Spider-Man is one of pop culture's biggest superheroes. He's always been one of Marvel's most popular characters, with only more recent arrivals like Wolverine even being close to him in popularity. Marvel was popular before Spider-Man, but the hero made the publisher a powerhouse and inspired countless characters that came after him. The Marvel Universe would be a very different place without the Wall-Crawler.
Spider-Man is the kind of character that has something for everyone to love. There are so many facets to the characters that make him one of the greats, both in-universe and for readers in the real world.
10 He Has The Best Catchphrase Ever
Catchphrases can be very important. Everyone knows Superman's, "Up, up, and away!" or Wolverine's "I'm the best there is at what I do." However, Spider-Man's has all of the others beat by a country mile. "With great power comes great responsibility" is the best catchphrase for a superhero ever. It perfectly encapsulates everything about Spider-Man in one sentence.
Beyond that, it's just a good thing for readers to learn. Stan Lee happened upon something magical when he came up with the phrase. It not only fit his new character to a tee, but it served as something that has inspired just about everyone who has heard it.
9 His Supporting Cast Is Nearly As Iconic As He Is
A comic character's supporting cast is always important, and Spider-Man has one of the best around. Aunt May is one of the best parental figures in comics, rivaling the Kents. Mary Jane and Gwen Stacy are huge parts of Marvel history. Robbie Robertson is the good boss and J. Jonah Jameson is the bad one.
Beyond that, there's been Betty Brant, Harry and Liz Osborn, the various girlfriends of the Brand New Day era, Black Cat, and so many more. Spider-Man's supporting cast has helped propel decades of stories, adding a lot to them.
8 He's Inspired A Legion Of Spider Heroes
The best comic characters have families of associated heroes. Batman and Superman both have their family of sidekicks, and on the Marvel side of things, Captain America and Wolverine both have their own associated characters. Spider-Man's Spider-Family greatly expanded in the 2010s. While there had always been Spider-Man-related heroes, recent years have seen them expand greatly.
Miles Morales is a perfect second Spider-Man and heroes like Ghost-Spider, Silk, and the various Spider-Verse Spider-Men and Women are great additions to the Spider-Man canon. Add OGs like Spider-Woman, Spider-Girl, and Venom, and Spider-Man has inspired heroes for years.
7 He's Survives Everything Thrown At Him With His Humor Intact
Over the years, a lot of terrible things have happened to Spider-Man. Readers have watched their favorite hero get put through the wringer and yet he always manages to keep being the Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man everyone loves. This is especially impressive in the modern-day comic industry, where every character is only an editorial decision away from going grimdark.
From an in-universe standpoint, it shows how strong of a person Peter is. He may get a little dark sometimes but his humor always survives. From a reader standpoint, it shows that Marvel understands what the fans want from Spider-Man and don't see any need to change things up.
6 He Makes Mistakes
Marvel's heroes make some pretty big mistakes. They're imperfect beings, which sets them apart from the often perfect heroes of their distinguished competition. If one goes back far enough into Silver Age Marvel history, this wasn't always the case, though. The early Avengers and Fantastic Four were heroic exemplars who only made plot-appropriate mistakes.
Spider-Man was quite different. Lee and artist/co-plotter Steve Ditko took a different approach to him. Spider-Man made the kind of mistakes that readers did and that echoed throughout the line. Spider-Man was a relatable hero and that made him a successful one, changing comics forever.
5 He's Grown Over The Years
The biggest comic characters aren't really known for changing very much. Icons like Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Iron Man, Thor, Cyclops, and more are all basically the same characters they've always been, with a few cosmetic changes that have more to do with changing societal mores than anything else. Spider-Man is quite different.
Spider-Man has changed a lot over the years. Part of this is because he started out as a teenager, so he's had to change, but he's also benefited from some of the best writers in the industry working on him. They've evolved the character and while some, notably former editor-in-chief Joe Quesada, used their power to regress the character to a version they're more comfortable with, most have tried to allow Spider-Man to grow.
4 His Tragedies Have Taught Readers How To Deal With Their Own Traumas
Marvel's heroes and dead family members go together like white on rice. Spider-Man knows this better than just about any other hero. His formative tragedy is the death of Uncle Ben, he lost his parents at a young age, and he's lost non-familial loved ones like it's going out of style. Readers get to experience all of that with him.
Fiction is a great teacher. By watching their favorite characters deal with grief, consumers of fiction are more prepared for when it happens to them. Spider-Man has taught decades of readers how to deal with the pain of loss over the years, something which has helped countless lives.
3 He Has The Best Costume In Comics
Spider-Man has some of the best costumes in comics in general, but none of them can compare to his main one. All of them use it for inspiration, though, and there's a good reason for that: it's the best costume in comics. Its red and blue coloration is eye-catching, the distinctive webbing a perfect design choice that never feels busy, and his mask is amazing, the large eyes working to somehow make a full face expressive.
Costumes are a very important part of any comic character, and Spider-Man's does the job perfectly. It's always been the best and while his other costumes are nice, the classic is still the best.
2 He Has Some Of The Best Villains In Comics
When it comes to iconic villains, few can stand up to Spider-Man. Spider-Man's villains run the gamut from tame to completely terrifying threats and they've informed decades of stories. If a hero is only as good as their villains, then that's high praise for Spider-Man indeed. Few heroes out there can hold a candle to Spider-Man on the villain front.
From icons like Green Goblin and Doctor Octopus to lesser-known but no less amazing ones like Morlun and Mr. Nobody, Spider-Man's foes have created threats that have kept the character at the top of the comic sales charts, giving movies, TV shows, and video games great threats as well.
1 He's A Trendsetter In The Marvel Universe
Few characters have changed the Marvel Universe to the extent Spider-Man has. The feet of clay approach that Lee and Ditko revolutionized with the character was only the beginning. Spider-Man is responsible for a lot of famous firsts in the Marvel Universe and there's no way to deny just how important he is to the history of Marvel.
Spider-Man set the trends that made other characters popular. His impact on Marvel made the publisher what they are today and comics all over the industry have copied aspects of Spider-Man in an attempt to steal some of his thunder. Spider-Man will always be one of comics' biggest trendsetters.