Spider-Man
Spider-Man (
alter ego Peter Parker), is a
fictional superhero in the
Marvel Comics Universe, created by writer
Stan Lee and artist
Steve Ditko.
First appearing in
Amazing Fantasy #15 (Aug. 1962), he has become one of the world's most popular, enduring, and recognizable superheroes.
In the 1960s, when Spider-Man was first published,
teenage characters were used mainly as
sidekicks in comic books. The series broke new ground by making its hero, Peter Parker, a teenager himself, and giving him normal problems. His trouble with girls, work, and money made him easier to relate to than the superheroes who had gone before. Through the years, Spider-Man has appeared in many media, including several animated and live action
television series, syndicated newspaper
comic strips, and two very successful big-screen
films, with a
third set to debut in 2007.
Marvel has published
many series featuring the character, the first and flagship title being
The Amazing Spider-Man. Peter Parker grows from a shy
high school student to a troubled college student to a married professional.
|
Amazing Fantasy#15 (Aug. 1962), Spider-Man's debut. Cover art by Jack Kirby (penciller) & Steve Ditko (inker). |
Creation of character
Various accounts of Spider-Man's creation have been given, with at times,
Stan Lee,
Steve Ditko (the official creators),
Jack Kirby and
Joe Simon claiming various degrees of credit for the character's concepts.
Stan Lee claimed in the
1980s that the idea for Spider-Man sprang out of the apparent increased
teenage interest in the new Marvel comic books, and that he wanted to create a character that they would identify with. Lee cited the non-powered
pulp magazine crime fighter
The Spider as an influence.
In the
Spider-Man movie
DVD extras,
Stan Lee's Mutants, Monsters and Marvels and elsewhere, Lee said he was inspired by seeing a
fly climb up a wall. When discussing this in
documentaries, he often comments that he's told the story so many times that he is not sure if it is true or not.
However, Jack Kirby said in a
1982 interview that Lee had minimal involvement in the creation of the character. He claimed that he and
Joe Simon had created a character called 'The Silver Spider' which was going to be published in the
Black Magic anthology by
Crestwood until that company went out of business.
Joe Simon, in his
1990 autobiography, disputes this account. He claimed that he came up with the character's name, while Kirby outlined the character's story and powers. Stan Lee liked the idea, but didn't like what Kirby actually drew: in Simon's words, "Captain America with cobwebs." Lee turned to artist Steve Ditko, who found the concept particularly appealing and developed a visual motif that Lee found satisfactory. Simon later elaborated: the Silver Spider he and Kirby had created was also the inspiration for
The Fly, a character he had created for
Archie Comics. Ditko immediately recognized it, and then designed his own version.
Steve Ditko's recollections in
Comic Book Artist #3 (Winter
1999) were similar. Much earlier, in a rare contemporaneous account, Ditko specified 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."
Multiple Series
Spider-Man was introduced in
Amazing Fantasy #15, 1962. His own series,
The Amazing Spider-Man, began the following year. In 1972, a second ongoing monthly series starring Spider-Man began:
Marvel Team-Up, in which Spider-Man is paired with other heroes. In 1976, his second solo series began,
Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man, which ran parallel to the main series. Since then, there have been at least two ongoing Spider-Man series at any given time, and usually at least four comics starring the character are published each month. Numerous
limited series,
one-shots, and loosely related comics have also been published, and Spider-Man makes frequent cameos and guest appearances in other comic series.
As of 2006,
Ultimate Spider-Man,
Marvel Adventures Spider-Man,
New Avengers,
The Amazing Spider-Man,
The Sensational Spider-Man,
Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, the
limited series Beyond! and
Civil War regularly feature Spider-Man.
Challenging the Comics Code
In 1971,
Amazing Spider-Man was the first comic to challenge the rigid
Comics Code. Previously, it was forbidden to depict
illegal drugs, even negatively. However,
The Amazing Spider-Man #96–98 (May–July 1971) features a
story arc that shows the negative effects of
drug abuse (a storyline conceived at the request of government drug-prevention authorities).
Harry Osborn starts taking pills and becomes so ill that, when Spider-Man fights the
Green Goblin (Norman Osborn), Spider-Man defeats Norman by simply showing him his sick son. The three issues were sold without the Comics Code Authority's approval or seal, but were met with such critical acclaim that the industry's self-censorship was undercut.
Early life
Peter Benjamin Parker's parents
Richard and Mary Parker,
CIA and later
S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, are killed on a mission. The infant Peter Parker is left in the care of his
Uncle Ben and
Aunt May Parker, who live in the
Forest Hills neighborhood of
Queens,
New York. The aging couple love Peter, but he is unpopular among those his own age. Over time, he grows to be a lonely, timid
teenager. The exceptionally bright Peter shows more interest in his studies, especially
science, than in any kind of social life. He is often the target of jokes by more popular students like
Flash Thompson, the high school's star athlete.
Origin
When Peter Parker is 15 years old, he attends a science exhibition where he is bitten by a
radioactive spider. The spider's bite gives Peter an array of
spider-like powers, including wall-crawling, superhuman strength and agility, and an extra-sensory "spider-sense".
Peter sets out to find fame and fortune at first, winning a match against
professional wrestler Crusher Hogan. Quickly becoming a minor celebrity, Peter appears on a television special. However, afterward, he allows a thief to escape the TV station, and tells a security guard that it isn't his problem. He later regrets this decision when he finds out the same
Burglar has killed his Uncle Ben. Realizing that he could have prevented his uncle's death and blaming himself, Peter devotes himself to fighting
crime and saving lives, driven by his uncle's words, "with great power there must also come great responsibility." This phrase (usually in the modified form "with great power comes great responsibility") subsequently achieved widespread fame.
Problems as Spider-Man
Spider-Man tries to do the right thing, but the authorities and the public view him with suspicion. Thanks to a continuous
smear campaign by
J. Jonah Jameson, publisher of
The Daily Bugle, many people consider Spider-Man a menace to society. Ironically, Peter spends much of his life working as a
freelance photographer for Jameson, primarily selling photographs of himself as Spider-Man to be used in negative articles and editorials.
Spider-Man amasses many enemies, as any superhero does when fighting crime and villainy. Some targeted him as Peter Parker or attacked his loved ones: the Green Goblin killed Peter's girlfriend Gwen Stacy. The stresses of Peter's dual identity often led to tension between himself and his wife
Mary Jane Watson, or his friends.
Starting out
In the earliest Spider-Man stories, Peter Parker attends Midtown High School. Due to the death of his uncle, he and his aunt are desperate for money, so he gets a job as a photographer at the
Daily Bugle, selling photos to
J. Jonah Jameson. Peter dates his co-worker
Betty Brant and comes into conflict with his high school rival
Flash Thompson. He encounters many of his most famous enemies for the first time.
College life
Peter graduates from high school and enrolls at
Empire State University. There, he meets
Harry Osborn and
Gwen Stacy, who are friends with Flash Thompson. His aunt introduces him to
Mary Jane Watson, whom he dates for a short time, but he soon falls in love with Gwen. Harry, meanwhile, becomes Peter's best friend and roommate, but starts using
illegal drugs.
Harry's father, Norman Osborn, is revealed to be the
Green Goblin, and discovers Spider-Man's secret identity. After Gwen's father is killed in a battle between Spider-Man and
Doctor Octopus, their relationship is put on hold when she travels to Europe. Shortly after she returns, Harry suffers a
drug overdose.
|
The Death of Gwen Stacy trade-paperback collection |
The death of Gwen Stacy
While Harry is ill, the Green Goblin murders Gwen, and then dies in the ensuing battle with Spider-Man. In shock over her death, Peter withdraws from his friends, only to find support from Mary Jane, and they start dating. Harry discovers the truth about his father, and later becomes the second Green Goblin. Gwen's death has another unforeseen consequence: one of her professors,
Miles Warren,
clones Gwen and Peter. Both clones disappear, but Peter's clone returns years later as
Ben Reilly. Mary Jane and Peter break up, as she is not ready for a committed relationship.
The alien costume and Venom
See also: Symbiote; VenomDuring the
Secret Wars limited series, Spider-Man is taken to an alien planet and participates in a battle between Earth's greatest heroes and villains. During the war, Peter's blue-and-red costume is destroyed. Peter finds a machine on the strange planet that seems to fashion a new black costume to replace his tattered one. The costume responds to Peter's thoughts, maintains an unlimited supply of web-fluid and can change appearance at will. However, when Peter returns to Earth he discovers that the costume is actually an alien symbiote bent on permanently bonding with its host. Venom's only weaknesses are fire and strong sonic vibrations (extremely loud noise). Peter eventually rejects and defeats the symbiote, but it merges with reporter Eddie Brock, becoming the villain known as
Venom. Brock is imprisoned and removed from his symbiote but then escapes the prison when the symbiote returns. His cellmate, Cletus Kasady (a
serial killer), merges with an infant symbiote that Venom left behind, thus becoming yet another villain,
Carnage. Carnage has the ability to harden his symbiotic liquid into razor-sharp blades and spikes.
Clone Saga
Main article: Clone Saga
|
Web of Spider-Man #117 (Oct. 1994), the launch of the "Clone Saga." |
One of the most controversial storylines of the 1990s involves the
Scarlet Spider, a clone of Spider-Man going by the name
Ben Reilly; however, tests indicate that Reilly is the original, and Peter the clone. Mary Jane becomes pregnant and Peter retires, and gives the Spider-Man identity to Reilly. Reilly remains Spider-Man for several months, until a resurrected Norman Osborn reveals that he had manipulated the tests. After Reilly is impaled on the Goblin's Glider while saving Peter, his body crumbles into dust, proving definitively that he was the clone.
While Peter battles Osborn, Mary Jane is poisoned by one of his agents, and their baby seems to be stillborn; however, the agent then takes the baby away.
Baby May has not been seen since.
Reinvented and relaunched
In 1999, after a decline in sales that began with the clone storyline,
John Byrne revised the origin of Spider-Man in
Spider-Man: Chapter One, just as he earlier had reinvented the origin of Superman in
The Man of Steel. The changes were referred to in the contemporary comics (which Byrne co-wrote with
Howard Mackie), but the attempt was not popular, and
Marvel writers returned to the Lee/Ditko origin.
Later in the Byrne/Mackie run,
Peter Parker: Spider-Man #97, Peter learns that
Aunt May had been kidnapped by Osborn and that her death was a hoax. Peter rescues May, then temporarily retires as Spider-Man.
The publisher relaunched
The Amazing Spider-Man and
Peter Parker: Spider-Man with new #1 issues and canceled
The Sensational Spider-Man vol. 1 and
The Spectacular Spider-Man vol. 1. Peter eventually becomes Spider-Man again while keeping it secret from Mary Jane. Shortly afterward, she is apparently murdered by a stalker.
21st-century Spider-Man
|
Promotional art for Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 2 #34 by J. Scott Campbell and Tim Townsend. |
Marvel hired
Babylon 5 creator
J. Michael Straczynski to write
The Amazing Spider-Man, illustrated by
John Romita Jr. Straczynski and writer
Paul Jenkins reunite Peter and Mary Jane, but they temporarily separate. Peter becomes a teacher at his old high school.
The enigmatic, wealthy CEO
Ezekiel, suggests that the accident that gave Peter his abilities might not have been a fluke, and that Peter might have a connection to a
totemic spider spirit. The
vampire-like
Morlun, who feeds on the powers possessed by those connected to animal totems, comes to New York and severely beats Spider-Man. However, Peter defeats Morlun by injecting himself with a radioactive material, making himself "impure" and weakening the villain. Peter defeats the villain, and Morlun's lackey kills his master. Spider-Man later battles
Shathra, a mystical
spider wasp being, and uses the power of the spider totem to defeat her. This battle prompts the end of Peter and Mary Jane's separation.
The companion series
Peter Parker: Spider-Man (illustrated by
Mark Buckingham) was relaunched as
The Spectacular Spider-Man Volume 2, written by
Paul Jenkins and illustrated by
Humberto Ramos. Here Spider-Man battles
Venom (Eddie Brock), who is revealed to be dying of cancer. An encounter with the Green Goblin leaves Peter's friend
Flash Thompson in a coma with severe brain damage. After a lengthy battle, the Green Goblin and Spider-Man come to a truce, which ends when Osborn resumes killing in the series
The Pulse and
Marvel Knights Spider-Man.
After
The Amazing Spider-Man vol. 2 #58, the series returns to its original numbering at #500. Peter works as a science teacher at Midtown High School until 2004, when
Charlie Weiderman destroys both Peter's apartment and Aunt May's house. Because of Spider-Man's membership in the
Avengers, Peter, Mary Jane, and Aunt May move into
Tony Stark's Stark Tower. Peter works as Stark's assistant while again freelancing for
The Daily Bugle.
House of M
Main article: Spider-Man: House of M
In the alternate reality of
House of M, a Marvel
crossover, Spider-Man has everything he wants. His identity is widely known, and he is rich, famous, and married to Gwen Stacy. Aunt May and Uncle Ben are alive and in good health, and J. Jonah Jameson is Peter's often-abused publicist. Things unravel when, in a world where mutants rule the world, Spider-Man is revealed to have gotten his powers from a radioactive spider, and is not a born mutant.
The Other
Main article: Spider-Man: The Other
In the 12-part 2005 story "The Other," which spans the three main Spider-Man titles, Spider-Man is
cursed, killed by Morlun, and undergoes a transformation that evolves his powers (see
below), further connects him to the spider totem and lays the foundation for further developments. After his return, Tony Stark makes him a new costume.
Civil War
Main article: Civil War
In the multi-title, 2006
crossover Civil War, which divides the Marvel heroes on whether to abide by the
Super-human Registration Act, Spider-Man unmasks himself at a live, televised news conference at the
U.S. Capitol in
Civil War #2 (June 2006). He announces to the world, "My name is Peter Parker and I've been Spider-Man since I was 15 years old." In the aftermath, J. Jonah Jameson, feeling betrayed, files a lawsuit against Parker, demanding repayment of money paid for Spider-Man photos over the years, and
Tony Stark drafts Spider-Man into a task-force to hunt the rebel superheroes.
A bite from an
irradiated spider causes a variety of changes in Peter Parker's body, giving him
superpowers. In the original
Lee-
Ditko stories Spider-Man has the ability to cling to walls, superhuman strength, a sixth sense ("spider-sense") that alerts him to danger, perfect balance and equilibrium, and greatly enhanced speed and agility.
Peter Parker is highly intelligent, and uses his wits in addition to his powers. Beyond outsmarting his foes, he constructs many devices that complement his powers, most notably mechanical web-shooters, but also spider-tracers, a specially modified
camera, and others. In storylines published in 2005 and 2006, he develops additional spider-like features including biological web-shooters, and toxic stingers that extend from his forearms.
Spider-Man has worn many costumes over the years, ranging from his traditional red-and-blue costume, to the black-and-white alien
symbiote, to the technologically advanced red-and-gold costume designed by
Tony Stark.
|
Cover artwork for The Amazing Spider-Man #500, featuring Spider-Man's wife, Mary Jane Watson-Parker, and many of his antagonists. Art by J. Scott Campbell & Tim Townsend. |
Spider-Man has one of the best-known
rogues galleries in comics. Some of his better-known villains include
Carnage,
Mysterio, the
Vulture,
Sandman and the
Lizard. Like Spider-Man's own origin, a majority of these villains' origins are based in scientific accidents or the misuse of scientific technology. Many also have animal-themed costumes or powers.
Spider-Man's most infamous and dangerous enemies are generally considered to be:
*
Green Goblin - Originally a normal scientist and ambitious businessman, Norman Osborn used an experimental formula that gave him superpowers but also drove him insane. When Spider-Man thwarted his plans to take over as crime boss of New York City, he dedicated himself to utterly destroying Spider-Man's life. Their mutual animosity became personal when he killed
Gwen Stacy. He is also the mastermind behind the
Clone Saga. He is imitated by his son,
Harry Osborn, and the
Hobgoblin.
*
Doctor Octopus - Dr. Otto Octavius is a respected scientist, one of the world's foremost experts in
radiation. He used four mechanical arms in his experiments, which bonded with his nervous system after an explosion. He combines physical power with mad genius.
*
Venom - When Spider-Man rid himself of the
alien symbiote costume, it bonded with reporter Eddie Brock, who hated Spider-Man. The symbiote gave Brock all of Spider-Man's powers, immunity to his spider-sense and, even more dangerously, knowledge of his secret identity.
Spider-Man was conceived as an ordinary person given great power, and the comics detail his civilian life, friends, family, and romances as much as his superheroic adventures.
Some of the more important and well-known members of his extensive supporting cast include:
*
Aunt May — Peter Parker's loving aunt, who raises him after his parents die.
*
Gwen Stacy — Peter's college girlfriend, who is tragically murdered by the
Green Goblin.
*
J. Jonah Jameson — the irascible publisher of the
Daily Bugle newspaper. While he employed Peter Parker as a photographer for years, he is also Spider-Man's greatest critic and largely responsible for the public's distrust of the hero.
*
Mary Jane Watson — originally merely Gwen Stacy's competition, MJ eventually became Peter's best friend and wife.
*
Flash Thompson — Peter Parker's high school
tormentor, later one of his closest friends. Due to brain damage, he suffers
amnesia and returns to his bullying personality.
*
Harry Osborn — Peter's best friend in college, who eventually followed his father's footsteps and became the second
Green Goblin.
*
Black Cat, Felicia Hardy — a reformed cat burglar who became Spider-Man's lover and partner. Now a friend and private investigator.
Other Spider-Men in the Marvel Universe
In the comics, others use the Spider-Man identity. Some of these actually exist in the
Marvel Universe (
Earth-616):
*
Ben Reilly, a
clone of Peter, who also fights crime as the "Scarlet Spider".
*
Kraven the Hunter dons Spider-Man's costume for a short time in "
Kraven's Last Hunt".
*
Mattie Franklin, the niece of J. Jonah Jameson, assumes the role with a padded costume when Peter temporarily quits. She later becomes
Spider-Woman for a time.
*A
Spider-Man robot is created by
Kang the Conqueror to defeat the
Avengers (
Avengers vol. 1 #11). It is deactivated but later returns with the ability to drain temporal energy from people. It is destroyed by Ben Reilly and the Avengers. (
Spider-Man Team-Up #4)
*
Deadpool temporarily masquerades as Spider-Man in
Deadpool #11.
Other characters have used similar themes:
*
Blood Spider is an evil version of Spider-Man created by the
Taskmaster and the
Red Skull.
*The
Spider Doppelganger is an evil version of Spider-Man created by the
Magus during the
Infinity War.
*Several characters have used the
Spider-Woman identity:
**
Jessica Drew**
Julia Carpenter (now called Arachne)
**
Mattie Franklin**
Charlotte Witter*
Madame Web, a precognitive ally of Spider-Man and the Spider-Women.
*
Ezekiel Sims has powers similar to those of Spider-Man, but mystical in origin. He is a member of
the Spider Society and its front organization, WebCorps.
*
Araña, a young heroine with spider powers, formerly an employee of WebCorps.
*Joe Wade, an
F.B.I. agent transformed into an evil, cybernetic
Scarlet Spider by
Lady Octopus.
*
Venom and his descendant symbiotes.
Ultimate Spider-Man
Ultimate Spider-Man is a completely separate
continuity: a modernized
reboot of the Spider-Man story, starting from the very beginning, with a plot that is inspired by, but very different from, the original continuity. The main purpose of the series is to be accessible to new and young readers, as it is free from the decades of history of the original, but it has been embraced by many longtime fans as well.
In
Ultimate Spider-Man,
Peter is a high-school student who is bitten by a spider during a school field trip -- but instead of a radioactive spider (which reflected the
Atomic Age in which Spider-Man's origin was written), it is a lab subject that has been
genetically modified by
Osborn Industries. The themes, characterization, and setting are updated to reflect modern life. It is set in the
Ultimate Marvel universe.
Alternate continuities
Other related characters exist in
alternate versions of the
Marvel Universe. These include:
*
Spider-Man 2099 aka Miguel O'Hara of
Marvel 2099. A
geneticist, Miguel gains his powers from a gene-splicing incident.
*
Dr. Max Borne, the Spider-Man of the year 2211, first appeared in the
Spider-Man/Spider-Man 2099 one-shot. His daughter Robin is the
Hobgoblin of 2211. He is later shot by an alternate version of
Ben Parker.
*An alternate Spider-Man who had used his powers for fame and fortune devolves into a vicious Man-Spider, due to the removal of his
Uncle Ben from that timeline. He kills a number of superheroes.
*
Peter Parquagh is a counterpart to Peter in the miniseries
Marvel 1602. In the sequel,
1602: New World, he takes the identity of the Spider.
*In the series
Exiles, which involves inter-dimensional travel, several alternate versions appear:
**The Spider is an alternate-reality version of Spider-Man who has merged with the Carnage symbiote and has become a psychopathic killer. He originates from Earth-15 and is a member of
Weapon X**
Mary-Jane Watson, a.k.a. Spider-Woman, seen in
Exiles issues #20-22, is part of a resistance against the
techno-organic virus and heroes infected with it, including that world's Spider-Man.
**A Spider-Man who is a member of the Fantastic Five dies in a battle against The Spider.
**A version of
Spider-Man 2099 joins the Exiles when his identity is made public.
*In the series
Earth X and its sequels, Peter Parker is no longer a superhero, and has become a police officer. Three other related characters appear:
**The Spiders Man is an enigmatic characters who makes illusions using webs that come from his sleeves. He has lumpy red skin that resembles Spider-Man's costume, and wears a tattered cloak.
**Two alternate versions of
Spider-Girl appear: one is called
Venom, and the other was raised by
Ben Reilly (
Paradise X: Heralds).
*In the "
Age of Apocalypse", Peter Parker is executed by Apocalypse's regime simply because he is a potential ally for rebel
Gwen Stacy.
*
Deadpool encounters an version of Spider-Man in a universe which he refers to as "an Age of Apocalypse" (not
the Age of Apocalypse). That Spider-Man is Pestilence,
Horseman of Apocalypse.
*
Spider-Boy of the
Amalgam Universe is a merged character of Spider-Man and
Superboy after all characters from Marvel Comics and
DC Comics are merged in
Marvel vs. DC.
*Alternate versions of Spider-Man appear in a number of issues of
What If..? (see
List of What If? issues).
Spider-Man comics are also published under the
Marvel Adventures (formerly
Marvel Age) banner. These versions are intended for younger audiences and are not part of the regular continuity.
Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane is similarly set outside of regular continuity.
Spider-Girl
The
Spider-Girl comic book series, originally published under the
MC2 imprint, features May "Mayday" Parker, Peter's daughter in an alternate
continuity. This timeline diverged from
regular continuity when Peter and Mary Jane's daughter is returned to them. In
Spider-Girl, Peter has been retired from crime fighting since his final battle with the Green Goblin, which cost him a leg. Peter settled down to family life and works for the
New York City Police Department as a
forensic scientist. May, his teen daughter, follows in his footsteps against his wishes, but Peter eventually assists in her training. Peter appears in costume several times in
Spider-Girl, either to restrain May and keep her out of danger, or to assist her. Peter is among the superheroes kidnapped by Loki in the spin-off
Last Hero Standing.
Derivatives
Spider-Man has also inspired a number of derivatives:
*
Yu Komori (小森ユウ
Komori Yū) in
Spider-Man: The Manga by
Ryoichi Ikegami.
*
Takuya Yamashiro (山城"也,
Yamashiro Takuya), the Spider-Man of
Spider-Man (tokusatsu), produced by
Toei Company.
*
Pavitr Prabhakar in the
Indian adaptation of Spider-Man,
Spider-Man: India, published by
Gotham Entertainment Group.
*
Peter Porker, Spider-Ham, a porcine hero in a
funny animal version of the Marvel Universe.
*
The Webswinger, in the
heroic fantasy version of the Marvel Universe featured in the miniseries
Avataars.
*
Marvel Mangaverse Spider-Man is a version of the character re-imagined as a
ninja. In that version, Peter Parker is a member of the Spider Clan and takes revenge on the evil ninja
Venom for the murder of his sensei,
Uncle Ben. He later trains
Mary Jane Watson to become a ninja
Spider-Woman.
Television
Spider-Man has been adapted to
television numerous times, as a short-lived live-action
television series, a
Japanese tokusatsu series, and several animated cartoon series. There were also the "
Spidey Super Stories" segments on the
PBS educational series
The Electric Company, which featured a Spider-Man who did not speak out loud but instead used only
word balloons.
Spider-Man's
first cartoon series ran from 1967-1970. It is still famous for its theme song, which began, "Spider-Man, Spider-Man, does whatever a spider can..." The web-swinger's longest-running and arguably his best show was
Spider-Man: The Animated Series that ran from 1994-1998, with 65 episodes in five seasons.
Film
*Spider-Man: On May 3, 2002, the feature film Spider-Man
was released. It was directed by Sam Raimi and stars actor Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker. The film utilizes various CGI effects to bring Spider-Man to life. Although the film adaptation took liberties with the character's history and powers—notably, he was bitten by a genetically modified rather than a radioactive spider, had organic web-shooters rather than mechanical ones, and had a long-standing crush on Mary Jane Watson—it was generally held to be true to the character and was widely embraced by the viewing public. It opened at a record US$114.8 million and earned more than US$403 million in the U.S. and Canada, the highest North American gross of any film released that year, though surpassed internationally (see 2002 in film). The villain of this film was the Green Goblin portrayed by Willem Dafoe.
*Spider-Man 2 was 2004's second-most financially successful movie in North America and third internationally (see 2004 in film). It premiered in more North American movie theaters (4,152) than any previous movie. Its first-day gross (US$40.5 million) surpassed its predecessor's US$39.4 million record. Spider-Man 2
was also the first motion picture released in the Sony Universal Media Disc format for the PlayStation Portable, included for free with the first one million PSP systems released in the United States. The villain of this film was Doctor Octopus portrayed by Alfred Molina.
Both Spider-Man
and Spider-Man 2
rank among the highest-grossing films of all time.
*Spider-Man 3'' began production in 2005 under director Raimi. The studio has announced a theatrical release date of
May 4, 2007, on a budget reputed to be more than US$250 million. On
February 23, 2006, the first photo was shown on
SuperHeroHype.com of Spider-Man in a black costume, confirmed later that day by the official movie web site. The film will feature
Thomas Haden Church as the
Sandman and
Topher Grace as
Eddie Brock/Venom.
Bryce Dallas Howard plays
Gwen Stacy.
Stage
In 2002, the company
2MA produced the first live-action Spider-Man stunt show, staged in
Jeddah,
Saudi Arabia. The same show played at
Tussauds Thorpe Park in 2003 and 2004. Spider-Man has also made stage appearances in Pantomime at the Birmingham Hippodrome Theatre, UK.
At Universal Studios in California, a musical version of Spider-Man was produced, combining singing and live action sequences. The musical re-enacted the Green Goblin arc.
Games and toys
Main article: Spider-Man computer and video games
Dozens of
computer and video games starring Spider-Man, based on comics, animation, and movies, have been released for over 15 different gaming platforms. Spider-Man editions of
Monopoly,
chess,
pinball, and many other games have also been made. Spider-Man has been included in every Marvel expansion of the tabletop miniature game
Heroclix released to date. Spider-Man cards have been included in both the
Overpower and
VS System card games.
According to
ToyFare magazine, more action figures of Spider-Man have been released than any other character except
Batman. The first major Spider-Man toy was the 1966
Captain Action Spider-Man by Ideal, a costume made for the 12 inch Captain Action figure. It is estimated only 17-22 exist in the original box. ToyFare listed this Spider-Man as the most valuable action figure at $15,000 and up.
Numerous other Spider-Man action figures have been produced, from the
Secret Wars line from
Mattel, to the more recent from
Toy Biz, (especially in the
Spider-Man Classics line, Spider-Man movie lines, and the
Marvel Legends line).
Lego and
Minimates versions have also been made. Over 5000 toys, collectibles, and miscellaneous items of memorabilia are in existence. Many of these are low-quality, unlicensed
knock-offs. [
1]
Real life Spider-Men
Real-life "Spider-Men" include:
*
"Spider Dan" Goodwin climbed the glass of two
Chicago skyscrapers, the
Sears Tower and the
John Hancock Center, using
suction cups in 1981.
*
Alain Robert, nicknamed
Spiderman, 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 312-foot
Lloyd's of London building to promote the premiere of the movie
Spider-Man on the
British television channel
Sky Movies.
* 'The Human Spider', alias Bill Strother, scaled the Lamar Building in 1921.[
2]
*
Fathers 4 Justice member David Chick used a Spider-Man outfit to obtain publicity for
fathers' rights. [
3].
Spider-Man in music
* The catchy original
Spider-Man cartoon theme song has been
covered and reinterpreted by numerous musical acts, including
The Ramones,
Aerosmith, and
Tenacious D. The 2002 and 2004 movies have featured
buskers performing the song;
Jayce Bartok and
Elyse Dinh respectively. For other versions, see:
Spider-Man (1960s animation).
* In 1972,
Buddah Records released "Spider-Man: From Beyond The Grave," a rock musical story
LP record with an included wordless comic strip for listeners to follow.
Kingpin appears as the villain and
Dr. Strange guest stars.
* In
1975 Ramsey Lewis released a single titled "What's the Name of this Funk? (Spider Man)" [
sic]. [
4]
* In
1975 Marvel Comics and Lifesong Records released an album entitled, "Spider-Man: Rock Reflections of a Superhero." It contained songs of various styles altered to elucidate certain moments and feelings of Spider-Man's origin, such as "No One's Got a Crush on Peter" and "Peter Stays and the Spider-Man Goes" interspersed with narration clips by
Stan Lee.
* In
1983,
Muse Records released
Woody Shaw's jazz version of "Spider-Man Blues", based on the television theme, on Shaw's "Setting Standards" album.
* In 1994,
Joe Perry of
Aerosmith wrote and performed the theme song for the
Fox Kids Spider-Man animated series. Joe Perry is noted fan of Spider-Man.
* in
1998 Michale Graves wrote the song "Spider-Man" (aka The Spider-Man Song aka Spider-Man Save Me) while still in
The Misfits. It is yet to be officially released, although he has played this song live in every band he's played in since.
* The
2003 "Weird Al" Yankovic album
Poodle Hat has a track entitled "Ode to a Superhero". It is a
parody of the
Billy Joel song "
Piano Man", and recounts the events of the
2002 film.
* In 2002
Nelly performed a song called "Spida Man," on his double album
Sweat/Suit.
* A
soundtrack album and
score was released with each of the two Spider-Man films. The two soundtracks were mainly songs thematically linked to the film, performed by popular
rock acts. Both soundtracks included hit singles (notably "Hero" by
Chad Kroeger, "Bother" by Corey Taylor (of
Stone Sour and
Slipknot), and "Vindicated" by
Dashboard Confessional). The two scores were composed by
Danny Elfman.
Spider-Man in pop culture
* On
Halloween 2004, an estimated 2.15 million U.S. children dressed up as Spider-Man, making it the year's most popular costume.
* In sports,
Ecuadorian
soccer player
Iván Kaviedes used a Spider-Man-based mask to celebrate his personal goal in his team's victory in the
2006 FIFA World Cup against
Costa Rica, as a dedication to his late teammate
Otilino Tenorio, who had celebrated his goals in that manner.
* In the early-to-mid 1990's,
World Championship Wrestling featured the wrestler "Arachnaman", played by
Brad Armstrong. He wore a costume like Spider-Man's, except rather than being blue and red, it was yellow and purple. He used a web gun to shoot a
Silly String-like substance during his entrances. Marvel had the character squashed for
trademark infringement.
* Former
WWE World Heavyweight Champion Rey Mysterio once wore a combination of his own mask and Spider-Man's, as a tribute to the famous superhero.
* In the
comic strip Monty, the title character attempts to emulate Spider-Man by getting bitten by a radioactive spider, but instead is bitten by a radioactive
ladybug and becomes
Ladybugman, with a somewhat different set of powers.
* The Turkish film
3 Dev Adam (
Three Mighty Men) presents a Spider-Man who is a bloodthirsty criminal mastermind. He has extremely bushy eyebrows, and his costume is green where the traditional Spider-Man costume is blue.
* In
Walt Disney's Comics and Stories #635,
Mickey Mouse is bitten by a radioactive spider and becomes the superhero
Spider-Mouse, but later grows four extra arms and turns into a monster.
*
Darkwing Duck goes under a similar transformation and assumes the identity of
Arachniduck, in the episode
Aduckyphobia.
*
Spider-Plant Man is a sketch on
Comic Relief with
Rowan Atkinson, and is a parody of the film franchise.
* Spider-Man is referenced in the 2005
direct-to-video Family Guy film
Stewie Griffin The Untold Story, in a scene in which
Peter Griffin hangs from a clothesline dressed in a Spider-Man costume while singing the 1960s Batman TV-show theme song. In the episode "
Let's Go to the Hop", Peter is saved by Spider-Man when he falls out off his house. Peter says "Thanks Spider-Man!" to which Spidey replies "Everybody gets one." before swinging off.
* In
Transformers: Cybertron episode 28 "Assault"
Lori recites Spider-Man's familiar mantra "with great power comes great responsibility" when she, along with
Coby,
Bud, and the
Mini-Cons are given command of the
Autobot base.
* On the TV show
Spider Riders, when a rider calls his spider from manacle space he or she must make a hand motion similar to the one used by Spider-Man to shoot his webs.
* In an episode of
That 70's Show, Eric beats up a man at a football game. After Red asks where he learned those moves, he replies that he learned them from Spider-man, losing his father's new-found respect.
Main article: Bibliography of Spider-Man titles
Spider-Man
first appeared in
Amazing Fantasy #15. After that, he was given his own series. Many followed, and as of July 2006, the related titles are:
The Amazing Spider-Man #1–441, Vol. 2 #1–58, #500— (Marvel Comics; March 1963–November 1998, January 1999–December 2003, January 2004—). Currently written by
J. Michael Straczynski, and penciled by
Ron Garney.
Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #1— (Marvel Comics; December 2005—), written by
Peter David and penciled by
Mike Wieringo.
The Sensational Spider-Man #23— (Marvel Comics; April 2006—). Currently written by
Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and penciled by
Angel Medina and
Clayton Crain.
Spider-Man Unlimited Vol. 3 #1— (Marvel Comics; March 2004—), showcasing Spider-Man in stories by new writing talent.
New Avengers #1— (Marvel Comics; January 2005—, continuation of
Avengers Vol. 3), written by
Brian Michael Bendis and penciled by various artists; including
David Finch,
Steve McNiven,
Frank Cho and
Mike Deodato. This book is not one of the official Spider-Man titles but includes him as part of the current team line-up.
Astonishing Spider-Man #1— (
Panini Comics/
Marvel UK; Unknown month 1994—). Part of Marvel UK's "Collector Edition" line, reprinting US stories from 2–3 years earlier.
Other continuities
Ultimate Spider-Man: (Marvel Comics/
Ultimate Marvel; #1 October 2000—), written by Bendis and penciled by
Mark Bagley, set in the
Ultimate Marvel Universe.
Marvel Adventures Spider-Man: (Marvel Comics/
Marvel Adventures; #1 May 2005—; continuation of
Marvel Age Spider-Man), written by
Sean McKeever, set during Spider-Man's high school years, but not within regular
Marvel Universe continuity.
Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane: (Marvel Comics, #1 December 2005—, sequel to
Mary Jane and
Mary Jane: Homecoming miniseries), written by
Sean McKeever and illustrated by
Takeshi Miyazawa. Set outside the regular Marvel Universe continuity.
Spider-Girl: (Marvel Comics, #0 October, 1998—, sequel to
What If #105, February, 1998). Written by
Tom DeFalco and illustrated by
Ron Frenz. Set in an alternate future, starring Spider-Man's daughter. It has been cancelled at #100, and will relaunch in October 2006 as
The Amazing Spider-Girl.
*
Spider-Man -
Spider-Man 2 -
Spider-Man 3 (Film Series)
*
Spider-Man computer and video games*
Spider-Man on television*
Spider-Man supporting characters*
Spider-Man villains*
Spider-Man storylines*Jack Kirby, 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 '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".::"Shop Talk: Jack Kirby",
Will Eisner's Spirit Magazine #39 (Feb. 1982)
*Joe Simon, 1990: "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 spiderweb, 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."::Simon, Joe, with Jim Simon.
The Comic Book Makers (Crestwood/II, 1990) ISBN 1887591354.
*Joe Simon, 1997: "In the late
1950s,
Archie Comics asked me to create a new line of superheroes. I gave the Silver Spider sketches to Jack Kirby and I changed the name again, this time to
The Fly. Jack held onto the sketches and when Stan Lee asked Jack for new ideas, Jack brought the original Spider-Man pages to Marvel Comics. Later, Stan handed the pages over to Steve Ditko. Ditko, on first seeing those pages, commented, 'This is Joe Simon's Fly.' Steve Ditko worked up his own version of the character's costume."::
"KAPOW! A Talk With Joe Simon" Dan Whitehead,
The Web Magazine, 1997.
*
"Steve Ditko - A Portrait of the Master." Comic Fan #2, Summer 1965. Published by Larry Herndon.
*
Official Spider-Man movie network*
Marvel.com — Official webpage*
BBC article on the Indian Spider-Man*
Spider-Man message boards — official movie message boards
*
Spider-Man's Popularity Factor*
MDP:Spider-Man — Marvel Database Project
*
Official Marvel Picture site*
Superhero Hype! — Spider-Man movie-news site*
1981 Spider-Man Cartoon @ Toon Zone*
A site about the Japanese television version
