Editing Spider-Man (section)

==Publication history==
{{further|List of Spider-Man titles}}

===Creation and development===
[[File:Spider Strikes v1n1 i05 Wentworth.png|thumb|Richard Wentworth, {{A.k.a.}} the [[Spider (pulp fiction)|Spider]] in the pulp magazine ''The Spider''. Stan Lee stated the Spider influenced the creation of Spider-Man.<ref name="LeeMair" />|alt=A black and white picture of a man standing in front of a spider web.]]
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.<ref name="DeFalco">{{Cite book |last1=DeFalco, Tom |url=https://archive.org/details/spidermanultimat00defa |title=Spider-Man: The Ultimate Guide |last2=Lee, Stan |publisher=[[Dorling Kindersley]] |year=2001 |isbn=978-0-7894-7946-4 |editor-last=O'Neill, Cynthia |location=New York |author-link=Tom DeFalco |author-link2=Stan Lee}}</ref>{{rp|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.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Harrington |first=Richard |date=February 4, 1992 |title=Stan Lee: Caught in Spidey's Web |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1992/02/04/stan-lee-caught-in-spideys-web/9e7bf42e-4287-4f9c-9fa1-a5f73fb2ee7e/ |url-status=live |access-date=May 27, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201123172213/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1992/02/04/stan-lee-caught-in-spideys-web/9e7bf42e-4287-4f9c-9fa1-a5f73fb2ee7e/ |archive-date=November 23, 2020}}</ref>

In his autobiography, Lee cites the non-superhuman [[pulp magazine]] crime fighter the [[Spider (pulp fiction)|Spider]] as a great influence,<ref name="LeeMair">{{Cite book |last1=Lee, Stan |title=Excelsior!: The Amazing Life of Stan Lee |last2=Mair, George |publisher=Fireside |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-684-87305-3 |author-link=Stan Lee}}</ref>{{rp||page=130}}<ref name=RetFan10>{{cite journal |last=Murray  |first=Will |date=August 2020|title=The Secret Origin of Spider-Man |journal=RetroFan |publisher=[[TwoMorrows Publishing]] |location=United States|issue=10 |pages=24–29}}</ref> 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.<ref group="note">{{Cite book |last1=Lee, Stan |title=Excelsior!: The Amazing Life of Stan Lee |last2=Mair, George |publisher=Fireside |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-684-87305-3 |page=135 |author-link=Stan Lee}}</ref> 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".<ref name=RetFan10/>

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.<ref name="alter104">{{Cite journal |last=Thomas |first=Roy |date=August 2011 |title=Stan Lee's Amazing Marvel Interview! |journal=[[Alter Ego (magazine)|Alter Ego]] |publisher=[[TwoMorrows Publishing]] |issue=104 |pages=3–45}}</ref> 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"<ref>{{Cite web |title=Little-known sci-fi fact: Why Stan Lee put a hyphen in Spider-Man – Syfy |url=https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/little-known-sci-fi-fact-why-stan-lee-put-hyphen-spider-man |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190625022700/https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/little-known-sci-fi-fact-why-stan-lee-put-hyphen-spider-man |archive-date=June 25, 2019 |access-date=June 25, 2019}}</ref> (although artist [[Steve Ditko]] intended the character to have an orange and purple costume).<ref name="oandp">{{Cite web |last=Johnston |first=Rich |author-link=Rich Johnston |date=August 31, 2020 |title=Steve Ditko Designed Spider-Man to be Orange and Purple |url=https://bleedingcool.com/comics/steve-ditko-wanted-spider-man-to-be-orange-and-purple/ |access-date=August 31, 2020 |language=en-GB |archive-date=September 2, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200902025003/https://bleedingcool.com/comics/steve-ditko-wanted-spider-man-to-be-orange-and-purple/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

At that time, Lee had to get only the consent of Marvel publisher [[Martin Goodman (publisher)|Martin Goodman]] for the character's approval. In a 1986 interview, Lee described in detail his arguments to overcome Goodman's objections.<ref group="note">''[[Detroit Free Press]]'' interview with Stan Lee, quoted in ''The Steve Ditko Reader'' by [[Greg Theakston]] (Pure Imagination, Brooklyn, NY; {{ISBN|1-56685-011-8}}), p. 12 (unnumbered). "He gave me 1,000 reasons why Spider-Man would never work. Nobody likes spiders; it sounds too much like Superman, and how could a teenager be a superhero? Then I told him I wanted the character to be a very human guy, someone who makes mistakes, who worries, who gets acne, has trouble with his girlfriend, and things like that. [Goodman replied,] 'He's a hero! He's not an average man!' I said, 'No, we make him an average man who happens to have superpowers, that's what will make him good.' He told me I was crazy".</ref>

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-date]]d August 1962, on sale June 5, 1962).<ref name="gcd-af">[http://www.comics.org/series/1514/ ''Amazing Fantasy'' (Marvel, 1962 series)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110310160810/http://www.comics.org/series/1514/ |date=March 10, 2011 }} at the Grand Comics Database: "1990 copyright renewal lists the publication date as June 5, 1962"; "[T]he decision to cancel the series had not been made when it went to print, since it is announced that future issues will include a Spider-Man feature."</ref> 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.<ref name="alter104" /> While this was the final issue, its editorial page anticipated the comic continuing and that "The Spider-Man ... will appear every month in ''Amazing''."<ref name=gcd-af/><ref>"Important Announcement from the Editor!", ''Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (Aug. 1962), reprinted at {{Cite book |title=Amazing Fantasy Omnibus |publisher=Marvel Publishing |year=2007 |isbn=978-0785124580 |editor-last=Sedlmeier |editor-first=Cory |page=394}}</ref>

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.<ref name="Theakston" /> Steve Ditko would be the inker.<ref group="note">{{Cite book |last=Ditko, Steve |title=Alter Ego: The Comic Book Artist Collection |publisher=[[TwoMorrows Publishing]] |year=2000 |isbn=978-1-893905-06-1 |editor-last=Roy Thomas |editor-link=Roy Thomas |author-link=Steve Ditko}} "'Stan said a new Marvel hero would be introduced in #15 [of what became titled ''Amazing Fantasy'']. He would be called Spider-Man. Jack would do the penciling, and I was to ink the character.' At this point still, Stan said Spider-Man would be a teenager with a magic ring that could transform him into an adult hero—Spider-Man. I said it sounded like the [[Fly (Red Circle Comics)|Fly]], which Joe Simon had done for [[Archie Comics]]. Stan called Jack about it, but I don't know what was discussed. I never talked to Jack about Spider-Man... Later, at some point, I was given the job of drawing Spider-Man'".</ref> 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".<ref name="Theakston">{{Cite book |last=Theakston |first=Greg |title=The Steve Ditko Reader |publisher=Pure Imagination |year=2002 |isbn=978-1-56685-011-7 |location=Brooklyn, New York}}</ref>{{rp|12}} Lee turned to Ditko, who developed an art style Lee found satisfactory. Ditko recalled:
{{blockquote|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....<ref name="ditko-history" />}}

Although the interior artwork was by Ditko alone, Lee rejected Ditko's cover art and commissioned Kirby to pencil a cover that Ditko inked.<ref name=gcd-af/> 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."<ref>{{Cite news |date=December 8, 2010 |title=Deposition of Stan Lee |page=37 |publisher=United States District Court, Southern District of New York: "Marvel Worldwide, Inc., et al., vs. Lisa R. Kirby, et al." |location=[[Los Angeles]], [[California]] |url=https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B_lZovnpi13JNWQ5MDJmOTgtZDMzYy00MzI3LTllYjctNmM0ZWE4NjgyOWEx&hl=en_US |access-date=August 8, 2011 |archive-date=February 5, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230205192530/https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_lZovnpi13JNWQ5MDJmOTgtZDMzYy00MzI3LTllYjctNmM0ZWE4NjgyOWEx/view |url-status=live }}</ref>[[File:Amazing Fantasy 15.jpg|thumb|left|''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]]|alt=Cover art of Spider-Man, with big yellow letters "Amazing Fantasy".|343x343px]]

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."<ref name="comicfan2">{{Cite web |last=Ditko interview |date=Summer 1965 |title=Steve Ditko – A Portrait of the Master |url=http://www.ditko.comics.org/ditko/artist/arcomicf.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020613060952/http://www.ditko.comics.org/ditko/artist/arcomicf.html |archive-date=June 13, 2002 |access-date=April 3, 2008 |publisher=Comic Fan #2 (Larry Herndon) via Ditko.Comics.org (Blake Bell, ed.)}} Additional, February 28, 2012.</ref> At the time, Ditko shared a Manhattan studio with noted [[Sexual fetishism|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&nbsp;... I think I added the business about the webs coming out of his hands."<ref name="Theakston" />{{rp|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.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Johnston |first=Rich |date=August 31, 2020 |title=Steve Ditko Designed Spider-Man to be Orange and Purple |url=https://bleedingcool.com/comics/steve-ditko-wanted-spider-man-to-be-orange-and-purple/ |access-date=August 31, 2020 |website=Bleeding Cool |archive-date=September 2, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200902025003/https://bleedingcool.com/comics/steve-ditko-wanted-spider-man-to-be-orange-and-purple/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

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 (comics)|Black Magic]]'', but the character was left unused.<ref group="note">Jack Kirby in "Shop Talk: Jack Kirby", ''[[Will Eisner]]'s [[Spirit (comics character)|Spirit]] Magazine'' #39 (February 1982): "Spider-Man was discussed between [[Joe Simon]] and myself. It was the last thing Joe, and I had discussed. We had a strip called 'The Silver Spider.' The Silver Spider was going into a magazine called ''Black Magic''. ''Black Magic'' folded with [[Crestwood Publications|Crestwood]] (Simon & Kirby's 1950s comics company) and we were left with the script. I believe I said this could become a thing called Spider-Man, see, a superhero character. I had a lot of faith in the superhero character that they could be brought back... and I said Spider-Man would be a fine character to start with. But Joe had already moved on. So the idea was already there when I talked to Stan".</ref> 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 (Red Circle Comics)|Fly]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Simon |first=Joe |title=Joe Simon: My Life in Comics |publisher=[[Titan Books]] |year=2011 |isbn=978-1-84576-930-7 |location=London, UK}}</ref> Artist [[Steve Ditko]] stated that Lee liked the name [[Hawkman]] from [[DC Comics]], and that "Spider-Man" was an outgrowth of that interest.<ref name="ditko-history">{{Cite book |last=Ditko, Steve |title=Alter Ego: The Comic Book Artist Collection |publisher=[[TwoMorrows Publishing]] |year=2000 |isbn=978-1-893905-06-1 |editor-last=Roy Thomas |editor-link=Roy Thomas |author-link=Steve Ditko}}</ref>

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".<ref group="note">Simon, Joe, with Jim Simon. ''The Comic Book Makers'' (Crestwood/II, 1990) {{ISBN|1-887591-35-4}}. "There were a few holes in Jack's never-dependable memory. For instance, there was no ''Black Magic'' involved at all. ... Jack brought in the Spider-Man logo that I had loaned to him before we changed the name to The Silver Spider. Kirby laid out the story to Lee about the kid who finds a ring in a spiderweb, gets his powers from the ring, and goes forth to fight crime armed with The Silver Spider's old web-spinning pistol. Stan Lee said, 'Perfect, just what I want.' After obtaining permission from publisher [[Martin Goodman (publisher)|Martin Goodman]], Lee told Kirby to pencil-up an origin story. Kirby... using parts of an old rejected superhero named Night Fighter... revamped the old Silver Spider script, including revisions suggested by Lee. But when Kirby showed Lee the sample pages, it was Lee's turn to gripe. He had been expecting a skinny young kid who is transformed into a skinny young kid with spider powers. Kirby had him turn into... Captain America with cobwebs. He turned Spider-Man over to Steve Ditko, who... ignored Kirby's pages, tossed the character's magic ring, web pistol and goggles... and completely redesigned Spider-Man's costume and equipment. In this life, he became high-school student Peter Parker, who gets his spider powers after being bitten by a radioactive spider. ... Lastly, the Spider-Man logo was redone and a dashing hyphen added".</ref> 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".<ref name="Evanier">{{Cite book |last1=Evanier, Mark |title=Kirby: King of Comics |last2=Gaiman, Neil |publisher=Abrams |year=2008 |isbn=978-0-8109-9447-8 |author-link=Mark Evanier |author-link2=Neil Gaiman}}</ref>{{rp|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.<ref name="Evanier" />{{rp|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".<ref>Bell, Blake. ''Strange and Stranger: The World of Steve Ditko'' (2008). Fantagraphic Books.p.54-57.</ref> 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?"<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Ditko |first=Steve |date=Winter 1999 |title=An Insider's Part of Comics History Jack Kirby's Spider-Man |journal=Alter Ego |issue=3 |page=6}}</ref>

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".<ref>Skelly, Tim. "Interview II: 'I created an army of characters, and now my connection to them is lost.'" (Initially broadcast over WNUR-FM on "The Great Electric Bird", May 14, 1971. Transcribed and published in ''The Nostalgia Journal'' #27.) Reprinted in ''The Comics Journal Library Volume One: Jack Kirby'', George, Milo ed. May 2002, Fantagraphics Books. p. 16</ref> 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]".<ref>[[Jonathan Ross|Ross, Jonathan]]. ''[[In Search of Steve Ditko]]'', [[BBC Four]], September 16, 2007.</ref> 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.<ref name="alter104" />

===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.<ref name="Daniels">{{Cite book |last=Daniels, Les |title=Marvel: Five Fabulous Decades of the World's Greatest Comics |publisher=Harry N. Abrams |year=1991 |isbn=978-0-8109-3821-2 |location=New York |author-link=Les Daniels}}</ref>{{rp|97}} A solo [[ongoing series]] followed, beginning with ''[[The Amazing Spider-Man]]'' #1 ([[cover-date]]d March 1963). The title eventually became Marvel's top-selling series<ref name="Wright" />{{rp|211}} with the character swiftly becoming a [[cultural icon]]; a 1965 ''[[Esquire (magazine)|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."<ref name="Wright" />{{rp|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#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' [[Annual publication|summer ''Annual''s]] that began in 1964.<ref>Saffel, Steve. ''Spider-Man the Icon: The Life and Times of a Pop Culture Phenomenon'' ([[Titan Books]], 2007) {{ISBN|978-1-84576-324-4}}, "A Not-So-Spectacular Experiment", p. 31</ref>

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 [[Richard Nixon|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.<ref name="Wright" />{{rp|239}} Lee chose the top-selling [[Green Goblin Reborn!|''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.<ref name="Wright" />{{rp|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.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Manning |first=Matthew K. |title=Spider-Man Chronicle Celebrating 50 Years of Web-Slinging |publisher=[[Dorling Kindersley]] |year=2012 |isbn=978-0756692360 |editor-last=Gilbert |editor-first=Laura |page=60 |chapter=1970s}}</ref> 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.<ref name="Vault">{{Cite book |last1=David |first1=Peter |url=https://archive.org/details/sinatrahollywood0000knig/page/113 |title=The Spider-Man Vault: A Museum-in-a-Book with Rare Collectibles Spun from Marvel's Web |last2=Greenberger |first2=Robert |publisher=[[Running Press]] |year=2010 |isbn=978-0762437726 |page=[https://archive.org/details/sinatrahollywood0000knig/page/113 113] |author-link=Peter David |author-link2=Robert Greenberger}}</ref> A third series featuring Spider-Man, ''[[Web of Spider-Man]]'', launched in 1985 to replace ''[[Marvel Team-Up]]''.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Manning |first=Matthew K. |title=Spider-Man Chronicle Celebrating 50 Years of Web-Slinging |date=2012 |publisher=[[Dorling Kindersley]] |isbn=978-0756692360 |editor-last=Gilbert |editor-first=Laura |page=147 |chapter=1980s}}</ref> The launch of a fourth monthly title in 1990, the "adjectiveless" ''[[Peter Parker: Spider-Man|Spider-Man]]'' (with the storyline "[[Torment (comics)|Torment]]"), written and drawn by popular artist [[Todd McFarlane]], debuted with [[Variant cover|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 [[Limited series (comics)|miniseries]], [[One-shot (comics)|one-shot]] issues, and loosely related comics have also been published, and Spider-Man makes frequent [[Cameo appearance|cameo]]s and [[guest appearance]]s in other comic book series.<ref name="Vault" /><ref>{{Cite book |last=Cowsill |first=Alan |title=Spider-Man Chronicle Celebrating 50 Years of Web-Slinging |publisher=[[Dorling Kindersley]] |year=2012 |isbn=978-0756692360 |editor-last=Gilbert |editor-first=Laura |page=184 |chapter=1990s}}</ref> In 1996, ''[[The Sensational Spider-Man]]'' was created to replace ''Web of Spider-Man''.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Manning |first=Matthew K. |title=Spider-Man Chronicle Celebrating 50 Years of Web-Slinging |publisher=[[Dorling Kindersley]] |year=2012 |isbn=978-0756692360 |editor-last=Gilbert |editor-first=Laura |chapter=1970s}}</ref>

In 1998, writer-artist [[John Byrne (comics)|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 (comics)|The Man of Steel]]''.<ref name="Byrne">{{Cite web |last=Michael Thomas |date=August 22, 2000 |title=John Byrne: The Hidden Story |url=http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=151=article |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121015020522/http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=151%3Darticle |archive-date=October 15, 2012 |access-date=May 27, 2011 |website=[[Comic Book Resources]]}}</ref> 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).<ref name="Marvel 500s">{{Cite web |last=Michael Thomas |date=August 5, 2008 |title=The Marvel 500s: How Many Are There? |url=http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=17588 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150709145547/http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=17588 |archive-date=July 9, 2015 |access-date=July 9, 2015 |website=[[Comic Book Resources]]}}</ref> 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).<ref name="Marvel 500s" />

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).<ref name="Avenging">{{Cite web |last=Schedeen |first=Jesse |date=November 8, 2011 |title=The Avenging Spider-Man #1 Review |url=http://comics.ign.com/articles/121/1211891p1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130323021900/http://www.ign.com/articles/2011/11/08/the-avenging-spider-man-1-review |archive-date=March 23, 2013 |access-date=July 9, 2015 |website=[[IGN]] |publisher=[[j2 Global]]}}</ref> 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).<ref>{{Cite web |date=July 25, 2010 |title=IGN: SDCC 10: Spider-Man: The End of Brand New Day |url=http://comics.ign.com/articles/110/1108398p1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140116085425/http://www.ign.com/articles/2010/07/25/sdcc-10-spider-man-the-end-of-brand-new-day |archive-date=January 16, 2014 |access-date=July 9, 2015 |website=[[IGN]] |publisher=[[j2 Global]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last1=Bremmer |first1=Robyn |last2=Morse |first2=Ben |date=September 27, 2010 |title=The Next Big Thing: Spider-Man: Big Time |url=http://marvel.com/news/story/14135/the_next_big_thing_spider-man_big_time |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120718203005/http://marvel.com/news/story/14135/the_next_big_thing_spider-man_big_time |archive-date=July 18, 2012 |access-date=July 9, 2015 |website=Marvel.com |publisher=[[Marvel Entertainment]]}}</ref> 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.<ref name="Avenging" /> The ''Amazing'' series temporarily ended with [[Dying Wish|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,<ref>{{Cite web |date=January 12, 2014 |title=Peter Parker Resurrected in Slott's Amazing Spider-Man |url=http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=50229 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140429192206/http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=50229 |archive-date=April 29, 2014 |access-date=April 30, 2014 |website=[[Comic Book Resources]]}}</ref> and ran for 31 issues before the real Peter Parker returned in a newly relaunched ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #1 in April 2014.<ref name="CNN1">{{Cite web |last=Hanks |first=Henry |date=April 29, 2014 |title=Back from the brain dead, Peter Parker returns to 'Spider-Man' comics |url=http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/29/showbiz/spider-man-peter-parker-returns/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140715021628/http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/29/showbiz/spider-man-peter-parker-returns |archive-date=July 15, 2014 |access-date=July 9, 2015 |website=[[CNN]]}}</ref>

Following the 2015 ''[[Secret Wars (2015 comic book)|Secret Wars]]'' [[Crossover (fiction)|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.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Arrant |first=Chris |date=June 30, 2015 |title=Peter Parker 'Stepped Up' As High Tech Tycoon In ''Amazing Spider-Man'' |work=Newsarama |url=http://www.newsarama.com/24993-peter-parker-stepped-up-as-high-tech-tycoon-in-amazing-spider-man.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150906003627/http://www.newsarama.com/24993-peter-parker-stepped-up-as-high-tech-tycoon-in-amazing-spider-man.html |archive-date=September 6, 2015}}</ref>