall—adding in his autobiography that he has told that story so often he has become unsure of whether or not this is true.[note 1] Besides the name, the Spider was wanted by both the law and the criminal underworld (a defining theme of Spider-Man's early years) and had been gone through years of ceaseless struggle developed a "sixth sense", which has warned him of danger, the inspiration for Spider-Man's "spider-sense".[17] Although at the time teenage superheroes were usually given names ending with "boy", Lee says he chose "Spider-Man" because he wanted the character to age as the series progressed, and felt the name "Spider-Boy" would have made the character sound inferior to other superheroes.[18] He also decided to insert the hyphen from the name "Spiderman", to "Spider-Man", as he felt that it looked too similar to Superman, another superhero with a red and blue costume that starts with an "S" and ends with "man"[19] (although artist Steve Ditko intended the character to have an orange and purple costume).[20] At that time, Lee had to get only the consent of Marvel publisher Martin Goodman for the character's approval. In a 1986 interview, Lee described in detail his arguments to overcome Goodman's objections.[note 2] Goodman eventually agreed to a Spider-Man tryout in what Lee, in numerous interviews, recalled as what would be the final issue of the science-fiction and supernatural anthology series Amazing Adult Fantasy, which was renamed Amazing Fantasy for issue #15 (cover-dated August 1962, on sale June 5, 1962).[21] In particular, Lee stated that the fact that it had already been decided that Amazing Fantasy would be canceled after issue #15 was the only reason Goodman allowed him to use Spider-Man.[18] While this was the final issue, its editorial page anticipated the comic continuing and that "The Spider-Man ... will appear every month in Amazing."[21][22]
Regardless, Lee received Goodman's approval for the name Spider-Man and the "ordinary teen" concept and approached artist Jack Kirby. As comics historian Greg Theakston recounts, Kirby told Lee about an unpublished character on which he had collaborated with Joe Simon in the 1950s, in which an orphaned boy living with an old couple finds a magic ring that granted him superhuman powers. Lee and Kirby "immediately sat down for a story conference," Theakston writes, and Lee afterward directed Kirby to flesh out the character and draw some pages.[23] Steve Ditko would be the inker.[note 3] When Kirby showed Lee the first six pages, Lee recalled, "I hated the way he was doing it! Not that he did it badly—it just wasn't the character I wanted; it was too heroic".[23]: 12 Lee turned to Ditko, who developed an art style Lee found satisfactory. Ditko recalled:
One of the first things I did was to work up a costume. A vital, visual part of the character. I had to know how he looked ... before I did any breakdowns. For example: A clinging power so he wouldn't have hard shoes or boots, a hidden wrist-shooter versus a web gun and holster, etc. ... I wasn't sure Stan would like the idea of covering the character's face but I did it because it hid an obviously boyish face. It would also add mystery to the character....[24]
Although the interior artwork was by Ditko alone, Lee rejected Ditko's cover art and commissioned Kirby to pencil a cover that Ditko inked.[21] As Lee explained in 2010, "I think I had Jack sketch out a cover for it because I always had a lot of confidence in Jack's covers."[25]
In an early recollection of the character's creation, Ditko described his and Lee's contributions in a mail interview with Gary Martin published in Comic Fan #2 (Summer 1965): "Stan Lee thought the name up. I did costume, web gimmick on wrist & spider signal."[26] At the time, Ditko shared a Manhattan studio with noted fetish artist Eric Stanton, an art-school classmate who, in a 1988 interview with Theakston, recalled his contribution to Spider-Man was "almost nil" however, he and Ditko had "worked on storyboards together and I added a few ideas. But the whole thing was created by Steve on his own...I think I added the business about the webs coming out of his hands."[23]: 14 Ditko claimed in a rare interview with Jonathan Ross that the costume was initially envisioned with an orange and purple color scheme, rather than the recognizable red and blue.[27]
Kirby disputed Lee's version of the story and claimed Lee had minimal involvement in the character's creation. According to Kirby, the idea for Spider-Man had originated with Kirby and Joe Simon, who in the 1950s had developed a character called the Silver Spider for the Crestwood Publications comic Black Magic, but the character was left unused.[note 4] Simon, in his 1990 autobiography, disputed Kirby's account, asserting that Black Magic was not a factor and that Simon devised the name "Spider-Man" (later changed to "The Silver Spider"), while Kirby outlined the character's story and powers. Simon later elaborated that his and Kirby's character conception became the basis for Simon's Archie Comics superhero, the Fly.[28] Artist Steve Ditko stated that Lee liked the name Hawkman from DC Comics, and that "Spider-Man" was an outgrowth of that interest.[24]
Simon concurred that Kirby had shown the original Spider-Man version to Lee, who liked the idea and assigned Kirby to draw sample pages of the new character, but disliked the results—in Simon's description, "Captain America with cobwebs".[note 5] Writer Mark Evanier notes that Lee's reasoning that Kirby's character was too heroic seems unlikely—Kirby still drew the covers for Amazing Fantasy #15 and the first issue of The Amazing Spider-Man. Evanier also disputes Kirby's given reason that he was "too busy" to draw Spider-Man in addition to his other duties, since Kirby was, said Evanier, "always busy".[29]: 127 Neither Lee's nor Kirby's explanation explains why key story elements like the magic ring were dropped; Evanier states that the most plausible explanation for the sudden change was that Goodman, or one of his assistants, decided that Spider-Man, as drawn and envisioned by Kirby, was too similar to the Fly.[29]: 127
Author and Ditko scholar Blake Bell writes that it was Ditko who noted the similarities to the Fly. Ditko recalled that "Stan called Jack about the Fly", adding that "[d]ays later, Stan told me I would be penciling the story panel breakdowns from Stan's synopsis." It was at this point that the entire concept of the strip went through a major overhaul. "Out went the magic ring, adult Spider-Man and whatever legend ideas that Spider-Man story would have contained." Lee gave Ditko the premise of a teenager bitten by a spider and developing powers, where Ditko would expand upon to the point he became what Bell describes as "the first work for hire artist of his generation to create and control the narrative arc of his series". On the issue of the initial creation, Ditko stated, "I still don't know whose idea was Spider-Man".[30] Ditko did, however, view the published version of Spider-Man as a separate creation to the one he saw in the five pencilled pages that Kirby had completed. To support this, Ditko used the analogy of the Kirby/Marvel Thor, which was based on a name or idea of a character in Norse mythology: "If Marvel's Thor is a valid created work by Jack, his creation, then why isn't Spider-Man by Stan and me valid created work, our creation?" [31]
Kirby noted in a 1971 interview that it was Ditko who "got Spider-Man to roll, and the thing caught on because of what he did".[32] Lee, while claiming credit for the initial idea, had acknowledged Ditko's role, stating, "If Steve wants to be called co-creator, I think he deserves [it]".[33] He has further commented that Ditko's costume design was key to the character's success; since the costume completely covers Spider-Man's body, people of all races could visualize themselves inside the costume and thus easily identify with the character.[18]
Commercial success
A few months after Spider-Man's introduction, publisher Goodman reviewed the sales figures for that issue and was shocked to find it was one of the nascent Marvel's highest-selling comics.[34]: 97 A solo ongoing series followed, beginning with The Amazing Spider-Man #1 (cover-dated March 1963). The title eventually became Marvel's top-selling series[8]: 211 with the character swiftly becoming a cultural icon; a 1965 Esquire poll of college campuses found that college students ranked Spider-Man and fellow Marvel hero the Hulk alongside Bob Dylan and Che Guevara as their favorite revolutionary icons. One interviewee selected Spider-Man because he was "beset by woes, money problems, and the question of existence. In short, he is one of us."[8]: 223 Following Ditko's departure after issue #38 (July 1966), John Romita Sr. replaced him as penciller and would draw the series for the next several years. In 1968, Romita would also draw the character's extra-length stories in the comics magazine The Spectacular Spider-Man, a proto-graphic novel designed to appeal to older readers. It lasted for two issues and represented the first Spider-Man spin-off publication, aside from the original series' summer Annuals that began in 1964.[35]
An early 1970s Spider-Man story ultimately led to the revision of the Comics Code Authority. Previously, the Code forbade the depiction of the use of illegal drugs, even negatively. However, in 1970, the Nixon administration's Department of Health, Education, and Welfare asked Stan Lee to publish an anti-drug message in one of Marvel's top-selling titles.[8]: 239 Lee chose the top-selling The Amazing Spider-Man; issues #96–98 (May–July 1971) feature a story arc depicting the negative effects of drug use. In the story, Peter Parker's friend Harry Osborn becomes addicted to pills. When Spider-Man fights the Green Goblin (Norman Osborn, Harry's father), Spider-Man defeats him by revealing Harry's drug addiction. While the story had a clear anti-drug message, the Comics Code Authority refused to issue its seal of approval. Marvel nevertheless published the three issues without the Comics Code Authority's approval or seal. The issues sold so well that the industry's self-censorship was undercut, and the Code was subsequently revised.[8]: 239
In 1972, a second monthly ongoing series starring Spider-Man began: Marvel Team-Up, in which Spider-Man was paired with other superheroes and supervillains.[36] From that point on, there have generally been at least two ongoing Spider-Man series at any time. In 1976, his second solo series, Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man, began running parallel to the main series.[37] A third series featuring Spider-Man, Web of Spider-Man, launched in 1985 to replace Marvel Team-Up.[38] The launch of a fourth monthly title in 1990, the "adjectiveless" Spider-Man (with the storyline "Torment"), written and drawn by popular artist Todd McFarlane, debuted with several different covers, all with the same interior content. All four versions combined sold over three million copies, an industry record at the time. Several miniseries, one-shot issues, and loosely related comics have also been published, and Spider-Man makes frequent cameos and guest appearances in other comic book series.[37][39] In 1996, The Sensational Spider-Man was created to replace Web of Spider-Man.[40]
In 1998, writer-artist John Byrne revamped the origin of Spider-Man in the 13-issue limited series Spider-Man: Chapter One (Dec. 1998–Oct. 1999), similar to Byrne's adding details and some revisions to Superman's origin in DC Comics' The Man of Steel.[41] During that time, the original The Amazing Spider-Man ended with issue #441 (Nov. 1998), and The Amazing Spider-Man started with volume 2, #1 (Jan. 1999).[42] In 2003, Marvel reintroduced the original numbering for The Amazing Spider-Man and what would have been volume 2, #59, became issue #500 (Dec. 2003).[42]
When the main series The Amazing Spider-Man reached issue #545 (Dec. 2007), Marvel dropped its spin-off ongoing series and instead began publishing The Amazing Spider-Man three times monthly, beginning with #546–548 (all January 2008).[43] The scheduling of The Amazing Spider-Man lasted until November 2010, when the comic book expanded from 22 pages to 30 pages for each issue. Later on, The Amazing Spider-Man was published twice a month, beginning with #648–649 (both November 2010).[44][45] The following year, Marvel launched Avenging Spider-Man as the first spin-off ongoing series in addition to The Amazing Spider-Man, since the previous ones were canceled at the end of 2007.[43] The Amazing series temporarily ended with issue #700 in December 2012 and was replaced by The Superior Spider-Man, which had Doctor Octopus serve as the new Spider-Man by taking over Peter Parker's body. Superior was an enormous commercial success for Marvel,[46] and ran for 31 issues before the real Peter Parker returned in a newly relaunched The Amazing Spider-Man #1 in April 2014.[47]
Following the 2015 Secret Wars crossover event, a number of Spider-Man-related titles were either relaunched or created as part of the "All-New, All-Different Marvel" event. Among them, The Amazing Spider-Man was relaunched and primarily focuses on Peter Parker continuing to run Parker Industries and becomes a successful businessman who is operating worldwide.[48]
Fictional character biography
Early years
Peter Benjamin Parker was born in Queens, New York City to his parents, Richard and Mary Parker, but became an orphan when his parents died in a plane crash, and adopted by his beloved Uncle Ben and Aunt May, having grown up with them in residence Forest Hills. Peter became an academic science-whiz student in Midtown High School, having been extremely smart and won several scholarships in order to work his way to become one of the honored students. But however, Peter's shyness, interest in science, and awkward personality led him an outcast and isolated by his classmates like his high school bully, Flash Thompson.[49] One day, at the science exhibit while attending the radioactivity demonstration, presented by “General Techtronics Corporation”, Peter Parker was bitten by a radioactive spider that had been exposed by a radiation particle as depicted in Amazing Fantasy #15 (Aug.1962), at first he was dizzy and light-headed, and tries to get some air. Suddenly, Peter discovers that he has the amazing superhuman spider-powers and abilities from a radioactive spider; superhuman strength, speed, agility, jump, reflexes, stamina, durability, equilibrium, wall-climbing ability that allows him to climb on walls and roofs like a spider, and a precognition ability which allows him to sense danger called "spider-sense", much to his amazement, Peter decides to test out his powers.[50] Learning about the ad offering a cash money to those who challenge the professional wrestler, Crusher Hogan, by lasting within three minutes, Peter decides that this would be a good opportunity to test out his newfound powers which he manage to do so. Peter wears a mask in case he's defeated or humiliated, and easily defeats Crusher Hogan before being offered by a TV producer who is impressed by Peter's performance, to become a superstar on a television show. Through his knack for science, Peter creates web fluids that let him fire adhesive artificial spider-webbing of his own design through small, wrist-mounted devices and calls them "web-shooters". Initially seeking to capitalize on his spider-powers, Peter starts to create a red and blue spider-themed costume along with the mask, and calls himself "Spider-Man", before he makes his first television appearance, becoming a novelty sensational television star. Spider-Man became the world's immediate sensational celebrity. Still, in the following event, Spider-Man sees a fleeing thief, chased by the police who call Spider-Man to stop him, but Spider-Man ignores him and lets the robber escape believing that it's not his responsibility to do so. However, Peter returned home at night but noticed the police car parked in front of his house and learns from the police that Uncle Ben was shot and killed while trying to stop a burglar much to Peter's devastation. Enraged, Peter changes back into Spider-Man costume, and web-swings into action to hunt down his uncle's killer in order to avenge Uncle Ben's death. Spider-Man manages to track him down at the warehouse, and easily disarms him before knocking him out with one punch, but to his shock, Spider-Man realizes that his uncle's killer was the same thief he let escape, which Peter inadvertently has led the cause of his uncle's death. After handing the criminal to the police, a guilt-ridden Peter breaks into tears, blaming himself for his inaction to stop him when he had the chance, having learned his lesson in the story's next-to-last caption; "With great power there must also come—great responsibility!", this motto inspires Peter to use his spider-powers to fight crime as the masked-vigilante superhero; Spider-Man.[51]
Spider-Man becomes a masked web-slinging superhero and a crime-fighter, and starts to use his spider-powers to fight crime as a hero and a protector of New York City, starting in The Amazing Spider-Man issue #1 (March 1963). But despite his superpowers, Peter Parker struggles to help his now widowed Aunt May pay the rent while crime-fighting as Spider-Man, but his heroic deeds made an editorial wrath of newspaper publisher of the Daily Bugle named J. Jonah Jameson, who hated Spider-Man, thinking that Spider-Man is a freak and menace to the public, continues to make false statements about the hero, and is so determined to discredit the wall-crawler, despite his heroism. Peter gets hired on his first day of his job at the Daily Bugle as a freelance photographer to take pictures of himself as Spider-Man, by Mr. Jameson, who is unaware that Peter Parker is Spider-Man.[52][53] Spider-Man fights his main enemies who are superpowered and non-superpowered supervillains; including his arch-enemy and nemesis, Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus, Sandman, Chameleon, Lizard, Vulture, Kraven the Hunter, Electro, and Mysterio, and defeats them one by one to save innocent people and the city,[54]—but Peter finds himself juggling his personal life and superhero costumed adventures very difficult. Spider-Man would soon fight supervillain team, led by Doctor Octopus called "Sinister Six". Spider-Man defeats and overcomes all of six villains one by one before rescuing his Aunt May and Betty Brant. Peter graduates from high school in time[55] and enrolls at Empire State University (a fictional institution evoking the real-life Columbia University and New York University),[56] where he meets his best friend Harry Osborn and meets his girlfriend Gwen Stacy,[57] and Aunt May introduces Peter to Mary Jane Watson.[54][58][59] But just as Peter deals with Harry's drug problems, Harry's father, Norman Osborn, who's the industrialist head of science company, "Oscorp", turns to be Spider-Man's arch-enemy Green Goblin, who is the first supervillain to discover Spider-Man's secret identity in the issue #39, (August 1966) and seemingly captures him, but however in the brief fight, Spider-Man defeated Green Goblin by sending him to a disconnected high-voltage wires that were socked in chemicals, causing Norman to suffer an apparental amnesia, and as a result of this, Norman is unable to remember either Spider-Man's alter-ego, or his Green Goblin persona.
Spider-Man continues his never-ending crime-fighting adventures during his struggles to keep his secret identity safe. Peter attempts to give up his costumed identity for a while. He later regains his suit back and resumed his role as Spider-Man, as he battles his new foes such as the crime-lord called the Kingpin, Shocker, and Rhino.[60][61] New York City Police detective Captain George Stacy, who is Gwen Stacy's father, is accidentally killed while saving a small toddler child during a battle between Spider-Man and Doctor Octopus and dies in wall-crawler's arms, but not before revealing to Spider-Man that he knew that Peter Parker is Spider-Man (issue #90, November 1970).[62]
1970s
Spider-Man fights Green Goblin who restored his memory in the issue #97 (June 1971), and manages to defeat him in issue #98 (July 1971) by perching himself on his nemesis and forced him to fly to a hospital where Harry was laid, and made Green Goblin look at Harry, causing Norman to regain back his old self again and pass out without a memory to remember briefly once again. Spider-Man fights a recovered Green Goblin in issue #121 (April 1973),[54] but during the battle, Green Goblin throws Gwen Stacy from a tower of either the Brooklyn Bridge (as depicted in the art) or the George Washington Bridge (as given in the text).[63][64] She dies during Spider-Man's rescue attempt. Enraged by Gwen's death, Spider-Man swears to get his revenge against his nemesis very personally; a note on the letters page of issue #125 states: "It saddens us to say that the whiplash effect she underwent when Spidey's webbing stopped her so suddenly was, in fact, what killed her."[65] Already fueled with anger, vengeance and bitterness, Spider-Man vengefully attacks and overpowers Green Goblin by beating him nearly to death in that issue #122 (May 1973), but stops himself from killing him, refusing to become like the Goblin, who tries to use his glider to ambush Spidey from behind, but Spider-Man's spider-sense enables him to sense an incoming attack, and quickly dodges it and the glider apparently impales the Green Goblin in the chest accidentally instead, killing him at the end of the battle.[66]
Peter eventually develops tentative feelings toward Mary Jane after going through his grief, and the two "become confidants rather than lovers". In the issue #136 (September 1974), Spider-Man battles Harry who succeed his father as the new Green Goblin, blames Spider-Man of his father's death and wants revenge against him, but Spider-Man gained the upper hand, but refuse to kill his best friend but instead, he hands him over to custody. Peter and MJ's romantic relationship eventually develops later on, with Parker proposing to her in issue #182 (July 1978), and being turned down an issue later.[67] [68] Peter went on to graduate from college in issue #185 (August 1978),[54] and becomes involved with the shy Debra Whitman. He encounters with the extroverted, flirtatious costumed thief Felicia Hardy, a.k.a. the Black Cat as Spider-Man,[69] whom he meets for the first time in issue #194 (July 1979).[54]
1980s
From 1984 to 1988, Spider-Man wore a black costume with a white spider design on his chest. The new costume originated in the Secret Wars miniseries on an alien planet where Spider-Man participates in a battle between Earth's major superheroes and supervillains.[70] He continues wearing the costume when he returns, starting in The Amazing Spider-Man #252. The change to a longstanding character's design met with controversy, "with many hardcore comics fans decrying it as tantamount to sacrilege. Spider-Man's traditional red and blue costume was iconic, they argued, on par with those of his D.C. rivals Superman and Batman."[71] The creators then revealed the costume was an alien symbiote, which Spider-Man rejects after a difficult struggle,[72] though the symbiote returns several times as Venom who then bonds with Peter's photography rival, Eddie Brock, leading him to become one of Spider-Man's deadliest foes for revenge.[54] Peter was reunited by Mary Jane, who admits that she knew Peter Parker is Spider-Man all this time in The Amazing Spider-Man #257 (October 1984), but chooses to support him and his secret identity. Peter proposes to Mary Jane in The Amazing Spider-Man #290 (July 1987), and she accepts in two issues later with the wedding that took place in The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #21 (1987)—promoted with a real-life mock wedding using actors at Shea Stadium, with Stan Lee officiating, on June 5, 1987.[73] David Michelinie, who scripted the annual which is based on a plot by editor-in-chief Jim Shooter, said in 2007, "I didn't think they actually should [have gotten] married. ... I had actually planned another version, one that wasn't used."[73] Peter publishes a book of Spider-Man photographs called Webs,[74] and returns to his Empire State University graduate studies in biochemistry in #310 (Dec. 1988).[54]
1990s
In the controversial[75] 1990s storyline the "Clone Saga", a clone of Peter Parker, created in 1970s comics by insane scientist and Peter's former professor from Empire State University, Miles Warren, a.k.a. the Jackal, returns to New York City upon hearing of Aunt May's health worsening. The clone, who had lived incognito as Ben Reilly, assumes the superhero guise the Scarlet Spider and allies with Peter. To the surprise of both, new tests indicate Ben is the original and Peter is the clone.[76] Complicating matters, Mary announces in The Spectacular Spider-Man #220 (Jan. 1995) that she is pregnant with Peter's baby.[54] Later, however, a resurrected Green Goblin (Norman Osborn) is revealed to be alive after 23 years since his apparent death, and has Mary poisoned, which is causing premature labor and the death of her and Peter's unborn daughter.[77] Spider-Man engages Green Goblin in a fight, and during the battle, it is later revealed that the Green Goblin switched the results of the clone test in an attempt to destroy Peter's life by making him believe himself to be the clone. Ben sacrificed himself to save Spider-Man/Peter Parker, who defeats Green Goblin before bidding farewell to a dying Ben in Peter Parker: Spider-Man #75 (Dec. 1996), his body immediately disintegrated, confirming that Peter was the original all along while Ben was confirmed to be the clone.[77]
In issue #97 (Nov. 1998) of the second series titled Peter Parker: Spider-Man,[78] Peter learns his Norman Osborn kidnapped Aunt May and her apparent death in The Amazing Spider-Man #400 (April 1995) had been a hoax.[79][80] Shortly afterward, in The Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 2) #13 (#454, Jan. 2000), Mary is killed in an airplane explosion.[81] She is revealed to be alive in volume 2, issue #28 (#469, April 2001),[81] but she and Peter are completely separated in the following issue.[82]
2000s
Babylon 5 creator J. Michael Straczynski began writing The Amazing Spider-Man, illustrated by John Romita Jr., beginning with volume 2, #30 (#471, June 2001). Two issues later, Peter, now employed as a teacher at his old high school, meets an old, but enigmatic Ezekiel, who possesses similar spider-powers like Spider-Man, suggests that Peter, having gained such powers, might not have been a fluke—that Parker has a connection to a totemic spider spirit. During his encounter with Ezekiel, Spider-Man had his first fight with the demonic vampire-like being named Morlun, who is tasked to hunt down and kill all spider-powered people like Spider-Man and Ezekiel, but is defeated by Spider-Man in a final battle. In vol. 2, #37 (#478, Jan. 2002), Aunt May discovers Peter is Spider-Man.[80] Peter and Mary Jane reconcile in (vol. 2) #50 (#491, April 2003),[80] and in #512 (Nov. 2004)—the original issue numbering having returned with #500—Peter learns his late girlfriend Gwen Stacy unknowing had two children with Norman Osborn.[83]
Spider-Man joins the superhero team The New Avengers in New Avengers #1–2. After a deranged, superpowered former high-school classmate destroys their respective homes, Peter, Mary Jane, and May move into Stark Tower, and Peter begins working as an assistant to Tony Stark, also known as Iron Man, while freelancing for the Daily Bugle and continuing his teacher career. In the 12-part 2005 story arc "The Other", Spider-Man begins to evolve his powers including his organic-webs. In the comic Civil War #2 (June 2006), the part of the company-wide crossover arc of that title, the U.S. government's Superhuman Registration Act had led Spider-Man to reveal his true identity publicly. Having grown very uneasy with the Registration Act after revealing his true identity, Peter escapes with Aunt May and Mary Jane and joins the anti-registration underground led by Captain America.
In issue #537 (Dec. 2006), Aunt May is shot by a sniper, hired by Wilson Fisk (Kingpin), and enters into a coma which enrages Spider-Man, who angrily overpowers Wilson's henchmen, and beats Kingpin half to death, and threatens to come back and kill him if his aunt dies. Peter, desperate to save her, exhausts all possibilities and makes a pact with the demon-lord Mephisto, who grants his wish and saves Aunt May's life but as in exchange for Peter and Mary Jane who both agreed to have their marriage and memories of this event disappear. In this changed reality, Spider-Man's identity is secret once again, and in #545 (Jan. 2008), Mary Jane, returns and is apparently cold toward him. The controversial[84] storyline "One More Day" rolled back much of the fictional continuity at the behest of editor-in-chief Joe Quesada, who said, "Peter being single is an intrinsic part of the very foundation of the world of Spider-Man".[84] It caused unusual public friction between Quesada and writer Straczynski, who "told Joe that I was going to take my name off the last two issues of the [story] arc", but was talked out of doing so.[85] At issue with Straczynski's climax to the arc, Quesada said, was
...that we didn't receive the story and methodology to the resolution that we were all expecting. What made that very problematic is that we had four writers and artists well underway on [the sequel arc] "Brand New Day" that were expecting and needed "One More Day" to end in the way that we had all agreed it would. ... The fact that we had to ask for the story to move back to its original intent understandably made Joe upset and caused some major delays and page increases in the series. Also, the science that Joe was going to apply to the retcon of the marriage would have made over 30 years of Spider-Man books worthless, because they never would have had happened. ...[I]t would have reset way too many things outside of the Spider-Man titles. We just couldn't go there....[85]
In this new continuity, designed to have very limited repercussions throughout the remainder of the Marvel Universe, Peter returns to work at the Daily Bugle, which has been renamed The DB under a new publisher.[86] He soon switches to the alternative press paper The Front Line.[87] J. Jonah Jameson becomes the Mayor of New York City in issue #591 (June 2008).[83] Jonah's estranged father, J. Jonah Jameson Sr., marries May in issue #600 (Sept. 2009).[83][88]
During the "Secret Invasion" by shape-shifting extraterrestrials, the Skrulls, Norman Osborn shoots and kills the Skrull queen Veranke,[89] and leverages this widely publicized success, positioning himself as the new director of the S.H.I.E.L.D.-like paramilitary force H.A.M.M.E.R. to advance his agenda.[89] While using his public image to start his own Dark Avengers. Norman, by himself, leads the Dark Avengers as the Iron Patriot, a suit of armor fashioned by himself after Iron Man's armor with Captain America's colors.[90]Harry is approached by Norman with the offer of a job within the Dark Avengers. It's later revealed that it is a ruse to coerce Harry into taking the American Son armor, whom Norman had planned to kill, in order to increase public sympathy. When Harry has the option of killing Norman, Spider-Man says to decapitate him, since Norman's healing factor may repair a blow to the head. Spider-Man also cautions Harry that killing Norman will cause Harry to "become the son Norman always wanted". Harry instead backs down, and turns away from his father forever.[91]
2010s
At Loki's suggestion, Norman Osborn creates a rationale to invade Asgard, claiming the world poses a national security threat. Norman is defeated, and ends up incarcerated in the Raft penitentiary.[92][93] A conflict between Spider-Man and Doctor Octopus over Osborn's son ends when it is revealed the child's father is Harry, who leaves town to raise him.[94] One of Doctor Octopus' Octobots swaps his and Spider-Man's personality, causing Peter to become trapped in the Doctor's dying body, while he in turn claimed Peter's life for himself. Though Peter failed to reverse the change, he manages to establish a weak link with the Doctor's mind, forcing him to relive all of his memories; Otto understands Peter's ideals of power and responsibility and swears to carry on with Peter's life with dignity as a "Superior Spider-Man".[95][96]
A portion of Peter survived in his original body in the form of a subconsciousness.[97] Later, realizing that he failed in his role as the "Superior" Spider-Man, Otto willingly allows Peter to reclaim his body and his original Spider-Man suit to defeat Green Goblin and save Anna Maria Marconi, Otto's love.[98] In the aftermath of these events, Peter began to make amends with the relationships, damaged by Otto's arrogance and negligence, both as Spider-Man and Peter Parker. Peter additionally took up the reins of Parker Industries, a small company founded by Otto after leaving Horizon Labs.[99]
Peter soon learns that a second person who was bitten by the same radioactive spider, was Cindy Moon.[100] Spider-Man tracks her down and frees her from a bunker owned by the late Ezekiel Simms.[101] Not long after rescuing Cindy, who went on to adopt her own heroine identity as Silk,[102][103] Spider-Man encounters a contingent of spider-people from all over the Multiverse that banded together to fight the Inheritors, a group of psychic vampires like Morlun whom Spider-Man fought, who both had begun to hunt down the spider-totems of other realities.[104] During a mission to gather more recruits in 2099 including Spider-Man 2099, the Spider-Army had stumbled upon another party of spider-people led by an alternate version of Superior Spider-Man (Otto Octavius).[105] Together, Spider-Man and the Spider-Army manage to defeat and neutralize the Inheritors.
Spider-Man then stops a nefarious plan put forward by the Jackal.[106] After the events of "Go Down Swinging", Peter's life was plagued with problems on both sides. As Spider-Man, Mayor Fisk publicly supports him, condemning all other vigilantes in order to isolate him from his superhero peers. As Peter Parker, his academic credentials were revoked after accusations of plagiarizing his doctoral dissertation from Octavius, resulting in Peter being fired from the Daily Bugle. Subsequently, Peter became romantically involved with Mary Jane.[107] Spider-Man and Peter Parker briefly split into separate beings due to an accident involving the reverse-engineered Isotope Genome Accelerator. Peter eventually manages to reverse the process, and merges his two halves back together before the side-effects worsen and result in their death.[108]
2020s
Kindred uses the resurrected Sin-Eater's sins to possess Miles Morales, Spider-Gwen, Spider-Woman, Anya Corazon, and Julia Carpenter. Doctor Strange, who manages to restrain a possessed Silk, agrees to help Spider-Man. However, Peter dies when fighting Kindred. While dead, Peter's consciousness remembers the fateful day of the start of One More Day; Kindred is willing to resurrect Spider-Man who emerges back to life.[109]
Personality and themes
"People often say glibly that Marvel succeeded by blending super hero adventure stories with soap opera. What Lee and Ditko actually did in The Amazing Spider-Man was to make the series an ongoing novelistic chronicle of the lead character's life. Most super heroes had problems no more complex or relevant to their readers' lives than thwarting this month's bad guys... Parker had far more serious concern in his life: coming to terms with the death of a loved one, falling in love for the first time, struggling to make a living, and undergoing crises of conscience."
Sally Kempton for the Village Voice opined in 1965 that "Spider-Man has a terrible identity problem, a marked inferiority complex, and a fear of women. He is antisocial, castration-ridden, racked with Oedipal guilt, and accident-prone ... [a] functioning neurotic".[49] Agonizing over his choices, always attempting to do right, he is nonetheless viewed with suspicion by the authorities, who seem unsure as to whether he is a helpful vigilante or a clever criminal.[111]
Cultural historian Bradford W. Wright notes:
Spider-Man's plight was to be misunderstood and persecuted by the very public that he swore to protect. In the first issue of The Amazing Spider-Man, J. Jonah Jameson, publisher of the Daily Bugle, launches an editorial campaign against the "Spider-Man menace". The resulting negative publicity exacerbates popular suspicions about the mysterious Spider-Man and makes it impossible for him to earn any more money by performing. Eventually, the bad press leads the authorities to brand him an outlaw. Ironically, Peter finally lands a job as a photographer for Jameson's Daily Bugle.[8]: 212
The mid-1960s stories reflect the political tensions of the time; early 1960s Marvel stories often deal with the Cold War and communism.[8]: 220–223 Wright writes:
From his high-school beginnings to his entry into college life, Spider-Man remained the superhero most relevant to the world of young people. Fittingly, then, his comic book also contained some of the earliest references to the politics of young people. In 1968, in the wake of actual militant student demonstrations at Columbia University, Peter Parker finds himself in the midst of similar unrest at his Empire State University.... Peter has to reconcile his natural sympathy for the students with his assumed obligation to combat lawlessness as Spider-Man. As a law-upholding liberal, he finds himself caught between militant leftism and angry conservatives.[8]: 234–235
Powers and abilities
Spider-Man possesses his superhuman spider-powers and abilities after he was bitten by a radioactive spider which the radioactive rays demonstration had irradiated back in the science exhibit, having gained his mutations. The radioactive spider-bite have transferred its venom that combines with a radiation to Peter Parker's DNA in his bloodstream, and it later mutates and alters from the exposure to the specific rate of the radiation, causing some numerous changes in a radioactive spider's blood, as a result, Spider-Man gained his spider-powers after his mutation is complete, his superpowers of his spider-physiology includes his superhuman strength, speed, agility, jump, reflexes, stamina, durability, equilibrium, wall-climbing ability, spider-sense, and healing factor;[112]
Powers
- Spider-Man possesses his superhuman strength, known as "the proportionate strength of a spider" or "Spider-Strength", which allows him to lift up to 10 tons or more which makes him far more stronger and more powerful than normal human beings. Spider-Man's strength allows him to defeat criminals by either punching, kicking, or throwing them at a distance or an obstacle. Spider-Man's rage allows him to unleash his strength to launch powerful barrages at his enemies which can cause them fatal, but Spider-Man rarely does so, knowing that he could either injure them or kill them due to his power being far formidable. Spider-Man is able to use his strength to effortlessly lift up a giant heavy machinery with all of his might that had pinned him down as Spider-Man's strength is shown in “The FINAL CHAPTER!”. Spider-Man is strong enough to easily use his strength to break both steel chains and ropes that were binding him, He is strong enough to match against his enemies who are as strong as he is himself either equally or greater.
- Spider-Man possesses his superhuman speed, also known as "the proportionate speed of a spider", or "Spider-Speed", that allows him to run faster than an average human being. Spider-Man’s speed allows him to surpass the speeding cars, airplanes, helicopters, and gliders. He is fast enough to catch up to the speeding train, and can dodge the attacks including enemy attacks and gun-shooting during combat situations. Spider-Man is able to combine his speed with his agility, reflexes, and spider-sense. Spider-Man's speed is mainly prefered for him to travel by web-swinging across the city as his signature move, which gives him a boost at the amazing speed as part of his transportation. Spider-Man is fast enough to go over 200-250 mph, although his power have not made him a speedster, but it allows him to quickly outsprint the finest human athlete far beyond physical limits.
- Spider-Man possesses his superhuman agility, in other words, "the proportionate agility of a spider", or "Spider-Agility", allowing him to perform several feats of acrobatic moves such as dodging attacks and back-flipping over his enemies from behind. Spider-Man's agility were all enhanced to highest levels beyond limits of average human atheletes along with his speed, reflexes, equilibrium, dexterity, and flexibility. He can do several spins, flips, rolls, somersaults, cartwheels, springs, and trick actions. Spider-Man is 25 times more agile, and is able to move and jump at distance width of a building.
- Spider-Man has superhuman jump, which allows him to jump higher at heights that were up to 100 meters high and can leap from one building to another.
- Spider-Man’s superhuman reflexes are 40 times faster than ordinary human, allowing him to react and dodge several attacks quickly with his speed, agility, and his spider-sense combined before they can get to him.
- Spider-Man's superhuman stamina allows him to remain active without being tired out or falling to exhaustion which is beyond ordinary humans.
- Spider-Man has superhuman durability that allows him to survive and withstand attacks such as surviving lasers, electrocution, falls, grenades, poisonous/toxic gases, explosives, and assaults from superhumans.
- Spider-Man’s superhuman equilibrium enables him to possess coordination and balance that allows him to slightly adjust and balance himself in his position on any object despite how small or narrow it is.
- Spider-Man has the wall-climbing ability to climb on walls and roofs like a wall-crawling spider once he clinged himself to the building ever since the original Stan Lee-Steve Ditko stories. It was speculated to be a distance-dependent interaction between Spider-Man's body and surfaces, known as the van der Waals force as Spider-Man's clinging ability induced a mutagenic, cerebellum-wide alteration engrams.[113] Though in Spider-Man (2002 film), his hands and feet are lined with tiny cilia in the manner of a real spider's feet.[112]
- Spider-Man possesses his "spider-sense", a precognition ability which allows him to sense danger or threat for a few seconds. This spider-sense is a precognitive sixth sense which is described as a buzz inside his skull, mostly in a direction of danger; it is showing a halo of wavy lines drawn around Spider-Man's head, being given a psychological awareness of his surroundings. Spider-Man’s spider-sense allows him to dodge, avoid, react, surpass, counter surprise attacks, and avoid targets thanks to his speed, agility, and reflexes. Spider-Man's spider-sense is one of his main signature spider-powers, which has proven useful for him in combat situations as his main fighting style, which had made him almost impossible for any other opponents to defeat. Spider-Man can sense his enemies' movements as if he can quickly read their moves and easily dodge them without even trying.
- Spider-Man has a healing factor that allows him to heal and recover from injuries sustained during battle.[114] In the aftermath of the 1989 "Acts of Vengeance" storyline, Spider-Man was said to have "superhuman recuperative abilities" that speed up his recovery from the exhaustion he suffered in defeating the Tri-Sentinel.[115]
Abilities
- Peter Parker, conceived by Lee and Ditko, has been intellectually gifted, but later they depict his genius-intellect at the level. Peter is a academically brilliant science major, and has been an expertise in the fields of applied science, chemistry, physics, biology, engineering, mathematics, and mechanics.[116]
- Peter is a skilled freelance photographer, having taken pictures of himself as Spider-Man selling his photos to J. Jonah Jameson.
- Spider-Man is the most highly skilled and powerful crime-fighter, having been able to combine his superhuman spider-powers to improvise his fighting skills into martial arts skills and hand-to-hand combat skills after his years of fighting crime ever since, allowing him to defeat several enemies with a single punch and kick as his spider-powers in his fighting style are very unique and specific to his spider-acrobatic fighting prowess. Spider-Man is able to fight and defeat criminals by attacking them with his superhuman strength, speed, agility, reflexes, spider-sense, and web-shooters effortlessly in a single-hand in a fierce combat. Spider-Man's combat experience made him the most agile crime-fighting superhero.
- With his talents, Peter creates his Spider-Man costume to hide his secret identity, he constructs many devices to compliment his powers such as web-shooters, web-fluids, spider-belt, spider-signal, and spider-tracers;
- Spider-Man's web-shooters are his main trademark high-speed wrist-mounted devices which allows him to shoot an artificial spider-webs with his several artificial and thread web fluids out of his wrist-mounted devices. Web-shooters also allow Spider-Man to web-swing at high speeds throughout the city, in which Spider-Man can use it to launch a powerful kick at his enemies that sends them flying to distance, and can also perform several acrobatic feats and trick actions in a mid-air while swinging, he can attack by web-shooting at his enemies with his webs or trap them, and it can also help him navigate. Spider-Man possesses his organic-webs from his wrists in Spider-Man trilogy directed by Sam Raimi, as a trilogy's version of Spider-Man produces biological webbing without being shown using his web-shooters from the comics.
- Spider-Man can also use a spider-signal as a flashlight and a warning beacon to criminals.
- Spider-Man also uses tracking devices of his own design, called “spider-tracers”, which are also carried in his utility belt called “spider-belt” along with his web-fluid cartridges. They are small and can also use a spider-like casing as a trademark to enhance the ability to cling to a target. If it successfully placed, Spider-Man can follow the tracer originally with a handheld receiving device but later attuned its frequency to his spider-sense so it can be followed within a certain maximum range with it. At the same time, the receiver is still used for greater distances.[112]
- Peter was shown to be capable of creating the replication of his web fluid back in high school which is something that Thomas Fireheart's scientists, world-renowned, are unable to.[117]
Other versions
 |
Original depiction
Sky-Spider
In Marvel Comics Universe 2410, a boy named Petor was about to be born to a mother named Mari and a father named Rikkar, when suddenly an evil witch came to their village and contaminated the water well with her blood. Therefore, all the children of that village were born as mutants and monsters and were killed at birth. But Petor's mother did not want to kill him and raised him in the forest (without her husband knowing). 15 years later, the village was attacked by invaders called the Creons, so Petor came to the village to defend it. He managed to defeat the attackers, but he lost his mother and his father did not recognize him, and as a result, he was once again rejected from the village.
Spider-Man from Earth-93165
This Spider-Man was seen in What If...? V1 55, titled "What If... The Avengers Lost Operation Galactic Storm?" In fact, "Operation Galactic Storm" was one of the most important and controversial events of Marvel, which was published in 1992. In this event, the Avengers get involved in a war between two alien races, the Kree and the Shi'ar. In this story, the Shi'ar detonate a bomb that kills millions of Kree. Then the Avengers realize that everything is under the supervision of a being called the Supreme Intelligence. They decide to execute him. Captain America strongly opposes this act. This controversial decision was unprecedented in the world of comics at that time. The Avengers manage to stop the killing of the Kree, but surprisingly, instead of thanking the Avengers, they attack and destroy Earth. In a panel, we see that Spider-Man takes the body of his wife, Mary Jane, and then everything is destroyed.
Supporting cast
Spider-Man has had many large range of supporting characters introduced in superhero comic books, which are so essential in the Spider-Man issues and storylines which stars Spider-Man. Peter lost his parents, Richard and Mary Parker, who both died in plane crash years ago prior. Peter Parker was raised by his kind-hearted and loving uncle and father figure, Uncle Ben Parker, and aunt and mother figure, Aunt May Parker. After Uncle Ben is murdered by a burglar whom Peter let escape prior to his uncle's death, Aunt May is virtually Peter's only family member he's got, and she and Peter are very close.[50]
J. Jonah Jameson is the publisher of the Daily Bugle and Peter Parker's boss and a harsh critic of Spider-Man, he constantly features negative articles about the superhero in his newspaper. Despite his role as Jameson's editor and confidant, Robbie Robertson is always depicted as a supporter of both Spider-Man and his alter ego Peter Parker.[52]
Eugene "Flash" Thompson is commonly depicted as Peter Parker's high school bully, who idolizes Spider-Man, but is unaware that Spider-Man is Peter Parker whom he bullies. Later, he becomes a friend of Peter and adopts his own superhero identity, Agent Venom, after merging with the Venom symbiote.[52] Meanwhile, Harry Osborn, son of Spider-Man's arch-enemy, Green Goblin a.k.a. Norman Osborn, is most commonly recognized as Peter's best friend, although some versions depicted him as his rival.[54]
Enemies
Writers and artists over the years have established a rogues gallery of supervillains to face Spider-Man, in comics and in other media. As with Spider-Man, the majority of the villains' powers originate with scientific accidents or the misuse of scientific technology, and many have animal-themed costumes or powers.[note 6] The most notable Spider-Man villains are listed down below in the ordering of their original chronological appearance:
Indicates a group.
| Supervillain name / Supervillain team name | Notable alter ego / group member | First appearance | Creator |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chameleon | Dmitri Nikolayevich | The Amazing Spider-Man #1 (March 1963)[118][119] | Stan Lee[118][119] Steve Ditko[118][119] |
| Vulture | Adrian Toomes | The Amazing Spider-Man #2 (May 1963)[120][121] | Stan Lee[120][122] Steve Ditko[120] |
| Doctor Octopus | Otto Octavius1 | The Amazing Spider-Man #3 (July 1963)[119] | Stan Lee[123][124] Steve Ditko[15][124] |
| Sandman | William Baker / Flint Marko | The Amazing Spider-Man #4 (Sept. 1963)[125][126] | Stan Lee[125][126] Steve Ditko[125][126] |
| Lizard | Curt Connors | The Amazing Spider-Man #6 (Nov. 1963)[127][128][129] | Stan Lee[127][128][129] Steve Ditko[127][128][129] |
| Electro | Max Dillon | The Amazing Spider-Man #9 (Feb. 1964)[130][131] | Stan Lee[132] Steve Ditko[132] |
| Mysterio | Quentin Beck | The Amazing Spider-Man #13 (June 1964)[133] | Stan Lee[133][134] Steve Ditko[133][134] |
| Green Goblin[135] | Norman Osborn2 Harry Osborn[136] |
The Amazing Spider-Man #14 (July 1964)[135] | Stan Lee[135][137] Steve Ditko[135][137] |
| Kraven the Hunter | Sergei Kravinoff | The Amazing Spider-Man #15 (Aug. 1964)[137][138] | Stan Lee[137] Steve Ditko[137] |
| Sinister Six[139] | List of members | The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1 (1964) | Stan Lee[140] Steve Ditko[140] |
| Scorpion | Mac Gargan | The Amazing Spider-Man #20 (Jan. 1965) | Stan Lee[141] Steve Ditko[141] |
| Rhino | Aleksei Sytsevich | The Amazing Spider-Man #41 (Oct. 1966)[142] | Stan Lee[143] John Romita Sr.[143] |
| Shocker | Herman Schultz | The Amazing Spider-Man #46 (March 1967)[144] | Stan Lee[145] John Romita Sr.[145] |
| Kingpin | Wilson Fisk | The Amazing Spider-Man #50 (July 1967)[146] [147] |
Stan Lee[148] John Romita Sr.[148] |
| Morbius[149] | Michael Morbius | The Amazing Spider-Man #101 (Jan. 1971)[150] | Roy Thomas[150] Gil Kane[151] |
| Black Cat | Felicia Hardy | The Amazing Spider-Man #194 (July 1979)[152] | Marv Wolfman Keith Pollard[152] |
| Hobgoblin | Roderick Kingsley Jason Macendale[153] Ned Leeds[153] |
The Amazing Spider-Man #238 (March 1983) | Roger Stern[154][155] John Romita Sr.[154][156] |
| Venom | Eddie Brock3 | The Amazing Spider-Man #300 (May 1988)15[157][158] | David Michelinie[159] Todd McFarlane[160] |
| Carnage | Cletus Kasady | The Amazing Spider-Man #361 (April 1992)[161] | David Michelinie[162][163] Erik Larsen[164] Mark Bagley[162] |
Unlike most superheroes, Spider-Man does not have a single villain with whom he has come into conflict the most. Instead, he is often regarded as having three archenemies:[165]
- ^ Doctor Octopus (a.k.a. Doc Ock) is a highly intelligent mad scientist who uses four mechanical appendages for both movement and combat following his freak accident. He has been described as Spider-Man's greatest enemy, and the man Peter Parker might have become if he had not been raised with a sense of responsibility.[15][166] Doc Ock is infamous for defeating him the first time in battle and for almost marrying Peter's Aunt May. He is also the core leader of the Sinister Six, and at one point adopted the "Master Planner" alias. ("If This Be My Destiny...!")[167] Later depictions have revealed him in Peter Parker's body, where he was the titular character for a while.[166]
- ^ The Norman Osborn version of the Green Goblin is the most dangerous mad-criminal who is most commonly regarded as Spider-Man's arch-enemy.[165][168][169] While Norman is usually portrayed as an amoral industrialist and the head of the Oscorp scientific corporation, the Goblin is a psychopathic alternate personality, born after Norman's exposore to some unstable chemicals that also increased his strength and agility. The Goblin is a Halloween-themed villain, dressing up like an actual goblin and utilizing a large arsenal of high tech weapons, including a glider and pumpkin-shaped explosives. Unlike most villains, who only aim to kill Spider-Man, the Goblin also targets his loved ones and shows no remorse in killing them as long as it caused pain to Spider-Man. His most infamous feat is killing Spider-Man's girlfriend, in what became one of the most famous Spider-Man stories of all time and helped to end the Silver Age of Comic Books and begin the Bronze Age of Comic Books.[165] While the Goblin was killed in the same story, he returned in the 1990s to plague Spider-Man once again, committing more heinous acts (such as being involved in the murder of Aunt May). He also came into conflict with other heroes, such as the Avengers.[170] Norman is sometimes depicted as an enemy of Spider-Man, even when not being the Green Goblin.[171]
- ^ The Eddie Brock incarnation of Venom is often regarded as Spider-Man's deadliest foe and rival, and has been described as an evil mirror version of Spider-Man in many ways.[157][119][165] He is also among Spider-Man's most popular villains.[172] Originally a reporter who grew to despise Spider-Man, Eddie later came into contact with the Venom symbiote, which had been rejected by Spider-Man. The symbiote merges with Eddie and gives him the same powers as Spider-Man, in addition to making him immune to the web-slinger's "spider-sense". Venom's main goal is to ruin Peter Parker's life and mentally confuse him in any way he can.[160] The character has a sense of honor and justice, and later starred in his own comic book stories, where he is depicted as an antihero and has a desire to protect innocent people from harm. On several occasions, he and Spider-Man even put their differences aside and became allies.[157][173]
Romantic interests
Peter Parker's romantic interests range between his first crush, fellow high-school student Liz Allan,[52] to having his first date with Betty Brant,[174] secretary to the Daily Bugle newspaper publisher J. Jonah Jameson. After breaking up with Betty, Peter eventually falls in love with his college girlfriend Gwen Stacy,[54][57] daughter of New York City Police Department detective Captain George Stacy, both of whom are later killed by Spider-Man's supervillain enemies, Green Goblin and Doctor Octopus.[62] Mary Jane Watson became Peter's best friend and love interest, and eventually his wife.[73] Felicia Hardy, the Black Cat, is a reformed cat burglar who had been Spider-Man's sole superhuman girlfriend and partner at one point.[69]
Children
Over the course of the comics, Peter Parker had several biological children across different continuities, usually with Mary Jane Watson, including Spider-Girl (Mayday Parker) and Benjy Parker from the MC2 universe, and Spiderling (Annie Parker) from Earth-18119.[175][176]
Alternate versions of Spider-Man
Within the Marvel Universe, there exists a multiverse with many variations of Spider-Man.[177] An early character included in the 1980s is the fictional anthropomorphic animal parody of Spider-Man as a pig named Spider-Ham (Peter Porker).[178] Many imprints of Spider-Men were created, like the futuristic version of Spider-Man in Marvel 2099 named Miguel O'Hara. In the Marvel Comics 2 imprint, Peter marries Mary Jane and has a daughter named Mayday Parker, who carries on Spider-Man's legacy, while Marvel Noir has a 1930s version of Peter Parker.[177][179][180] Other themed versions exist within the early 2000s; Marvel Mangaverse version of Spider-Man, and an Indian version from Spider-Man: India, Pavitr Prabhakar.[177][181]
Ultimate Spider-Man was a popular modern retelling of Spider-Man, Peter Parker. The version of Peter Parker would later be depicted as being apparently killed off and replaced by a Black Hispanic Spider-Man named Miles Morales.[182]
The storyline "Spider-Verse" brought back many alternate takes on Spider-Man and introduced many new ones, such as an alternate world where Gwen Stacy gets bitten by a radioactive spider instead of Peter Parker himself, along with a British-themed version named Spider-UK, who is Billy Braddock from the Captain Britain Corps.[179][183]
Legacy
In The Creation of Spider-Man, comic book writer-editor and historian Paul Kupperberg calls the character's superpowers "nothing too original"; what was original was that outside his secret identity, he was a "nerdy high school student".[184]: 5 Going against typical superhero fare, Spider-Man included "heavy doses of soap-opera and elements of melodrama". Kupperberg feels that Lee and Ditko had created something new in the world of comics: "the flawed superhero with everyday problems". This idea spawned a comics revolution.[184]: 6 The insecurity and anxieties in Marvel's early 1960s comic books, such as The Amazing Spider-Man, The Incredible Hulk, The Fantastic Four, and The X-Men ushered in a new type of superhero, very different from the certain and all-powerful superheroes before them, and changed the public's perception of them.[185] After the comics depicted a real address in Forest Hills, Queens, New York, as May Parker's residence, its residents received many letters from children to the superhero.[186]
Spider-Man has become one of the most recognizable fictional superheroes in the world, and has been used to sell toys, games, cereal, candy, soap, and many other products.[187] He has been used as the company mascot. When Marvel became the first comic book company to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 1991, The Wall Street Journal announced "Spider-Man is coming to Wall Street"; the event was in turn promoted with an actor in a Spider-Man costume accompanying Stan Lee to the Stock Exchange.[8]: 254 Since 1962, hundreds of millions of comic books featuring the character have been sold around the world.[188] Spider-Man is the world's most profitable superhero.[189][needs update] In 2014, global retail sales of licensed products related to Spider-Man reached approximately $1.3 billion.[190] Comparatively, this amount exceeds the global licensing revenue of Superman, Batman, and the Avengers combined.[189]
Spider-Man joined the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade from 1987 to 1998 as one of the balloon floats,[191] designed by John Romita Sr.,[192] one of the character's signature artists. A new, different Spider-Man balloon float also appeared from 2009 to 2014.[191]
When Marvel wanted to issue a story dealing with the immediate aftermath of the September 11 attacks, the company chose the December 2001 issue of The Amazing Spider-Man.[193] In 2006, Spider-Man garnered major media coverage with the revelation of the character's secret identity,[194] an event detailed in a full-page story in the New York Post before the issue containing the story was even released.[195]
In 2008, Marvel announced plans to release a series of educational comics the following year in partnership with the United Nations, depicting Spider-Man alongside the UN Peacekeeping Forces to highlight UN peacekeeping missions.[196] A BusinessWeek article listed Spider-Man as one of the top 10 most intelligent fictional characters in American comics.[197]
In 2015, the Supreme Court of the United States decided Kimble v. Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a case concerning royalties on a patent for an imitation web shooter. The opinion for the Court, by Justice Elena Kagan, included several Spider-Man references, concluding with the statement that "with great power, there must also come—great responsibility".[198]
Spider-Man has become a subject of scientific inquiry. In 1987, researchers at Loyola University conducted a study into the utility of Spider-Man comics for informing children and parents about issues relating to child abuse.[199]
Reception
The culmination of nearly every superhero that came before him, Spider-Man is the hero of heroes. He's got fun and cool powers, but not on the god-like level of Thor. He's just a normal guy with girlfriend problems and money issues, so he's more relatable than playboy billionaire Iron Man. And he's an awkward teenager, not a wizened adult like Captain America. Not too hot and not too cold, Spider-Man is just right.
In 2005, Bravo's Ultimate Super Heroes, Vixens, and Villains TV series declared that Spider-Man was the number 1 superhero.[201] Empire magazine ranked him the fifth-greatest comic book character of all time.[202] Wizard magazine placed Spider-Man as the third-greatest comic book character on their website.[203] In 2011, Spider-Man placed third on IGN's Top 100 Comic Book Heroes of All Time, behind DC Comics characters Superman and Batman,[200] and sixth in their 2012 list of "The Top 50 Avengers".[204] In 2014, IGN identified Spider-Man the greatest Marvel Comics superhero of all time.[205] A 2015 poll at Comic Book Resources named Spider-Man the greatest Marvel character of all time.[206] IGN described him as the common everyman that represents many normal people, but also noted his uniqueness compared to many superheroes with his depicted flaws as a superhero. IGN wrote that despite being one of the most tragic superheroes of all time, he is "one of the most fun and snarky superheroes in existence."[200] Empire praised Spider-Man's always-present sense of humor and wisecracks in the face of the many tragedies he faces. The magazine website appraised the depiction of his "iconic" superhero poses, describing it as "a top artist's dream".[203]
George Marston of Newsarama called Spider-Man's origin the greatest origin story of all time, opining that "Spider-Man's origin combines all of the most classic aspects of pathos, tragedy and scientific wonder into the perfect blend for a superhero origin."[207]
Real-life comparisons
Real-life people who have been compared to Spider-Man for their climbing feats include:
- In 1981, skyscraper-safety activist Dan Goodwin, wearing a Spider-Man suit, scaled the Sears Tower in Chicago, Illinois, the Renaissance Tower in Dallas, Texas, and the John Hancock Center in Chicago.[208]
- Alain Robert, nicknamed "Spider-Man", is a rock and urban climber who has scaled more than 70 tall buildings using his hands and feet, without using additional devices. He sometimes wears a Spider-Man suit during his climbs. In May 2003, he was paid approximately $18,000 to climb the 95-metre (312 ft) Lloyd's building to promote the premiere of the movie Spider-Man on the British television channel Sky Movies.[209]
- "The Human Spider", alias Bill Strother, scaled the Lamar Building in Augusta, Georgia, in 1921.[210]
- In Argentina, criminals that climb buildings and trespass into private property through the open balconies are said to use the "Spider-Man method" (in Spanish, el Hombre Araña).[211][212]
In other media
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Spider-Man has appeared in comic books, cartoons, films, video games, novels, plays, records, coloring books, children's books, and theme park rides.[187] Spider-Man first starred in a first and original ABC animated television series most notably called, Spider-Man (1967–1970), voiced by Paul Soles, (1967–1970),[213] which leads a superhero to the other media like in other television, like Spidey Super Stories (1974–1977) portrayed by Danny Seagren on PBS, and the other live-action series from CBS, called The Amazing Spider-Man (1977–1979) where he was secondarily portrayed by Nicholas Hammond. Spider-Man appears in other animated series and was featured in the syndicated Spider-Man (1981–1982), voiced by Ted Schwartz, Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends (1981–1983), voiced by Dan Gilvezan, Fox Kids' Spider-Man (1994–1998), voiced by Christopher Daniel Barnes, Spider-Man Unlimited (1999–2000), voiced by Rino Romano, Spider-Man: The New Animated Series (2003), voiced by Neil Patrick Harris, The Spectacular Spider-Man (2008–2009), voiced by Josh Keaton, Disney XD's Ultimate Spider-Man (2012–2017), voiced by Drake Bell,[214] Spider-Man (2017–2020), voiced by Robbie Daymond, Spidey and His Amazing Friends (2021–present), where he is called "Spidey" and is voiced by Benjamin Valic from season 1-2, and by Alkaio Thiele from season 3 who succeeds Valic as the new voice role as Spidey, and is set to be voiced by Hudson Thames in the upcoming series Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man (2025).
A tokusatsu series featuring Spider-Man was produced by Toei and aired in Japan. It is commonly referred to by its Japanese pronunciation Supaidā-Man (1978-1979) where he was featured as the Japanese version of Spider-Man named Takuya Yamashiro portrayed by Kōsuke Kayama (Shinji Tōdō), rather than the Peter Parker version from America.[215] Spider-Man also appeared in other print forms besides the comics, including novels, children's books, and the daily newspaper comic strip The Amazing Spider-Man, which had debuted in January 1977, with the earliest installments written by Stan Lee and drawn by John Romita Sr.[216] Spider-Man has been adapted to other media including games, toys, collectibles, and miscellaneous memorabilia, and has appeared as the playable title character and main protagonist in numerous computer and video games on over 15 gaming platforms.
Spider-Man was featured in a trilogy of live-action films directed by Sam Raimi and starring Tobey Maguire as the titular superhero. The first Spider-Man film of the trilogy was released on May 3, 2002, followed by Spider-Man 2 (2004) and Spider-Man 3 (2007). A fourth film was originally scheduled to be released in 2011; however, Sony later decided to reboot the franchise with a new director and cast. The reboot, titled The Amazing Spider-Man, was released on July 3, 2012, directed by Marc Webb, and starred Andrew Garfield as the new Spider-Man.[217][218][219] It was followed by The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014).[220][221] In 2015, Sony and Disney made a deal for Spider-Man to appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.[222] Tom Holland made his debut as Spider-Man in the MCU film Captain America: Civil War (2016), before later starring in his standalone film Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), directed by Jon Watts.[223][224] Holland reprised his role as Spider-Man in Avengers: Infinity War (2018),[225][226] Avengers: Endgame (2019),[227] Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019),[228] and Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021); Maguire and Garfield reprise their roles in the latter film, and Holland has confirmed to return to portray Spider-Man once again in the upcoming fourth film of the MCU Spider-Man on summer 2026.[229] Jake Johnson voiced an alternate universe version of Spider-Man/Peter Parker in the animated film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,[230] and reprised the role in its sequel Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023), and will return to reprise his role for the third time in Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse. Chris Pine also voiced another version of Spider-Man/Peter Parker in Into the Spider-Verse.[231]
Following a brief contract dispute over financial terms, in 2019, Sony and Disney reached a deal to allow Spider-Man to return to the MCU, with the two studios jointly producing Spider-Man films.[232]
A Broadway musical, Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, began previews on November 14, 2010, at the Foxwoods Theatre on Broadway, with the official opening night on June 14, 2011.[233][234] The music and lyrics were written by Bono and The Edge of the rock group U2, with a book by Julie Taymor, Glen Berger, and Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa.[235] Turn Off the Dark is currently the most expensive musical in Broadway history, costing an estimated $70 million.[236] In addition, the show's unusually high running costs are reported to have been about $1.2 million per week.[237]
In the fine arts, since the Pop Art period of the 1960s, the character of Spider-Man has been "appropriated" by multiple visual artists and incorporated into contemporary artwork, including Andy Warhol,[238][239] Roy Lichtenstein,[240] Mel Ramos,[241] Vijay,[242] Dulce Pinzon,[243] Mr. Brainwash,[244] and F. Lennox Campello.[245]
See also
- List of Spider-Man storylines
- With great power comes great responsibility
- List of Marvel Comics superhero debuts
- The Leopard from Lime Street
Notes
- ^ Lee, Stan; Mair, George (2002). Excelsior!: The Amazing Life of Stan Lee. Fireside. p. 135. ISBN 978-0-684-87305-3.
- ^ Detroit Free Press interview with Stan Lee, quoted in The Steve Ditko Reader by Greg Theakston (Pure Imagination, Brooklyn, NY; ISBN 1-56685-011-8), p. 12 (unnumbered). "He gave me 1,000 reasons why Spider-Man would never work. Nobody likes spiders; it sounds too much like Superman, and how could a teenager be a superhero? Then I told him I wanted the character to be a very human guy, someone who makes mistakes, who worries, who gets acne, has trouble with his girlfriend, and things like that. [Goodman replied,] 'He's a hero! He's not an average man!' I said, 'No, we make him an average man who happens to have superpowers, that's what will make him good.' He told me I was crazy".
- ^ Ditko, Steve (2000). Roy Thomas (ed.). Alter Ego: The Comic Book Artist Collection. TwoMorrows Publishing. ISBN 978-1-893905-06-1. "'Stan said a new Marvel hero would be introduced in #15 [of what became titled Amazing Fantasy]. He would be called Spider-Man. Jack would do the penciling, and I was to ink the character.' At this point still, Stan said Spider-Man would be a teenager with a magic ring that could transform him into an adult hero—Spider-Man. I said it sounded like the Fly, which Joe Simon had done for Archie Comics. Stan called Jack about it, but I don't know what was discussed. I never talked to Jack about Spider-Man... Later, at some point, I was given the job of drawing Spider-Man'".
- ^ Jack Kirby in "Shop Talk: Jack Kirby", Will Eisner's Spirit Magazine #39 (February 1982): "Spider-Man was discussed between Joe Simon and myself. It was the last thing Joe, and I had discussed. We had a strip called 'The Silver Spider.' The Silver Spider was going into a magazine called Black Magic. Black Magic folded with Crestwood (Simon & Kirby's 1950s comics company) and we were left with the script. I believe I said this could become a thing called Spider-Man, see, a superhero character. I had a lot of faith in the superhero character that they could be brought back... and I said Spider-Man would be a fine character to start with. But Joe had already moved on. So the idea was already there when I talked to Stan".
- ^ Simon, Joe, with Jim Simon. The Comic Book Makers (Crestwood/II, 1990) ISBN 1-887591-35-4. "There were a few holes in Jack's never-dependable memory. For instance, there was no Black Magic involved at all. ... Jack brought in the Spider-Man logo that I had loaned to him before we changed the name to The Silver Spider. Kirby laid out the story to Lee about the kid who finds a ring in a spider-web, gets his powers from the ring, and goes forth to fight crime armed with The Silver Spider's old web-spinning pistol. Stan Lee said, 'Perfect, just what I want.' After obtaining permission from publisher Martin Goodman, Lee told Kirby to pencil-up an origin story. Kirby... using parts of an old rejected superhero named Night Fighter... revamped the old Silver Spider script, including revisions suggested by Lee. But when Kirby showed Lee the sample pages, it was Lee's turn to gripe. He had been expecting a skinny young kid who is transformed into a skinny young kid with spider powers. Kirby had him turn into... Captain America with cobwebs. He turned Spider-Man over to Steve Ditko, who... ignored Kirby's pages, tossed the character's magic ring, web pistol and goggles... and completely redesigned Spider-Man's costume and equipment. In this life, he became high-school student Peter Parker, who gets his spider powers after being bitten by a radioactive spider. ... Lastly, the Spider-Man logo was redone and a dashing hyphen added".
- ^ Mondello, Salvatore (March 2004). "Spider-Man: Superhero in the Liberal Tradition". The Journal of Popular Culture. X (1): 232–238. doi:10.1111/j.0022-3840.1976.1001_232.x.
References
Content in this article was copied from Spider-Man at the Fictional Characters wiki, which is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 (Unported) (CC-BY-SA 3.0) license.
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- ^ Saffel, p. 51
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- ^ "To address the contradiction in future reprints of the tale, though, Spider-Man's dialogue was altered so that he's referring to the Brooklyn Bridge. But the original snafu remains as one of the more visible errors in the history of comics." Saffel, p. 65
- ^ Sanderson, Marvel Universe, p. 84, notes, "[W]hile the script described the site of Gwen's demise as the George Washington Bridge, the art depicted the Brooklyn Bridge, and there is still no agreement as to where it actually took place."
- ^ Saffel, p. 65
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- ^ Sanderson, Marvel Universe, p. 85
- ^ Blumberg, Arnold T. (Spring 2006). "'The Night Gwen Stacy Died': The End of Innocence and the 'Last Gasp of the Silver Age'". International Journal of Comic Art. 8 (1): 208.
- ^ a b Sanderson, Marvel Universe, p. 83
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- ^ a b c Saffel, p. 124
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- ^ Saunders, et al. Chronicle, p. 273
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- ^ Amazing Spider-Man #549
- ^ Amazing Spider-Man #568
- ^ Amazing Spider-Man #600
- ^ a b Brian Michael Bendis (w), Leinil Francis Yu (p), Mark Morales (i). "Secret Invasion" Secret Invasion: Dark Reign, no. 8 (January 2009). Marvel Comics.
- ^ Brian Michael Bendis (w), Mike Deodato (p), Mike Deodato (i). "Secret Invasion: Dark Reign" Dark Avengers, no. 1 (Jan. 2009). Marvel Comics.
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- ^ Amazing Spider-Man #648–654
- ^ The Amazing Spider-Man #699.
- ^ The Amazing Spider-Man #700.
- ^ The Spider-Man #1
- ^ The Superior Spider-Man #27–30.
- ^ The Superior Spider-Man #31.
- ^ Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 3) #1
- ^ Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 3) #4
- ^ Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 3) #5
- ^ Silk (vol. 1) #1
- ^ Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 3) #9
- ^ Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 3) #10
- ^ Dead No More: The Clone Conspiracy (vol. 1) #1–5.
- ^ Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 5) #1
- ^ Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 5) #2–5
- ^ Nick Spencer (w). "Last Remains" The Amazing Spider-Man, no. 50–55 (October – December 2020). Marvel Comics.
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External links
Definitions from Wiktionary
Media from Commons
News from Wikinews
Quotations from Wikiquote
Data from Wikidata
- Spider-Man at Marvel Universe Wiki
- Spider-Man at the Comic Book DB (archived from the original)
- The science of Spider-Man, Cosmos
- Peter Parker (Earth-616) on Spider-Man Wiki
- Peter Parker (Earth-616) on Marvel Database, a Marvel Comics wiki
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