Spider-Man (Peter Parker) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is a modernized, alternate universe counterpart of Spider-Man, a superhero first created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko in 1962. The Ultimate version of the character is significantly younger than the original and was created for Ultimate Marvel, a line of comic books launched in 2000 that is set in a parallel universe (dubbed "Earth-1610") from the main continuity of Marvel Comics stories, which began in the 1960s.
Ultimate Spider-Man, the first and flagship title of the Ultimate line, was created by writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Mark Bagley and debuted in September 2000, featuring the first appearance of the Ultimate version of Peter Parker. Based on the original Earth-616 incarnation of the character, this version has a similar origin story, being bitten by a genetically-mutated spider, which gives him superhuman spider-like abilities. Inspired to fight crime after the murder of his Uncle Ben, Peter creates the masked superhero persona of Spider-Man. The most significant difference between this incarnation of Peter and the original is the character's age; the Ultimate version becomes Spider-Man at the age of 16, and his superhero career spans only one year in-universe, being killed in the 2011 storyline "The Death of Spider-Man", which ended the original Ultimate Spider-Man run.
Following Peter's death, a new incarnation of Spider-Man in the Ultimate universe, Miles Morales, was introduced in Ultimate Fallout #4 (August 2011). After the events of the 2015–2016 Secret Wars storyline, Miles and his family were retconned into the history of Earth-616, while the Peter Parker of Earth-1610 was resurrected and resumed his role as Spider-Man. To differentiate him from other incarnations of the character, the Peter Parker of this universe is commonly dubbed Ultimate Spider-Man.
Fictional character biography At around the age of six, Peter Parker was orphaned after the death of his parents in a plane crash and was raised by his father's brother, Ben Parker, and his wife May. Nine years later, Peter grew to be an exceptionally bright teen and a high school genius, being particularly skilled in physics and chemistry. However, he was also an introverted outcast among his peers and was frequently bullied and tormented by Fred "Flash" Thompson and Kenny "King Kong" McFarlane. On a school field trip to the scientific corporation Oscorp, he was bitten by a genetically-mutated spider, which gave him spider-like superhuman abilities. The head of Oscorp, Norman Osborn, discovered this and experimented with the same mutagen injected within the spider's bloodstream on himself, but the experiment went awry, mutating him into a monstrous, green-coloured and hulking goblin-like creature later known as the Green Goblin.
After discovering his new abilities, Peter used his powers for personal gain, like his standard counterpart, to financially support his family as a professional wrestler and to become popular by becoming the school's top basketball player thanks to his enhanced spider-powers. However, he began to selfishly utilise his abilities and started to act irresponsibly, which adversely affected his studies and behavior, all of which worried his aunt and uncle. Peter was later fired from his job as a wrestler under suspicions that he was responsible for a recent robbery, much to his chagrin and disappointment. Later that night, as he was walking to his house, he encountered an armed robber escaping from a nearby convenience store, but refused to stop him out of spite and continued to walk home. After returning home and having a heated argument with his aunt and uncle over his failing grades and increasingly reckless nature, Peter ran away from home out of anger. After regretting his argument with his aunt and uncle, he returned home intending to apologise and reveal his spider-powers to them, but upon arriving, he saw a police car and an ambulance parked outside his house, and to his horror, he discovered that Uncle Ben had been murdered by an armed thief. Fueled with rage and a thirst for vengeance, a masked Peter hunted down his uncle's killer. After cornering the criminal within an abandoned warehouse, Peter managed to subdue him and found out, to his shock, that the killer was the same robber whom he refused to stop earlier that night. He then handed over the killer to the arriving police. Guilt-ridden, Peter vowed to follow his uncle's motto, "with great power comes great responsibility", and became the masked vigilante Spider-Man in order to utilise his spider-powers for a noble purpose and to atone for his uncle's death.Ultimate Spider-Man #1–5. Marvel Comics.
In his first year as Spider-Man, Peter encountered the Green Goblin, who later disappeared into the river below the Brooklyn Bridge, following his defeat.Ultimate Spider-Man #7. Marvel Comics. Peter Parker later got a job as a web designer for the Daily Bugle upon being hired by J. Jonah Jameson, the snarky and cynical editor of the Daily Bugle, who disliked Spider-Man and constantly ran defamatory smear campaigns against the vigilante.Ultimate Spider-Man #8. Marvel Comics. Later, he confessed his identity to his classmate, crush and childhood friend: Mary Jane Watson and they formed a close romantic relationship.Ultimate Spider-Man #13. Marvel Comics. Peter Parker later met Gwen Stacy, which initially put pressure on Spider-Man's current relationship with Mary Jane Watson. This issue was later resolved and the three became good friends.Ultimate Spider-Man #14. Marvel Comics.
After being defeated by Spider-Man in a sudden reappearance, the Green Goblin was apprehended and incarcerated in the Triskelion alongside Doctor Octopus, Electro, Kraven the Hunter, and Sandman. They escaped from the Triskelion and formed the Ultimate Six. When the Green Goblin threatened to harm Aunt May, Spider-Man reluctantly allied with the Ultimate Six and they attacked the White House. When Captain America confirmed that Aunt May is safe, Spider-Man assisted the Ultimates in fighting the Ultimate Six.Ultimate Six #1–7. Marvel Comics.
In a later encounter with Nick Fury, Spider-Man learned that Nick Fury learned his secret identity upon finding evidence including footage of the spider that bit Peter Parker and the fact that Doctor Octopus was ranting in his cell about Peter Parker being Spider-Man.Ultimate Spider-Man #100. Marvel Comics.
During the "Ultimatum" storyline, Peter and those in his life survived the Ultimatum Wave caused by Magneto, with Peter helping save civilians.Ultimatum #1. Marvel Comics. While Spider-Man was doing heroic acts, J. Jonah Jameson started publishing his heroic acts. While working with the Hulk, Spider-Man found the body of Daredevil, who became one of the casualties of the Ultimatum Wave. When the two of them arrived at the ruins of the Sanctum Sanctorum, Spider-Man and the Hulk found a rift open where Dormammu and different demons were emerging while Doctor Strange was possessed by Nightmare. When the Hulk caused an explosion during the fight, Spider-Man was caught in the explosion.Ultimate Spider-Man #131–133. Marvel Comics. Following the death of Magneto, the Ultimates found Spider-Man unconscious while searching for survivors.Ultimatum #6. Marvel Comics.
As Spider-Man was no longer having problems with the police following the Ultimatum Wave incident, Peter Parker had to take a temporary job at the Burger Frog when the Daily Bugle was temporarily shut down during the Ultimatum Wave incident.Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #1. Marvel Comics.
During "The Death of Spider-Man" storyline, Spider-Man learns that Norman Osborn has reformed the Ultimate Six with Vulture replacing Spider-Man. While searching for them following Doctor Octopus' death, Spider-Man throws himself in front of Captain America when he is targeted by Punisher and is shot in his place. After dressing the wound, Spider-Man battles the Ultimate Six, who injure him further. Before Electro can attack Spider-Man, Aunt May shoots him, causing him to discharge energy that knocks out Kraven the Hunter, Sandman, and Vulture. Spider-Man and the Green Goblin continue their fight, which leads to them mortally wounding each other.Ultimate Spider-Man #156–160. Marvel Comics.
Sometime later, under unknown circumstances, Peter awakens in an abandoned laboratory and makes his way back to New York City. To investigate if he is still dead, he and Mary Jane go to his grave, learning that somebody dug his body out of his grave. Not wanting to surprise Aunt May, Peter goes to retrieve his web-shooters from Miles Morales' apartment, only for Miles to enter his room. The two of them fight over the part of telling Aunt May, which leads to a short scuffle ending with Peter knocking Miles out and making off with his web-shooters. After the also-resurrected Green Goblin ambushes Miles in Queens, Peter comes to his aid, finally clad in his old costume. Peter's intervention to stop the Green Goblin from killing Miles surprises those who witness his return. It is later discovered that the OZ Formula that gave Peter and Norman Osborn their powers also made them seemingly immortal. Once the Green Goblin is defeated, Detective Maria Hill shoots him and immolates his body. Peter retires as Spider-Man and gives his web-shooters to Miles, as well as his blessing to uphold the Spider-Man mantle. Bidding farewell to Aunt May and Gwen, Peter and Mary Jane leave New York to find out how he came back to life.Miles Morales: Ultimate Spider-Man #1–7. Marvel Comics.
Following the Secret Wars storyline, the Ultimate Universe is restored and Peter resumes the mantle of Spider-Man, as Miles now resides in the prime universe. After helping the Ultimates fight and detain the Green Goblin once more, Peter attends a party to welcome Kenny McFarlane home from army service.Spider-Men II #5. Marvel Comics
Other versions In November 2023, writer Jonathan Hickman and artist Marco Chechetto announced they would be relaunching the Ultimate Universe under the new designation of Earth-6160. Following the events of Ultimate Invasion, the Maker created a new universe completely devoid of superheroes, having gone back in time and personally prevented the origins of several famous heroes. One such hero was Peter Parker, whose spider bite at the Oscorp Research Facility was prevented by the Maker.
Years later, following a terrorist attack that killed hundreds of civilians (most notably the Aunt May and Norman Osborn of this world), an older Peter, now married to Mary Jane Watson with two children named Richard and May, is visited by a hologram of Tony Stark, who presents Peter with the same spider the Maker had captured nearly twenty years earlier. Providing him with a synthetic stealth suit, Stark's message encourages Peter to let the spider bite him and transform him into the hero he was destined to be before the Maker took that away from him. This leads into the events of the Ultimate Spider-Man series, written by Hickman and illustrated by Chechetto, which ran from January 2024 to February 2026.
In other media Television Before Spider-Man: The New Animated Series became a loose continuation of Sam Raimi's 2002 Spider-Man film (see below), the series was originally going to be a direct adaptation of the Ultimate Spider-Man comics, with Brian Michael Bendis as a producer. Elements of Ultimate Peter Parker / Spider-Man and his universe are used in The Spectacular Spider-Man, such as Peter Parker and his friends being teenagers in high school, his personal relationship with Eddie Brock, and Spider-Man bonding with the Venom symbiote while it was kept in a secured lab. The character Kenny Kong is based on Kong from the Ultimate series, a friend of Flash Thompson.