Spider-Man is a superhero created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko.
He first
appeared in the anthology comic book Amazing Fantasy #15 (Aug. 1962) in the Silver Age of Comic
Books. He appears in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, as well as in a number of
movies, television shows, and video game adaptations set in the Marvel Universe. In the stories,
Spider-Man is the alias of Peter Parker, an orphan raised by his Aunt May and Uncle Ben in New York
City after his parents Richard and Mary Parker died in a plane crash. Lee and Ditko had the character
deal with the struggles of adolescence and financial issues, and accompanied him with many
supporting characters, such as J. Jonah Jameson, Harry Osborn, Max Modell, romantic interests
Gwen Stacy and Mary Jane Watson, and foes such as Doctor Octopus, the Green Goblin and Venom.
His origin story has him acquiring spider-related abilities after a bite from a radioactive spider; these
include clinging to surfaces, superhuman strength and agility, and detecting danger with his "spider-
sense." He then builds wrist-mounted "web-shooter" devices that shoot artificial spider-webbing of
his own design.
Peter Parker
Spider-Man
A drawing of Spider-Man crouched, looking up to the camera
Cover to Web of Spider-Man #129.1 (Oct. 2012)
by Mike McKone and Morry Hollowell
Publication information
Publisher
Marvel Comics
First appearance
Amazing Fantasy #15 (Aug. 1962)
Created by
Stan Lee
Steve Ditko
In-story information
Alter ego
Peter Benjamin Parker
Species
Human mutate
Place of origin
Queens, New York City
Team affiliations
Avengers
Fantastic Four
Defenders
Future Foundation
Daily Bugle
Jean Grey School for Higher Learning
League of Realms
Mighty Avengers
New Avengers
S.H.I.E.L.D.
Spider-Army / Web-Warriors
Partnerships
Black Cat
Deadpool (sometimes)
Iron Man (sometimes)
Silk
Spider-Man (Miles Morales)
Spider-Woman (Gwen Stacy)
Notable aliases
Ricochet,[1] Dusk,[2] Prodigy,[3] Hornet,[4] Ben Reilly,[5]
Scarlet Spider,[6] Captain Universe,[7] Liar[8]
Abilities
Superhuman strength, speed, reflexes, agility, coordination and balance
Ability to cling to solid surfaces
Accelerated healing
Genius level intellect
Proficient scientist and engineer
Precognitive spider-sense ability
Master martial artist
Utilizing wrist-mounted web-shooters
When Spider-Man first appeared in the early 1960s, teenagers in superhero comic books were
usually relegated to the role of sidekick to the protagonist. The Spider-Man series broke ground by
featuring Peter Parker, a high school student from Queens behind Spider-Man's secret identity and
with whose "self-obsessions with rejection, inadequacy, and loneliness" young readers could relate.
[9] While Spider-Man had all the makings of a sidekick, unlike previous teen heroes such as Bucky
and Robin, Spider-Man had no superhero mentor like Captain America and Batman; he thus had to
learn for himself that "with great power there must also come great responsibility"—a line included
in a text box in the final panel of the first Spider-Man story but later retroactively attributed to his
guardian, his late Uncle Ben Parker.
Marvel has featured Spider-Man in several comic book series, the first and longest-lasting of which is
The Amazing Spider-Man. Over the years, the Peter Parker character developed from a shy, nerdy
New York City high school student to troubled but outgoing college student, to married high school
teacher to, in the late 2000s, a single freelance photographer. In the 2010s, he joins the Avengers.
Spider-Man's nemesis Doctor Octopus also took on the identity for a story arc spanning 2012–2014,
following a body swap plot in which Peter appears to die.[10] Marvel has also published books
featuring alternate versions of Spider-Man, including Spider-Man 2099, which features the
adventures of Miguel O'Hara, the Spider-Man of the future; Ultimate Spider-Man, which features the
adventures of a teenaged Peter Parker in an alternate universe; and Ultimate Comics Spider-Man,
which depicts the teenager Miles Morales, who takes up the mantle of Spider-Man after Ultimate
Peter Parker's supposed death. Miles is later brought into the mainstream continuity, where he
sometimes works alongside Peter.
Spider-Man is one of the most popular and commercially successful superheroes.[11] He has
appeared in countless forms of media, including several animated and live action television series,
syndicated newspaper comic strips, and in multiple series of films. The character was first portrayed
in live action by Danny Seagren in Spidey Super Stories, a The Electric Company skit which ran from
1974 to 1977.[12] In films, Spider-Man has been portrayed by actors Tobey Maguire, Andrew
Garfield,[13] and in the Marvel Cinematic Universe by Tom Holland. He was voiced by Chris Pine and
Jake Johnson in the animated film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Reeve Carney starred originally
as Spider-Man in the 2010 Broadway musical Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark.[14] Spider-Man has
been well received as a superhero and comic book character, and he is often ranked as one of the
most popular and iconic comic book characters of all time and one of the most popular characters in
all fiction.
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