10 Amazing Comic Books That Should Have Flopped
2. Amazing Fantasy #15
What was Stan Lee thinking? He created a hero based on one of the most universally reviled creatures in the animal world, a spider. And his hero would be a teenager in a time when teenagers were only sidekicks. Furthermore, the character would have regular “human” problems: money worries, family issues, relationship problems, anxiety, self-doubt, and other psychological concerns. Along with artist Steve Ditko, Lee created Peter Parker, the Amazing Spider-Man.
Despite having serious misgivings about the character, Marvel Comics publisher Martin Goodman allowed Stan Lee to run the Spider-Man story in Amazing Fantasy #15. A primary reason for this was because the series, titled Amazing Adult Fantasy except for this issue, was being canceled anyway. So, there was nothing to lose. Amazing Fantasy #15 became the highest-selling Marvel comic at the time. Seven months later, Amazing Spider-Man #1 was published.
Spider-Man went on to spectacular success. He became the flagship character for Marvel in the same way that Superman is for DC, and he has appeared in multiple comics, newspaper strips, live-action television and cartoons, and three different series of blockbuster films. The character’s first live-action appearance was on the PBS series The Electric Company from 1974-1977 where he spoke in comic-style word balloons. His mantra “with great power, there must also come great responsibility” has become part of the lexicon.