Marvel Knights Spider-Man No. 8: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

Comic Book, Marvel Knights Spider-Man number 8, January 2005. The issue's story Venomous Part Four was written by Mark Millar and illustrated by Frank Cho. The cover features the characters of Spider-Man and Venom.

The creation of Marvel Comics creators Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, the friendly neighborhood superhero Spider-Man first appeared in the pages of 1962's Amazing Fantasy no. 15. The character, a brilliant yet geeky teenager named Peter Parker, becomes a superhero after being bitten by a radioactive spider; attaining many of the abilities of the arachnid, including incredible strength, an instinctive spider-sense that warns of danger, and the ability to walk on walls. Witty and spontaneous, Parker is challenged to balance his spectacular abilities with his ambitions, opting to use his powers for good while protecting his loved ones.

Overturning traditional superhero mythologies, Spider-Man quickly swung into the hearts of readers, inspiring waves of more psychologically complex and relatable superheroes. Since his debut, ol' web-head has remained one of Marvel's most popular properties, headlining several long-running comic titles, as well as being the centerpiece of a multitude media properties, including a succession of animated television series and a blockbuster film franchise.

Materials, dates and provenance

• date made: 2005
• maker: Marvel Comics Group
• Object Name: comic book
• Physical Description: paper (overall material)
• Measurements: overall: 10 1/4 in x 6 1/2 in; 26.035 cm x 16.51 cm
• Subject: Comics
• Subject: Spider Man
• Subject: Asian Pacific Americans
• ID Number: 2014.3081.06
• nonaccession number: 2014.3081
• catalog number: 2014.3081.06
• Credit Line: Nicholas Soultanankis
• Data Source: National Museum of American History

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of American History through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed.