Like costumed heroes?
Confidentially, we in the comic mag business refer to
them as "long underwear characters"!
And, as you know, they're a dime a dozen!
But, we think you may find our spider-man just a bit different!
"Say, gang, we need one more guy for the dance! How
about =PeterParker over there?"
"Are you kiddin'? That bookworm wouldn't know a cha-cha from a waltz!"
"=PeterParker? He's =Midtown High's only professional wallflower!"

As you may have gathered, =PeterParker was far from being the
biggest man on campus! But, his uncle =Ben thought he was a pretty
special lad.
"You're not foolin' me, =Petey!" I know you're awake and it's time for school!"
"Gosh, uncle =Ben you're worse than a room full of alarm clocks!"
As for =Pete's aunt =May, she thought the sun rose and set upon her nephew!
"I cooked your favorite breakfast, =Petey -- wheatcakes!"
"Don't fatten him up too much, dear! I can hardly out wrestle him now!"
The faculty at =Midtown High was also fond of the cleancut hard working
honor student!
"Keep up the good work, =Parker, and you're sure to rate a scholarship
when you graduate!"
"I'll do my best, sir!"
But, alas, other teenagers can sometimes, unwittingly, be so very cruel to
a shy young man.
"=Sally, I, eh, was wondering if you're busy tonight?"
"=Peter, for the umpteenth time, you're just not my type."
"not when dream boats like =FlashThompson are around!"
"I admire your good taste, doll! Get lost bookworm!"
"Look, there's a great new exhibit at the science hall tonight!
Would any of you like to go with me?"
"Science hall! Hah!"
"You stick to science, son! We'll take the chicks!"
Yes, for some, being a teenager has many heart-breaking moments!
"See you around, bookworm!"
"Give our regards to the atom smashers, =Peter!"
"Some day I'll show them. Some day they'll be sorry! Sorry that they laughed at me!"
Science Exhibit Experiments in Radioactivity Open to the Public Room 30.
And a few minutes later, =PeterParker forgets the taunts of his classmates as
he is transported to another world -- the fascinating world of atomic science!
"And now for a demonstration of how we can control radioactive rays here in the laboratory."
But as the experiment begins, no one notices a tiny spider descending from the
ceiling on an almost invisible strand of web.
A spider whom fate has given a starring, if brief, role to play in the drama we call life!
Accidentally absorbing a fantastic amount of radioactivity, the dying insect, in
sudden shock, bites the nearest living thing, at the split second before life ebbs from its
radioactive body!
Ow!
"A a spider! It bit me! But why is it burning so? Why is it glowing that way?"
"My head -- it feels strange! I I need some air!"
"Looks as though our experiment unnerved young =Parker!"
"Too bad! He must have a weak stomach!"
"What's happening to me? I feel -- different! As though my entire body is
charged with some sort of fantastic energy!"
"Honk! Honk!"
Wrapped in his thoughts, =Peter doesn't hear the auto which narrowly misses him, until the last instant!
And then, unnoticed by the riders, he unthinkingly leaps to safety -- but what a leap it is!
"That was one egghead who won't daydream any more when he crosses a street!"
"You can say that again!"

"What's come over me? I I'm scaling this wall just as easily as I can walk!"
"Mommy! Look at the man walking up the side of a building!"
"That's the last horror movie I take you to, young man!"
"It's incredible! I reached the roof in just a few seconds!"
"What's this? I crushed this steel pipe as though it were paper!"
"It's the spider! It has to be! Somehow -- in some miraculous way, his bite
has transferred his own power -- to me!"
"I can walk down this cable as effortlessly as the spider itself can glide along its web!"
"I I've got to have time to think! I've got to plan what to do with this unbelievable
ability which fate has given me!"
A few minutes later.
"Hmmm this will be a good chance to test my power again!"
=$100 to the man who can stay in the ring three minutes with crusher =Hogan.
Filled with excitement, =Pete races back home and,
"I'll put on some old clothes, and leave my glasses here! But -- what if I fail?
I don't want to be a laughingstock! I I'll find some way to disguise myself!"

A few minutes later, "I'll try for that hundred dollars, =crusher!"
"Well, well! If it ain't a little masked marvel! Step up, sucker!"
"Now just relax, shorty! I'll try to make this as painless as possible!"
"It works! I have the speed, the agility, the very strength of a gigantic spider!"
"Hey!"
"Put me down! You win! You win!"
"You -- you're not human! Nobody can do that!"
"Wanna bet?"
"Greatest act I've ever seen!"
"Sensational! Fantastic! And that mask gimmick gives him just the right touch
of mystery. He was terrific!"
"Hmmm, that masked character may be just what I've been looking for!"

"Listen, friend. I'm a TV producer! With that act of yours I can make you a fortune!
And keep the mask angle -- it's great showmanship! Here's my card! Call me! You'd
be a smash on =EdSullivan's show!
"Thanks."
Later, at home again, "showmanship? He hasn't seen anything yet! Since I have
the powers of a spider, I'll design myself a spider costume! And -- oh, hi, Aunt =May!"
"You look a little tired, =Petey, so we brought you some crackers and milk!"
"Crackers and milk! Bless 'em -- if they only knew!"
"Now, let's see -- a spider needs a web! This little device should just do the trick!"
"I'll fasten one to each arm -- it'll operate by the slightest pressure of any finger!"
"I'll need a name -- well, guess =Spider-man is as good as any! Looks pretty good, if
I do say so myself!"
"So they laughed at me for being a bookworm, eh? Well, only a science major could have
created a device like this!"
"With some strong liquid cement at the end, I can pull myself up anywhere with my little web!"
"And my costume is thin enough to wear, unseen, under my street clothes!"
"Okay, world -- better hang onto your hat! Here comes the =Spider-man."

Part 2

Now anybody with the intelligence of a seven year old knows that it a man
appeared on TV who seemed to be more spider than human, he'd be an overnight
sensation! Especially when his feats were performed without the help of trick
photography! Well, you can just imagine how the public reacted to =spider-man.
"I'm seein' it with my own eyes, and I still don't believe it."
Sure they look amazed, incredulous, awestricken! Wouldn't you?
After all, when was the last time you saw a man with his own fantastic spider web?
"Okay, =spider-man -- cut! That's enough! Don't show 'em too much! Leave 'em beggin' for more!"

As his first TV spectacular ends, =PeterParker breathes the first sweet
scent of fame and success!
"I'm from =Life! We'll pay any price for a picture spread!"
"Sign with me! I'll put you in the movies!"
"Wait! We want an interview!"
"See my agent, boys! I'm busy!"
"Whew! Rid of 'em at last! Hey! What's goin' on?"
"Stop! Thief! Stop him! If he makes it to the elevator, he'll get away!"
"Made it!"
"I'm safe now! The cop can never get down to the lobby as fast as I can
in this high-speed express elevator! Lucky that goon in a costume didn't stop me!"
"What's with you, mister? All you hadda do was trip him, or hold him just for a minute!"
"Sorry, pal! That's your job! I'm thru being pushed around -- by anyone! From now
on I just look out for number one -- that means -- me!"
"I oughtta run you in ---."
"Save your breath, buddy! I've got things to do!"
And a few hours later, "=Peter, you know that microscope you've always wanted? Your
uncle and I bought it for you this afternoon!"
"Gosh, that's terrific!"
"You're the greatest family any fella ever had!"
"They're the only ones who've ever been kind to me! I'll see to it
that they're always happy, but the rest of the world can go hang for all I care!"

In the days that follow, the =spider-man becomes the sensation of the nation!
And, one evening as =PeterParker returns home from a personal appearance, "A police
car! In front of our house! What can be wrong?"
"Bad news, son -- your uncle has been shot -- murdered!"
"Uncle =Ben -- dead! No! No, it can't be!"
"Who did it? Who shot him?"
"It was a burglar -- your uncle surprised him! But don't worry, lad!
We've got him trapped! He's in the old =Acme warehouse at the waterfront!
We'll get him!"
"Your aunt is next door -- the neighbors are looking after her! Wait."
"I've got to go! I've got to get him!"
"I know the old =Acme warehouse! It's been deserted for years!
A killer could hold off an army in that gloomy, old place!"
"But he won't hold off -- =spider-man!"

"The warehouse is at the other side of town but I'll be there in no time!"
Meanwhile, "He's in there somewhere. But he'll pick us off like flies if we charge him!"
"All I gotta do is hold 'em off till the moon goes down. Then I oughtta be able
to slip away in the dark!"
"You'll never escape again, murderer!"
"Huh? What the?"
"Surprised to see me?"
"Not half so surprised as you're going to be!"
"Gotta get away! Gotta hide! I must be seein' things!"

"There's no place on earth where you can hide from me!"
"First, my web will relieve you of your gun!"
"And then my fists will do the rest!"
"That that face! It's -- oh, no, it can't be!"
"It's the fugitive who ran past me! The one I didn't stop when I had the chance!"
"I hate to do it, but we'll have to rush him now! Can't take a chance of
him slipping by in the dark!"
"Captain -- look!"
"It's him!"
"On a -- spider's web!"
And, a short distance away, "My fault -- all my fault!  If only I had stopped him
when I could have! But I didn't -- and now -- uncle =Ben is dead."
And a lean, silent figure slowly fades into the gathering darkness, aware
at last that in this world, with great power there must also come -- great
responsibility!
And so a legend is born and a new name is added to the roster of those
who make the world of fantasy the most exciting realm of all!