Ever since Spider-Man‘s groundbreaking introduction in 1962’s Amazing Fantasy #15 from Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, the wall-crawler continues to enthrall comic book readers, moviegoers, and gamers today. So much credit belongs to Lee and Ditko. Still, other comic book writers and artists have also reimagined the beloved superhero in the years since his creation, maintaining his popularity by introducing bold new ideas and evolving the status quo. Brian Michael Bendis, J. Michael Straczynski, J.M. DeMatteis, and countless other writers have kept Spider-Man relevant for modern readers, and Dan Slott is undoubtedly another.
Before his legendary Spider-Man run, Slott worked on other Marvel titles, including She-Hulk and Avengers: The Initiative. Slott would also write a Spider-Man and Human Torch miniseries exploring the friendship between the two superhero icons before taking on a larger role in the web-head’s comic book production. Over the years, Slott became responsible for some groundbreaking storylines that would serve as a major inspiration for adaptations like Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and Insomniac’s video game. While Slott’s Spider-Man run has already informed many Spider-Man projects in other mediums, that will only continue with Marvel Studios’ next solo film sharing the title of where his saga began. To understand modern Spider-Man, there’s no better place to start than with Slott’s time with the character, which lasted a decade.
Dan Slott Helped Reinvigorate Spider-Man, Starting With “Brand New Day”
Following the controversial reception to “One More Day,” in which Peter Parker sacrificed his marriage to Mary Jane Watson to save Aunt May by making a deal with Mephisto, Marvel moved forward with “Brand New Day” to reset the status quo. As a result, Marvel recruited several talented writers, including Slott, Marc Guggenheim, Zeb Wells, Bob Gale, Fred Van Lente, Joe Kelley, and others, to revamp the mythos for a contemporary audience in 2008.
Slott kick-started the “Brand New Day” era with issues #546-548, featuring plenty of humor, respect for the lore, and moral conundrums. Slott would also contribute to “Brand New Day” with other storylines featured in issues #559–561, #564, #568–573, #581–582, #590–591, #618–621, and its conclusion with #647.
Once Slott wrapped up “Brand New Day,” he would become the writer on the main Spider-Man title, beginning with issue #658 and the “Big Time” storyline in 2010. Some key contributions Slott made to Spider-Man during this time included a transformation from the traditional portrayal of a Daily Bugle photographer into a scientist.
In issues #658-660, Spider-Man would become a member of the Fantastic Four’s new Future Foundation team, filling in for the missing Johnny Storm. In later issues, he would also team up with the Avengers Academy and battle Anti-Venom. In 2011, Slott moved on to the massive “Spider-Island” crossover, in which Manhattan’s citizens acquired Spider-Man’s powers.
Dan Slott Then Took a Bold Swing With the Superior Spider-Man
Image via Marvel Comics
Slott’s run would also include the landmark 700th issue of The Amazing Spider-Man, where he would make a monumental change to the lore. In 2012’s “Dying Wish,” Slot decided to kill Peter Parker and allow Doctor Octopus to take over his body and become the Superior Spider-Man.
Having one of Spider-Man’s arch-nemesis take over his body led to a radical departure from past stories, with Otto Octavius learning what it meant to be the wall-crawler through Peter Parker’s eyes. The Superior Spider-Man lasted 33 issues from 2013 to 2014. Peter eventually regained control of his body after proving he was truly the Superior Spider-Man by admitting his mistakes and taking responsibility for his actions.
The Superior era of Slott’s storytelling was controversial at first for the bold idea of turning Doctor Octopus into Spider-Man, but the storyline would eventually become a quintessential modern tale that explored the hero’s ethos.
Dan Slott Later Expanded the Spider-Man Universe
After Peter Parker resumed his duties as Spider-Man, 2014 relaunched the Amazing title with issue #1 under the Marvel Now! publishing initiative. The Spider-Man relaunch from Slott would eventually lead to another ambitious Spider-Man event that would drastically expand his world in issue #9. Slott’s “Spider-Verse” crossover would become another instrumental addition to the Spider-Man mythos by introducing characters like Spider-Gwen, Spider-Punk, and other variants, who would go on to play roles in the award-winning film series.
The “Spider-Verse” storyline turned Spider-Man from a traditional street-level crime fighter into a multiversal hero, a role that would eventually reach the mainstream through animated films and the MCU’s Far From Home. “Spider-Verse” brought together all the different versions of Spider-Man across comics and once again illustrated the spirit of the Marvel hero. “Spider-Verse” also redefined how epic a Spider-Man story could be with its massive scale involving the multiverse.
During 2015’s “Secret Wars” event, Spider-Man’s world would drastically change once again, except this time, for the better, with Peter’s marriage to Mary Jane intact, joined by their daughter, Anna-May. The Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows was a five-issue series that began in 2015 and took place in an alternate reality. Following the “Secret Wars” run, Slott would relaunch The Amazing Spider-Man title with another issue #1 later that year. The latest Spider-Man relaunch would see Peter expand differently, by taking his crime-fighting career overseas with Parker Industries for the first 15 issues.
Eventually, Slott would move into another event, the “Clone Conspiracy,” told in issues #16-19, before spinning off into a five-issue miniseries, with the story also continuing through issues #20-24 under the main Amazing book. The “Clone Conspiracy” storyline centered around a resurrected Ben Reilly and a new version of Jackal. Slott would continue his run with new battles against his most formidable foes. The “Osborn Identity” featured Norman’s return in issues #25-28. Moreover, Doctor Octopus would also return to Slott’s run, this time as the Superior Octopus in the “Secret Empire” storyline spanning issues #29-31.
Dan Slott’s Legendary Spider-Man Run Initially Ended in 2018
Image via Marvel Comics
For a decade, Slott pushed the boundaries of the Spider-Man mythos in creative ways, and his time with the character originally came to an end, starting with issue #794, which returned to the legacy numbering of the historic The Amazing Spider-Man title. After Spider-Man went international with the previous storyline, the Red Goblin saga saw Norman bond with the Carnage symbiote, transforming him into one of the most terrifying villains the hero had ever faced.
In 2017, Slott bid his first farewell with The Amazing Spider-Man #801. For the issue, Slot decided to tell a standalone epilogue for his final Spider-Man story. The issue began with a young man named Kenneth Kincaid Jr., whose father was shot and killed similarly to Uncle Ben. Spider-Man captured the shooter and made a lasting impression on Kenneth. Years later, Kenneth noticed Spider-Man stopping another robbery once again and recognized that the hero would continue to protect the people of New York City.
Slott’s final issue with Spider-Man beautifully showcased the impact he has made on people around the world, including Slott himself. And while Slott’s run with the character might’ve ended, plenty of other creators will continue to keep his legend alive for years to come. While the Spider-Man issue was originally the end of Slott’s time with Spider-Man, Marvel announced in 2022 that the prolific comic book creator would return with a new series after the “Edge of the Spider-Verse” storyline. More recently, Slott also became responsible for the new character, Spider-Boy, a child erased from existence with the same spider-like abilities as Peter.
In 2025, Spider-Man remains one of the most beloved superheroes ever created, growing beyond the pages of comics and becoming responsible for some of the most successful films, video games, shows, and more. While Slott’s run on Spider-Man is both celebrated and controversial, there’s no denying he has been a driving force behind the character’s modern interpretation. So much of Slott’s innovative Spider-Man storytelling continues to affect high-profile projects.
Slott challenged Spider-Man in new ways with Doctor Octopus assuming his identity, birthed an entire multiverse of Spider-Man variants, and allowed Peter to grow with Parker Industries. So many other creators have had a hand in delivering some of the most iconic Spider-Man stories ever told, but no one has spent more time with the character outside of Lee than Slott. Moreover, Slott honored the character’s traditional lore, but he wasn’t afraid to make drastic changes that altered the mythic figure forever, either.
Slott paved the way for more ambitious Spider-Man stories, with the current Ultimate run also putting a new spin on the traditional story. There’s no shortage of incredible Spider-Man stories out there to enjoy. However, if you want a sense of what informed today’s Spider-Man, then Slott’s landmark saga is a necessary experience.
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