Spider-Man Day

Writer Stan Lee wanted a hero who was a teenager in his own right, not a grown hero's helper. Teen characters of the era, like Robin and Bucky, existed to assist adults. Lee chose the name "Spider-Man" rather than "Spider-Boy" because he wanted the character to age over time and not sound junior to other heroes.

The story ran in an anthology already slated for cancellation, so Lee had little to lose. The Spider-Man feature filled just 11 pages, split into two untitled parts. It closed on a now-famous caption about how great power must bring great responsibility, a line spoken by no character at all.

Ditko left Marvel in 1966, and he and Lee stopped speaking for decades. They never settled who deserved credit for the character, and Lee eventually put in writing that he considered Ditko a co-creator, wording Ditko found too weak. The fan holiday that now honors their character has no such record of its own beginning, and no founder has ever come forward.