History Quotes / SpiderMan

-->--''[[https://youtu.be/OfT2lq-m8QU When I Swing By]]'', '''Music/MiracleOfSound'''

-> Unto themselves, [[UsefulNotes/TheDarkAgeOfComicBooks the 1990s]] were hardly [[AudienceAlienatingEra the best era]] for Spider-Man comics. Despite [[HopeSpot a number of classic and character-defining stories greeting the beginning of the decade by the likes of writers]] J.M. [=DeMatteis=] or even David Michelinie (on his better days), that era was plagued for years by [[NetworkDecay Marvel resisting the simple conceit]] that Peter Parker was designed by Creator/StanLee and Creator/SteveDitko to grow and evolve. And [[ComicBookTime however slowly that has continually happened for the perpetually 20-something character]], [[CharacterDevelopment it nevertheless did happen]]. After creating the high school character in [[BrieferThanTheyThink 1962, both Lee and Ditko were still on board when the web-slinger graduated in 1965]]. By 1978, he was out of college. [[NewJobAsThePlotDemands Eventually he found several career paths]], [[TragicDropout a brief and failed stint as a graduate student]], and even settled down with longtime flame, ComicBook/MaryJaneWatson...For any Millennial born during or after 1987 (including this writer), Peter Parker and Mary Jane Parker were always a couple, and even during the worst stories, that was their strength. And few stories could be worse than the time that Marvel, or more precisely then [[UsefulNotes/MarvelComicsEditorsInChief Editor-in-Chief]] Creator/JoeQuesada, finally freed themselves from the marriage in ''ComicBook/OneMoreDay''...If you haven’t read the actual miniseries, it’s not as bad as it sounds; it’s much worse...The old Marvel adage is that writing comic books is about creating '[[FleetingDemographicRule the illusion of change]].' Yet, unlike almost any other superhero, Peter Parker changed rapidly throughout his comic book career [[ComingOfAgeStory from boy to man]], [[TookALevelInBadass from amateur to professional]], and finally [[HappilyMarried from single to husband]].

-> "As for Mary Jane, I am sure her creator Creator/StanLee himself [[DidntSeeThatComing never]] [[BreakoutCharacter calculated]] [[SpotlightStealingSquad her potential to be so immense]]. A character who started out as a playful distraction blossoming into one of the very best supporting characters in superhero comics? Especially a character who was a non-superpowered young girl? [[SeinfeldIsUnfunny Unheard of in the early 70s]]! And yet, Creator/GerryConway realized just how much promise MJ Watson--a fresh off [[UsefulNotes/{{Feminism}} the Second Wave]] take on women's representation in a predominantly male targeted medium, had. He sensed she was too good and unique a personality to be marginalized [[MyRealDaddy and made his decision]] to give her a much more substantial and important role in the Spidey mythos."

-> The biggest problem -- in the future -- would be that it would be [[FleetingDemographicRule hard to play some of these same notes again]]; that "Aunt May is too fragile to handle the truth about Peter being Spider-Man" or that "Peter needs to protect his secret identity in order to protect his loved ones" when we've seen both of those played out in print. [[ComicBook/BrandNewDay In the latest issue -- out this week -- there's a bad guy who is on the trail of figuring out who Spider-Man is]]. How much suspense is there when, just two weeks ago, [[ComicBook/CivilWar Spider-Man's identity being public knowledge was the status quo]]? After the marriage and the efforts made to undo it, why should we, as readers, believe any relationship he has in the future will ever lead to him getting married again? [[StatusQuoIsGod They're pretty much told the readers]] that Peter's life is never going to progress past a certain point.

-->--''ComicBook/TheAmazingSpiderManNickSpencer'' #5

[[HurtingHero So much is gone]]\\

-->-- '''Peter Parker''', ''Amazing Fantasy #15'' Written by Creator/StanLee (1962)

''Okay, world — Better hang onto your hat! Here comes the '''Spider-Man'''!''

'''Peter Parker''': "[[ILetGwenStacyDie She knows]] [[ItsNotYouItsMyEnemies better]] [[TheConfidant than anyone else]] what [[KeepTheHomeFiresBurning she's getting into]]--[[TrueLoveIsExceptional and she still wants me]]! How could I possibly [[OneTruePairing turn down someone like that]]? [[TheyDo I do]]."

-->-- Character's first word-balloons, on the cover of [[ComicBook/AmazingFantasyNumberFifteen Amazing Fantasy #15]], written by Creator/StanLee (1962)