Spider-Man : Star Of The Week


Real name: Peter Parker
Occupation: Freelance photographer, high-school teacher
Base of operations: New York City
First appearance: Amazing Fantasy (1962)

Height: 5'10"
Weight: 165 lbs.
Eye colour: Hazel
Hair colour: Brown

Powers: Spider-Man possesses superhuman strength, reflexes and equilibrium; the ability to cling to most surfaces; and a sixth sense that warns him of impending danger.

Weapons: Spider-Man's wrist-mounted web-shooters discharge thin strands of web-fluid at high pressure. On contact with air, the long-chain polymer knits and forms an extremely tough, flexible fibre with extraordinary adhesive qualities.

History: Orphaned when his parents were killed in a plane crash, Peter Parker went to live with his Uncle Ben and Aunt May. During a public exhibition on radiation, an irradiated arachnid fell on his hand, bit him and died. Peter soon began to manifest strange, spider-like abilities.

Speed:
As well as gaining the strength of a spider, Peter also inherited the arachnid's swift speed. He can move and react several times faster than an ordinary human. His relfexes allow him to dodge a bullet (if far enough away), and coupled with his uncanny spider-sense, gives him a definite advantage in dangerous situations. Very rarely is Spider-Man surprised or unaware in a fight, now matter how sneaky or devious the villan is.

Grip:
Spider-Man's most helpful ability in his crusade against evil is the Spider's natural ability to walk on walls and ceilings. When Peter was leaving the laboratory experiment where he was bitten, he walked in the path of a car. Out of fear, he leapt into the air and attached himself against the wall of a building. Spider-Man is at home on the sides of skyscrapers in New York, and this unique power lets him crawl pretty much anywhere he wants.
His spider-grip lets him get into all kinds of places, like air vents and elevator shafts. He often uses his "grip" to hide in corners and on ceilings, dropping in at the most opportune time. His ability to adhere to surfaces helps him avoid deadly falls as well. Spidey can attach himself to basically anything, including moving objects like trucks and the bottoms of bat-gliders. He can also use this power to hold objects and things.

Spider-Sense:
This ability has saved Spidey umpteen million times in the heat of battle. It is an extended danger sense, and it gives Peter an itching feeling at the base of his skull whenever danger is near. The scope of this power is enormous, and aids him in both everyday and combat situaions. The sensation this power gives him helps him to 'focus-in' on the source of the danger. It acts like radar, guiding him if he's stricken blind , or plunged into darkness.
Spider-Man's sense also warns him of potential danger, such as a hidden weapon or a disguised enemy. It alerts him of other types of danger as well, including times where his secret identity is at risk, or crumbling ceilings, creaky floors when he is trying to be silent. His spider-tracers run on the same frequency as his spider-sense, freeing him from having to use a tracking device. His Spider-Sense will warn him of all threats, even those that are not particularly deadly (snowballs, swatting brooms, etc.).
As mentioned above, the greatest advantage of the spider-sense is that it is used in conjucntion with his other abilities. Most times Spider-Man can react on instinct alone, helping him to avoid a barrage of bullets or other rapid attacks. Often, he doesn't even need to think about impending danger, his reflexes will do the job for him.

After discovering these powers, Peter appears in a televised wrestling match and, armed with his new spider strength, wins the match in record time. But the wrestling match promoter refuses to award Peter the $3,000 prize money, alleging that Peter won too quickly. Soon afterwards, Peter has the opportunity to catch a burglar fleeing from the promoter's office, but because he wants revenge, he refuses to stop him. Moments later, the same burglar kills his beloved Uncle Ben.

As Spider-Man, Peter apprehends the burglar but is plagued with guilt for not being a hero sooner. During his time of turmoil, Peter remembers something Uncle Ben once told him: "With great power, comes great responsibility." Peter takes this to heart and decides to use his extraordinary powers to fight crime.
Meanwhile, he would earn a living selling photographs of Spider-Man in action to the Bugle. Jameson's attempts to influence the public's perception of Spider-Man have waned due to positive word-of-mouth support for the wall-crawler's activities. Although he remains a controversial figure, Spidey has faced and thwarted a vast number of costumed criminals in the New York City area -- including the Kingpin, the Vulture, Electro, the Sandman, Mysterio, Dr. Octopus, the Green Goblin, Kraven the Hunter, the Scorpion, the Rhino, Venom and Carnage.
Peter's costumed career has had its share of ups and downs. His first love, Gwen Stacy, died during a battle between Spider-Man and the Green Goblin. Peter has lost other friends, as well -- including Harry Osborn, son and successor of Norman Osborn, the original Green Goblin; and police Captain George Stacy, Gwen's father. Peter's marriage to Mary Jane Watson often was troubled by his crime fighting actives, and the two have separated. But through all his trials, he has remained steadfast in his determination to use his powers for the benefit of all.

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