For Marvel, August 1 is the ideal time to celebrate the arrival of one of its fundamental figures in comics. Spider Man. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, he first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15 (1962) and changed the meaning of superheroes. In particular, the look towards characters with extraordinary powers. Peter Parker, an ordinary teenager, with glasses and all kinds of problems, became the face of the ordinary man. Also, in the way that the house of ideas celebrated a sense of responsibility over formidable abilities and their relationship to the world.
Spider-Man wasn’t much of a scientist, but he was a brilliant kid. He had financial and even skin problems. At a time when Marvel’s traditional rival DC Comics popularized incorruptible, powerful and ideal characters, the arachnid superhero was something of a novelty. In particular, because he masterfully represented how the values of an ordinary man make him capable of saving lives.
Peter Parker, bitten by a radioactive spider, had to face shock, loss and pain. As a superhero, Spider-Man had to deal with the imprint of the surrounding reality. And with New York, converted into one more character in his story.
The invention of the character gave rise to one of the pillars of Marvel in its premise of celebrating its fans and humility as an ideal that usually goes unnoticed. Spidey, the friendly neighbor capable of risking his life for the lives of others, is a superhero. But also, he is the face of good in its purest form. A magnificent insight into the ability of pop culture to reflect on the moral and ethical.
On August 1 Marvel celebrates spider man day, an occasion to celebrate everything that makes the superhero so special. Especially now in times when we discuss him much more, lovingly and sometimes with a little controversy.
All Faces of a Spider: A Spider-Man for Every Generation
Peter Parker is, of course, the first and best known of all the hero personalities. But through the decades, Spider-Man had several incarnations. Among them, some that included amazing transformations that baffled the public. But, at the same time, they allowed writers and cartoonists to experiment with the central knot of the comic.
One of the most remembered is Ben Reilly. Created by Gerry Conway and first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #149 (1975). It was a clone that came to wear the hero’s red and black tights on more than one occasion. Of the most curious, the occasion in which Otto Octavius and Spider-Man exchanged bodies. The villain became the hero for a brief period of time under the alias of The Superior Spider-Man.
However, one of the best known and currently become a beloved hero in his own right, is Miles Morales. The Spider-Man of the universe Ultimate, comes from a timeline where Peter Parker is dead and Miles must take his place. Recently, the character had an extraordinary appearance in the iconic film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Versewhich introduced him to a wider audience
Spider-Man is often a reflection of his time
From the striving ideal of Tobey Maguire, to his younger and growing version with the face of Tom Holland. Both in comics and in movies, Spider-Man has the ability to show the transformations of culture with an ease and depth that impresses. But it is not a fact that is summed up to the best-known film versions of him.
In fact, in the early 1970s, Spider-Man had a considerable adult background. So much so as to include scenes of explicit violence and even drug use. The event caused the Comics Code Authority (CCA for its acronym in English) in charge of reviewing the contents of the world of comics, intervene. It was deemed inappropriate for children and stated that the story touched “sensitive points”. Specifically, what is related to the addictions of one of the characters. But Stan Lee decided to publish the story of Amazing Spider-Man vol. 1 #96 without obtaining authorization. An act of daring that made Peter Parker the center of a great controversy.
The play had immediate consequences. The strong moral accent of the story captivated audiences and proved the need to delve into complicated issues in comics. The result was that the Comics Code Authority relaxed its rules. Which led to the character of Spider-Man undergoing significant new growth.
He is a hero with a tough and heartfelt core conflict.
In 1962, the year Spider-Man was published, the heroes faced conflicts of superhuman complexity. The majority, related to extraordinary origins or places of origin beyond the known. So when Peter Parker delved into more human values like grief and pain, it came as quite a surprise. And much more, when both things pushed him to put on the black and red suit with which we know him today.
Especially since what made him a hero was a dramatic and tragic process with which many readers could identify. The death of his uncle Ben, coupled with the radioactive spider bite, pushed a teenage Peter over the edge. But in reality, it was the pain, the anguish and the guilt, which convinced the very young character of his duty to the city where he was born. Stan Lee knew how to tell a sensitive story, which also made it clear that what makes a hero is beyond the suit and the superpowers. Perhaps Spider-Man’s most enduring legacy as a symbol of good.