Peter Parker is another instantly recognizable comic book legend. For many, there’s something about Spider-Man that makes him relatable in ways that the-nigh immortal likes of Superman or mega-rich Batman can’t really touch. He has superpowers, yes, and some of them over the years (depending on the suit he’s wearing at the time) have been utterly absurd. At the same time, though, he’s also an awkward, scientifically-gifted teenager. It’s hard not to feel for him.
With his charm, his silly sense of humor, and his web-swinging ways, Spider-Man has long been a fan favorite for DC’s big rival. According to Marvel, he first appeared in June 1962, in “Amazing Fantasy #15.” The very first page of the comic makes it clear that this new character is going to change everything. A text box states that “costume heroes,” which it disparagingly refers to as “long underwear characters,” are “a dime a dozen … we think you may find our SPIDERMAN [sic] just a bit … different!”
This certainly proved to be the case. Spider-Man may not be the strongest or the fastest superhero, but the story of how he came to be, from that spider bite, is probably the best-known in the medium. He arrived decades after DC’s Superman, but such was the significance of this first issue that it sold for even more.
