PETER PARKER WAS THE FIRST PERSON TO GET BITTEN BY A RADIOACTIVE SPIDER (IN 1962’S “AMAZING FANTASY” #15). HE QUICKLY BECAME POPULAR WITH HIS SOLO RUN DUE TO HIS RELATABILITY. MOST, IF NOT ALL HEROES UP UNTIL THIS POINT HAD BEEN DISPLAYED AS PERFECT ADULTS WHO ALWAYS DID THE RIGHT THING. SPIDER-MAN PRESENTED US WITH A TEENAGER WHO WOULD GROW INTO HIS POWERS WHILE TRYING TO BALANCE HIS EDUCATION, SOCIAL LIFE, AND TRYING TO KEEP UP ON HIS BILLS. THIS VERY PERSONAL, REAL LOOK AT A SUPERHERO IS WHY HE HAS REMAINED POPULAR FOR NEARLY 60 YEARS.
ALTHOUGH HE HAS SUPER STRENGTH, AGILITY, STAMINA, THE ABILITY TO CRAWL ON WALLS, AND HIS SPIDER-SENSE, PETER DIDN’T RECEIVE THE ABILITY TO PRODUCE HIS OWN WEBS. INSTEAD, HE DISPLAYS THAT HE’S MORE THAN HIS SUPER POWERS AND HAS USED HIS SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE TO CREATE A FORMULA FOR HIS WEBBING WHICH IS PUT INTO CARTRIDGES AND SHOT OUT OF HIS WEB SHOOTERS THAT HE DEVELOPED AS WELL. ON TOP OF HIS POWERS AND SCIENCE, HE HAS HONED HIS PHOTOGRAPHY SKILLS OVER THE YEARS THROUGH WORKING FOR THE DAILY BUGLE.
PETER PARKER HAS BEEN PORTRAYED IN NUMEROUS COMICS, CARTOONS, VIDEO GAMES, AND MOVIES (BOTH ANIMATED AND LIVE ACTION). HE’S ONE OF THE FEW MARVEL CHARACTERS TO BE IN MARVEL’S MCU WHILE STILL HAVING THEIR MOVIE RIGHTS OWNED BY A SEPARATE ENTITY (SONY).
