The Amazing Spider-Man

• 1. Introduction

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  The Amazing Spider-Man, a Marvel Comics series with a March 1963 cover date, reached its 900th issue in 2022. It began just seven months after its hero first appeared in the final issue of Amazing Fantasy. That debut sold strongly enough to earn the character a book of his own, and the book never really stopped.

  A run that long leaves odd marks. Its creators fell out and stopped speaking. A beloved supporting character died on the page, and readers did not forgive the story easily. Covers carried two different issue numbers at once. Whole story lines were undone by a bargain with a demon.

  How does a series about a struggling teenager survive across six decades of writers and artists? Which choices made it last, and which ones nearly broke it? The answers begin with a boy who was short on money and long on worries.

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• 2. A Hard-Luck Teenager

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  Peter Parker supported himself and his frail Aunt May by selling freelance photographs to The Daily Bugle. The paper's editor-publisher was the bombastic J. Jonah Jameson. Meanwhile the public regarded Spider-Man with open hostility, which gave the young hero a second job that paid nothing.

  At Midtown High School, classmates Flash Thompson and Liz Allan made his days harder. His first romance, with Jameson's secretary Betty Brant, was tentative and ended badly. The early stories kept returning to a cheerful, well-meaning kid who simply could not catch a break.

  Writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, who also helped plot, built the book around those everyday troubles. The result was a superhero who doubted himself and made mistakes. He was also the first major teenaged superhero to be the protagonist rather than a sidekick.

  Ditko's quirky drawing style stood in sharp contrast to Jack Kirby, the most prominent artist at Marvel, whose pages were cleaner and more dynamic. Set beside Lee's humor and pathos, Ditko's pictures laid the groundwork for a lasting mythos.

  The clearest proof came in issue 33, cover-dated February 1966. It was the third part of a story called "If This Be My Destiny...!" Spider-Man lies pinned beneath heavy machinery, and only will and thoughts of his family let him drag himself free. Historian Les Daniels wrote that "Steve Ditko squeezes every ounce of anguish out of Spider-Man's predicament, complete with visions of the uncle he failed and the aunt he has sworn to save."

  Editor Robert Greenberger, in his introduction to the story, compared its opening five pages to Shakespeare. Marvel's readers agreed in spirit. In a 2001 poll of the 100 Greatest Marvels of All Time, this story landed at number 15.

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• 3. A Parade of Villains

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  Issue 1, cover-dated March 1963, introduced J. Jonah Jameson, his astronaut son John, and a villain called the Chameleon. It also staged the hero's first meeting with the Fantastic Four. The cast of the book was filling up from its very first page.

  Issue 2, from May 1963, brought the Vulture and the Tinkerer, and Peter began his freelance work at the Bugle. Doctor Octopus followed in issue 3 in July 1963. The Sandman arrived in issue 4, along with Betty Brant. The Lizard turned up in issue 6, in November 1963.

  Electro appeared in issue 9, in March 1964, and Mysterio in issue 13 that June. The Green Goblin first showed up in issue 14 in July 1964, and Kraven the Hunter in the very next issue. The Scorpion joined them in issue 20, in January 1965.

  The supporting cast grew along with the rogues. Peter graduated from high school in issue 28, from September 1965, the same issue that introduced the Molten Man. He started at Empire State University in issue 31, where readers met his friends and classmates Gwen Stacy and Harry Osborn. Reporter Ned Leeds had already arrived in issue 18.

  Harry's father was a quieter case. Norman Osborn first appeared in issue 23, in April 1965, as a member of Jameson's country club. He was neither named nor identified as Harry's father until issue 37, in June 1966.

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• 4. The Split

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  When Ditko finished issue 38 in July 1966, he and Lee had not been on speaking terms for some time. Ditko was credited only as artist for most of his run. Eventually he plotted the stories as well as drawing them, which left Lee to supply the dialogue.

  The real causes of the rift have never been fully explained. Successor artist John Romita Sr. offered his view in a 2010 deposition. He said the two "ended up not being able to work together because they disagreed on almost everything, cultural, social, historically, everything, they disagreed on characters..."

  Romita's first issue, number 39 from August 1966, gave readers a shock. The Green Goblin discovers Spider-Man's secret identity and, in turn, shows the captive hero his own face. Romita's Spider-Man looked more polished and heroic than Ditko's, and that version served as the model for two decades.

  Romita also finally showed the face of Mary Jane Watson. She had been mentioned since issue 15 in August 1964. She first appeared in issue 25, in June 1965, with her face hidden. Her first full appearance came in issue 42, in November 1966. Writer Peter David later said Romita pulled her out from behind the oversized potted plant that blocked the view in issue 25. Romita said he took the coloring, face shape, red hair and short skirts of Ann-Margret in the movie Bye Bye Birdie as his guide.

  Under Lee and Romita, the book also softened the constant antagonism around Parker. His friendships improved, and stories spent as much time on social and college life as on fights. They also grew topical, touching on civil rights, racism, prisoners' rights, the Vietnam War and political elections.

  Issue 50, from June 1967, introduced the Kingpin, a criminal mastermind who would also become a major force in the series Daredevil. Daily Bugle managing editor Robbie Robertson followed in issue 52 that September. NYPD Captain George Stacy, Gwen's father, came in issue 56, from January 1968. Another Kingpin arrived in issue 83, in April 1970, when the crime boss's son Richard Fisk made his first appearance.

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• 5. Grief and Defiance

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  Issues 89 and 90, from October and November 1970, killed Captain George Stacy. They were the first Spider-Man story penciled by Gil Kane, who then alternated art duties with Romita for about a year and a half. The book's second decade had taken a grim turn.

  A more controversial story ran in issues 96-98, from May to July 1971. Harry Osborn lands in a hospital after overdosing on pills. Lee wrote it at the request of the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, which wanted a story on the dangers of drugs. The Comics Code Authority refused its seal because the code forbade showing drug use, even in an anti-drug story.

  With the approval of Marvel publisher Martin Goodman, Lee published the issues anyway. They sold well, and Marvel earned praise for the effort. The Code was later loosened to allow negative portrayals of drugs, among other new freedoms.

  Change also came behind the scenes. Issues 100-102, from September to November 1971, brought in Morbius, the Living Vampire. The second installment was the first story not written by Lee, with Roy Thomas writing for several months. Lee returned briefly, then passed the writing to 19-year-old Gerry Conway, who scripted the series through 1975.

  Issue 121, from June 1973, delivered the story fans still consider most defining. The Green Goblin kills Gwen Stacy in "The Night Gwen Stacy Died." The Goblin's apparent death one issue later completed the arc. Its aftermath deepened Mary Jane Watson and her relationship with Parker.

  Ross Andru then drew the book from issue 125 in October 1973 to issue 185 in October 1978. His run included the Punisher in issue 129, from February 1974, and the first Clone Saga in issues 147-149, with Spider-Man's clone. The Spider-Man family grew too. Marvel Team-Up began in 1972 and The Spectacular Spider-Man in 1976. Spidey Super Stories, aimed at children aged six to ten, ran for 57 issues from October 1974 to 1982.

  Later in the decade, writer Marv Wolfman had Parker propose to Mary Jane in issue 182, from July 1978. She refused in the following issue. A new face arrived in issue 194, from July 1979: the Black Cat, Felicia Hardy, who would stay in Spider-Man's life into the 2010s.

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• 6. Black Suit and Venom

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  Issue 200, from January 1980, brought back the burglar who killed Spider-Man's Uncle Ben, and then he died. The decade that followed was full of mysteries. Writer Roger Stern and penciler John Romita Jr. created the Hobgoblin in issues 238-239, from March and April 1983. Fans spent months guessing who he was beneath the mask, and the question ran through several later issues.

  Stern also wrote "The Kid Who Collects Spider-Man" in issue 248, from January 1984, which ranks among his most popular stories. Under Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz, the book gave Mary Jane a new depth. In issue 257, from October 1984, she tells Parker she knows he is Spider-Man. In issue 259 she reveals how troubled her childhood was. Their bond led to the wedding in 1987.

  DeFalco and Frenz also gave the hero a black costume, first seen in issue 252, from May 1984. He wore it almost exclusively for the next four years of stories. Issue 258, from November 1984, revealed that the suit was a living symbiote. DeFalco and Frenz also introduced the crime boss the Rose in issue 253 and the mercenary Silver Sable in issue 265.

  The team's exit came in 1986, when editor Jim Owsley removed both under acrimonious circumstances. A rotation of artists followed. Peter David wrote issue 289, from June 1987, which revealed Ned Leeds as the Hobgoblin. Roger Stern reversed that in 1996. David Michelinie then wrote the arc in issues 290-292 that led to the marriage of Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson in Annual number 21.

  Issue 298, from March 1988, was the first by Todd McFarlane, the title's first regular artist since Frenz. His Spider-Man had large eyes, wiry contorted limbs and messy, knotted webbing. The look influenced how nearly every later artist drew the character. He also designed a villain who became wildly popular: Venom. Venom appeared in a last-page cameo in issue 299, from April 1988, and fully in issue 300, in May 1988. That issue also saw Spider-Man return to his red-and-blue costume.

  McFarlane's final issue, number 328 from January 1990, became one of the best-selling comics of the decade. In it, Spider-Man defeats the Hulk with a single punch. In July 2012, McFarlane's original cover art for that issue sold at auction for a bid of $657,250. At the time, that made it the most expensive American comic book art ever sold at auction. McFarlane left in 1990 to write and draw a new series simply called Spider-Man.

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• 7. Clones, Bargains and Resets

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  Issue 365, from August 1992, marked the title's 30th anniversary with a double-sized, hologram-cover edition. Its cliffhanger showed Peter Parker's parents, long thought dead, reappearing alive. Nearly two years passed before they were revealed to be impostors and killed in issue 388, from April 1994, Michelinie's last. His stretch from 1987 to 1994 was the second-longest run as writer on the title, behind Stan Lee.

  Mark Bagley, who had won the 1986 Marvel Tryout Contest, drew the book from 1991 to 1996. His version of Spider-Man was used widely on licensed material and merchandise. Meanwhile Carnage, a second symbiote enemy, debuted in issues 361-363, from April to June 1992. Issue 375 shipped with a gold foil cover, but an error left some copies missing most of the foil.

  From October 1994 to June 1996 the book mostly stopped telling its own stories. It ran chapters of multi-part tales that crossed through every Spider-Man title. Issue 400, from April 1995, did tell a self-contained story, featuring the death of Aunt May. It was later revealed to have been faked.

  The "Clone Saga" ended by revealing that the Spider-Man of the previous 20 years was a clone of the real one. Many readers disliked the twist, and the "Revelations" arc reversed it in late 1996. At the saga's height, the book paused after issue 406 in October 1995, and The Amazing Scarlet Spider took its place for two issues, featuring Ben Reilly.

  Marvel restarted the series with volume 2, issue 1, in January 1999. J. Michael Straczynski took over as writer with issue 30, from June 2001. His lengthy "Spider-Totem" arc asked whether Spider-Man's powers were magical rather than the result of a radioactive spider bite. Straczynski also gave Parker a new job, teaching at his old high school.

  In 2006, during the "Civil War" story, Parker revealed his identity on live television. The four-part "One More Day" erased that knowledge in issues 544-545, from November and December 2007. In it, the demon Mephisto offered to save a dying Aunt May if the couple let their marriage never have existed. They agreed.

  Marvel then made The Amazing Spider-Man its only Spider-Man title and published it three times a month from 2008 to 2010. The "Brand New Day" banner promised back-to-basics stories and mostly new villains. Dan Slott became sole writer with issue 648, in January 2011, and the book went twice monthly. It ended at issue 700 in the "Dying Wish" story, when Doctor Octopus swapped bodies with Parker. The Superior Spider-Man continued the tale, and its first 33 issues still count in the numbering as issues 701-733.

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• 8. Kindred and Beyond

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  On the 30th of April 2014 the title returned with a new issue 1. Diamond Comics Distributors called it the best-selling comic book in over a decade. Issue 4 introduced Silk, a heroine bitten by the same spider as Peter. The "Spider-Verse" arc, in issues 9-15, saw Morlun hunting Spider-Men from across the dimensions.

  After the 2015 Secret Wars event, the series restarted in a fourth volume. Peter ran Parker Industries as a worldwide businessman. A five-issue spin-off, Renew Your Vows, set in a world where Peter and Mary Jane stayed married and had a daughter, Annie May Parker, counts as legacy issues 752-756. Marvel Legacy later restored the original numbering, starting with issue 789 in late 2017.

  Nick Spencer began a fifth volume in July 2018 as part of Fresh Start. For the first time, restarted issue numbers also showed the overall legacy count. Spencer introduced Kindred, a mysterious villain tied to Peter's past, and revealed the hunter Kraven's death in the "Hunted" story. The "Last Remains" arc showed Kindred as Harry Osborn. The finale, "Sinister War," ended in issue 74, legacy number 875, with several retcons, including that Harry was a clone who had been sold to Mephisto.

  The "Beyond" era began at issue 75. A rotating team of writers returned to the three-issues-a-month format. Ben Reilly became Spider-Man with backing from the Beyond Corporation, while Peter fell ill. When the story ended in issue 93, Peter returned and Ben, after a mental breakdown, became the villain Chasm.

  Zeb Wells and John Romita Jr. launched the sixth volume in April 2022, with legacy issue 900 and the character's 60th anniversary. Peter took a job at Oscorp and began working with Norman Osborn, who had become the heroic Gold Goblin. The "Gang War" story pitted him against a Norman who had planted a trigger phrase in his mind to bring out the Spider-Goblin persona. Wells' run ended in June 2024 with a showdown against Tombstone.

  The ten-issue Eight Deaths of Spider-Man followed, written by Joe Kelly and Justina Ireland. Sorcerer Supreme Doctor Doom made Peter Earth's champion against the Scions of Cyttorak and gave him eight reeds that could resurrect him. After repeated deaths, Peter gave up, then used his last reeds to restore Aunt May and his friends. He teamed with Juggernaut and the X-Men, and Cyra sacrificed her immortality to bring him back one more time.

  A new volume began in April 2025 under Kelly, with John Romita Jr. and Pepe Larraz on art. Peter took an engineering job at Rand Enterprises, but a new villain called Hellgate sent him into space. There he gained a "technarachnid" suit and allied with Rocket Raccoon and others, aiming to grow strong enough to beat Hellgate. Back on Earth, Ben Reilly lives Peter's life, while Norman Osborn plays a more ruthless Spider-Man.

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