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popculturebuffet · 1 year

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Into The Spider-Verse: Peter Parker, The Amazing Spider-Man (Amazing Fantasy #15)

Hello all you happy webheads! It's time to swing into the Spider-Verse. As for what this is Kev, my patroen, sorta producer and friend, had a brilliant idea going into Across the Spider-Verse: Take a look at the first apperances of the various spider-men and women (Sorry NB's) who appeared in the instant classic Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse, then review the film in the nick of time for it's sequel. Since Spider-Man is one of my faviorite characters and i'd read most of these comics already and loved them all, it was an easy sell. So for the next few months we'll be going over every spider-man and woman from the first ones. We'll also likely be doing something similar for the sequel to cover that at some point, so keep your big ole expressive mask eyes peeld.

To start us off there was real no other choice, we're taking a look at the original spider-man: the one who taught us anyone could wear the mask, who made teenage superheroes a thing, who taught us what only a science major could do, and with great power must come great responsiblity: It's Peter Parker and the first apperance of any spider-man, Amazing Fantasy #15. Specifically this one is more for Peter B Parker, who like the modern day peter is a down on his luck man in his early 30's (despite what marvel tries to say one) but before he was a depressed man he was depressed boy so come with me under the cut as we explore the humble origins of one of the greatest heroes of all, and the legacy he'd unknowingly cause by putting on the mask.

Spider-Man was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, with an assit by Jack the King Kirby. It was the 60's and Stan Lee had just had his first major success as a comics writer, creating one of my faviorite teams with the Fantastic Four and kicking off the marvel universe as we know it, captivating readers with it's grounded characters, fantastical plots, and general freshness from what was on shelves at the time.

So for an encore Stan Lee decided to scratch another narrative itch he'd had while at the same time tapping into the FF's youthful fanbase: most teen superheroes at that point were sidekicks, mostly falling in the vein of robin, and most were written like this

They were also usually the popular kids or at least resonably popular, and their lives outside the masks were almost never focused on and easily being able to lean on their adult mentors if there was trouble. So Stan Lee decided to flip all of that: His teen hero would be entirely in the same league as any adult superhero, fight villians all by himself. He'd be a nerd, an outcast, someone with no friends to confide in and whose only family is someone he could never tell, and someone who constantly struggled with money. In short he'd be someone most teens reading comics could relate to.

He decided to model the hero a bit after pulp hero the spider, copying the hero's sixth sense and motif. What he needed now was a design and he naturally went to FF partner Jack Kirby. But while Jack Kirby is The King he just didn't have the right fit for Spider-Man, so Lee went to Steve Ditko and Ditko's lanky design for the hero combind with the now iconic mask (chosen as to mask the fact Peter's an awkward teen under there and to add a sense of danger and mystery) was the perfect fit.

Ditko's art is hard to describe but spectacular: it comes off like a more detailed version of dick tracy having the same exagerated features, but feeling entirely realistic at the same time. How he pulled it off I don't know but his style is moody, scratchy and perfect for the more miseable early world of peter parker.

What wasn't was editorial whose reaction… well i'll let stan lee himself tell it with this excert from his intro to the first Amazing-Spider Man Marvel Masterworks:

Thankfully for us Stan didn't remotely listen and instead found the perfect way to give the book a test run. At the time Lee and Ditko were working on Amazing Adult Fantasy, a science fiction antholgy book, that was coming to an end. So Lee decided and his editor reluctantly agreed to let Spider-Man headline the last issue: if he was a success, then Stan would be vindcated and Spidey could get an ongoing replacing Amazing. If he wasn't.. well it was the last book of a failing mag anyway, no harm done.

While it took a few months to find out, 60's and all, the results spoke for themselves: Amazing Fantasy #`15 was one of Marvel's best sellers, Amazing Spider-Man #1 with Lee and Ditko followed soon after and given we're on legacy issue 700+ at this point, with countless spinoffs, spinoff characters, other spider-men we'll get to shortly, two live action tv series, 10 animated tv series with another one upcoming, and nine movies with more of them a comin too, the results speak for themselves. So how's the debut hold up? Well… let's see shall we?

A Diffrent Kind of Hero:

We open up with this iconic opening panel, peter parker rejected by his peers, dejected and with a giant shadow of the man he'll become behind him.

Granted i'm not sure anyone even professionals has ever called then "long underwear characters" and even my goofy self has only so far he can go. I also find it funny they "need one more for the dance" despite having an even number. As you can see there's no perks to being a walflower for peter parker, and It was part of his charm: as I said nerdy kids like peter could relate to him, as could people of color or queer readers who coudl see themselves in someone who just didn't fit in anywhere, felt constantly alone and in the case of queer readers had a secret he had to keep iron tight lest the reveal of it destroy his life. It's why the anyone can wear the mask message Into The Spider-Verse goes for works so well: anyone really could wear the mask, so even if the guy behind it on page was a white nerd, he could be any kind of nerd or person. The point of having a geeky neurotic teen in the role was to have someone you woudln't expect behind the mask, and that gives hope to anyone to wear it. Lee himself had that in mind, and it was brilliant.

Anyways we get the standard stuff that would become a staple for peter: He has two loving elderly parents: Aunt May and Uncle Ben who adopted him after his parents died but loved him just the same, and he coudln't get a girl to notice him even if his hair was on fire at this point. He'd have friends more in other adaptations at least, but for Ditko's run he's a man alone, with no one to rely ona nd the world… laughing at him a lot. When he gets bit by a spider at a science demonstration, the scientests reaction.. is to not notice and instead claim it was a bit too much for him. A guy nearly running him over . .blames peter for it..

Apparently it was ENTIRELY legal to kill nerds in 1965. Which tracks it's just shocking to find out in a comic book is all.

Anyways peter finds out his powers, which was brillantly expanded on in the rami films and in hindsight shows up in pretty much all spider-man media that depicts his origin: peter slowly realizing in some way he has his powers.

I also wanted to spotlight the gag with the kid as I see it WAY too often in media and while it at least fits a little here, I always feel bad for the person who isn't belivied and it always annoys me. It's not helped almost EVERY stan helmed silver age marvel comic used this gag. I'm not exagerating. While true the artists had more influcence on the story back then thanks to the marvel method, Stan still wrote the dialouge, so this is entirely his fault. I know he did because Ditko once drew spidey angry at some protestors because of his objectivist beliefs, and Stan spun it to peter supporting them because he did and because maybe directly telling their audience "your wrong and your wrong to want to change anything", was a terrible buisness tactic

It also annoys me because while I get some assholes digging in and not beliving shit that has tangible proof, the last few years have been a nightmare of nothing but that from the right, so it's not entirely implausable after a while it gets annoying when we're into the 80's and writers are still doing this when there have been multiple alien invasions in new york alone. Outside of NYC I get it, but inside it at a certain point the gag just stops working and becomes obnoxious.

Anyways, Pete decides to test his might now he's much more unique than the other guys, and participates in a wrestling contest to stay in the ring three minutes with crusher hogan. This is another point where the rami films come up and reading this it's very clear Sam studied this issue relgiously and adapted it really well, his only changes being expansions that honestly only improved peter's origin. Or in the case of the wrestling scene changing it form a 60's style strongman contest some bald guy, to

I mean let's face it anything is better with randy savage. Peter easily sweeps the guy and a guy in the audience asks him the important questions

And promises to get him on EDDDD SULLLIVANNNN

I like the subtle touch as Peter, before fairly defeated and at most sayin ghe'll show them all once day, getting a bit more confidence yet ego: when asked for more showmanship he makes the now iconic costume, as well as his web shooters, a nice touch in my eyes: it shows off peter's science prowess and them running out has been a vital plot device across all spidey media that serves as a ncie little bit of dramatic tension whe nneeded. We also get the lost spider-man catchphrase I never knew I needed.

Honestly i'd of loved if Peter just started shouting crackers and milk any time he's upset…

… I regret none of this. Anyways spidey goes on EDDD SULLLIVAN and I don't think we've seen this part of his origin much. I mean obviously the Ed SullivanNN

…. part of things is a bit outdated but most adaptations just skip the showbiz part of his career entirely and skip right to the fateful moment that woudl change everything.

I get it from a time compression standpoint: for the first movie it helped get right to the fateful moment w'ell talk about in a second, and for most adaptations it saves on time in general since they often expand it with other places, like Peter having a falling out with ben just before… well you know in both the amazing and rami movies. I still like it as it explains why Peter's ego grows beyond a power high: after having most people laugh at him or ignore his achivements his whole life he's FINALLY loved, respected and has everything he could want: his family is fincially secure, he's popular, it's easy to see why a kid who was picked on just before this happened woud get high on it's own ego and thus makes what happens next work as well as it does. We've all had moments where we get a swelled head and get high on ourselves, where we let our own ego steer the ship, even my insecure ass… and moments where we could've done the right thing.. and simply didn't

It's just six panels (I coudln't fit the last one in), but it's simple enough to shwo what peter's become: he's become so jaded by his treatment in the past he's letting it impact who he could become, deciding to double down and put out for only himself. And yes stopping the criminal would be dangerous and the cop would be a dick for asking any civilian too.. but it's something peter could've done with or without the mask, the guy was unarmed at the time, and doing so was the right thing. It's a horrible mistake but it's mundanety is really what hammers it in: anyone could be in this situation and thus anyone can feel the pain of it because it so easily coudl've been you. Just as anyone wearing a mask gives you the freedom and power of spider-man.. it also means you can feel the weight of what happens when he doesn't use this power how he should. That you can feel his guilt because it easily coudl've been you in the same situation if you just decided fo rone second "fuck it this has nothing to do with me i'm out". To do nothing instead of the right thing. Stan and Steve coudl've easily made this just a power fantasy, but they knew it had ot be more than that: that with relatablity can come fun.. but it can also punch readers in the gut.. and I feel you all know exactly how their about to do so.

But before that we get a few panels that I feel are still important: Ben suprising peter with a microscope, with him being genuinely greatful, showing even with the new ego.. he's still sympathetic. He still loves the peopl ewho raised hima nd wants to take care of them. So after a few week sas a media sensation.. the inevitble happens.

The art on peter really gets me. Ditko perfectly captures the poor boy's devistation, his panic.. and finally his rage as he prepares to get his revenge, the shot of peter furiously putting on the costume being a true classic. It's part of why this story holds up: some thigns may of aged and the dialouge can be hit and miss.. but the emotion and sheer craft of the tale carry it though. IT's why all but the mcu have adapted this in some way: it's just a perfect origin story.. and it simply ahs one last part of it to go to seal the deal:

Spider-man easily stops the guy, finding him and getting his revenge but before he can do more…. he see shis face…

While i'm glad Ditko thankfully ararely did pupil's on spide again as it simply dosen't work, this .. is an exception. The sheer horror in peter's eyes is more human without the mask, that he could've stopped all this and didn't. That one stupid act of selfishness, of not using his powers how he should… got an innocent man, the man who raised, him loved him and taught him to be the man he was died. I also like how Ditko's shot of a maskless peter shows how.. young he is. While most adaptations have peter as a teen, this originanl panel really makes yo ufeel it: a scared kid with his future unknown, as he goes into the distance remembering what would later become his uncles words: With great power.. there must also come great responsiblity. It's what makes a superhero who they are, and what Stan and Steve brillantly demonstrated without pushing it in too hard: it's easy to get power or have it fall in your lap.. but what makes the hero is how you use it. IT's choosing to fight for the right thing even if it isn't easy. IT's what great responsiblity really means to me: using the power your given to help those who need it… and the reason Uncle Ben is such a great imeptus is peter's been ther enow: he's seen what happens when a good man does nothing and the consequences of that. It's why I admire him so much: in the face of such a tragedy peter could've gone further down into his grief.. but instead decided to be the man his uncle would want him to be. To truly be something. and that is why his name is in the roster of those who make the world of fantasy the most exciting of all: because he rose up and became something more and choose to take the worst moment of his life and while never forgive it, turn it into something his uncle would be proud of. It's why the character endures.. because Peter Parker will always endure, he'll almost always get back up and he'll always use his great power.. responsibly

But what does someone else do with said power and responsiblitY? We find out later this month as a kid from brooklyn also gets bitten and has to be steered into a greater destiny, wether he likes it or not. We're looking at Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man #1-5. Until then thanks for reading true belivier.

#spider-man #peter parker #marvel comics #stan lee #steve ditko #may parker #ben parker #amazing fantasy #into the spider-verse

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