Amazing Fantasy #15 (1962)
by Stan Lee & Steve Ditko
cover by Jack Kirby
Because of the anniversary, this year we will get to talk about Spider-Man more than ever. So let’s go back to the very beginning and see how things started.
I’m assuming everyone knows the origin by heart at this point, but you’ll be amazed by just how much additional lore gets dropped over the decades.
We will talk about the real-life origins of the character, as well as the controversies, but let’s go through the story first.
Spidey doesn’t get the costume until later in the story but he actually IS on the first page.
We begin with a rather weird caption, considering I seriously doubt that comic book creators actually ever used the term “long underwear characters”.
And we see Peter Parker being made fun of by his classmates, while ignoring the GIANT SPIDER SHADOW behind him.
The blonde girl is never named in the story, but she will retroactively considered to be future supporting character Liz Allan. Even if she won’t be named until Amazing Spider-Man #4 (coincidentally the same story that introduces Betty Brant and starts their weird triangle).
By the way, her last name is frequently misspelled Allen. So much so that I always forget it’s supposed to be Allan.
While Peter’s life at school sucks, he’s doted by his uncle Ben and aunt May.
May’s wheatcakes are an essential part of Spider-Man’s origin. Or so many flashbacks and callbacks have told me.
Nearly everyone Spider-Man interacts in this story with will later be a full character.
Peter’s professor is the brother of the future supervillain Jackal, Sally Avril will be a very important character in the “Untold tales of Spider-Man” series where she briefly becomes the superhero Bluebird, and of course Flash Thompson needs little introduction.
Peter is not exactly a popular kid, not helped by his suggestion to witness an experiment where the audience is exposed to radiation.
This is definitely the part of the story that is made fun of the most over the years, but it’s also a great time capsule of how nuclear energy was considered in the early 60s.
I highly doubt anyone reading this at the time found it strange.
You’d expect the scientist running the experiment that created Spider-Man would have a deeper story, but aside from flashbacks I believe he only show up twice: in the 1995 miniseries “Spider-Man: The Final Adventure” (where the experiment is re-created and Spidey temporarily loses powers), and in Spectacular Spider-Man #235 in 1996 where just has a phone call with Peter.
And the rest is history. Isn’t it amazing how “bitten by a radioactive *blank*” is now THE go-to classic superhero origin, even if relatively few superheroes follow the exact formula?
Unnecessarily long tangent #1.
Believe it or not, but THE SPIDER has an unbelievably amount of additional lore!!!
Yes, THE BUG. Comics, everybody!
In 2001 on the pages of Tangled Web, we discover that after being killed by the radiation, the spider is eaten (ewww) by a bully who discovered Peter’s identity and became The Thousand…
…who is probably THE MOST HORRIFYING VILLAIN EVER, considering he’s a swarm of spiders that eat your body from the inside out.
DO NOT CLICK THIS
I TOLD YOU NOT TO!!!
But that’s not all: in 2014, we discover that after biting Peter Parker the spider didn’t die right away: it ALSO bit a girl named Cindy Moon who would later become the superheroine Silk.
But that’s not all! According to 2020’s “Marvel Voices #1”, after biting Silk but before being eaten by The Thousand, the spider had been subjected to further experiments that split it into two bodies…
…and introduced two extremely minor bits of trivia. First, that the radiation was specifically gamma rays.
Second, the spider is a girl.
And also THE SPIDER TALKS.
Which is because while Spider-Man and Silk gained the proportional powers of a spider, the spider gained a human intellect.
Sounds legit.
Said spider is still running around, now as big as a human (!!!), stalking the streets of New York City (!!!) and believing herself to be a goddess.
The best part of this? As far as I can tell the spider hasn’t been seen since this story, meaning a giant radioactive spider with a god complex is not noteworthy enough for anyone to notice.
If that doesn’t tell you just how crazy the Marvel Universe is, I don’t know what will.
Oh, right, I was supposed to review a story here.
After leaving the future giant spider-vigilante behind, Peter Parker discovers his new ability to honk and make his fingertips glow.
I knew the streets of New York City can be dangerous, but I didn’t think literally!!!
I’m kind of surprised we never actually learn who was driving that car. But you know who we DO later meet? The kid witnessing Peter crawl his first wall!
Unnecessary tangent #2.
We meet that kid again in 1992, on the pages of Marvel Comics Presents #120 of all places.
Only years after the original story, he puts two and two together and deduces the crawling teenager was the soon-to-be Spider-Man.
The joke is that by 1992, Peter Parker looks absolutely nothing like he did in 1962 and nobody connects the dots.
Unaware the kid saw him, Peter discovers he has super-strength
If this was a regular superhero story, this would be the moment when Peter decides to become a superhero for the good of mankind.
Instead he breaks new ground by trying to get money!
His first costume needs work, though.
Unnecessary tangent #3.
The wrestler, Crusher Hogan, doesn’t show up until 1985 on the pages of Amazing Spider-Man #271, by Tom DeFalco.
I read this one WAY before I read the origin story and it let me with the impression Crusher was much more important to the mythos than he actually was.
In the story, Crusher’s career has completely crumbled and he’s working at a janitor at a gym… but he’s been idolizing Spider-Man all these years.
He’s been telling everyone that he’s Spider-Man’s original mentor, but when he helps him take down a bad guy Spidey acts like they’re close buddies.
He’s still around as of 2024: according to “Venon War #1”, he’s a wrestling commentator these days.
Winning the match against Crusher gains Spider-Man an agent and an appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show!
This leads Spider-Man to create his first actual costume…
…and his webshooters! Without knowing that Spider Queen already did that in the Golden Age.
This comic can’t decide whether Spider-Man has a hyphen or not.
I can sort of understand why adaptations are not always fond of including the web-shooters, since it kind of goes against the idea of making Peter Parker a regular teen.
I very much prefer him having them… they’re such a perfect storytelling engine… but I understand.
Spider-Man is an instant hit on TV.
But then… come on, does ANYONE reading comics not know the story?
Unnecessary tangent #4… this review is never going to end, is it?
That policeman is sometimes assumed to be the same guy who shows up later in the story, but we’ll see later that it’s probably not the same guy. So amusingly enough, this guy… who witnesses the most pivotal moment in Spider-Man’s life… is never seen again, as far as I know.
Peter is then gifted a microscope by his uncle and aunt (even if she doesn’t look like she will in the main series)…
…leading to unnecessary tangent #5! Told you this isn’t going to end.
Peter will leave the microscope on Uncle Ben’s grave in 1978, on Amazing Spider-Man #181.
Only for a random guy to pick it up later, as a gift to his own kid.
Well I guess the kid didn’t like the microscope, because in 1987 on the pages of Amazing Spider-Man #290 it’s somehow back in the Parker house until Aunt May gives it away.
Peter can’t just take it back, since it’s being auctioned to give money to orphans, but he’s eventually able to buy it.
It’s actually a surprisingly important moment in Peter’s life, as the experience helps him realize he’s missing out on this civilian life and leads him to ask Mary Jane to marry him at the end of the story.
Which is why I HATE WITH THE POWER OF A BILLION EXPLODING STARS the fact that in John Byrne’s atrocious “Spider-Man: Chapter One” attempt to update the origin story, the microscope is changed into a computer. This is mercilessly forgotten by everyone, just like the rest of Chapter One.
The other reason why Chapter One sucks? It’s the only comic book retelling of the origin story that doesn’t include Aunt May’s wheatcakes.
And that is the last time I’m going to reference Chapter One in this review, because that crap is full of SO MANY unnecessary changes to the lore that the review would be twice as long.
One detail most people get wrong, even before it was popularized by the movie: Uncle Ben doesn’t get shot IMMEDIATELY after Spider-Man doesn’t catch the thief, but several days later.
Oh, right, I guess I should’ve given a spoiler warning. Uncle Ben is dead.
Unnecessary tangent #6.
The policeman who tells Peter about Uncle Ben, who we later is named Bernard O’Brien, as mentioned is sometimes assumed to be the same guy Spidey ran into at the TV station.
But THAT guy we saw earlier doesn’t have a moustache!
I understand the confusion between the two, and they MIGHT have been intended to be the same guy. But unless he grew that magnificent moustache in a few days and just happened to still be following the same thief, I don’t think it’s the same guy.
As far as I know, both him and and Officer O’Brian have NEVER showed up in ANY other Spider-Man story outside of recaps of the origin.
This is when the emotional drama of the story kicks off, with Spider-Man now out for revenge.
It’s also, surprisingly enough, the first moment when we see Spider-Man web-swinging through the city. You would have expected this to happen earlier!
The burglar stands absolutely no chance whatsoever.
Spider-Man is so shocked to see this is the same guy he didn’t stop at the TV station that he suddenly grows eyes over his mask.
Unnecessary tangent #7, because the story of Uncle Ben’s killer is WILD.
First of all he doesn’t even get a name, not even today: he’s just “The Burglar”.
And we would see him again in 1977, on the pages of Amazing Spider-Man #169/170 during the Len Wein run, where he rents the Parker house after Aunt May has moved elsewhere.
We’re not told he’s The Burglar at this point.
Len Wein doesn’t really pick up on that, but in 1979 Marv Wolfman reveals his identity in Amazing Spider-Man #193.
Spider-Man, or rather Peter Parker, later confronts The Burglar in Amazing Spider-Man #200.
And we learn WHY The Burglar killed Uncle Ben. Why, did you think it was just a regular robbery gone wrong, signifying that crime can hit anyone and being powerful doesn’t shield your loved ones?
No, it was because the Parker house used to belong to a mob boss during the Prohibition, and The Burglar was after a treasure hidden inside.
This retcon is, UNDERSTANDABLY, hated by most Spider-Man fans. And the Wolfman run is not held in high regard in general. But this story does have a couple of interesting additions to the lore, like the ACTUAL last words of Uncle Ben.
Which are tragically saying “I love you” to Aunt May.
Peter eventually reveals his identity to The Burglar, and if you know anything about secret origins conventions of the time… even at Marvel… this is a death sentence.
Specifically, he dies because SPIDER-MAN SCARES HIM TO DEATH.
And we never learn much about him, other than the fact that he has a daughter named Jessica Carradine that dates Spider-Man’s clone in 1995.
But back to the story: as we (presumably) all know, this is when Spider-Man realizes that he could have prevented the death of his father figure if only he hadn’t been so selfish to think crimes that affect other people are beneath him.
And in one of the most powerful finales to an origin story, Spider-Man realizes that… all together now… “with great power comes great responsibility”, as Uncle Ben used to say.
Except that… Uncle Ben doesn’t say it, THE NARRATOR does, and the sentence is slightly different.
Unnecessary tangent #8: well not really a tangent since the story is over, but…
The attribution of the sentence to Uncle Ben is INCREDIBLY late, and precisely dates to “Spider-Man versus Wolverine” in 1987, written by Jim Owsley. It’s in a scene where Peter Parker (currently in East Germany) thinks that Uncle Ben used to say it.
The first time we actually see Uncle Ben say “With great power comes great responsibility” is Amazing Spider-Man vol.2 #38 by J. Michael Straczynski. This was in 2002 and VERY close to the movie, which greatly popularized the phrase.
Unnecessary tangent #9: the first person to discover Spider-Man’s identity is actually Mary Jane Watson, right in this story!
The fact that she’d known the secret for years comes from 1984’s Amazing Spider-Man #259.
But the specifics come from Marvel Graphic Novel #46 in 1989.
Unnecessary tangent #10, the last one: ever wondered what the heck is happening on the cover, since it’s not a scene in the comic?
We’re given the context in Amazing Fantasy volume 2 from 2005. Which is, probably by coincidence, the first appearance of Amadeus Cho (not in the same story).
And the guy on the cover was… just a random guy Spider-Man saved from dropping out of a window.
Historical significance: 11/10
This is only the second time I have ever given a score higher than a 10/10: the only other was Action Comics #1. I believe this is equally important.
Marvel already had hits before this and it’s entirely possible the Fantastic Four alone could have carried the company, but the influence of Spider-Man on how superheroes are written cannot be ignored.
Silver Age-ness: 6/science
Does it stand the test of time? 9/10
You obviously need to update the radioactivity stuff and modernize some details here and there, but not all that much. It’s a very simple and effective story, which fully utilizes its 11 pages.
It’s so efficient that this might as well be the best origin story of all superhero comics.
The finale STILL hits perfectly even after more than 60 years!!!
The only reason why I went on so many tangents is that there really isn’t THAT much left to say about the story itself. I wasn’t joking when I said every single superhero reader knows this one, and not just because Peter Parker won’t ever stop recapping it.
Less known: there are OTHER stories in Amazing Fantasy #15. This was an anthology book after all. They’re all by Lee & Ditko.
The issue also includes a disclaimer that “Spiderman” will be the star of the following issues of Amazing Fantasy (which had been renamed from “Amazing Adult Fantasy” for this issue alone).
But the cover story sold SO well that they instead published Amazing Spider-Man #1.
And since I said all the stories are by Lee & Ditko, I have to address the controversy about the creation of Spider-Man.
First of all, the cover by Jack Kirby that they used was not what was originally planned: there IS a version by Steve Ditko that survived.
I honestly prefer it to the Kirby one, even if the double logo is too busy.
I probably don’t need to tell you about the various legends surrounding the creation of Spider-Man… like the fact that editor Martin Goodman didn’t think a character based on spiders wouldn’t sell because people hate spiders (and I guess they love bats?), or that he didn’t think a teenage protagonis would work since “teenagers can only be sidekicks”.
I don’t know how much the last one is true… Superboy was selling well… but Stan Lee’s dislike of teenage sidekicks is well documented.
But this is where the controversy starts. After getting approval for introducing a teen hero named Spider-Man, reportedly Jack Kirby told him about an unpublished character he worked on with Joe Simon: an orphan living with old relatives that finds a magic ring that turns him into a hero.
Except that character WAS published: that’s blatantly the Fly, for Archie Comics.
Stan said a new Marvel hero would be introduced in #15. 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, 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.
STEVE DITKO
So to put the first kind of controversy to rest: some people claim that Jack Kirby is the real creator of Spider-Man based on the above anecdote. But first of all, to me it sounds like Jack Kirby completely forgot that the Fly WAS published. And second, whatever he worked on it certainly wasn’t Spider-Man.
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 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.
JACK KIRBY
I really want to put the nail in the coffin to this idea that Jack Kirby created Spider-Man, and to do so I have to quote what his Golden Age collaborator Joe Simon… who wasn’t exactly the biggest Stan Lee fan, so I think he’s fairly neutral in this… had to say on the matter.
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, 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.
JOE SIMON
This is backed up by Steve Ditko, by the way.
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”.
STEVE DITKO
Now comes the hardest part to discuss… the claim that Steve Ditko is the real creator of Spider-Man and that Stan Lee just took the credit.
I have many, MANY things to say about that, but I should note that I’m not aware Stan Lee has ever taken credit for the visual aspect of Spider-Man. And you can really tell Ditko was very methodical in his thought process, and not very kind to Kirby’s interpretation.
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.
STEVE DITKO
Little known fact, but Spider-Man’s costume wasn’t initially supposed to be red and blue! At least according to the recollection that Jonathan Ross has of his interview with Steve Ditko for his “In Search Of Steve Ditko” BBC documentary.
So I said that Steve, I said ‘have you got any old work, do you want you want this? I offered him the Amazing Fantasy #15. He went oh, and he looked at it, he told me ‘you know they got the colours wrong.’ I said what do you mean? He said ‘well, when I drew that, when i came up with that costume, I wrote that he should be orange and purple.’
JONATHAN ROSS
Ditko also claims to have been the one to come up with the web-shooters and the less used Spider-Signal.
Stan Lee thought the name up. I did costume, web gimmick on wrist & spider signal.
STEVE DITKO
Stan Lee has never denied Steve Ditko his credit as the co-creator of Spider-Man. Although he certainly could’ve said it in a less passive-aggressive way!!!
If Steve wants to be called co-creator, I think he deserves it.
STAN LEE
And it’s not like Stan Lee was hiding when the plot was by Steve Ditko. For example, from Amazing Spider-Man #25:
In fact unlike Kirby, who in later years basically claimed Stan Lee never wrote anyhing of what he was credited for, Ditko is another thing entirely. His case is more of a philosophical diatribe about “how do you define a creator”.
In a 2001 essay, Ditko gave his side of the argument in the best way he could: with artwork.
And I think that, in his attempt to argue that he’s the actual creator of Spider-Man, Ditko is actually proving my point that BOTH Lee and Ditko should be considered the co-creators.
Because yes, thanks to the “Marvel Method”, Ditko was responsible for much of how the story progressed. But he’s leaving out one crucial point: Stan Lee added the dialogue at the end.
And that is SUCH an important part to consider. Take one of the most famous examples in how Lee and Ditko had starkly different visions: this scene from the last issue Ditko penciled, Amazing Spider-Man #38.
It’s a scene where Peter Parker runs into a protest at college, and based on the artwork try understanding his position on this without the dialogue.
It certainly looks like he’s against the protests, right? Just by how angry and disgusted he looks.
Add the dialogue, however, and it’s a different story: he’s just annoyed and has barely any dialogue, overwhelmed by wht the protestors are saying.
Contrast with the how campus protests are addressed in Amazing Spider-Man #68, long after Ditko is gone. This is basically the same scenario: Peter has to go somewhere and he’s bothered by protestors not because he hates them but because he doesn’t like to be pushed around.
Now tell me, which of these two scenes FEEL like they’re starring Peter Parker?
It’s pretty clear that Ditko’s objectivist worldview was starting to overwrite the character. Amusingly, this is kind of in-canon thanks to Al Ewig’s “Captain America and the Mighty Avengers #1” from 2015.
To finish this unnecessarily long rant, here is my final point on the subject.
Spider-Man was co-created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, with Ditko providing most of the superhero stuff and probably all of the atmosphere.
Stan Lee created Peter Parker.
The hero is something like 80% Ditko and 20% Lee.
The person is more like 10% Ditko and 90% Lee.
If you don’t believe me: have you ever READ anything Steve Ditko wrote???
How close is this to the modern character? 7/10
Yeah, uhm, I might have gotten just a liiiiiiitle bit carried away on this one.
I guess that’s why I don’t bring up Spider-Man too often… whenever I do, I just can’t shut up.
Which I guess is a VERY Spider-Man thing.
