It Is Hard to Believe, But Spider-Man Nearly Ended Before It Began at Marvel

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Spider-Man
is Marvel Comics’ single most globally recognized, and most financially lucrative, character in the publisher’s existence, if not across the entirety of the comic book industry. The lovably relatable Peter Parker has dominated cultural markets for decades, inspiring over 60 years of further comics, movies, and television. However, there was almost a chance that the world never knew of the Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, all thanks to Marvel itself.

While
Spider-Man may be a household name
today, when Stan Lee first pitched the character to Marvel Comics’ publisher, Martin Goodman, in 1962, Lee was met with immediate hesitation. At the time, a character like Spider-Man defied traditional market standards and had no tangible promise that he would be successful.

However, Stan Lee persisted and in 1962 Spider-Man officially debuted in Amazing Fantasy #15 – by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko – and practically over night became a hit sensation. By the end of 1962, Amazing Fantasy #15 ranked as Marvel’s best-selling single issue, and the rest was history.

Comic Books’ Superhero Origin Story

Well before Spider-Man
became the legendary figure he is today, the comics industry hit its first major “Golden Age” in the 1930s to 1940s with the emergence of superheroic characters like Superman, Batman, and Captain America. Beginning with Action Comics #1 (1938) by DC Comics, the comics industry began pivoting away from pulp westerns and war stories to higher fantasy. The world was reeling under the cataclysm of World War II as the United States was still technically in its Great Depression era. Superheroes were infallible bastions of justice and strength, exactly what the world needed at the time.

During the Atomic Age, the comic industry faced a serious decline following the publication of Seduction of the Innocent, which warned that comic books were directly responsible for growing juvenile delinquency. However, in the following decade, now known as the “Silver Age” of comics, Timely Comics, Marvel’s predecessor company, had already launched Marvel Comic Group as a subsidiary company. Come the 1960s, Marvel Comic Group began publishing more emotionally complex characters, like the Fantastic Four, as opposed to the perfect personalities that all comic publishers relied on. Even so, despite the shift,
Spider-Man still pushed the metric
of traditional popularity.

Marvel’s Publisher Called Spider-Man “The Worst Idea”

Stan Lee Thought Teens Needed Their Own Hero

Coming back to 1962, Timely/Marvel publisher Martin Goodman approached Stan Lee, looking for a new character to market. Stan Lee went home that night and brainstormed with his wife, Joan, wanting to create a younger superhero, more grounded in reality, that could appeal to younger audiences. He wanted this prospective superhero to face something even scarier than supervillains: the daily life of an American teenager. Younger people, especially teenagers, were becoming a more active cultural force whose interests directly impacted the success of certain markets.
Stan Lee wanted a hero
that teens could see in themselves.

In a fictional world of gods, space explorers, and hulking green monsters, a teenaged nerd with sub-par social skills didn’t exactly fit the mold. So, when Stan Lee later approached Goodman with a bug-themed dorky teen as Marvel’s next big hero, the comic writer was immediately hit with criticism. In a 2017 commencement speech to UCLA graduates, Stan Lee claims Goodman responded:

“Stan, that is the worst idea I have ever heard. First of all, people hate spiders. So you can’t call a hero Spider-Man. [Also], you want him to be a teenager? Teenagers can only be sidekicks. And you want him to have personal problems? Stan, don’t you know what a superhero is?”

While defeated, Stan Lee couldn’t let go of the idea easily. So, with no chance at getting Spider-Man his own comic, Lee found a sneaky option to help test the market on his idea.

Stan Lee Was Proven Right When Spider-Man Became An Instant Classic

Within a Year of His Debut, Peter Parker Had His Own Series

By the end of 1962, Timely/Marvel planned to kill Amazing Adult Fantasy, an anthological series of short series that often featured short and whimsical tales but that promised to be a “magazine that respects your intelligence.” With no other options to put Spider-Man on the page, Stan Lee and Steve Ditko pitched to rebrand the dying series into Amazing Fantasy and to put Spider-Man as its center hero. In the worst case, Martin Goodman was right: nobody would want to read the comic, and
Spider-Man would die
alongside Amazing Fantasy.

Of course, the exact opposite occurred. A month after the release of Amazing Fantasy #15, Timely/Marvel finally saw just how popular Stan’s dream had become. In just a short amount of time, the issue had become an instant classic, and readers were demanding to see more. Stan Lee recounts that Goodman exploded into his office, now
embracing Spider-Man completely
, and exclaimed that the Wall Crawler needed his own series. In March 1963, just a few months after Spidey’s precarious debut, The Amazing Spider-Man #1 – written by Stan Lee, with art by Steve Ditko, and Sal Brodsky – hit the shelves.

Spider-Man Succeeded For The Exact Reasons Marvel Thought He Would Fail

Both Spidey & Stan Lee Teach Perseverance

Fortunately for Marvel and its readers, Stan Lee stayed true to his heart and fought to give his self-conscious teen hero a chance to save the day and steal the hearts of millions. Peter Parker, just as Lee wanted, has become a source of inspiration for readers of all ages. He, like most people, at some point, struggles with the day-to-day trials of existence. Petty problems like one-sided crushes, bad grades, and obstinate bullies only exasperate the real personal problems ordinary people face; in Spider-Man’s case, the loss of his parents and uncle. In essence, Spider-Man teaches readers perserverance.

Even Spidey’s villains were relatively low-level compared to the global threats that heroes like Captain America faced. Peter Parker is a friendly neighborhood hero. He shows us that, with or without powers, we can rise above our struggles to become a strong hand for others to grab hold of. While he was intended to appeal to a younger audience, Spider-Man’s message still resonates with all ages. Most fans won’t become super-genius billionaires or god-like beings, but we can still make a positive difference in our own communities.
Stan Lee succeeded
for the exact reason Goodman thought he would fail.

Spider-Man Will Forever Be A Cultural Icon For The Same Reasons That Made Him Famous

Stan Lee’s Legacy Carries On

Today, Spider-Man’s popularity has far exceeded a younger market, now dominating the global scene. The character has become both a pillar of Marvel Comics’ modern success and an inspirational force for dozens of other media forms and franchises. Without Spidey’s influence, Sam Rami’s 2002 Spider-Man movie would never have existed, leaving the MCU without its greatest source of inspiration. Without Spider-Man, franchises like
Power Rangers or My Hero Academia
would never have found the inspiration that sparked their creation.

In truth, much of the world’s modern superhero media is thanks to
Stan Lee’s persistence in the face of criticism
. Stan pursued a dream, even if no one else liked it, because he simply wanted to see his ideas through. He could have easily submitted to his publisher’s backlash, but instead chose to push forward anyway. A single split decision to hold his ground launched over 60 years of stories that show no signs of stopping today. It’s hard to believe, but without this single act of insistent defiance, we would have never come to love our Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man.

Source: Stan Lee UCLA Keynote

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