A bite from a spider somehow granted teenager Peter Parker its arachnid abilities and instead of using them for personal gain, he decided to help others with them. An orphan living with his aunt, May Parker, the boy chose to wear a mask while fighting crime so as not to burden her with his actions.
Calling himself Spider-Man and sporting a pair of web-shooting devices he’d constructed, Parker wound up in internet videos which attracted the attention of Tony Stark. The billionaire industrialist deduced Spider-Man’s secret identity and approached Parker at his and May’s home in Queens, New York with a request for aid from the hero in an upcoming confrontation with Captain America and a group of other rogue Avengers and associates. Parker was initially hesitant to even admit his secret career as Spider-Man, but the thrill of adventure and Stark’s talk of responsibility drew him in and he accepted the invitation, as well as a new, high-tech costume and web-shooters.
Does Whatever a Spider Can
Peter Parker’s gifts from the spider bite include enhanced strength, stamina, and agility, as well as the ability to cling to nearly any surface by his hands and feet, and an internal “alarm” of sorts that warns him of impending danger. When in costume he becomes a figure in motion, leaping and jumping about with a steady stream of wisecracks.
The Spider-Man suit designed by Tony Stark includes wrist-worn web-shooters (adapted from Peter’s own invention) that emit lines of synthetic “webbing” capable of supporting great weight with a high-degree of holding power. In addition, the suit provides various optical powers, a voice-changer, a drone tracking device, and some protection against outside elements. When not in use, the suit appears as loose, thin cloth, but when donned, it adheres tightly to the body and stretches easily to almost any movement by the wearer.
Recently, Parker acquires a specialized suit of armor from Stark that features many qualities of the inventor’s own Iron Man suits, including enhanced protective layering, optics, internal air supply, along with a set of four spider-like extra “arms” that answer to the teenager’s mental commands.
To Squash a Spider
Spider-Man has yet to attract a sizable Rogues Gallery, but his first real Super Villain adversary is Adrian Toomes, the Vulture.
Over the course of Spider-Man’s interactions with the Vulture, he advanced from a nuisance in Toomes’ eyes to a true obstruction in the man’s schemes. Toomes also perhaps saw a bit of himself in Spider-Man, albeit at a younger age. Unfortunately, the Vulture discovered his foe’s secret identity and was able to initially warn Parker off with threats toward his family and friends. But, the young man’s sense of responsibility and justice outweighed any fear and he did everything within his power to ensure that Toomes never flew again. Now in prison, the Vulture still harbors Spider-Man’s secret, though he had decided to keep that to himself as an apparent sign of respect towards his enemy.
In addition to the Vulture himself, two of his associates may also still cause trouble for Spider-Man: Herman Schultz, AKA the Shocker, who wields a powerful gauntlet inherited from his late colleague, Jackson Brice, and Mac Gargan, a dangerous criminal who was injured in a confrontation with Spider-Man. Both men have been incarcerated, but Gargan in particular seems eager to enact his revenge on New York’s young champion.
When Thanos made his play for the Infinity Stones, Spider-Man, coming to Iron Man’s aid, placed himself in direct opposition to both Thanos and those who serve him.
Classmates, Comrades, and Kin
May Parker took her nephew in to raise him as if he was her own son and has instilled values in Peter Parker that serve him well. So close are the two that he worries over hurting May with his Spider-Man activities and feels the pain of lying to her. May is easygoing to some extent, but is quick to let her nephew know when she is unhappy with any situation he may be involved in.
As a student at the Midtown School of Science and Technology, Parker enjoys only a very small circle of friends, partially due to his extracurricular time as Spider-Man. His best friend is his classmate Ned, who discovers Spider-Man’s secret identity by accident and is in complete awe over the details of Parker’s costumed career. During Spider-Man’s first real adventure involving a major adversary, Ned provides valuable support, despite his seemingly bumbling demeanor.
Peter Parker’s kindhearted first crush, Liz, led to Peter’s shocking discovery that her father was his enemy, Adrian Toomes, and Liz’s departure not only from Peter’s school, but also from the city with her family.
Spider-Man maintains a mentor-student relationship with Tony Stark, even through ups and downs between them, due to Parker’s rebellious streak and his desire to be just like Stark when it comes to heroics.