Marvel's Spider-Man has one of the most instantly recognizable costumes in comics. The web-slinger's red and blue ensemble is among the greatest comic book costumes ever as it's relative simplicity is iconic and remains striking to this day. However, Spider-Man's costume might have been a completely different color if it was up to the character's co-creator Steve Ditko.

Peter Parker first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15 by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. The street-level superhero was immediately a hit and over time, he's become one of the most popular (if not the most popular) comic book characters ever created. But, in a recent interview about Spider-Man's creation, it was revealed that he might have been orange and purple if the original design by Ditko was used.

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Rich Johnston of BleedingCool.com pointed out that in an interview with Forbidden Planet, BBC presenter (and massive Spider-Man fan) Jonathan Ross talked about his time spent with Ditko before his passing in 2018. Ross, who's 2007 documentary In Search of Steve Ditko focused on the legendary Spider-Man artist, said that when he was discussing the hero's first appearance, he mentioned that the colors of the character were originally intended to be strikingly different.

Amazing Fantasy 15 Header

I said look, I might go and try and visit Steve just for the hell of it. I've got the crew with me, and he said okay, I'll come along. So we went together and we went upstairs. I had that pile of books from me which I've been using in the interviews a little bit to talk about, you know, some stuff that didn't get used. So I said that Steve, I said 'have you got any old work, do you want you want this? I offered him the Amazing Fantasy #15. He went oh, and he looked at it, he told me 'you know they got the colours wrong.' I said what do you mean? He said 'well, when I drew that, when I came up with that costume, I wrote that he should be orange and purple.' And I think… I  might have imagined this next bit. He might have said there's another guy who's blue and red which we assume was Superman.

But maybe he didn't say that maybe we talked about that afterwards you know, but he definitely said it was orange and purple.

Ross said that Ditko told him he was sure that the purple and orange color scheme would have been popular, but admitted he wasn't sure why it was actually rejected. Ditko is said to have cited possible printing issues with the different colors and the cheap paper as being possible reasons the original colors were axed.

It's unclear how Spider-Man's popularity would have changed if his costume was orange and purple instead of red and blue. But, what is clear, is that Ditko and Lee's final product in Amazing Fantasy #15 was the perfect look for Spider-Man. It's crazy to think that the character's popularity might not exist today if Ditko's alleged color scheme was originally used. Thankfully, things worked out and Spider-Man is still as relevant nearly 60 years after he initially debuted in the comics.

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Source: BleedingCool.com