The complete history of Spider-Man


Arguably the most popular superhero to come out of Marvel’s pages. Spider-Man has been capturing our imaginations for over 50 years (and he still looks great.) For most of us, Spider-Man has just always been around. So how did it all begin? We are here to give you the rundown of the complete history of Spider-Man.

The initial concept

In the days before Spider-Man, superheroes were adults with chiseled features and a never-ending supply of financial backing. They were characters to be marveled at. Stan Lee, the creator of Spider-Man and many other Marvel comics characters, wanted to try something a little different, but he never could have imagined how this leap would end. Lee teamed up with Steve Ditko to help him design the character. The duo brainstormed about an intelligent teenager who was bitten by a radioactive spider, resulting in him acquiring supernatural spider-like powers. They wanted him to look like a regular kid and to have regular everyday problems like all of us do. Spider-Man was taking shape for the first time.

Photo: Unsplash.com

Spidey’s first appearance

Stan Lee pitched the character and concept to his publisher, Martin Goodman, who thought the whole scenario was a terrible idea. He refused for Spider-Man to make it to the printers. Eventually, Lee was able to twist Goodman’s arm and Spider-Man made it to the last installment of “Amazing Fantasy” #15. Spidey had his debut in the back of the book in 1962. He was an instant success. During this time, teenagers were flocking in masses to the world of comics. Here was a new character that could have been any one of them.

Spider-Man on his own

The incredible success of “Amazing Fantasy” #15 allowed Stan Lee to bring Spider-Man to full fruition. 1963 saw the release of “The Amazing Spider-Man.” A comic book series that would span 50 years and contain 700 issues. While Stan Lee remained close to the projects over the years, the series had many writers and artists working on the stories. The series ended in December of 2012 and an all-new series was born in 2014 named “The Superior Spider-Man.” It contained 33 issues. The Amazing Spider-Man was relaunched in 2014, 2015, and 2018.

The key to Peter Parker’s success

While we can all relate to this beloved character in some way or another, this is just what gets us interested. What keeps us hooked is the storylines. Without a doubt, Spider-Man has the best villain horde out of all the other comic book heroes. With the likes of Vulture, The Goblin, Venom, and Dr. Octopus to name just a few. Combine these villains with Peter Parker’s everyday life problems, like losing uncle Ben and the passing of Gwen Stacy, and his never-ending desire to find love, and voila! It’s the perfect melting pot of protagonist/antagonist action that we just can’t get enough of.

Photo: Unsplash.com

The future of Spider-Man

With around 1000 comic issues, 17 feature film appearances, an impressive array of animated series’, and $28 billion in merchandise value, it’s quite clear that Spider-Man isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. A Recent release from Sony and Marvel Studios has confirmed another film to arrive in July 2021.

Spider-Man has the ability to capture the hearts of each generation and grow with them, which makes him the ultimate superhero.

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