My earliest memory of Spider-Man was the animated Cartoon on Fox Kids. I knew I liked the character, but was always conflicted why he was never recognized as a hero within the Fox Kids universe. He was saving people and dishing witty banter with super villains weeks after weeks, but the cops always after him. Regardless, the viewers always knew he was doing right even if the authorities didn't.
After being entranced by the shows and characters I was ready to take the mythology deeper, comic books were the logical next step. On the corner of downtown was "Thrill Books & Comics" I picked a Spider-Man Peter Parker: Spider-Man #16 and instantly knew that was the one I wanted. Something about that cover spoke to me. It had Spider-Man and Venom who I both knew from the show fighting The Sandman, a character I knew nothing about! It quickly become my most pride position. It was read nearly everyday cover to cover and taken with my on every road trip. I would trace the beautiful John Romita Jr. artwork over and over again. I couldn't describe it, but I made a deep connection with this book, and this book with me.
Spider-Man more than any other Marvel (or comics for that matter) character which I related to on the most personal level. I wasn't born on a doomed planet and sent to earth, I wasn't given a ring from a dying alien, and I never built a "suit in a cave, With a box of scraps!". What I was, plain and simply was a teenager. With Peter Parker Stan Lee brilliantly captured every teenager in America reading comics. We all faced the same problems he did before his fateful radioactive spider bite. He was constantly being questioned by his aunt, constantly picked on in school, and trying to get dates with girls who didn't even know he existed. Ultimately he faced all the problems that we do when we're young. Now he was forced to deal with all that, while dealing with super powers.
It's also nearly impossible to talk about Peter Parker without mentioning his transformation. Yes, he went from wimpy teenager to superhero very quickly, but I'm talking about his emotionally. As I said earlier, he was a teenager, and teenagers make mistakes. Teenagers drink before they're old enough, get into trouble with the law, and usually get caught for it. When Peter gets his powers he deicides to make some money dressed as the pro wrestler, Spider-Man. One night he lets a crook go from the wrestling manager who didn't pay Peter correctly. When Peter finds out his uncle is murdered he confronts the crook. It's the same man he failed to stop. In a single panel Ditko captures the ten thousand thoughts going through Peter's head. Ultimately, something that seemed so small at the time, made such an impact in Peter's life. He made a mistake, and it was a mistake he's still paying for today. It defined his character as he lives by the words "With great power, there must also come great responsibility".
So tomorrow I'm taking to the theater. I've opted out of the Midnight as to reminisce on the moments that changed my life. The film that changed my life in two hours and one minute.
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