The Amazing Spider-Man

The Amazing Spider-Man is the full title of both the daily newspaper comic strip featuring the adventures of the Marvel comics character Spider-Man and the title of his monthly comic book published by Marvel.

In 1962 when the anthology title Amazing Fantasy was slated for cancellation writer/editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko decided to publish a story featuring a teenager who gains superpowers and adopts the costumed identity of Spider-Man. Though publisher Martin Goodman was convinced the character would not find popularity with readers, Lee realized that nobody cared about the contents of a book already slated for cancellation and published the first Spider-Man story in Amazing Fantasy #15 (August 1962). When the story proved to be a sales success Lee and Ditko put the character into his own title The Amazing Spider-Man, which firs appeared in March of 1963.

Lee and Ditko produced the monthly adventures of Spider-Man for 38 issues until a disagreement over a story led to Ditko leaving the title. He was replaced by penciller John Romita who illustrated Lee's stories for several years. Several writers and artists have taken over the monthly comic over the years chroniclling the adventures of Marvel's most identifiable hero. The title was published continuously until 1998 when Marvel comics decided to begin anew by renumbering the title with a new issue 1 published in January of 1999.

The daily newspaper comic strip began on January 3, 1977 written by Spider-Man co-creator Stan Lee and illustrated by John Romita. The strip was surprisingly successful in an era with few serialized adventure strips. The strip slowly grew in circulation and has been continuously published to this day.

Orphaned in infancy when his government agent parents were killed on a mission Peter was raised by his paternal Uncle Ben and his wife, Aunt May. A thin, bookish and unpopular youth Peter initially found the freedoms that his new spider-powers afforded him exhilarating. Originally Peter Parker had no intention of becoming a superhero and found employment as a masked entertainer. However, after his Uncle Ben was murdered by a thief that Spider-man had failed to stop, Peter Parker developed the axiom that "with great power comes great responsibility," and realized he must put his talents to work fighting injustice. He has attracted a menagerie of villains and opponents over the years. Some of his main enemies have been the Green Goblin?, the Hobgoblin?, Kraven?, Venom, Doctor Octopus?, The Kingpin?, and at times, The Punisher?. He has had some interactions with Doctor Doom, but not enough to consider him a main enemy.

As with many characters spanning a lengthy publishing history, handled by multiple creators Spider-Man's history is somewhat convoluted. He continued working as a freelance photographer for the Daily Bugle and living with his elderly and somewhat fragile Aunt May until he graduated from high school. He enrolled in Empire State University where he befriended Harry Osborn, who was in fact the son of his arch-enemy the Green Goblin, and Gwen Stacy, with whom he would have a lengthy romance. Stacy was eventually killed by the Green Goblin who died soon thereafter in battle with Spider-Man. Parker eventually wed long-time friend Mary Jane Watson. His marriage did not overly affect his career as a crime-fighter and the stresses of his dual identity coupled with Mary Jane's tempestuous career as a model/actress and capricious editorial mandates led to the dissolution of their marriage. He is currently, once again, single, living in a Manhattan apartment receiving the occasional visits from his Aunt May (who was at one point thought dead but it was revealed that the elderly woman who died was merely an actress who had impersonated her), and is currently employed as a science teacher in his old high school.