Spider-man Database

Amazing Fantasy Issue 15

Synopsis:

Submitted by: J. Jonah Reason on Apr 22, 2007

Last edited on: Apr 23, 2007

Amazing Fantasy 15, released in 1962, provided comic audiences with their introduction to possibly the most important super-hero of the Silver-Age, Spider-Man. A lot of people don't realize this, but the origin story of Spider-Man doesn't even fill up the entire comic! In just 11 pages of story with art, what might be the most famous origin story in the history of the medium is told!

In Part One, Peter Parker is introduced as an awkward teen often teased and shunned by his peers.  We then learn that he is being raised by an Aunt (May) and Uncle (Ben) who dote upon him as though  he were their own. Peter, an excellent student, tries to encourage a young lady to go to a science exhibit with him after school, but she turns him down in favor of the muscular and handsome Flash Thompson.

Peter attends the demonstration himself - and the unthinkable happens! A spider, having been irradiated by the experiment, drops down and bites Peter on the hand. Peter immediately feels odd, and soon realizes what's happened - the spider has transferred it's proportionate strength, quickness and "Spider-Sense" to Peter via the bite! Peter quickly comes to grip with his new abilities, using them to climb walls and walk down a long cable with ease. Peter also quickly realizes that these new ablities might pave a road for him (and likely more importantly, his aunt and uncle) to riches - so he signs up as a professional wrestler! Peter is able to easily best "Crusher Hogan", and is well paid for this feat. Shortly after this match, Peter designs his own web-shooters, and a nifty Spider-Man costume (which, fantastically enough, has remained largely unchanged!).

In Part Two, we see that Peter's career as an entertainer is in "full-swing" (sorry). He makes a television appearance, and then a fateful decision that will haunt him for the rest of his life - he fails to intervene as a criminal makes his escape after robbing the tv station.

Some time later, Peter returns home from a personal appearance to find a police car parked in front of his aunt and uncle's house. Peter learns that his uncle has been killed, and that the perpetrator has taken refuge in a dark warehouse. Peter rushes to confront the murderer as Spider-Man and is horrified to learn that it's the very same bad guy he let go only a few days before. Overcome with grief, Peter commits to using his powers for good, in hopes of erasing the mistake that cost him so dearly.