Spider-Man is Marvel's most popular and iconic superhero, and one of the biggest superheroes of all alongside DC's Batman and Superman. While he didn't build Marvel Comics at the start (that honor goes to the Fantastic Four), he is credited for having paved the way for Marvel to eventually usurp DC's top spot as the biggest comic book publisher in America. Spider-Man's comic books and adaptations over the last 60 years have had a profound impact on pop culture, that it's hard to imagine him not existing at all. But that could've easily been the case.
The POD here is that Stan Lee creates his concept of a non-sidekick teen superhero, which became Spider-Man, with Jack Kirby. Originally, Stan went to Jack (as he always does), and what they created was said to be of a teenage boy living with his grandparents that gained superpowers from a magical ring. Stan didn't like the direction it was going in, so he scrapped it, and went to Steve Ditko instead. Steve was the one who eventually created Spider-Man as we know him, with the spider-theme and science-based powers.
So in TTL, Stan continues to make this magic ring superhero idea with Jack and it becomes finalized. Spider-Man never comes into the fray. This was when Marvel Comics was really starting out, and getting momentum after Fantastic Four. Not having Spider-Man may not be a deal breaker, but it could prevent Marvel from reaching the same heights it did in OTL. I have a hard time imagining this character becoming as popular as Spider-Man was, just by the very nature of how big he became being almost impossible to replicate.
In order to understand how Spider-Man not existing would impact pop culture, consider this:
The POD here is that Stan Lee creates his concept of a non-sidekick teen superhero, which became Spider-Man, with Jack Kirby. Originally, Stan went to Jack (as he always does), and what they created was said to be of a teenage boy living with his grandparents that gained superpowers from a magical ring. Stan didn't like the direction it was going in, so he scrapped it, and went to Steve Ditko instead. Steve was the one who eventually created Spider-Man as we know him, with the spider-theme and science-based powers.
So in TTL, Stan continues to make this magic ring superhero idea with Jack and it becomes finalized. Spider-Man never comes into the fray. This was when Marvel Comics was really starting out, and getting momentum after Fantastic Four. Not having Spider-Man may not be a deal breaker, but it could prevent Marvel from reaching the same heights it did in OTL. I have a hard time imagining this character becoming as popular as Spider-Man was, just by the very nature of how big he became being almost impossible to replicate.
In order to understand how Spider-Man not existing would impact pop culture, consider this:
- Marvel Comics might still exist and have popularity, but without Spider-Man it likely wouldn't become a household name without their most iconic superhero.
- Also, without Spidey to act as a gateway for readers, other heroes may not reach the same popularity if they do exist (you know the saying, "a rising tide lifts all boats").
- Daredevil may not exist, since he was originally created to be like Spider-Man but as an adult. Daredevil became influential in his own right later on under Frank Miller. Said run also introduced Kingpin (a Spider-Man villain) as a Daredevil antagonist and soon he became his arch-enemy. Daredevil helped spawn Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as a parody, and Kingpin influenced Lex Luthor over at DC, among other things. All of that might be gone or altered with Spidey.
- Consider that many characters in Marvel were introduced off the pages of Spider-Man: The Punisher, Cloak & Dagger, Monica Rambeau, Speedball, Morbius, Silver Sable, and of course, Venom. None of these would exist.
- Spider-Man influenced many characters in fiction, and without that influence a lot of popular stories might be butterflied away.
- Spider-Man (2002) by Sam Raimi is said to have helped usher in the era of superhero films that would eventually lead to the MCU.
- Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse has become hugely influential to animation as of recently.
- Speaking of animation, all the animated series wouldn't exist like the '60s Spider-Man show, Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends, Spider-Man 1994, Spectacular Spider-Man and so on. Those are iconic in their own right.
- Without Spider-Man, you don't have the iconic rogues gallery comparable to Batman. No Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus, Mysterio, Rhino, Electro, Scorpion, Shocker, Vulture etc.
