Richard Gilmore

Richard 'Ritchie' Gilmore was a college wrestling star who received the Prodigy costume and identity from Spider-Man, becoming the de facto leader of the Slingers, a teen team assembled around four identities Peter Parker had briefly used undercover.

Richard Gilmore made his Marvel debut in 1998's Slingers #0, brought to life by Joseph Harris and Adam Pollina at the tail end of the Copper Age — and he's been quietly threading his way through the Marvel Universe ever since. With a publishing history stretching nearly three decades, he's the kind of character who rewards the dedicated reader, turning up across landmark titles like Avengers: The Initiative and Fear Itself: Youth in Revolt alongside heavy hitters like Spider-Man, Captain America, and Wolverine. His roots in Slingers — one of the more distinctive ensemble launches of the late '90s — give him a genuine collector's pedigree, and 42 catalog appearances across 28 years speaks to a staying power that goes well beyond a one-issue wonder. If you love discovering the connective tissue of the Marvel Universe, Richard Gilmore is exactly the kind of figure worth tracking down.