The Amazing Spider-Man was created to satisfy the comic-loving teenagers of the 60s. He continues to thrill and inspire thousands of fans of every age in every country through comics, merchandise, TV series, video games and films.
American Stan Lee first came up with the idea of an ‘ordinary’ teen hero with all the problems of his age, with a secret identity as a crime-fighter. When artist Steve Ditko gave him a colourful costume with a mask to hide his youthful face, and a unique clinging power, a new superhero was born. The first story featuring Spider-Man was brought out by Marvel Comics in August 1962. Within a year, he had his own solo series. Sales soared, and to college students he became a revolutionary idol on par with Che Guevara and Bob Dylan.
Spider-Man was born Peter Parker. Peter’s parents are dead and he is brought up by his Uncle Ben and Aunt May in New York City. He is a brilliant student, but is ridiculed as ‘Puny Parker’ by his peers, and is painfully shy. Bitten by a radioactive spider at 15, Peter develops amazing strength and agility, and the capacity to cling to any surface like a spider. He also discovers that he now has a ‘spider sense’ that warns him of danger. Thrilled, he sets out to use these powers for personal gain. But his uncle’s murder by a criminal he had not bothered to capture makes him realise that great powers come with great responsibility. Spider-man then decides to fight crime. However, to earn a livelihood, he becomes a photographer for the Daily Bugle (whose owner thinks Spider-Man is a fraud and a trickster!).
Through the years, Spider-Man has grown from high-school student into a family-man; his powers too have increased; so have his enemies from various strata (who can forget Doctor Octopus and Green Goblin). He has mostly fought alone, though he has teamed up with most comic super heroes at some time or other. Only one thing has not changed over the years: his immense popularity.