The Amazing Spider-Man

The original! Our hero began his long and storied history in the annals of the anthology Amazing Fantasy, the story created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko in August of 1962's issue #15. Here, we get Spider-Man's back-story, which we'll see recreated and/or modified throughout later works:

Peter Parker, a scientifically-inclined high-school student slash orphan, lives with his Aunt May and Uncle Ben in Queens, New York City, NY. Peter is somewhat of a social

Peter designs a costume and web shooters

pariah, bullied by the likes of Flash Thompson - the stereotypical jock bully to Peter's stereotypical bookworm nerd. Parker attends an exhibit on radioactivity at the Science Hall. There, a small spider hanging from the ceiling finds itself in the way of a radioactive beam and, as it dies, bites Peter on the hand. The spider bite grants Peter super strength and agility, along with 20/20 vision, the ability to sense danger, and the ability to stick to walls and ceilings as a spider does. With new-found powers, Peter enters a wrestling competition and wins handily. He then designs a costume and a shooting mechanism and sticky webbing, allowing him to fire "webs" through wrist-mounted barrels. Dubbing himself "Spider-Man", Peter uses his abilities for television fame, becoming a national sensation. He selfishly let's a thief get away, claiming that it's not his job. That thief later breaks into Aunt May and Uncle Ben's house, the latter surprising the thief. The thief shoots Uncle Ben and Peter sets out to find him. Cornered in a warehouse, Peter learns that the burglar who murdered his uncle was the thief he selfishly let free, learning that "with great power there must also come -- great responsibility!" (Stan Lee and Steven Ditko, Amazing Fantasy vol. 15, p. 1-12)

Following the success of Amazing Fantasy #15, Spidey was given his own series - The Amazing Spider-Man continued by Lee and Ditko (who left after issue #38). The story picks up where the previous left off with Peter struggling with his peers, his powers, and his responsibilities. Peter gets a photography job with the Daily Bugle under its editor J. Jonah Jameson. In issue #14, Spider-Man fights some of his bigger enemies for the first time: the Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus ("Doc Ock"), the Sandman, the Lizard. Peter graduates high-school and moves on to Empire State University where he meets Harry Osborn and Gwen Stacy - the former, his roommate and eventual best friend, the latter his eventual girlfriend. Peter is also introduced to Mary Jane Watson by his Aunt May while at college. While at college, the Green Goblin is revealed to be Norman Osborn, head of OsCorp and Harry's father. During a battle with Doc Ock, Gwen Stacy's father George Stacy, a NYCPD detective captain, is accidentally killed. Stacy herself is killed when the Green Goblin throws her from a bridge and Spidey attempts to rescue her. The whiplash effect from Spider-Man stopping her so suddenly with his webbing ends Gwen's life and in the following issue, the Green Goblin kills himself accidentally while battling with Spider-Man (The Amazing Spider-Man, issues 1-122).

The Amazing Spider-Man continues for another 600 or so issues, having been stalled and relaunched numerous times. Not only that, but the series has spawned several cross-over story-arcs and various re-imaginings/new series (such as Ultimate Spider-Man). For the purposes of our discussion, the above summary should suffice.

Spider-Man's greatest weakness: Democracy!

Useful links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Amazing_Spider-Man
http://marvel.com/universe/Spider-Man_(Peter_Parker)