If there is a superhero in fashion right now, that is, without a doubt, Spider-Man. Tom Holland’s saga in the Marvel Cinematic Universe has brought him back to the forefront with his charisma and adventures. And so you don’t miss anything, we tell you everything you need to know about Spider-Man. In this complete guide, you will find out who he is, his origins, what powers he has or the main events that have marked his life, among many other things.
If there is a hero that awakens the affection of all, that is Spider-Man. Always ready to fight evil with a bad joke on his lips, the wall-crawler uses that sense of humor to face a life of precarious jobs, setbacks and loneliness.
That makes many of us feel quite identified with their day to day life, far from other perfect heroes, like Superman, or with unlimited resources, like Iron-Man or Batman.
So if you want to know everything about Spider-Man, let’s start at the beginning.
Who is Spider-Man
Although it is a complex question, Spider-Man is and will be Peter Parker . His name and history are forever linked to the superhero, although, with the introduction of the multiverse and the renewal of the character, Miles Morales can now be considered to be Spider-Man as well.
Peter Parker is a young New Yorker, student, scientist, and part-time photographer who accidentally became a superhero .
Since then, he protects his city and the world from all kinds of threats, while facing his own: precariousness, loneliness or a broken heart are other constant battles of Spider-Man.
Spider-Man Origins
Legends Stan Lee and Steve Dikto created Spider-Man in June 1962 , when he first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15.
Peter Parker is an orphan raised by his uncles Ben and May. As a 15-year-old student, he attended a General Techtronics public exhibition , where he was bitten on the hand by a spider, irradiated by the demo’s particle accelerator .
On the way home, Peter is about to be hit by a car, instinctively jumping several meters to avoid it. It is then that he discovers that, in some way, he has acquired superpowers similar to the abilities of the spider that had bitten him.
From there, he will use those powers for good, inspired, above all, by the famous phrase: “With great power comes great responsibility.” Although the origin is not that, it will be attributed to his uncle Ben, who will be a regular motivation for Peter, especially following his tragic death.
Uncle Ben’s Death
As in the case of Batman, it is impossible not to talk about the death of Uncle Ben, something that will mark Spidey forever . In fact, it is the key that makes him a hero.
In the comics, Peter uses his newfound powers to earn money and gain some fame, masquerading as Spider-Man so he won’t be recognized. After a first appearance on television, Peter does not intervene to stop a thief, claiming that it was not his responsibility.
But days later, he returns home to find his Uncle Ben murdered . Peter captures, as Spider-Man, the one responsible for his uncle’s death and discovers that it was the same thief he had let escape .
Filled with remorse, he decides to become a vigilante superhero helping whoever he can.
Spider-Man Superpowers
Spider-Man acquires characteristics that spiders usually present and, among others, has the following superpowers:
- Super strength , speed and reflexes.
- Accelerated healing .
- The ability to scale walls and ceilings by sticking to them.
- Heightened senses , shown especially in his “spider-sense”, an intuition that alerts him to the presence of danger.
What weapons does Spider-Man use?
In addition to his superpowers, Peter Parker shoots cobwebs, a hyper-resistant goo that allows him to catch bad guys or move Tarzan like the streets of New York. That is his main weapon, and interestingly, the spider bite does not grant him the ability to biologically generate his spider web.
It is something that Parker designs thanks to his great intelligence and that he will launch with some triggers.
In addition to that, Peter Parker has on occasion used modified suits as a weapon, which have allowed him to augment or supplement his powers.
Two of them are his famous black suit, an alien symbiote in reality that, when separated, joins with Eddie Brock to form Venom.
Another of those suits is the Iron-Spider , which has been seen in the UCM comics and movies. Similar to Iron-Man’s armor and also created by Stark Industries, it makes Spider-Man an even more formidable hero.
Spider-Man enemies
Spider-Man’s greatest enemy is the Green Goblin , wealthy industrialist Norman Osborn, father of Harry Osborn, one of Peter’s best friends.
Paranoid and tormented, as well as obsessed with power, he will have epic confrontations with Spider-Man and will mark his history forever.
Other regular enemies of Spider-Man have been:
- Kraven the Hunter . Which inspired one of the best stories in comics.
- Electro . A force of nature capable of mastering electricity.
- Kingpin . A mob boss from New York, also an enemy of Daredevil.
- Doc Octopus . A genie with super powerful mechanical arms.
- Venom . Enemy and ally, also the protagonist of other of the best stories of the wall-crawler.
- Mysterio . A master of deception and manipulation.
The gallery of enemies is huge and there are also: Sandman , Vulture , HobGoblin , Lizard and many more.
Spider-Man allies
Although Spider-Man tends to be a loner, he has joined the Avengers many times , but they won’t be the only ones.
In addition, he has allied himself with Deadpool, the X-Men, the Fantastic 4 … In general, there are few who have not fought alongside Parker.
Who have been the partners of Spider-Man
Many have been Spider-Man’s girlfriends and have deeply marked his history.
Interestingly, Spider-Man’s first partner is the most unknown, Betty Brant who appears in issue 9 of the comics and is the assistant to JJ Jameson, editor of the Daily Bugle , the newspaper Spider-Man works for.
Plus, we have Mary Jane Watson, who he’s going to marry . She will be his usual girlfriend, although the one that will mark him the most will be Gwen Stacy , his partner at the university, who will die at the hands of the Green Goblin .
In addition, Spider-Man has had other relationships, in which the superheroine Black Cat or even Carol Danvers , that is, Captain Marvel, stand out.
The highlights of Spider-Man’s life
Without a doubt, aside from the spider bite, Uncle Ben’s death and Gwen Stacy’s death, Spider-Man has been through a lot. It is impossible to cover them all, but here are some facts that are worth noting.
In the so-called Saga of the clones , we are presented with the story that, in the battle between Peter Parker and a clone of his, it may have been the clone who prevailed . The comic purposely ends ambiguously, hinting that the fight may not have been won by the original Parker.
Spider-Man tries to get into the Avengers several times, mostly knowing what they charge and how precarious his life is. However, there are several rejections on both sides. Still, he fights alongside them many times and will become a member of The New Avengers .
Throughout the comics, a common argument is that the public is unclear whether Spider-Man is a hero or a villain. The actions of his enemies, and the editor of the main newspaper JJ Jameson, mean that, on many occasions, Spider-Man is persecuted by the law.
During the Civil War arc of the comics, Peter Parker will reveal his identity and take the blame for the death of Captain America .
In a confrontation with Mysterio, Peter is sent to Earth-1610 of the Multiverse. There he finds Miles Morales , who is the successor as Spider-Man to the Peter Parker from there.
Following in the footsteps of Tony Stark or Norman Osborn, Peter Parker will become the millionaire CEO of Parker Industries . However, the company will end up failing.
Some trivia about Spider-Man that you probably don’t know
In case you thought you knew everything about the wall-crawler, here are some details that many fans don’t know:
- Peter’s parents were SHIELD agents and were killed on the orders of the supervillain Red Skull.
- Due to his constant money problems, in addition to the Avengers, he tries to get into the Fantastic 4, but, once again, he is rejected.
- On another occasion, after his graduation from high school, it is the Avengers who offer him membership, however, it is Peter who rejects them this time.
- In one of the strangest plot lines, Peter retires from heroism, 30 years in the future, to be a florist . Also, Mary Jane has died of cancer… caused by Peter’s radioactive sperm from the spider bite. Yes, it’s not a joke.
- Michael Jackson was such a fan of Spider-Man that he tried to buy Marvel and then the rights to make the web-slinging movies… and star in them . However, it didn’t catch on.
As you can see, the life of Spider-Man, the most charismatic superhero, is full of details, stories and tragic events that have shaped the character. However, what has always been clear is that, no matter the precariousness, death or misfortune, the spirit of Spider-Man is indomitable and never gives up.
