Spider-Man debuted in Amazing Fantasy #15 by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko and there was no one else like him in comic books. In a world where most heroes were gods among men or brilliant scientists, Spider-Man was teenager Peter Parker. He was a nerd with no friends and was the most relatable superhero to kids reading the book in the 1960s.
In 2021, there might not be a hero as popular or beloved as The Amazing Spider-Man. He has been in countless cartoons over the last five decades, has three different movie franchises that followed his exploits, and often appears in multiple comic books released every month. However, this Spider-Man is very different than the one that debuted in 1962.
Spider-Man Is No Longer An Outcast
When Peter Parker first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15, he was called a wallflower. The other kids made fun of him and he stood off to himself, looking sad and alone. He had the love of his Aunt May and Uncle Ben, but he had no friends and no social life.
In 2021, Spider-Man has a lot of friends. He became roommates with one of his biggest bullies in Flash Thompson. He has a lot of friends to turn to in times of need and is far from the wallflower that the cruel kids called him in school.
Spider-Man Became A Team Player
When Peter Parker first gained his powers, he wanted to use them to find a way to help Aunt May pay the bills after his Uncle Ben's murder. He tried television appearances and even wrestling but finally chose to become a hero. That's when he approached the Fantastic Four about membership, only to leave when he learned they didn't pay.
Over the years, Spider-Man was never a team player, always the guy on his own, fighting to protect the streets. But that has changed. Spider-Man has been in the Avengers and the Fantastic Four. He has worked side-by-side with Wolverine and has his own team of spider-powered people by his side, as well.
Spider-Man Has Changed From A Teenage To Mentor
When Spider-Man first started, he was just a kid who barely knew what he was doing. He needed a lot of help, and that even played out in the MCU Spider-Man movies, with Iron Man taking an interest in mentoring a young Peter Parker. A lot of people took that role in the Marvel Comics world.
Now, Spider-Man is the mentor. Looking at his group of friends with spider powers, Spider-Man is the oldest. They all look up to him, from Miles Morales and Spider-Gwen to Silk and Spider-Girl. Peter Parker was even trusted to mentor a group of super-geniuses by Tony Stark, showing his transition from an irresponsible kid to a responsible adult.
Spider-Man's Dating Life
Almost nothing has changed more than Spider-Man's dating life. When the comics started, Peter Parker was a nerd, an outcast, and he had no idea how to talk to girls. The early comics gave some wish-fulfillment fantasies, with girls starting to pay attention to him, but he has come a long way over the years.
Spider-Man fell in love with Gwen Stacy, who died. He fell in love with and eventually married Mary Jane Watson. He even had flings with Black Cat and Captain Marvel. His confidence is at an entirely new level now.
Aunt May Has Become Stronger
When Spider-Man first appeared in comic books, his Aunt May and Uncle Ben raised him. Sadly, Ben died because Spider-Man wouldn't stop a criminal from escaping. After that, Peter did everything he could to help Aunt May. She was overwhelmed with bills and grew sickly. She also fainted anytime Spider-Man showed up.
That is not the Aunt May that Peter Parker knows now. She is no longer a helpless woman who needs her nephew to help her. She is someone who stands up to Peter, runs a homeless shelter, and is possibly stronger than even her nephew in the face of adversity.
Peter Parker's Business Sense
When Spider-Man got his start, he was a high school kid who had no job. He ended up setting up an automatic camera to take pictures of Spider-Man in action and sold them to the Daily Bugle. This helped Aunt May pay her bills.
However, Peter no longer needs to take photos to make a few bucks. He went on to become a high school teacher and even owned his own business at one point, even though that was partially thanks to Doctor Octopus.
Spider-Man's Spider-Totem
The biggest thing that has changed about Spider-Man is his origin. In the first appearance, a radioactive spider bit Peter Parker and turned him into Spider-Man. It was an accident and one that helped an awkward teenager become a superhero.
That wasn't what really happened. Instead, there are spider-powered heroes in every universe and they are all connected through the spider-totem. It was no longer an accident that caused Peter to become Spider-Man. It was all fated and his rise to power was meant to be.
Spider-Man Is Cursed
The most recent change to Spider-Man's life is the fact that he is cursed. The problem is that Spider-Man doesn't know it, and only Doctor Strange has any idea that the bad luck in Peter Parker's life is not coincidental. Mephisto has cursed Spider-Man and has always tried to ruin his life.
This is because Mephisto just revealed that it was Spider-Man's daughter who would one day defeat him just when he thought he had won it all. This is why Spider-Man made the deal with the devil and why Kindred rose to attack him. Mephisto wants to change his future and has to stop Spider-Man to do it.
Reconciling With J. Jonah Jameson
When Spider-Man first rose to prominence, he had a hard time getting the public and police to see him as a hero. This is because J. Jonah Jameson spent a lot of time telling anyone who read his paper that Spider-Man was a menace. Jameson wasn't a supervillain, but he was often Spider-Man's greatest enemy.
That all changed recently when Spider-Man finally unmasked and revealed to Jameson that he was Peter Parker, someone that Jameson always looked at like a son. The two are allies now, even though they are not always on the same page.
Spider-Man Is Less Moral
Spider-Man had one thing going for him once he decided to be a superhero. He was the guy who would always do the right thing. Even when someone hurt him greatly or killed someone he loved, he would take the high road every time. But he is not always that man anymore.
When it came to Venom, Spider-Man hated the symbiote so much that he even turned on his friend Flash Thompson when he wore the symbiote for the U.S. government. Recently, Spider-Man left Norman Osborn to die rather than save him and people will never forget him making a deal with the devil to save Aunt May.