“It’s the worst idea I’ve ever heard”; It seems impossible, but at first Spider-Man was rejected by Marvel and we were almost left without this comic book icon.

Today it seems impossible to us that Spider-Manone of the most iconic characters in Marvelwould encounter rejection from Stan Lee’s editor and would have been about to never be published. But that’s how it was, our friend and neighbor Spider-Man didn’t have it all together in 1962. Before the wall-crawler became the cultural phenomenon we know, its very existence hung by a thread. This is the story of how Spider-Man almost didn’t see the light of day due to the skepticism of his own publisher.

In the 1960s, Stan Lee, the prolific writer and editor of Marvel Comics, had already achieved success with titles such as The Fantastic Four. According to legend, inspired by seeing an insect climbing a wall, Lee conceived the idea of a superhero who could stick to surfaces. This hero, however, would not be the typical imposing and blameless adult, but a teenager with common problemsa revolutionary concept for the time.

Excited about his creation, Lee presented the idea to Martin Goodman, his boss at Marvel. Goodman did not share Lee’s enthusiasm. “It’s the worst idea I’ve ever heard,” Goodman told Lee. According to Goodman, people hated spidersand a teenager with personal problems I could never be a convincing superhero. In his mind, teenagers were meant to be mere helpers, not protagonists. Plus, a hero with personal problems didn’t fit his vision of what a superhero should be. This blunt refusal could have been the end of Spider-Man.

“Don’t you know what a superhero is?”

Stan Lee, however, did not let himself be defeated. Determined to demonstrate the potential of his creation, he found a way to introduce Spider-Man. Using his powers as an editor, he managed to sneak his story into the latest issue of a failing magazine, Amazing Fantasy. Lee’s logic was simple: the series was destined to be cancelled, so it didn’t matter much what they published in its final issue. And friends, what a historic last issue! Thus, together with the magnificent (and sadly little recognized) artist Steve DitkoLee brought Spider-Man to life in Amazing Fantasy #15, cover-dated August 1962.

The cover, by the way, was drawn by the essential Jack Kirby and showed Spider-Man swinging over New York City, carrying a man in distress under his arm. An already iconic image repeated and honored ad nauseam. The story featured Peter Parker, an ordinary teenager from the working-class neighborhood of Queens who, after being bitten by a radioactive spider, gained superpowers. Unlike other heroes, Peter Parker faced real problems such as bullyingthe lack of money and the loss of his beloved Uncle Ben. A real working class hero. The comic concluded with a moral lesson that would become the character’s hallmark: “With great power must also come… Great responsibility!”

A more or less unexpected success

Against the bets of Marvel itself, Amazing Fantasy 15 was a resounding success. Readers immediately connected with Peter Parker. The idea of ​​a superhero dealing with the same problems they were was new and refreshing. Fan letters flooded the Marvel office, asking for more Spider-Man stories. Martin Goodman, upon seeing the sales figures, ran back to Lee’s office and said, “Stan, do you remember that character of yours, Spider-Man, that we liked so much? Why don’t we do a series with him?” ?” Goodman, who also did not suck his thumb, had gone from being a skeptic to being a fervent defender of the character.

This is how it was born The Amazing Spider-Man, which began publishing in March 1963 and has remained in publication ever since. Spider-Man’s success was immediate and lasting. Stan Lee always maintained that Spider-Man was his favorite character because he was the most human, although I’m sure he has said the same thing on other occasions regarding the Hulk, Iron Man or the X-Men. You know what Stan was like. “He’s the most like me, nothing goes perfect for him. He has a lot of problems and makes mistakes, and I can relate to that,” Lee told Chicago Tribune in 1996.

Everyone likes Spider-Man

Spider-Man not only conquered the world of comics, but he also expanded into other media. In the 1970s, it was launched a live action television series starring Nicholas Hammond, as well as several animated series. However, it was in 2002 that Spider-Man reached new heights with the movie directed by Sam Raimi and starring Tobey Maguire. The film was not only a box office success but also set new standards for superhero movies. Collection more than 800 million dollars around the world and showed that Spiderman could succeed in cinema in the same way they did in the comics.

Raimi’s trilogy was followed by reboots starring Andrew Garfield and Tom Holland, each providing their own interpretation of the character. In 2018, the animated film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse received critical acclaim and an Academy Award, further cementing Spider-Man’s position as a cultural icon.

Stan Lee and Steve Ditko not only created a superhero, but also They redefined what it means to be a herosomething that Marvel at that time seemed to achieve with each new character, and they made Spider-Man a profitable symbol of hope and perseverance for millions of people.

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