This article is about the main and original version of the superhero.

For other uses, see

Spider-Man (disambiguation). For other versions, see List of incarnations of Spider-Man and
Alternative versions of Spider-Man.
"Spidey" and "Peter Parker" redirect here. For other uses, see Spidey (disambiguation) and
Peter Parker (disambiguation).
"Web Slinger" and "Webslinger" redirect here. For an alternate version of Spider-Man with this
codename, see Alternative versions of Spider-Man § Web-Slinger (Earth-31913).
Peter Parker
Spider-Man
A drawing of Spider-Man crouched, looking up to the camera stricking a pose on a street-sign
Virgin cover of Web of Spider-Man #129.1
(October 2012), by Mike McKone and Morry Hollowell
Publication information
Publisher​ Marvel Comics
First appearance​ Amazing Fantasy #15
(August 1962)
Created by​ Stan Lee
Steve Ditko
In-story information
Full name​ Peter Benjamin Parker
Species​ Human mutate[a]
Place of origin​Queens, New York City
Team affiliations​
Avengers
Fantastic Four
X-Men
Secret Defenders
Future Foundation
Daily Bugle
Heroes for Hire
Mighty Avengers
New Avengers
Spider-Army / Web-Warriors
Partnerships​
Black Cat
Spider-Man (Miles Morales)
Silk
Notable aliases​ The Amazing Spider-Man, Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, The
Spectacular Spider-Man, Ricochet,[1] Dusk,[2] Prodigy,[3] Hornet,[4] Ben Reilly,[5] Scarlet
Spider,[6] Captain Universe[7]
Abilities​
Superhuman strength, speed, stamina, agility, reflexes, and durability[8]
Ability to cling to solid surfaces
Precognitive spider-sense
Genius-level intellect
Skilled hand-to-hand combatant
Proficient scientist and engineer
Utilizes wrist-mounted web-shooters
Spider-Man is a superhero in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by
writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appeared in the anthology comic book
Amazing Fantasy #15 (August 1962) in the Silver Age of Comic Books. Considered one of the
most popular and commercially successful superheroes, he has been featured in comic books,
television shows, films, video games, novels, and plays.[9]

Spider-Man has the secret identity of Peter Benjamin Parker. Initially, Peter was depicted as a
teenage high-school student and an orphan raised by his Aunt May and Uncle Ben in New York
City after his parents, Richard and Mary Parker, died in a plane crash. Lee, Ditko, and later
creators had the character deal with the struggles of adolescence and young adulthood and
gave him many supporting characters, such as Flash Thompson, J. Jonah Jameson, and Harry
Osborn; romantic interests Gwen Stacy, Mary Jane Watson, and the Black Cat; and enemies
such as Doctor Octopus, the Green Goblin, and Venom. In his origin story, Peter gets his
superhuman spider powers and abilities after being bitten by a radioactive spider. These powers
include superhuman strength, speed, agility, reflexes, stamina, durability, coordination, and
balance; clinging to surfaces and ceilings like a spider; and detecting danger with his
precognition ability called "spider-sense". He builds wrist-mounted "web-shooter" devices that
shoot artificial spider-webs of his own design, which he uses both for fighting and travel, or "web
swinging" across the city. Peter Parker initially used his powers for personal gain, but after his
Uncle Ben was killed by a thief that he could have stopped but did not, Peter began to use his
powers to fight crime as Spider-Man.

Before Spider-Man first appeared in the early 1960s, teenagers in superhero comic books were
usually relegated to the protagonist's sidekick role. The Spider-Man comic series broke ground
by featuring Peter Parker, a high school student from the Queens borough of New York City, as
Spider-Man's secret identity, whose "self-obsessions with rejection, inadequacy, and loneliness"
were issues to which young readers could relate.[10] While Spider-Man was a quintessential
sidekick, unlike previous teen heroes Bucky Barnes and Robin, Spider-Man had no superhero
mentor like Captain America and Batman; he had learned the lesson for himself that "with great
power comes great responsibility" —a line included in a text box in the final panel of the first
Spider-Man's origin story, but later retroactively attributed to the late Uncle Ben Parker.

Marvel has featured Spider-Man in several comic book series, the first and longest-lasting of
which is The Amazing Spider-Man. Since his introduction, the main-continuity version of Peter
has gone from a high school student to attending college to currently being somewhere in his
late 20s. Peter has been a member of numerous superhero teams, most notably the Avengers
and Fantastic Four. Doctor Octopus also took on the identity for a story arc spanning
2012–2014, following a body swap plot in which Peter appears to die.[11] Marvel has also
published comic books featuring alternate versions of Spider-Man, including Spider-Man 2099,
which features the adventures of Miguel O'Hara, the Spider-Man of the future; Ultimate
Spider-Man, which features the adventures of a teenage Peter Parker in the alternate universe;
and Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man, which depicts a teenager named Miles Morales who takes up
the mantle of Spider-Man after Ultimate Peter Parker's apparent death. Miles later became a
superhero in his own right and was brought into mainstream continuity during the Secret Wars
event, where he sometimes works alongside the mainline version of Peter.

Spider-Man has appeared in countless forms of media, including several animated TV series:
the first original animated series Spider-Man, with Paul Soles voicing the titular character, a
live-action television series, syndicated newspaper comic strips, and multiple series of films.
Spider-Man was first portrayed in live-action by Danny Seagren in Spidey Super Stories, a
recurring skit on The Electric Company from 1974 to 1977.[12] In live-action films, Spider-Man
has been portrayed by actors Tobey Maguire in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy, by Andrew
Garfield in two films directed by Marc Webb,[13] and in the Marvel Cinematic Universe by Tom
Holland. Reeve Carney originally starred as Spider-Man in the 2010 Broadway musical
Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark.[14] Spider-Man was also voiced by Jake Johnson and Chris
Pine in the animated film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, with the former reprising his role in
the sequel, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.

Publication history
Further information: List of Spider-Man titles
Creation and development
A black and white picture of a man standing in front of a spider web.
Richard Wentworth, a.k.a. the Spider in the pulp magazine The Spider. Stan Lee stated the
Spider influenced the creation of Spider-Man.[15]
In 1962, with the success of the Fantastic Four, Marvel Comics editor and head writer Stan Lee
was casting for a new superhero idea. He said the idea for Spider-Man arose from a surge in
teenage demand for comic books, and the desire to create a character with whom teens could
identify.[16]: 1 As with Fantastic Four, Lee saw Spider-Man as an opportunity to "get out of his
system" what he felt was missing in comic books.[17]

In his autobiography, Lee cites the non-superhuman pulp magazine crime fighter the Spider as a
great influence,[15]: 130 [18] and in a multitude of print and video interviews, Lee stated he was
inspired by seeing a spider climb up a wall—adding in his autobiography that he has told that
story so often he has become unsure of whether or not this is true.[note 1] Besides the name,
the Spider was wanted by both the law and the criminal underworld (a defining theme of
Spider-Man's early years) and had through years of ceaseless struggle developed a "sixth
sense", which warns him of danger, the inspiration for Spider-Man's "spider-sense".[18]

Although at the time teenage superheroes were usually given names ending with "boy", Lee
says he chose "Spider-Man" because he wanted the character to age as the series progressed,
and felt the name "Spider-Boy" would have made the character sound inferior to other
superheroes.[19] He also decided to insert a hyphen in the name, as he felt it looked too similar
to Superman, another superhero with a red and blue costume that starts with an "S" and ends
with "man"[20] (although artist Steve Ditko intended the character to have an orange and purple
costume).[21]

At that time, Lee had to get only the consent of Marvel publisher Martin Goodman for the
character's approval. In a 1986 interview, Lee described in detail his arguments to overcome
Goodman's objections.[note 2]

Goodman eventually agreed to a Spider-Man tryout in what Lee, in numerous interviews,

recalled as what would be the final issue of the science-fiction and supernatural anthology
series Amazing Adult Fantasy, which was renamed Amazing Fantasy for issue #15 (cover-dated
August 1962, on sale June 5, 1962).[22] In particular, Lee stated that the fact that it had already
been decided that Amazing Fantasy would be canceled after issue #15 was the only reason
Goodman allowed him to use Spider-Man.[19] While this was the final issue, its editorial page
anticipated the comic continuing and that "The Spider-Man ... will appear every month in
Amazing."[22][23]

Lee received Goodman's approval for the name Spider-Man and the "ordinary teen" concept
and approached artist Jack Kirby. As comics historian Greg Theakston recounts, Kirby told Lee
about an unpublished character on which he had collaborated with Joe Simon in the 1950s, in
which an orphaned boy living with an old couple finds a magic ring that granted him
superhuman powers. Lee and Kirby "immediately sat down for a story conference," Theakston
writes, and Lee afterward directed Kirby to flesh out the character and draw some pages.[24]
Steve Ditko would be the inker.[note 3] When Kirby showed Lee the first six pages, Lee recalled,
"I hated the way he was doing it! Not that he did it badly—it just wasn't the character I wanted; it
was too heroic".[24]: 12 Lee turned to Ditko, who developed an art style Lee found satisfactory.
Ditko recalled:

One of the first things I did was to work up a costume. A vital, visual part of the character. I had
to know how he looked ... before I did any breakdowns. For example: A clinging power so he
wouldn't have hard shoes or boots, a hidden wrist-shooter versus a web gun and holster, etc. ...
I wasn't sure Stan would like the idea of covering the character's face but I did it because it hid
an obviously boyish face. It would also add mystery to the character....[25]

Although the interior artwork was by Ditko alone, Lee rejected Ditko's cover art and
commissioned Kirby to pencil a cover that Ditko inked.[22] As Lee explained in 2010, "I think I
had Jack sketch out a cover for it because I always had a lot of confidence in Jack's covers."[26]

Cover art of Spider-Man, with big yellow letters "Amazing Fantasy".

Amazing Fantasy #15 (Aug. 1962) first introduced the character. It was a gateway to
commercial success for the superhero and inspired the launch of The Amazing Spider-Man
comic book. – Cover art by penciller Jack Kirby and inker Steve Ditko
In an early recollection of the character's creation, Ditko described his and Lee's contributions in
a mail interview with Gary Martin published in Comic Fan #2 (Summer 1965): "Stan Lee thought
the name up. I did costume, web gimmick on wrist & spider signal."[27] At the time, Ditko shared
a Manhattan studio with noted fetish artist Eric Stanton, an art-school classmate who, in a 1988
interview with Theakston, recalled that although his contribution to Spider-Man was "almost nil",
he and Ditko had "worked on storyboards together and I added a few ideas. But the whole thing
was created by Steve on his own ... I think I added the business about the webs coming out of
his hands."[24]: 14 Ditko claimed in a rare interview with Jonathan Ross that the costume was
initially envisioned with an orange and purple color scheme, rather than the recognizable red
and blue.[28]

Kirby disputed Lee's version of the story and claimed Lee had minimal involvement in the
character's creation. According to Kirby, the idea for Spider-Man had originated with Kirby and
Joe Simon, who in the 1950s had developed a character called the Silver Spider for the
Crestwood Publications comic Black Magic, but the character was left unused.[note 4] Simon, in
his 1990 autobiography, disputed Kirby's account, asserting that Black Magic was not a factor
and that Simon devised the name "Spider-Man" (later changed to "The Silver Spider"), while
Kirby outlined the character's story and powers. Simon later elaborated that his and Kirby's
character conception became the basis for Simon's Archie Comics superhero, the Fly.[29] Artist
Steve Ditko stated that Lee liked the name Hawkman from DC Comics, and that "Spider-Man"
was an outgrowth of that interest.[25]

Simon concurred that Kirby had shown the original Spider-Man version to Lee, who liked the
idea and assigned Kirby to draw sample pages of the new character, but disliked the results—in
Simon's description, "Captain America with cobwebs".[note 5] Writer Mark Evanier notes that
Lee's reasoning that Kirby's character was too heroic seems unlikely—Kirby still drew the covers
for Amazing Fantasy #15 and the first issue of The Amazing Spider-Man. Evanier also disputes
Kirby's given reason that he was "too busy" to draw Spider-Man in addition to his other duties,
since Kirby was, said Evanier, "always busy".[30]: 127 Neither Lee's nor Kirby's explanation
explains why key story elements like the magic ring were dropped; Evanier states that the most
plausible explanation for the sudden change was that Goodman, or one of his assistants,
decided that Spider-Man, as drawn and envisioned by Kirby, was too similar to the Fly.[30]: 127

Author and Ditko scholar Blake Bell writes that it was Ditko who noted the similarities to the Fly.
Ditko recalled that "Stan called Jack about the Fly", adding that "[d]ays later, Stan told me I
would be penciling the story panel breakdowns from Stan's synopsis." It was at this point that
the entire concept of the strip went through a major overhaul. "Out went the magic ring, adult
Spider-Man and whatever legend ideas that Spider-Man story would have contained." Lee gave
Ditko the premise of a teenager bitten by a spider and developing powers, where Ditko would
expand upon to the point he became what Bell describes as "the first work for hire artist of his
generation to create and control the narrative arc of his series". On the issue of the initial
creation, Ditko stated, "I still don't know whose idea was Spider-Man".[31] Ditko did, however,
view the published version of Spider-Man as a separate creation to the one he saw in the five
pencilled pages that Kirby had completed. To support this, Ditko used the analogy of the
Kirby/Marvel Thor, which was based on a name or idea of a character in Norse mythology: "If
Marvel's Thor is a valid created work by Jack, his creation, then why isn't Spider-Man by Stan
and me valid created work, our creation?"[32]
Kirby noted in a 1971 interview that it was Ditko who "got Spider-Man to roll, and the thing
caught on because of what he did".[33] Lee, while claiming credit for the initial idea, had
acknowledged Ditko's role, stating, "If Steve wants to be called co-creator, I think he deserves
[it]".[34] He has further commented that Ditko's costume design was key to the character's
success; since the costume completely covers Spider-Man's body, people of all races could
visualize themselves inside the costume and thus easily identify with the character.[19]

Commercial success
A few months after Spider-Man's introduction, publisher Goodman reviewed the sales figures for
that issue and was shocked to find it was one of the nascent Marvel's highest-selling
comics.[35]: 97 A solo ongoing series followed, beginning with The Amazing Spider-Man #1
(cover-dated March 1963). The title eventually became Marvel's top-selling series[10]: 211 with
the character swiftly becoming a cultural icon; a 1965 Esquire poll of college campuses found
that college students ranked Spider-Man and fellow Marvel hero the Hulk alongside Bob Dylan
and Che Guevara as their favorite revolutionary icons. One interviewee selected Spider-Man
because he was "beset by woes, money problems, and the question of existence. In short, he is
one of us."[10]: 223 Following Ditko's departure after issue #38 (July 1966), John Romita Sr.
replaced him as penciller and would draw the series for the next several years. In 1968, Romita
would also draw the character's extra-length stories in the comics magazine The Spectacular
Spider-Man, a proto-graphic novel designed to appeal to older readers. It lasted for two issues
and represented the first Spider-Man spin-off publication, aside from the original series' summer
Annuals that began in 1964.[36]

An early 1970s Spider-Man story ultimately led to the revision of the Comics Code Authority.
Previously, the Code forbade the depiction of the use of illegal drugs, even negatively. However,
in 1970, the Nixon administration's Department of Health, Education, and Welfare asked Stan
Lee to publish an anti-drug message in one of Marvel's top-selling titles.[10]: 239 Lee chose the
top-selling The Amazing Spider-Man; issues #96–98 (May–July 1971) feature a story arc
depicting the negative effects of drug use. In the story, Peter Parker's friend Harry Osborn
becomes addicted to pills. When Spider-Man fights the Green Goblin (Norman Osborn, Harry's
father), Spider-Man defeats him by revealing Harry's drug addiction. While the story had a clear
anti-drug message, the Comics Code Authority refused to issue its seal of approval. Marvel
nevertheless published the three issues without the Comics Code Authority's approval or seal.
The issues sold so well that the industry's self-censorship was undercut, and the Code was
subsequently revised.[10]: 239

In 1972, a second monthly ongoing series starring Spider-Man began: Marvel Team-Up, in
which Spider-Man was paired with other superheroes and supervillains.[37] From that point on,
there have generally been at least two ongoing Spider-Man series at any time. In 1976, his
second solo series, Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man, began running parallel to the
main series.[38] A third series featuring Spider-Man, Web of Spider-Man, launched in 1985 to
replace Marvel Team-Up.[39] The launch of a fourth monthly title in 1990, the "adjectiveless"
Spider-Man (with the storyline "Torment"), written and drawn by popular artist Todd McFarlane,
debuted with several different covers, all with the same interior content. All four versions
combined sold over three million copies, an industry record at the time. Several miniseries,
one-shot issues, and loosely related comics have also been published, and Spider-Man makes
frequent cameos and guest appearances in other comic book series.[38][40] In 1996, The
Sensational Spider-Man was created to replace Web of Spider-Man.[41]

In 1998, writer-artist John Byrne revamped the origin of Spider-Man in the 13-issue limited
series Spider-Man: Chapter One (Dec. 1998–Oct. 1999), similar to Byrne's adding details and
some revisions to Superman's origin in DC Comics' The Man of Steel.[42] During that time, the
original The Amazing Spider-Man ended with issue #441 (Nov. 1998), and The Amazing
Spider-Man started with volume 2, #1 (Jan. 1999).[43] In 2003, Marvel reintroduced the original
numbering for The Amazing Spider-Man and what would have been volume 2, #59, became
issue #500 (Dec. 2003).[43]

When the main series The Amazing Spider-Man reached issue #545 (Dec. 2007), Marvel
dropped its spin-off ongoing series and instead began publishing The Amazing Spider-Man
three times monthly, beginning with #546–548 (all January 2008).[44] The scheduling of The
Amazing Spider-Man lasted until November 2010, when the comic book expanded from 22
pages to 30 pages for each issue. Later on, The Amazing Spider-Man was published twice a
month, beginning with #648–649 (both November 2010).[45][46] The following year, Marvel
launched Avenging Spider-Man as the first spin-off ongoing series in addition to The Amazing
Spider-Man, since the previous ones were canceled at the end of 2007.[44] The Amazing series
temporarily ended with issue #700 in December 2012 and was replaced by The Superior
Spider-Man, which had Doctor Octopus serve as the new Spider-Man by taking over Peter
Parker's body. Superior was an enormous commercial success for Marvel,[47] and ran for 31
issues before the real Peter Parker returned in a newly relaunched The Amazing Spider-Man #1
in April 2014.[48]

Following the 2015 Secret Wars crossover event, a number of Spider-Man-related titles were
either relaunched or created as part of the "All-New, All-Different Marvel" event. Among them,
The Amazing Spider-Man was relaunched and primarily focuses on Peter Parker continuing to
run Parker Industries and becomes a successful businessman who is operating worldwide.[49]

Fictional character biography

Early years
In Forest Hills, Queens, New York City,[50] Midtown High School student Peter Benjamin Parker
is a science-whiz orphan living with his Uncle Ben and Aunt May. As depicted in Amazing
Fantasy #15 (Aug. 1962), he is bitten by a radioactive spider (erroneously classified as an insect
in the panel) at a science exhibit and "acquires the agility and proportionate strength of an
arachnid".[51] Along with heightened athletic abilities, Parker gains the ability to adhere to walls
and ceilings. Through his knack for science, he develops a gadget that lets him fire adhesive
webbing of his own design through small, wrist-mounted barrels. Initially seeking to capitalize on
his new abilities, Parker dons a costume and, as "Spider-Man", becomes a novelty television
star. However, "[h]e blithely ignores the chance to stop a fleeing thief, [and] his indifference
ironically catches up with him when the same criminal later robs and kills his Uncle Ben."
Spider-Man tracks and subdues the killer and learns, in the story's next-to-last caption, "With
great power there must also come—great responsibility!"[52]

In the first issue of The Amazing Spider-Man (March 1963), despite his superpowers, Peter
struggles to help his widowed Aunt May pay the rent, is taunted by Flash, and continues fighting
crime and saving the city as Spider-Man, but his heroic deeds engender the editorial wrath of
newspaper publisher of the Daily Bugle, J. Jonah Jameson, holds a grudge against Spider-Man,
and continues making false statements about Spider-Man despite his heroism. Peter gets hired
as a freelance photographer by Mr. Jameson to take pictures of Spider-Man, with him being
unaware that Spider-Man is Peter Parker.[53][54] Spider-Man fights his enemies, including
superpowered and non-superpowered supervillains—his archenemy and nemesis Green Goblin
and then Doctor Octopus, Sandman, Chameleon, Lizard, Vulture, Kraven the Hunter, Electro,
and Mysterio, defeating them one by one[55]—but Peter finds juggling his personal and
superhero life difficult. In time, Peter graduates from high school[56] and enrolls at Empire State
University (a fictional institution evoking the real-life Columbia University and New York
University),[57] where he meets roommate and best friend Harry Osborn and girlfriend Gwen
Stacy,[58] and Aunt May introduces him to Mary Jane Watson.[55][59][60] As Peter deals with
Harry's drug problems, and Harry's father, Norman Osborn, is revealed to be the Green Goblin,
Peter attempts to give up his costumed identity for a while.[61][62] Gwen Stacy's father, New
York City Police detective Captain George Stacy, is accidentally killed during a battle between
Spider-Man and Doctor Octopus (issue #90, November 1970).[63]

1970s
In issue #121 (June 1973),[55] the Green Goblin throws Gwen Stacy from a tower of either the
Brooklyn Bridge (as depicted in the art) or the George Washington Bridge (as given in the
text).[64][65] She dies during Spider-Man's rescue attempt, and Spider-Man swears revenge
against his nemesis; a note on the letters page of issue #125 states: "It saddens us to say that
the whiplash effect she underwent when Spidey's webbing stopped her so suddenly was, in fact,
what killed her."[66] The following issue, Spider-Man vengefully attacks and overpowers the
Green Goblin, who kills himself accidentally in the ensuing battle with Spider-Man.[67]

Working through his grief, Peter eventually develops tentative feelings toward Mary Jane, and
the two "become confidants rather than lovers".[68] A romantic relationship eventually develops,
with Parker proposing to her in issue #182 (July 1978), and being turned down an issue
later.[69] Peter went on to graduate from college in issue #185,[55] and becomes involved with
the shy Debra Whitman and the extroverted, flirtatious costumed thief Felicia Hardy, a.k.a. the
Black Cat,[70] whom he meets in issue #194 (July 1979).[55]

1980s
The black costume of Spider-Man.
The Amazing Spider-Man #252 (May 1984): The black costume debut was controversial among
fans. The suit was later revealed as an alien symbiote and was used in the creation of the villain
Venom. – Cover art by Ron Frenz and Klaus Janson
From 1984 to 1988, Spider-Man wore a black costume with a white spider design on his chest.
The new costume originated in the Secret Wars miniseries on an alien planet where Spider-Man
participates in a battle between Earth's major superheroes and supervillains.[71] He continues
wearing the costume when he returns, starting in The Amazing Spider-Man #252. The change
to a longstanding character's design met with controversy, "with many hardcore comics fans
decrying it as tantamount to sacrilege. Spider-Man's traditional red and blue costume was
iconic, they argued, on par with those of his D.C. rivals Superman and Batman."[72] The
creators then revealed the costume was an alien symbiote, which Spider-Man rejects after a
difficult struggle,[73] though the symbiote returns several times as Venom for revenge.[55] Peter
proposes to Mary Jane in The Amazing Spider-Man #290 (July 1987), and she accepts two
issues later, with the wedding taking place in The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #21
(1987)—promoted with a real-life mock wedding using actors at Shea Stadium, with Stan Lee
officiating, on June 5, 1987.[74] David Michelinie, who scripted based on a plot by editor-in-chief
Jim Shooter, said in 2007, "I didn't think they actually should [have gotten] married. ... I had
actually planned another version, one that wasn't used."[74] Peter publishes a book of
Spider-Man photographs called Webs,[75] and returns to his Empire State University graduate
studies in biochemistry in #310 (Dec. 1988).[55]

1990s
In the controversial[76] 1990s storyline the "Clone Saga", a clone of Parker, created in 1970s
comics by insane scientist Miles Warren, a.k.a. the Jackal, returns to New York City upon
hearing of Aunt May's health worsening. The clone had lived incognito as Ben Reilly, but now
assumes the superhero guise the Scarlet Spider and allies with Parker. To the surprise of both,
new tests indicate Ben is the original and Peter is the clone.[77] Complicating matters, Mary
Jane announces in The Spectacular Spider-Man #220 (Jan. 1995) that she is pregnant with
Peter's baby.[55] Later, however, a resurrected Green Goblin (Norman Osborn) has Mary Jane
poisoned, causing premature labor and the death of her and Peter's unborn daughter.[78] It is
later revealed that The Green Goblin switched the results of the clone test in an attempt to
destroy Peter's life by making him believe himself to be the clone. Ben is killed while saving
Peter, in Peter Parker: Spider-Man #75 (Dec. 1996), and his body immediately crumbles into
dust, confirming Ben was the clone.[78]

In issue #97 (Nov. 1998) of the second series titled Peter Parker: Spider-Man,[79] Parker learns
his Norman Osborn kidnapped Aunt May and her apparent death in The Amazing Spider-Man
#400 (April 1995) had been a hoax.[80][81] Shortly afterward, in The Amazing Spider-Man (vol.
2) #13 (#454, Jan. 2000), Mary Jane is killed in an airplane explosion.[82] She is revealed to be
alive in volume 2, issue #28 (#469, April 2001),[82] but she and Peter are completely separated
in the following issue.[83]

2000s
Babylon 5 creator J. Michael Straczynski began writing The Amazing Spider-Man, illustrated by
John Romita Jr., beginning with volume 2, #30 (#471, June 2001). Two issues later, Peter, now
employed as a teacher at his old high school, meets the enigmatic Ezekiel Sims, who
possesses similar spider powers and suggests that Peter, having gained such abilities, might
not have been a fluke—that Parker has a connection to a totemic spider spirit. In vol. 2, #37
(#478, Jan. 2002), Aunt May discovers her nephew is Spider-Man.[81] Peter and Mary Jane
reconcile in (vol. 2) #50 (#491, April 2003),[81] and in #512 (Nov. 2004)—the original issue
numbering having returned with #500—Parker learns his late girlfriend Gwen Stacy had had two
children with Norman Osborn.[84]

He joins the superhero team The New Avengers in New Avengers #1–2. After a deranged,
superpowered former high-school classmate destroys their respective homes, Peter, Mary Jane,
and May move into Stark Tower, and Peter begins working as Tony Stark's assistant while
freelancing for The Daily Bugle and continuing his teacher career. In the 12-part 2005 story arc
"The Other", Peter undergoes a transformation that evolves his powers. In the comic Civil War
#2 (June 2006), part of the company-wide crossover arc of that title, the U.S. government's
Superhuman Registration Act leads Spider-Man to reveal his true identity publicly. A growing
unease about the Registration Act prompts him to escape with May and Mary Jane and joins the
anti-registration underground.

In issue #537 (Dec. 2006), Aunt May is critically wounded from Wilson Fisk's sniper, and enters
into a coma. Peter, desperate to save her, exhausts all possibilities and makes a pact with the
demon-lord Mephisto, who saves May's life in exchange for Peter and Mary Jane agreeing to
have their marriage and all memory of it disappear. In this changed reality, Spider-Man's identity
is secret once again, and in #545 (Jan. 2008), Mary Jane returns and is cold toward him. The
controversial[85] storyline "One More Day" rolled back much of the fictional continuity at the
behest of editor-in-chief Joe Quesada, who said, "Peter being single is an intrinsic part of the
very foundation of the world of Spider-Man".[85] It caused unusual public friction between
Quesada and writer Straczynski, who "told Joe that I was going to take my name off the last two
issues of the [story] arc", but was talked out of doing so.[86] At issue with Straczynski's climax to
the arc, Quesada said, was

...that we didn't receive the story and methodology to the resolution that we were all expecting.
What made that very problematic is that we had four writers and artists well underway on [the
sequel arc] "Brand New Day" that were expecting and needed "One More Day" to end in the
way that we had all agreed it would. ... The fact that we had to ask for the story to move back to
its original intent understandably made Joe upset and caused some major delays and page
increases in the series. Also, the science that Joe was going to apply to the retcon of the
marriage would have made over 30 years of Spider-Man books worthless, because they never
would have had happened. ...[I]t would have reset way too many things outside of the
Spider-Man titles. We just couldn't go there....[86]

In this new continuity, designed to have very limited repercussions throughout the remainder of
the Marvel Universe, Parker returns to work at the Daily Bugle, which has been renamed The
DB under a new publisher.[87] He soon switches to the alternative press paper The Front
Line.[88] J. Jonah Jameson becomes the Mayor of New York City in issue #591 (June
2008).[84] Jonah's estranged father, J. Jonah Jameson Sr., marries May in issue #600 (Sept.
2009).[84][89]
During the "Secret Invasion" by shape-shifting extraterrestrials, the Skrulls, Norman Osborn
shoots and kills the Skrull queen Veranke.[90] He leverages this widely publicized success,
positioning himself as the new director of the S.H.I.E.L.D.-like paramilitary force H.A.M.M.E.R. to
advance his agenda,[90] while using his public image to start his own Dark Avengers. Norman,
by himself, leads the Dark Avengers as the Iron Patriot, a suit of armor fashioned by himself
after Iron Man's armor with Captain America's colors.[91]

Harry is approached by Norman with the offer of a job within the Dark Avengers. It is later
revealed that it is a ruse to coerce Harry into taking the American Son armor, whom Norman
had planned to kill, in order to increase public sympathy. When Harry has the option of killing
Norman, Spider-Man says to decapitate him, since Norman's healing factor may repair a blow to
the head. Spider-Man also cautions Harry that killing Norman will cause Harry to "become the
son Norman always wanted". Harry instead backs down, and turns away from his father
forever.[92]

2010s
At Loki's suggestion, Norman Osborn creates a rationale to invade Asgard, claiming the world
poses a national security threat. He is defeated, and ends up incarcerated in the Raft
penitentiary.[93][94] A conflict between Spider-Man and Doctor Octopus over Osborn's son ends
when it is revealed the child's father is Harry, who leaves town to raise him.[95] One of Doctor
Octopus' Octobots swaps his and Spider-Man's personality, causing Peter to become trapped in
the Doctor's dying body, while he in turn claimed Peter's life for himself. Though Peter failed to
reverse the change, he manages to establish a weak link with the Doctor's mind, forcing him to
relive all of his memories; Otto understands Peter's ideals of power and responsibility and
swears to carry on with Peter's life with dignity as a "Superior" Spider-Man.[96][97]

A portion of Peter survived in his original body in the form of a subconsciousness.[98] Later,
realizing that he failed in his role as the "Superior" Spider-Man, Otto willingly allows Peter to
reclaim his body in order to defeat Osborn and save Anna Maria Marconi, Otto's love.[99] In the
aftermath of these events, Peter began to amend the relationships damaged by Otto's
arrogance and negligence, both as Peter Parker and Spider-Man. He additionally took up the
reins of Parker Industries, a small company founded by Otto after leaving Horizon Labs.[100]

Peter soon learns a second person had been bitten by the radioactive spider, Cindy Moon.[101]
Spider-Man tracks her down and frees her from a bunker owned by the late Ezekiel
Simms.[102] Not long after rescuing Cindy, who went on to adopt her own heroine identity as
Silk,[103][104] Spider-Man encounters a contingent of spider-people from all over the Multiverse
that banded together to fight the Inheritors, a group of psychic vampires who had begun to hunt
down the spider-totems of other realities.[105] During a mission to gather more recruits in 2099,
the Spider-Army stumbled upon another party of spider-people led by an alternate version of
Otto Octavius.[106] Together, they neutralize the Inheritors.
Peter then stops a nefarious plan put forward by the Jackal.[107] After the events of "Go Down
Swinging", Peter's life was plagued with problems on both sides. As Spider-Man, Mayor Fisk
publicly supports him, condemning all other vigilantes in order to isolate him from his superhero
peers. As Peter Parker, his academic credentials were revoked after accusations of plagiarizing
his doctoral dissertation from Octavius, resulting in Peter being fired from the Daily Bugle.
Subsequently, Peter became romantically involved with Mary Jane.[108] Briefly, Peter Parker
and Spider-Man split into separate beings due to an accident involving the reverse-engineered
Isotope Genome Accelerator. Peter eventually manages to reverse the process, and merges his
two halves back together before the side-effects worsen and result in their death.[109]

2020s
Further information: Last Remains
Kindred uses the resurrected Sin-Eater's sins to possess Miles Morales, Spider-Gwen,
Spider-Woman, Anya Corazon, and Julia Carpenter. Doctor Strange, who manages to restrain a
possessed Silk, agrees to help Spider-Man. However, Peter dies when fighting Kindred. While
dead, Peter's consciousness remembers the fateful day of the start of One More Day; Kindred is
willing to resurrect Peter.[110]