10 Things Only Marvel Comics Fans Know About Spider-Man

2022 marks the 60th anniversary for Spider-Man, who first appeared in Marvel Comics in Amazing Fantasy #15 in 1962. The character quickly became a cultural icon, with most people at least somewhat familiar with him, but six decades of comics generates many things only the most die-hard fans know about.

His staggering success in other media like movies and TV shows leans heavily on his storied comic book history, but much remains untapped in other media, including other characters with his powers like Silk. With his MCU future bright, more and more aspects from his comic book past likely make it to the screen in the near future.

10 His Costume Was Meant To Be Orange And Purple

Stan Lee and Steve Ditko co-created Spider-Man, instantly minting an icon for the ages. The character’s costume arrived so perfectly little about changed in the next sixty years outside artistic interpretation, but Ditko later revealed that he intended the costume to be orange and purple rather than red and blue.

Many great Spider-Man costumes exist in Marvel Comics, with some very different from the original, but an orange and purple Spider-Man remained only in Ditko’s imagination until recently, when a new suit featuring orange debuted in Amazing Spider-Man #61.

9 Creator Dispute

Ditko’s comments on Spider-Man’s costume come from In Search of Steve Ditko, a BBCFour documentary. In that same documentary, Stan Lee hedged on calling Ditko a co-creator of Spider-Man as he says he had the original idea. Spider-Man’s creation becomes more complicated thanks to Jack Kirby also claiming credit.

Kirby allegedly brought the Spider-Man concept to Stan Lee, per Kirby’s one-time assistant Mark Evanier. The concept spun out of an idea Kirby developed with Joe Simon in the 1950s called The Silver Spider. Stan Lee discarded some elements from this pitch it seems, but kept others, in particular the name.

8 Mary Jane Didn’t Appear For Years

Mary Jane Watson occupies as big a cultural footprint as Spider-Man thanks to her appearances in comics and other media. But Marvel Comics fans know Spider-Man’s principal love interest for the balance of his existence didn’t appear until relatively late into the Silver Age.

Mary Jane properly debuts in The Amazing Spider-Man #42, in an all-time iconic comic book panel. The comics hint at her existence years before this, with Aunt May trying to set him up on dates with her going back to her first mention in The Amazing Spider-Man #15.

7 Dueling Marriages

Spider-Man’s relationship with Mary Jane unfolded over decades not only in the comics but in the highly successful daily comic strip that ran from 1977 to 2019. Spider-Man and Mary Jane married in the comic strip, which took place in a separate continuity from the comics. This led Marvel Comics to wed the two in mainstream continuity in The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #21.

The strip featured content from Stan Lee and some of the best Spider-Man artists ever, including John Romita Sr. Stan’s brother, Larry Lieber, drew the strip for years after Romita exited.

6 The Original Clone Saga

The Clone Saga from the 1990s remains controversial with fans for a meandering plot that simply piled twists on confusing twists. Longtime Spider-Man fans know that the storyline actually derives from an earlier story in the 1970s that introduced both Spider-Man’s clone, Ben Reilly, and a clone of Gwen Stacy.

Gwen Stacy arguably still counts among the most shocking deaths in Marvel Comics history, with her demise in The Amazing Spider-Man #121 so stunning it led Marvel to soften the blow with her clone two years later. In more recent years, the Spider-Gwen variant from the multiverse emerged to resurrect Gwen in a more positive way.

5 Spider-Man Kills

Marvel Comics fans know Spider-Man generally avoids violence if he can and has a strong moral code. This prevents him from killing or even severely injuring villains even when circumstances may warrant it. A shocking moment from the 1980s made him a killer, though it wasn’t entirely his fault.

In Spider-Man Vs. Wolverine from 1987, a character named Charlemagne from Wolverine’s past seeks to die. She does so by tricking Spider-Man into thinking Wolverine is attacking him. Spider-Man responds with a superhuman punch so powerful it kills her.

4 Not The Only One Bitten By The Spider

Comic fans know Spider-Man’s origin, but they may not know that he wasn’t the only one bitten by the radioactive spider. In The Amazing Spider-Man vol. 3 #1 from 2014, readers learn the spider bit another student, Cindy Moon, before dying. She then also developed spider powers, becoming Silk.

Peter and Cindy share more than just powers. Their mutual Spider-Sense creates an overwhelming connection and attraction between them whenever they’re close. This likely plays out in live-action when she eventually appears as she’s likely to in the near future.

3 Secret Wars

With the MCU headed toward Avengers: Secret Wars, many elements from the original comic books likely manifest in live-action. A major one concerning Spider-Man involves his iconic black costume. The costume actually first appeared in Secret Wars #8 and would become his look for many years during the 1980s.

Even casual fans know the costume eventually became Venom after Peter discovered it was actually a living alien symbiote. With Venom leaving behind a small bit of symbiote goo in the MCU, the black costume likely emerges in some form.

2 He Changed The Comics Code

The Comics Code Authority came into being in the 1950s following concerns over adult themes in comic books. These heavy restrictions loosened in the 1970s and Spider-Man played a large role in that. The Amazing Spider-Man #96 depicted Harry Osborn using drugs. The Code disapproved, but Marvel went ahead with the story anyway.

This led to the Code relaxing restrictions on some things, especially horror themes, resulting in a boom in horror-related comics in the early 1970s like Swamp Thing and Werewolf By Night.

1 The Death Of Jean DeWolff

Spider-Man experiences much tragedy in his life, including losing his marriage, Gwen Stacy, and Uncle Ben. A major loss perhaps only comic book fans know about is Jean DeWolff. DeWolff, an NYPD captain, served as a key supporting character in Spider-Man comics for years until she died at the hands of the Sin-Eater.

This shocking and tragic storyline also brought in Daredevil, and potentially inspires a live-action adaptation featuring the two heroes fighting the criminal underworld in the MCU.

NEXT: Spider-Man: No Way Home – 10 New Parts From The More Fun Stuff Version That Were Right To Cut