With all the excitement around the release of Spider-Man: Homecoming, it’s easy to forgot his history, which spans 55 amazing years!
Just as red, white and blue as Captain America, but a bit younger, Spider-Man has been slinging his webs around since 1962. It’s hard to believe it’s been that long. So much history. And after all these years, fans are just as eager to eat up anything they can involving the ol’ Webhead.
A cultural icon, Spider-Man is easily one of the most popular comic book heroes to ever jump off the page. A Marvel Comics stalwart, he has held his own against the likes of Batman, Superman and Iron Man in various incarnations that continue to this day. So just who is he and where did he get his start?
History of Spider-Man 101
Peter Parker, aka Spider-Man, was created in 1962 by a man who requires no introduction. Stan Lee. Along with Steve Ditko and with help from another comic legend, Jack Kirby, Spider-Man first appeared in the August issue of Amazing Fantasy #15. The issue was to be the last for this run, which was partly why they allowed Lee’s story. It was easier to take a chance on an unknown when you’re not worried about tanking the series.
However, the debut turned out to be one of the highest selling books of the time.
Lee’s attempt to create a character that related to the target audience of young teenagers was a runaway success.
The Amazing Spider-Man #1 debuted several months later and became one of Marvel’s top books, and would remain so. It spawned a fair share of secondary on-going series, but Amazing would remain the flagship title, and still is to this day.
His lasting popularity is not hard to understand, he is a unique and endearing character. With a penchant for corny humor and an arsenal of witty one-liners, he adds a bit of levity to any situation, no matter how dire it may be. And although his superhuman power set has grown over the years, it has stayed firmly rooted in just what he is. Spider. Man.
His page history is filled with amazing stories, and amazing team-ups with other staples of the Marvel universe. He’s been a member of the Avengers, the Fantastic Four and worked with just about everyone in-between. He’s been married to the love of his life Mary Jane, had the marriage erased then put back in. Cloned. Copied. Then there was the time he died and was inhabited by Doctor Octopus…
Spider-Man has been able to handle everything the writers can throw at him with style and humor that only he can deliver.
Rogues Gallery
No true hero is complete without a nemesis; a group or individual who always attempts to one up their foe and take them down. Spider-Man has been put to the test numerous times throughout his history by the greatest list of villains ever assembled.
His Rogues Gallery.
It’s amazing that most of his greatest foes, the ones that still haunt him today, are the very ones that appeared within the first few years of his comic run.
Villains like Chameleon, Vulture, Doctor Octopus, the Sandman, the Lizard, Electro….all were born within his first two years on the scene. One of his greatest, Green Goblin appeared in issue #14 back in 1964.
During the late 80’s, writers became increasingly brutal in their efforts to raise the stakes for the web-slinger, and created a new, powerful “creature” for him to go up against. Venom. An alien symbiote that was once Peter’s famous “black suit” was introduced and changed the game for years to come. Venom is a villain/hero/anti-hero in his own right, and worthy of a whole article unto himself.
So far, the movies have only scratched the surface of this list. Who knows who’ll be drug up from the past next.
Spidey Swings Onto Your TV
Springing off the success of his first few years of comic books, Spider-Man was ready to take the step into animation in the first of many cartoons. The first and best of these was Spider-Man; which ran from 1967 to 1970 on ABC. It was Saturday morning gold.
The first season saw Stan Lee on-board as a consultant and tapped the talent of Ralph Bakshi in the latter two seasons. Due to limited budgets, much of the footage was reused in many of the episodes throughout all seasons. Regardless, this first foray into television and animation remains a classic. It also paved the way for the many others that followed through the next few decades.
In 1978, a live-action series debuted on CBS; The Amazing Spider-Man. The network toned down this version, to appeal to a more adult audience. No wacky powers and no recognizable villains made it on-screen. Still, the pilot and first season received decent ratings and continued onto a second season before getting the ax as that season ended.
Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends is another stand out; this time teaming him up with other Marvel heroes like Iceman and Firestar. Together they faced some of the other villains that Marvel had to offer like Doctor Doom and Magneto.
From 1994-1998 is my personal favorite, Fox Kids’ Spider-Man, which is something i watched through almost it’s entire run.
Others would continue on and off during the next decade, and with a new movie releasing, a new series is in order. Marvel’s Spider-Man will air on Disney XD starting August 1st.
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A Pop Icon
Spider-Man has earned a place in history as not just another comic hero, but as a genuine icon and pop culture sensation.
Thousands of licensed products have been sold with his likeness; action figures, food products, hygiene products… name it, it’s a thing. Not just comic books but a whole plethora of merchandise has been available earning him the title of “worlds most profitable superhero”.
He’s been a balloon float in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade; a prestigious honor also held by Snoopy and Spongebob.
And when punk icons in their own right, The Ramones, cover your theme song…. you know you’ve made it.
Spider-Man video games are too numerous to count, and in a previous article of mine, I covered his big screen adventures totaling five films. Soon to be six!
Not to mention a 3D ride at the Islands of Adventure and a Broadway musical featuring Bono and The Edge from U2.
He is truly a phenomenon unlike any other. His endurance is owed largely to his good heart and the fact that so many have been able to relate to his character. Or to live vicariously through him.
The “Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man” is still alive in the media that birthed him; the comics. As new stories continue to be crafted, the story of Spider-Man will live on for future generations. Proving that his character is truly timeless.
Mike Harris hails from the suburbs of Chicago and has been a fan for most of his life. Working as an industrial radiographer and raising a family with his wife take up most of his time, but there’s always room for Star Wars books and podcasts! Just looking to give back to Star Wars and the fan community, it’s been a source of fun and learning for him for so long.