With The Amazing Spider-Man only days away from its June 29 release, here's the first of five sets of facts you might not have known about the world's favourite wallcrawler:


1. Spider-Man's 50th anniversary

2012 marks the 50th anniversary of Spider-Man. The webslinger first appeared in an August 1962 comic book called Amazing Fantasy 15 before getting his own comic book series, The Amazing Spider-Man, in 1963.

While the Sam Raimi films showed Spidey having organic web-shooting abilities, the comics -- and the new Marc Webb film -- have Peter engineering his own web-shooters and fluid.

Before the blonde Gwen Stacy and the redheaded Mary Jane Watson, Spidey dated Daily Bugle reporter Betty Brant, a brunette briefly shown in Sam Raimi's films where she was played by Elizabeth Banks.

Empire State University, the fictional university where Peter goes to college, is based on a combination of New York University and Columbia University.

The Columbia campus, in fact, has been used in the film adaptations.

Peter's Aunt May, at one point of time, was romantically involved and living with one of Spider-Man's deadliest foes, Doctor Octopus.

He charmed the old lady and did her no harm, though Spidey was always naturally wary of this arrangement.

In one of the most heartbreaking Spider-Man stories, Gwen Stacy dies at Spider-Man's hands when he tries to save her from the Green Goblin.

About thirty issues before this, her father Police Captain George Stacy was killed during a battle between Spidey and Doc Ock.

Despite a longstanding rivalry with Flash Thompson, the jock and Peter became good friends and Thompson was eventually Best Man at Peter's wedding with Mary Jane.

Despite Marvel itself now being a successful movie studio with hits like The Avengers, the movie rights to Spider-Man are owned by Sony Pictures.

This is why Peter's unlikely to give Cap, Thor and Hulk a helping hand on the big screen.

Meanwhile, in the comic books, Spidey is a card-carrying member of The Avengers, often chipping in to save the planet.

He's also a frequent partner to the Fantastic Four, leaving him with very little spider-time.

Spidey has teamed up with most Marvel heroes (and some DC ones) but his most frequent collaborator is Johnny Storm, The Human Torch.

In the Fantastic 4 films this character was played by Chris Evans, who is now better known for playing Captain America in The Avengers.
 
Watch out for more Spider-facts soon!