Longtime Spider-Man artist Mark Bagley surrounded Ultimate Spider-Man with countless friends and foes as they celebrated 100 issues of the title. (Artwork property of Mark Bagley & Marvel Comics)
By: Jacob Elyachar
Spider-Man is celebrating his 50th birthday this year!
Jacobelyacharjournalist.com will be celebrating this incredible milestone all throughout the summer with articles focusing Spider-Man’s greatest foes, reflecting back on the most important stories from the past 12 years and even giving you a simple Spider-Man 101 in order to prepare movie goers for The Amazing Spider-Man’s July 3 release.
Back in 2000, Marvel Comics generated buzz that it was going to modernize Spider-Man for their new imprint line. For numerous issues, writer Brian Michael Bendis and penciler Mark Bagley produced some incredible stories on both volumes of Ultimate Spider-Man. This post will give readers a quick synopsis of each story and the impact on the series.
Power & Responsibility (1-7; October 2000 to April 2001)
Bendis and Bagley expand Spider-Man’s 11-page origin story back in Amazing Fantasy #15 to a seven-part masterpiece as readers were introduced to the Ultimate versions of classic characters including the Parkers, Mary Jane Watson, J. Jonah Jameson and the Osborns. In addition, this marked Spider-Man’s first battle with the Green Goblin.
Venom (33-39; February to June 2003)
Spider-Man’s most notorious foe got the Ultimate treatment as the creative team established connections between the Parkers and Eddie Brock, Jr. (Venom)’s family. Originally, their fathers created a suit that would cure cancer. However, when Peter discovers its monstrous after-effects that put both of them at odds and eventually the suit bonds to Eddie and he becomes Venom.
Cats & Kings (47-53; January to April 2004)
Spider-Man deals with the Kingpin’s return as he faces off with several of Wilson Fisk’s underlings including the ultimate versions of the Enforcers and Elektra. Meanwhile, the Black Cat makes her ultimate debut.
Carnage (60-65; August to November 2004)
One of Spider-Man’s nightmarish opponents makes his ultimate debut as the creature known as Carnage goes on a killing spree and murders the ultimate version of Gwen Stacy. However, there is a strange twist as Carnage is directly tied to Spider-Man.
Hobgoblin (72-78; April to July 2005)
Harry Osborn returns to the pages of Ultimate Spider-Man as he tries to reestablish himself in Peter’s life with the knowledge that his friend is the Webbed Wonder and that his father was the Green Goblin. However, Harry carries a dark secret in him that will put both friends at odds with each other when it is released.
Warriors (79-85; August 2005 to January 2006)
Spider-Man is caught in a battle royale between rival mobsters Kingpin and Hammerhead as they duel for dominance in the New York Underworld. Look out for the first appearances from the Ultimate versions of Moon Knight, Shang-Chi and Iron Fist while Elektra and Black Cat return to the title.
The Ultimate Clone Saga (97-105; August 2006 to February 2007)
In the series’ longest story arc, Bendis and Bagley re-imagine the controversial Clone Saga as one of Spider-Man’s longtime nemeses clones different versions of Peter Parker including the Scorpion, Kaine, Tarantula and Spider-Woman. Not only does Spider-Man face off against his clones and the mastermind, he also faces a new monstrous version of Carnage, Nick Fury and dozens of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents.
Ultimate Knights (106-110; March to June 2007)
In Bendis and Bagley’s second to last long story arc together, Spider-Man finds himself caught in the middle of a battle between Daredevil and his team of Ultimate Knights and the Kingpin of Crime. Meanwhile, the ultimate version of Kitty Pryde, who was Spider-Man’s ex-girlfriend, enrolls at his school.
The Death of Spider-Man (156-60; March to June 2011)
Norman Osborn returns as he rallies several of Spider-Man’s greatest opponents (Doc Ock, Electro, Kraven the Hunter, Sandman and Vulture) in his plan to kill Spider-Man. While they plot their enemy’s death, Spidey found himself in the middle of the Avengers vs. New Ultimates storyline, where the Ultimate version of Punisher shot the Webbed Wonder in the stomach. Things get worse as Spider-Man is forced to battle his enemies in his neighborhood and it evolves into the fight of his life.
To learn more about the Ultimate version of Spider-Man, visit Marvel.com.
