In The Amazing Spider-Man #18 comics, Spider-Man is facing a new challenge in the form of the Dark Web event. This crossover began when Chasm, a clone of Peter Parker, joins forces with Madelyne Pryor, a clone of Jean Grey, and unleashes chaos in Manhattan by bringing inanimate objects to life and attacking civilians. While other superheroes try to save the people, Spider-Man is pulled into Limbo where he encounters demonic forces and a twisted version of the Daily Bugle offices.
In Amazing Spider-Man #18, Spider-Man comes across a super-strong, demonic version of himself named Rek-Rap. Despite his monstrous appearance, Rek-Rap is ultimately a hero and battles the Limbo version of the Sinister Six. He defeats the Scorpion using a rarely-used gadget from Spider-Man's past, the Spider-Signal. This gadget, once intended to project an image of Spider-Man's mask and create fear in criminals, was largely ineffective and not often used by Spider-Man. It was inspired by vigilante stories from the 30s and 40s, but could not be used during the day and was not respected by super-villains.
Spider-Man's most iconic comic book arcs and storylines
"The Night Gwen Stacy Died" (The Amazing Spider-Man #121-122) - This classic story arc by Gerry Conway and Gil Kane sees the tragic death of Peter Parker's girlfriend Gwen Stacy at the hands of the Green Goblin, one of Spider-Man's most iconic villains. This arc is considered one of the most significant and influential storylines in Spider-Man's history.
"Kraven's Last Hunt" (The Amazing Spider-Man #293-294, The Spectacular Spider-Man #131-132, and The Web of Spider-Man #31-32) - Written by J.M. DeMatteis and illustrated by Mike Zeck, "Kraven's Last Hunt" sees the villain Kraven the Hunter capturing and seemingly killing Spider-Man, taking on his identity in an attempt to prove himself as the superior Spider-Man.
"Spider-Verse" (The Amazing Spider-Man #9-15) - Written by Dan Slott and illustrated by Olivier Coipel, "Spider-Verse" sees Morlun and the Inheritors hunting down and killing various versions of Spider-Man from different universes. This storyline features appearances from many different versions of Spider-Man and is known for its epic scale and emotional impact.
"The Clone Saga" (The Clone Saga) - This storyline, which ran through various Spider-Man comics in the 1990s, is one of the most controversial storylines in Spider-Man's history. It introduced the concept of Peter Parker having a clone, Ben Reilly, and raised questions about Parker's true identity.
"Spider-Island" (The Amazing Spider-Man #666-673) - Written by Dan Slott and illustrated by Humberto Ramos, "Spider-Island" sees the citizens of Manhattan gaining spider-powers, leading to chaos and a battle between Spider-Man and his allies and the villain Venom.
Every Villain Spider-Man Faced In Marvel Comics
- The Green Goblin (Norman Osborn)
- Doctor Octopus (Otto Octavius)
- Venom (Eddie Brock)
- The Sandman (Flint Marko)
- The Lizard (Dr. Curt Connors)
- The Kingpin (Wilson Fisk)
- The Hobgoblin (Roderick Kingsley)
- The Venom Symbiote
- The Scorpion (Mac Gargan)
- The Rhino (Aleksei Sytsevich)
- The Chameleon (Dmitri Smerdyakov)
- The Vulture (Adrian Toomes)
- The Shocker (Herman Schultz)
- The Jackal (Miles Warren)
- The Carnage (Cletus Kasady)
- The Mysterio (Quentin Beck)
- The Black Cat (Felicia Hardy)
- The Puma (Thomas Fireheart)
- The Shriek (Frances Louise Barrison)
- The Morlun and the Inheritors.
Spider-Man's most famous foes and their abilities
- Green Goblin (Norman Osborn): Norman Osborn was a wealthy businessman who gained superhuman strength, speed, agility, and endurance after being exposed to an experimental performance-enhancing serum. He also had access to advanced technology, such as a glider and pumpkin bombs.
- Doctor Octopus (Otto Octavius): Doctor Octopus, also known as Doc Ock, is a brilliant scientist who developed mechanical tentacles that he can control telepathically. The tentacles are incredibly strong and can be used for a variety of purposes, such as lifting heavy objects or attacking enemies.
- Venom (Eddie Brock): Venom is a symbiote, an alien life form that attaches itself to a host and grants them superhuman strength, speed, agility, and the ability to cling to walls. Venom also has a powerful regenerative ability and can shape-shift into various forms.
- The Sandman (Flint Marko): The Sandman is a criminal who gained the ability to transform his body into sand after falling into an experimental particle accelerator. This allows him to manipulate his sand form to create powerful sandstorms and reshape his body in various ways.
- The Lizard (Dr. Curt Connors): Dr. Curt Connors is a brilliant scientist who developed a serum to regrow lost limbs. However, after an accident, he transformed into a giant reptilian creature known as the Lizard. He possesses superhuman strength, speed, and durability, as well as the ability to regenerate lost body parts.
- The Kingpin (Wilson Fisk): The Kingpin is a powerful crime lord who uses his immense wealth and influence to control the criminal underworld. He is also a skilled hand-to-hand combatant and has a superhuman level of strength and endurance.
- The Rhino (Aleksei Sytsevich): The Rhino is a thug who was outfitted with a powerful suit that gives him superhuman strength and durability, as well as a horn on his head that can be used to charge at enemies.
- The Vulture (Adrian Toomes): The Vulture is a former inventor who developed a suit that allows him to fly and gives him superhuman strength and agility. He also has a harness that can drain the energy from other technology.
- The Scorpion (Mac Gargan): The Scorpion is a private investigator who was outfitted with a mechanical suit that gives him superhuman strength, speed, and durability, as well as a tail that can be used to sting enemies.
- The Chameleon (Dmitri Smerdyakov): The Chameleon is a master of disguise who can change his appearance to look like anyone he wants. He is also a skilled hand-to-hand combatant and has access to advanced technology that allows him to infiltrate various organizations.
Spider-Man's relationships
Spider-Man, also known as Peter Parker, has had a number of relationships throughout the course of Marvel Comics. Some of his most well-known romantic relationships include:
- Gwen Stacy: Gwen Stacy was Peter's first love and one of his most iconic romantic partners. She was a student at Midtown High School and was Peter's first serious girlfriend. Gwen was eventually killed by the Green Goblin (Norman Osborn) in a tragic and controversial storyline.
- Mary Jane Watson: Mary Jane, also known as MJ, is one of Spider-Man's most recognizable love interests. She was Peter's next serious girlfriend after Gwen's death, and the two eventually got married. However, their marriage was later annulled due to the events of the "One More Day" storyline.
- Felicia Hardy: Felicia, also known as the Black Cat, is a recurring romantic interest for Peter. She is a skilled thief and has been both a hero and a villain in the comics.
- M.J. Watson: The Clone of Mary Jane Watson, Created by Jackal, she is a romantic interest of Peter Parker in the comics
Alternate versions of Spider-Man that have appeared in comics
- Miles Morales: A teenage African American and Latino Spider-Man who first appeared in "Ultimate Fallout" #4 (2011). He has many of the same powers as Peter Parker, but also has the ability to camouflage himself and others.
- Gwen Stacy: A version of Gwen Stacy who was bitten by a radioactive spider and became Spider-Woman, also known as Spider-Gwen. She first appeared in "Edge of Spider-Verse" #2 (2014).
- Spider-Man 2099: Miguel O'Hara, a scientist who was genetically altered to have spider-like abilities and takes on the mantle of Spider-Man in the year 2099. He first appeared in "The Amazing Spider-Man" #365 (1992).
- Spider-Girl: Mayday Parker, the daughter of Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson who becomes Spider-Girl. She first appeared in "What If? Spider-Man: The Clone Saga" #1 (1997).
- Spider-Man Noir: Peter Parker in a 1930s Noir-inspired universe where he uses stealth and detective skills instead of web-slinging abilities. He first appeared in "Spider-Man Noir" #1 (2009).
- Spider-Man UK: Billy Braddock, who possesses the same powers as Peter Parker, but also has the ability to manipulate reality. He first appeared in "Spider-Verse" #2 (2014).
- Spider-Punk: Hobie Brown, a punk rocker and vigilante who becomes Spider-Punk in a universe where the Green Goblin is the ruler of America. First appearence of Spider-Punk was in "Spider-Verse Team-Up" #1 (2015).
Different costumes and gear that Spider-Man has used in comics
Spider-Man has had several different costumes and gear throughout his comics history. Some of the most notable include:
- Classic Costume: The red and blue costume that Spider-Man is most known for. It features a spider symbol on the chest, webbing on the wrists and legs, and a mask that covers his face.
- Black Suit: Also known as the Symbiote Suit, this costume is made of a sentient alien symbiote that bonds with Peter Parker. It gives him enhanced strength and agility, but also amplifies his darker impulses.
- Iron Spider: This costume was designed by Tony Stark and is made of high-tech materials and includes a variety of built-in gadgets and weapons, such as retractable arms.
- Spider-Man 2099: In the future, Peter Parker's descendant, Miguel O'Hara, takes up the mantle of Spider-Man and has a suit that reflects the advanced technology of his time, including built-in web-shooters and a retractable visor.
- Ultimate Spider-Man: This version of the costume was introduced in the Ultimate Marvel universe and features a more modern design with a larger spider symbol and a high-tech web-shooters.
- Scarlet Spider: This costume was worn by Ben Reilly, one of Peter Parker's clones, features a red and blue color scheme with a hooded mask and a large white spider symbol on the chest.
- Superior Spider-Man: This costume was worn by Doctor Octopus after he takes over Peter Parker's body and features a dark blue and white color scheme with a large octopus symbol on the chest.
- Spider-Man Noir: This costume is worn by Peter Parker in an alternate universe where he operates as a crime-fighter in the 1930s. It features a black suit, fedora and trench coat with a spider symbol embroidered on the breast pocket.