What got you into Spider-Man?

[Mistah K88]

Spider-Man has been around for a while, predating quite a bit of people on this site. So my question is what started your interest in this character? An animated series maybe? suggestion from a friend? a single issue of a comic that you picked up and liked so much you had to keep the ball rolling? What was it that got you into the Web slinger?

As for myself, I'll have to admit that I'm a newcomer to Spidey's universe. To be completely honest with you I was always a Batman fan first and foremost growing up (and will be one till I die!). In fact was a kid in the 90's and the cartoon series back then didn't really pull me in like Batman's did. However, I had a friend who had the same infatuation I've had for Batman, but rather for Spider-Man, so my entry was actually through him. It also helped that I was watching the cartoon series the Spectacular Spider-Man at the time as well (which was equal to Batman the Animated series to me). While I may not be a "true" Spider-Man fan like my buddy or even you guys, I'm still interested in learning what caused your investment into this character.

As for my buddy, it all started with that 1994 Spider-Man animated series. He dislikes the ol' cartoon now (he picks out so many flaws now that he actually invested in the character), but he has to admit that the cartoon was what started his Spidey fascination.

So what was your first Spidey experience? What was it that made you into a Spider-Man fan? Also, if it was a comic, feel free to let us know the number of the issue...

Also, as for a fun bonus question to answer
Have you ever dropped Spider-Man? If so, What brought you back to the ol' Webhead? Is it like the case of a battered person who keeps going back to their abuser? If not...just ignore the question...

[Spider-Aziz]

http://it.ioffer.com/img/item/175/453/643/spider-man-and-his-amazing-friends-cartoon-f78ee.jpg
The silliest Spider-Man cartoon ever, but I still enjoy it more than some other stuff, heck, it's still a fun cartoon to watch

[colossus96]

i used to watch the reruns of the old "spiderman and his amazing friends" cartoon, then there was those live action spiderman tv movie's in the 80's (i may be mistaken about them being tv movies) and the cartoon in the 90's just put it over the top for me

[WalkingDeadMike]

Spider-Man: TAS and X-Men: TAS are what got me into comics.

[JoeyConQueso]

I don't think there's any one thing for me. I was a little kid in New York at just the right time to bombarded with stuff. I'd see the balloon when I would go to the Thanksgiving Day Parade with my dad. I'd see stuff like all of the publicity for the Spidey wedding. I'd make my parents rent the VHS copies of The Chinese Web or the cartoons whenever we were at the video store. I was always getting the comics as gifts or reading my cousins' back issues. I would wake up super early on Sundays to catch the Marvel Action Universe. Heck, I even have Spidey/Hulk underoos in some of my baby photos. I was probably just born a Spidey fan.

[Spider-Aziz]

^^^You're using an image from the X-Men Adventure?

[JoeyConQueso]

^^^You're using an image from the X-Men Adventure?

Yupp.

[Troy_Parker]

The Nicholas Hammond series reruns, I was like 5, 6 when I saw them, it looked cool to me back then. :P ...Anyways yah, from there I got into the Fox Kids cartoon, then the comics... and so on. :)

[Tanin]

My Grandfather letting me read his Spider-Man comics from the 60's.

[Spidey_62]

Watching reruns of Spider-Man: TAS in the late 90s and getting various Spidey toys from around then is what got me into Spider-Man. The 2 PS1 games and the 1st movie really solidified me as a Spidey fan.

[Spider-ManHero12]

Spider-Man TAS is what got me started with Spider-Man along with buying figures from the show all in 1997 (possibly before) and onward. Then I read my first Spidey comic and then everything fell into place. :spidey::up:

[venom892]

Spider-Man: TAS and X-Men: TAS are what got me into comics.Same here along with Batman:TAS.I hop off the comics train for a little while but the PS1 Spidey game and the movie hype got be back on and I haven't looked back.

[Gunga Diner]

The first movie.

http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t73/pig_jizz/raimidealwithit.jpg

[Hobgoblin]

I was a Batman fan at the time and a friend of mine was unsuccessfully trying to get me to read Marvel comics. I saw in the newspaper that MJ announced her pregnancy and I bought it, thinking it might become collectible. I also saw in my comic shop that there was a Green Goblin comic series. I thought that was strange, as I knew the Goblin was a villain. How could they make a comic surrounding a villain?

After those comics were mine, I was hooked.

[Ponyboy]

I was never a huge Spidey fan... But I got into him when McFarlane did his Spider-Man run... I got into other heroes for a time and then jumped back on the Spidey wagon when Mark Bagley started penciling Carnage in 1992-ish?

[Artistsean]

I got into Spider-Man because my school, when I was in 4th or 5th or maybe 6th grade, had this big in depth book on Spider-Man. It talked about his origin, his powers, his costume, his strengths and weaknesses, and his enemies.
It also had a few actual issues, like Spider-Man with four arms and Morbius. I cannot remember what it was called, but they also had one for the Fantastic Four and that had the intro of the Inhumans.

I checked out those books so many times. Wish I bought them.

[Chris Wallace]

That's a hard one to answer, because I truly can't recall a time when I wasn't into Spider-Man. My earliest memories involve playing with Mego Spidey action figures, watching the 60's animated series & his hokey shorts on The Electric Company, wearing Spidey t-shirts, dressing as him for Halloween, learning to read with Spider-Man read-along records, and drawing him countless times on whatever piece of paper I could get my hands on. I think Spidey comics were among the first things I ever read as a kid. When the TV series premiered, I watched it religiously. (Who knew I'd find it completely unwatchable as an adult?) I know certain things drew me to him above any other character; the style of his costume, the uniqueness of his powers, the idea of him having both powers AND gadgets. I believe his traditional suit is the best costume of any superhero ever printed. I love the colors, the way it completely lends itself to his theme, the air of mystery. You have to wonder why Ditko insisted on hiding his gadgets whereas Batman's utility belt is plainly visible. I tend to think he wanted the illusion of Spidey's webbing being organic, which is what the average layperson thinks.
I think that what really set him apart for me-especially as I got older-was his origin. Clark Kent pretends to be a wimpy little nerd, Peter Parker actually was. Not being the slickest, most suave or most athletic guy growing up, I could relate to that. He didn't have a ton of money like Bruce Wayne, and his family had to bust their humps for every nickel. Something else I could identify with. His motivation of trying to redeem a single, careless act of selfishness made him the most human of any superhero I knew of. "With great power comes great responsibility". This wasn't just a catch phrase; this was a way of life for him. To put the needs of others above his own, even when it cost him, even when it hurt him. And hurt him it did. Many of us fantasize about gaining superpowers and doing awesome things with them. Spidey showed us time & time again that it's not all it's cracked up to be. He still had all the same problems in his civilian life, and no apparent means of solving them. He typically got little to no respect when he wore the mask, even from others in the superhero community. I could even connect with this in a way. When I was 18 I went into the Mrines, a move thought ludicrous by most of the people who knew me. When I came out of Boot Camp I was showered with praise and accolades, but that was short-lived. It wasn't long before my tormentors emerged and reminded me how little I'd really changed. And it got worse when I found myself back in the company of people who had also earned that same distinction I'd once thought made me so special. It was shortly after that I truly thrust myself into reading comics regularly. I had barely touched one between the ages of 10-17, having deemed myself "too old" for them. But it quickly proved to be my favorite form of entertainment. And Spider-Man once again stood on top of the pile.

[Mrpaul]

I got into Spidey while the hospital. I was in a car acccident as a kid and in my room I watched the 60's cartoon. It was that catchy theme song as well the cool cartoon. I also have some similiar take with Peter, living with my aunt and uncle. To me Spidey was a very cool character and I just find myself living a great responsibility.

[Gwendolyn Stacy]

For me, it was when I started watching TSSM on Disney XD. It started out as a "pass the time show" but after awhile I got into it and I've been a spidey fangirl ever since.

[spida-man]

I was always a BatMan fan(been a fa since I was literally 1) even after I started watchign the 90s Spider-Man animated series and got a few toys. It wasn't untill I was like 9 or 10 when i went on The Amazing Adventures Of Spider-Man ride where I REALLY became a fan.

[Mace Dolex]

I was into superheroes early on from watching Superfriends and Spider-Man & His Amazing Friends but at the time being a kid I didn't know there was a Marvel or DC continuity so I imagined all superheroes knew each other.

Watching the Bixby/Ferrigno Hulk TV show brought me awareness to Spider-Man too.

I'm more of a hardcore Batman fan but I do have lots of Spider-Man comics I'm just not as heavily invested to Spidey's storylines, from the Clone Saga, One More Day, Brand New Day, Back In Black I just bother reading the current titles.

[WolfCypher]

The live-action Spider-Man tv series.

[Chris Wallace]

For me, it was when I started watching TSSM on Disney XD. It started out as a "pass the time show" but after awhile I got into it and I've been a spidey fangirl ever since.

:word: We need more girls around here.

[Mary Jane Watson]

Amen. I am hardcore Spidey fan-girl since SM1 movie. I do remember I saw TASM when I was like 2- 4 years old. When I saw SM1 trailer on TV, I was like WOW! Live action Spidey movie?! I begged my mom to go the movie theater. After that, I love spider man ever since. Thats when I was only 8 years old ;)
Gwendolyn Stacy, It is really soo nice to know that Spidey fangirl existed! U have no idea how much I am happy right now. I thought I was kinda only girl who LOVE spider man. IDK why other girls who like batman or superman more than Spidey. When I talk with my friends about Spidey, they were like...Oh? Spider man? ya, okay. I dont really know how to explain that. Ah well.

And, yes, I have to say that I am proud to be a Spidey fangirl.

[Gwendolyn Stacy]

Amen. I am hardcore Spidey fan-girl since SM1 movie. I do remember I saw TASM when I was like 2- 4 years old. When I saw SM1 trailer on TV, I was like WOW! Live action Spidey movie?! I begged my mom to go the movie theater. After that, I love spider man ever since. Thats when I was only 8 years old ;)
Gwendolyn Stacy, It is really soo nice to know that Spidey fangirl existed! U have no idea how much I am happy right now. I thought I was kinda only girl who LOVE spider man. IDK why other girls who like batman or superman more than Spidey. When I talk with my friends about Spidey, they were like...Oh? Spider man? ya, okay. I dont really know how to explain that. Ah well.

And, yes, I have to say that I am proud to be a Spidey fangirl.
Fangirls rule!

[Hobgoblin]

A friend of mine was a Spidey fan while I was more into Batman, due to the movies and TAS. He showed me some cards he had and I instantly latched onto the Hobgoblin. Ironically, my buddy was least interested in Hobby. "He just flies around and throws pumpkins at people." I was like "Tell me more!" I also started reading the Phil Urich Green Goblin series and was hooked.

I've dumped Spidey several times. I did it after the Gathering of Five and after One More Day. I came back for a while with the Gauntlet, Grim Hunt and Big Time but dumped it again after the Hobgoblin story ended.

[Mary Jane Watson]

I have to admit that before I watched SM1. I was more into Batman than Spidey.
Batman -> Spider man
Spider man -> Batman

[Mary Jane Watson]

Fangirls rule!

:hrt:

[PeterPrkr]

For me it was my dad. He has a huge collection of comics for just about every hero you can think of. But I latched onto spidey quick, probably cause my name actually is Parker so I instantly wanted to be like him.

[Grayson]

The 2002 movie.

[Spider-Aziz]

:hrt:
I adore Spidey fangirls
:)

[Duke]

I'm a Superman first & foremost because I grew up with Superman: The Movie & Superfriends. I started getting into Spidey when I started watching the old Spiderman & his Amazing Friends cartoons, & from there it went into Spiderman: The Animated Series & of course the Spidey movies. I also took a liking to him because he's unique & comedic.

[Mistah K88]

This is always a fun topic to revisit every few months. Marvel was always better at promoting and showing off more characters in their media than DC was. In the very least as individual characters rather than a bunch of team shows. There was a short lived Silver Surfer cartoon for crying out loud! In fact, I think that the only two cartoons with Spidey that didn't feature guest stars was Spider-Man: the New Animated Series and Spectacular Spider-Man...because of Sony's ownership of the character's media rights at the time. Did your introduction to Spider-Man open your eyes to the Marvel universe as a whole?

[spidey99]

Very early 70s, when I was 5 or 6, my two older brothers would 'let me' do their chores and they'd pay me from their comic book stacks. I always went for the Spidey comics. And they'd play the 60s Spidey cartoon in the afternoon on tv. Then I got older enough to make an allowance (something like 5 cents to dry the dishes, or 5 cents to help fold laundry) I'd save my money up and then we'd go to 7-11 where I could buy a new Spidey comic and a slurpee... and some penny candy. Man those were the days.

Keep On Thwipin'!!!
Sam

[UltimateWebhead]

http://it.ioffer.com/img/item/175/453/643/spider-man-and-his-amazing-friends-cartoon-f78ee.jpg
The silliest Spider-Man cartoon ever, but I still enjoy it more than some other stuff, heck, it's still a fun cartoon to watch

This for me too.

[SpideyFan866]

When I was 4, I got this book that was from Scholastic and it was a detailed guide to Spider-man, his villains and his most notable storylines involving them.

Now I liked Spider-man before that due to the cartoons but that was when I truly fell in love with the character.

I have been a diehard Spidey fan every since and I always will be.

[SpideyFan866]

A friend of mine was a Spidey fan while I was more into Batman, due to the movies and TAS. He showed me some cards he had and I instantly latched onto the Hobgoblin. Ironically, my buddy was least interested in Hobby. "He just flies around and throws pumpkins at people." I was like "Tell me more!" I also started reading the Phil Urich Green Goblin series and was hooked.

I've dumped Spidey several times. I did it after the Gathering of Five and after One More Day. I came back for a while with the Gauntlet, Grim Hunt and Big Time but dumped it again after the Hobgoblin story ended.

I love Hobgoblin too. Hobby and Gobby need to make a comeback.

[Anno_Domini]

Spider-Man: The Animated Series.

Then I played Maximum Carnage which made me love the symbiotes.

[ripse]

While reading the comic's Spidey in 1990, & watch tv cartoon series Spider-man (1994)...& watching again amazing spider-man tv series (1977)...love it all..

[Guhndoi]

It would have to have been sometime during the 80's at around 4 or so. I remember Spidey and Hulk from the TV series, old cartoons, shirts and underwear etc.

At age 11, I bought some 1994 Spider-Man Fleer cards. I used to look at those and that is how I learned to draw Spidey (and draw in general). About this time I also picked up the 1994 Marvel Universe Cards, learning more about the Marvel Universe, watched X-Men TAS and of course the Spider-Man animated series as well. Spidey was the one who got me into all things Marvel and all comics and superhero stuff actually.

[OctaviusINC]

Growing up in the late 80's and 90's Batman was my guy for a long time. His movies were around and he had the superb animated series. But the Spider-man animated series made Spidey my 2nd favorite behind Batman. Yet the more I got into Spidey the more I related to him. That's how he took Batman's number 1 spot to me.

[webfluid.co.uk]

I seem to remember being ill whilst at school and being off for some time and watching the 60s tv series and becoming a fan that way. never really bothered about the comics or cartoon s until my son was born and watched it every day on fox kids and then i started thinking about decorating our stairwell with a few spiderman comics, the hunt for a few decent covers turned me into a comic collector and i have been buying and selling spider books since. The figures i have paid for some of these books sent my misses into orbit. I have since kicked the expensive comics into touch and just make do with my monthly subscription to 1 spiderman comic a month. i do go a bit crazy now and then and buy a few variants when they surface

[hopefuldreamer]

The 90's cartoon series for me.

I used to set my alarm for 8 in the morning just to watch it on a saturday morning when I was a kid.

Seriously loved the first two Raimi movies when they came out (when I was 14), and bought the first 2 volumes of Ultimate Spiderman when I was in college along with a few other random issues. Also loved The Spectacular Spiderman when I caught up with it a few years ago.

The only reason I've not been more into him is that I'm a Superman fan first and foremost, and that takes up a lot of my time and money :funny: but the hype I'm feeling for TASM is kind of making me wanna get my head in a few of the comics :)

[k1dn1nj4]

A friend of mine was a Spidey fan while I was more into Batman, due to the movies and TAS.

Dude, I have a similar story! I grew up on Batman TaS since Mask of the Phantasm and those good old days. I loved everything about it. The dark noire-esque mood, the stoic nature of Batman, and just his iconic rogue gallery. My friends and I used to draw and make our own comics (very badly... we were like in Kindergarten lol). A friend of mine came in one day with his home-made Spidey story. Okay, the drawing would make Ramos's art look realistic, the coloring wasn't strictly kept inside the lines, and the story was Stephanie Meyer caliber, but it had captured Spidey's essentials and I was hooked. The iconic red and blue costume, the slender kinetic energy, the perspective shots of this lone guy swinging around a city on webs. All those elements came together and something just "clicked".

My uncle was a huge comic collector and I found out he actually had a ton of Spidey. The '90s Spider-man series became my favourite show and I would buy the comics monthly (all of Sensational, Amazing, Peter Parker & Spectacular). I came to understand that I liked Batman because his character played on who I wanted to be (rich, strong, smart), but Spidey... I identified with him 'cuz in a lot of ways he was who I already was. I grew up as this skinny kid, poor, picked on constantly, interested in the sciences over sports (mainly because I couldn't hit a ball to save my life, except unfortunately... with my face), etc. The character just resonated with me, and continues to do so to this day.

[UltimateWebhead]

Dude, I have a similar story! I grew up on Batman TaS since Mask of the Phantasm and those good old days. I loved everything about it. The dark noire-esque mood, the stoic nature of Batman, and just his iconic rogue gallery. My friends and I used to draw and make our own comics (very badly... we were like in Kindergarten lol). A friend of mine came in one day with his home-made Spidey story. Okay, the drawing would make Ramos's art look realistic, the coloring wasn't strictly kept inside the lines, and the story was Stephanie Meyer caliber, but it had captured Spidey's essentials and I was hooked. The iconic red and blue costume, the slender kinetic energy, the perspective shots of this lone guy swinging around a city on webs. All those elements came together and something just "clicked".

My uncle was a huge comic collector and I found out he actually had a ton of Spidey. The '90s Spider-man series became my favourite show and I would buy the comics monthly (all of Sensational, Amazing, Peter Parker & Spectacular). I came to understand that I liked Batman because his character played on who I wanted to be (rich, strong, smart), but Spidey... I identified with him 'cuz in a lot of ways he was who I already was. I grew up as this skinny kid, poor, picked on constantly, interested in the sciences over sports (mainly because I couldn't hit a ball to save my life, except unfortunately... with my face), etc. The character just resonated with me, and continues to do so to this day.

Very cool. And welcome to the boards! :woot:

[Spidey1111]

http://media.comicvine.com/uploads/0/4/49590-2127-64441-1-amazing-spider-man-_super.jpg

[uniqueweasel]

The 90's animated series got me properly into Spider-Man. I always seem to remember his webbing "losing consistency"

[Lord]

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2koLupXFbLk/TVkoHMkTDcI/AAAAAAAAAHI/TzGPcJy8SCQ/s1600/spiderman1.jpg

[Spidey_62]

The 90's animated series got me properly into Spider-Man. I always seem to remember his webbing "losing consistency"
Lol, and that's exactly how Christopher Daniel Barnes would always put it.

[Spideyisthelaw9]

It was 2002, I was 6, but all I wanted was getting into the cinema to see my favourite superhero in a movie. I used to watch the 90s animated series, of course, but the movie really surprised me. You know, Willem Dafoe <3

[PSYLENTGuardian]

I grew up on the 90's animated series, and the 2002 movie put Spidey at the height of my elementary school obsessions.
I was really able to relate to Peter Parker because I was the neighborhood genius-geek at my elementary school. The idea of the average kid who gains great power hooked me.

[Rylvan]

It was Spider-Man: The Animated Series for me too.

[SpaceWay2009]

It was actually the first Spider-Man movie by Raimi. After watching that, I got into it. I started watching the 90 series again, read some of the comics, played some video games of Spider-Man, and watch any other Spider-Man series, except before the 90s. Anything before the 90s, I didn't bother watching it.

[Venom75]

I really don't know myself,or can't recall. I think I've always been into Spidey since I was a little kid. Just my hero of choice at that time,I believe. In the late 70's I remember watching reruns of the 60's cartoon and having a Spider-man action figure. I think 2 things really made me a Spidey fanatic though:
1.) The McFarlene comics of the late 80's and the introduction of Venom is something I clearly remember putting me on "the path" to being a bigger Spider-man fan than I was. It also made me a Venom fanatic too.
2.) The first Spider-man film in 2002. There was just such a buzz to it and I couldn't wait to see it. I think that film(and series)really put Spidey on the map for ALOT of people.

[Thwip!]

The 90s animated series and my older cousin's copies of Macfarlane's Spidey work. Hooked from the instant I saw it. especially that amazing theme song from the 90s

[Chris Wallace]

Something about the image of him; that beautiful costume, the uniquely graceful, almost majestic way that he travels, it pulled me in. His equally unique powers, personality, backstory & rogues gallery is why I stayed.
http://i751.photobucket.com/albums/xx156/Cougar200/spiderman_swing.png
http://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd166/misspayten/Spiderman%20Spiderman/3636_9791_1.jpg
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d148/DRE559/spiderman-2-poster-swing-posters.jpg
http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc272/kcerica/avatars%20and%20wallpaper/spiderman2.gif

[El Payaso]

The 1967-1970 cartoons. I saw them, in 1979 or 1980. Soon afterwards I saw comic books in a magazine stand, and like a year later or so I saw "Spider-man Strikes Back" in a theater. It was a two-parter episode of the 1970's live action TV series that was theatrically released here back then.

[spida-man]

the 90s animated series got me INTERESTED in Spidey, but the game from 2000 for PS1 and more specifically the ride at Universal Studios Islands of Adventure cemented me as a fan

[SoNicRaDiATioN]

Roger Stern's run on Amazing.