Spider-Man Swings Under His Classic Logo

About this drawing

Marvel Spider-Man logo pages like this one call back to where the hero began: on a comic book cover. Spider-Man first appeared in August 1962 in Amazing Fantasy issue 15, created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko.

What set him apart was the person under the mask. Peter Parker was a shy teenager from Queens, New York, who worried about homework, money and his aunt. Comics at the time mostly used teens as sidekicks, but Peter was the star, and readers saw themselves in him.

His powers came from the bite of a radioactive spider at a science exhibit. He gained amazing strength, the ability to cling to walls and a spider-sense that warns him of danger. After losing his Uncle Ben, he learned the lesson that defines him: with great power comes great responsibility.

Fans responded fast. Within a year Spider-Man had his own series, and since then he has swung through cartoons, video games and blockbuster movies, becoming the flagship character of Marvel. His mix of everyday problems and amazing powers still feels fresh, and new generations of readers keep discovering him through comics, cartoons and films.

• spider-man
• marvel
• superheroes
• comics
• webs