Spider-Man

Spider-Man (Peter Benjamin Parker), is a Marvel Comics superhero created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko that first appears in Amazing Fantasy #15 (August 1962). He has become one of the world's most popular, enduring and recognized superheroes. more...

Lee’s early Spider-Man stories broke new ground by attempting to relate to readers with a younger character who balances his personal struggles with his heroic exploits. Through the years, Spider-Man has appeared in many media, including several animated series, daily Sunday comic strips, and two very successful films, with a third set to debut in 2007. His popularity has grown since his debut; today he could very well be the world's most popular superhero.

Marvel has published many ongoing comic book series featuring the character, the first and flagship series being The Amazing Spider-Man. Since his debut, Peter Parker has grown from a shy high school student to a troubled college student to a married professional.

Publication history

Creation of character

Various accounts of the character'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.

Milestone: 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). Most notably, 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 comics were sold without the Comics Code approval, but met with such critical acclaim that the industry's self-censorship was undercut.

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