7 Creative Decisions that Defined Spider-Man

Marvel’s comic books are not the product of a single person. For heroes who have lasted for decades and plan to battle evil for decades to come, they must be the work of many hands. Every comic has had multiple writers, artists, colorists, letterers, editors, and so many more essential parties throw in their own two cents. That’s especially true for superstars like Spider-Man. The Friendly Neighborhood Wall-Crawler is Marvel’s number one cash cow, and he’s practically been that since his debut. As such, everyone in Marvel has pitched in with Spider-Man at some point, and hundreds, possibly thousands of people have helped guide him along his heroic journey.

Everyone has ideas on how Spider-Man’s stories should go, and those ideas range from inconsequential to world-altering. Some of those ideas are so influential that their impact is still felt in today’s comics, even decades later. Today, we’re taking a look at seven of the most impactful creative decisions that have altered Spider-Man’s destiny. From iconic storylines to character introductions, these ideas have made Spider-Man into who he is, both good and bad. Without further ado, let’s swing into Spidey’s spectacular creation decisions.

7) Return of Norman Osborn

Norman is well-regarded as one of Spider-Man’s greatest enemies, but after his death in Amazing Spider-Man #122, he didn’t appear for twenty-three years. His return at the tail end of the “Clone Saga” signified a new era for Spider-Man, and shot him to the status of Spidey’s definitive archenemy. Ever since, Norman has loomed over Spider-Man’s stories like the ultimate shadow of evil. He’s hurt Spider-Man more than anyone else, and has even taken on the entire superhero community. The Green Goblin has been Spider-Man’s worst enemy, and is now one of his greatest allies. None of those things would be possible without Norman’s reintroduction.

6) Introducing Magical Elements

Spider-Man used to be a character entirely based in comic book science, but in the early 2000s, Marvel revealed mystical ties to his powers. Spider-Man was connected to the Web of Life and Destiny, giving him new powers like organic webbing and savage instincts, and new enemies like the Totem-devourer Morlun. This change opened the door for the Spider-Verse, which has since become one of the most popular expansions to Spider-Man’s mythos. The Spider-Verse changed everything about how Marvel structures massive Spider-Man events and has given us incredible characters who would never have developed how they have without this addition. That’s not even mentioning the Spider-Verse movies.

5) Debut of Miles Morales

Speaking of Spider-Man’s incredible animated movies, their star is the legendary Miles Morales. Before Miles, the idea of anybody else being Spider-Man was insane, or only accepted in alternate universes. Miles proved that Spider-Man had transcended a single person, becoming a mantle that represented everything heroic in Marvel. Miles’s time as Spider-Man has given the character a whole new direction that still feels like the hero we all know and love. Miles lets Marvel explore new stories and reimagine old Spidey tales with an all-new perspective, and that is always something worth celebrating.

4) Ultimate Universe Reimagining

Marvel never reboots their universe like DC, meaning that their characters have lived from the ‘60s to now, with the timeline sliding up whenever age becomes a problem. Because of that, we don’t really get retellings of their origins, but that changed with the original Ultimate Universe. Ultimate Spider-Man (2000) gave us a fresh, modern take on Spider-Man’s early years, and a whole new look at who Peter Parker is. It’s impossible to understate this series’s impact on Spider-Man. It reignited people’s love for the character and fundamentally tied the idea of high school Peter to the public perception. This story’s creativity and influence are still prescient in every new Spidey interpretation to this day.

3) Death of Gwen Stacy

Gwen Stacy used to be Peter’s one and only. Their relationship was his comics’ focus for years, but everything changed when the Green Goblin killed her. It was Spider-Man’s darkest moment, pushing him further over the edge than anything before or after. Her death was the statement that Peter’s stories wouldn’t be happy-go-lucky or comforting forever, but would push boundaries and tug the audience’s hearts. Gwen’s death was the unofficial end to the Silver Age of comics, ushering in the darker Bronze Age. Nowadays, Gwen’s ghost seems to haunt all of Peter’s stories. She’s his greatest failure, and she hangs over Spider-Man no matter how much good he does, or how many times he moves on. It was her death that killed Green Goblin and pushed MJ and Peter together.

2) Marriage to Mary Jane

Peter and MJ are comics’ greatest relationship. Things weren’t always good, and they were pretty tumultuous a lot of the time, but they always cared for each other and made each other stronger. When they finally tied the knot, it ushered in a new era of maturity and a new style of story for Peter. Their relationship helped both characters grow into something more than they were before. It grounded them and raised them up at the same time. Now, even twenty years after their marriage was erased, fans still cry for it to return. People love MJ and Peter together, and they won’t stop until they’re happy once again.

1) “One More Day”

Of course, as influential as Spider-Man and MJ’s marriage is, their separation has had just as big an impact on his comics. “One More Day” is Spider-Man’s single most hated comic, without question, but it still drives his stories. Peter is constantly kept alone because Marvel wants to commit to “One More Day” separating him from MJ, but is also torn by fans towards bringing them together again. “One More Day” still influences all of Spider-Man’s stories. No matter how much fans hate it, it’s still responsible for just about every status quo change Spider-Man has had in the past twenty years, and some of them have genuinely been great. Spider-Man’s worst story still has a whole lot of sway over him.

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