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Characters & first appearances

What is the first appearance of Spider-Man?

Published Sep 14, 2026 · Updated Sep 14, 2026 · 1 min read

Short answerSpider-Man first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15, cover-dated August 1962, in an 11-page origin story by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko with a cover by Jack Kirby and Ditko. It was the final issue of the anthology. The Amazing Spider-Man #1 followed in March 1963. Amazing Fantasy #15 is the most valuable Silver Age comic: a CGC 9.6 copy sold for 3.6 million dollars at Heritage Auctions in September 2021.

The issue

Amazing Adult Fantasy, a Lee–Ditko science-fiction anthology, was being cancelled. Lee used the last issue, retitled Amazing Fantasy, to try a teenage hero with real problems. Peter Parker's origin — the spider bite, the wrestling match, the burglar, Uncle Ben's death and "with great power there must also come great responsibility" — is complete in those eleven pages. The rest of the issue is short Ditko fantasy stories.

Why it is worth so much

Spider-Man became Marvel's flagship character with a global audience, the issue was a low-selling final issue of a cancelled anthology, and it appeared before the collector market existed, so high-grade copies are extraordinarily rare. The CGC census shows the top grades in single digits. Demand from every kind of collector and investor meets a tiny supply.

Early Spider-Man keys

IssueCover dateWhy
Amazing Spider-Man #1March 1963First issue; first Chameleon and J. Jonah Jameson
Amazing Spider-Man #2May 1963First Vulture
Amazing Spider-Man #3July 1963First Doctor Octopus
Amazing Spider-Man #4September 1963First Sandman
Amazing Spider-Man #14July 1964First Green Goblin

Reprints to know

Amazing Fantasy #15 has been reprinted many times: Marvel Tales #1 (1964), Marvel Milestone Edition (1992), Golden Record reprint (1966), and modern facsimiles. See What is a facsimile edition?.

Spider-Man in the store

Silver and Bronze Age Amazing Spider-Man keys currently listed include #8, #102 and #129, the first Punisher. The Spider-Man character page has everything.

Written by the Rare Comics Collectors grading team. Spotted an error or have a question this guide does not answer? Tell us.

In the vault right now

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Key issueLast copy

Marvel Comics · Silver Age

Amazing Fantasy #15

CGC 6.5 · Universal Blue

First appearance and origin of Spider-Man (Peter Parker)

(8)
$485,000
SaleKey issueLast copy

Marvel Comics · Bronze Age

Amazing Spider-Man #102

CGC 9.4 · Universal Blue

Origin and second appearance of Morbius

(0)
$770$999
SaleKey issueLast copy

Marvel Comics · Silver Age

Amazing Spider-Man #8

CGC 8.0 · Universal Blue

Peter Parker fights Flash Thompson; Fantastic Four back-up by Kirby and Ditko

(0)
$1,389$1,513
Key issueLast copy

Marvel Comics · Bronze Age

Marvel Team-Up #141

CGC 9.8 · Universal Blue

First appearance of Spider-Man's black costume (newsstand edition)

(0)
$1,265

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