Peter Parker: Spider-Man #1

History

Writer Howard Mackie, a Marvel veteran who had shepherded Spider-Man titles through the Clone Saga, was tapped to write both relaunched Spider-Man monthlies simultaneously in January 1999, making him the sole architect of the new status quo across the line. John Romita Jr. handled pencils for the main story, with Andy Smith supplying art for a secondary backup tale; editor Ralph Macchio oversaw the package. The relaunch was positioned as a deliberate 'back to basics' course correction — restoring a sickly Aunt May, souring the public on Spider-Man, and keeping Peter behind the camera rather than in the suit — running alongside John Byrne's concurrent Spider-Man: Chapter One miniseries, which was retelling the character's origin for a modern audience.

Trivia · 8 facts

• Published January 1999 by Marvel Comics as the first issue of Peter Parker: Spider-Man vol. 2, which ran for 57 issues through August 2003.
• Written by Howard Mackie; penciled by John Romita Jr. (main story) and Andy Smith (backup); inked by Scott Hanna and Jimmy Palmiotti; edited by Ralph Macchio.
• The series is a direct relaunch of the Spider-Man (1990) series — the title that Todd McFarlane originally launched — and is the first volume to carry 'Peter Parker: Spider-Man' as its official indicia title, not merely a cover logo.
• The issue features three distinct segments: the main story 'Power Without Responsibility!' in which a retired-from-superheroics Peter Parker photographs a new, unidentified Spider-Man; 'The Scintillating Spider-Man Scrapbook,' a pencil-art reference gallery of supporting characters and key locations by Romita Jr.; and 'Memories,' a short backup story by Mackie and Andy Smith exploring Peter Parker's lonely childhood in Queens.
• First appearance of Ranger, a terrorist whose escape attempt by the Agents of Anarchy opens the main story, and of Senator Stewart Ward, an enigmatic political figure whose connection to Ranger sets up a multi-issue mystery.
• Ben Parker appears only in flashback within the 'Memories' backup story.
• The issue was published in three distinct cover editions: a Direct Edition with wraparound cover by Romita Jr. and Hanna, a Newsstand Edition with the same wraparound cover, a Sunburst variant cover, and a Dynamic Forces limited edition cover.
• The main story from this issue has been reprinted at least four times: in Spider-Man (Hjemmet/Egmont, 1999) #6/1999; Spider-Man: The Next Chapter (Marvel, 2011) #1; Best Comics: Spider-Man (Panini France, 2011) #5; and Spider-Man Firsts (Marvel, 2014).

Cast · 10 characters

Full credits

Key issues in Peter Parker: Spider-Man

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#11 1st appearance — Stonecutter

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#16 1st appearance — Squid

Variants (3)