The 30 best Spider-Man moments from the movies, games, and more

Ready to Rumble - Spider-Man (2002)

The moment: Peter Parker tries out his new suit and new abilities at an amateur wrestling event, with the inimitable Bruce Campbell serving as ring announcer for his first bout. "The Human Spider? "That sucks,"" bemoans Bruce, introducing him as, "The Amazing Spider-Man" instead. 

Why it's great: Campbell is brilliant as ever, it's a great way of giving Spidey his name, and Macho Man Randy Savage is his opponent in the ring. What more could you want?

Nostalgia - Astonishing Spider-Man & Wolverine (2010)

The moment: Spider-Man and Wolverine go toe to toe in their own spin-off series, but the greatest moment sees Peter Parker forced to buy a novelty Spidey suit from a Berlin fancy dress shop in order to get back into character.

Why it's great: The suit is so ancient it even has the old webbing effect under the arms. Old-school.

Meeting the Fans - The Amazing Spider-Man #248 (1984)

The moment: In The Amazing Spider-Man #248, Peter meets a young boy named Timmy Harrison who The Bugle reports as the webslinger's biggest fan. Touched by Timmy's affection, Spidey unmasks and gives the little boy a proper look at his hero. As he leaves, readers are exposed to the final line of The Bugle's article, which reveals Timmy is dying of Leukaemia. 

Why it's great: It shows Spidey in an extremely positive light, and makes a decent grab for the heartstrings in the process.

Keep away - The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)

The moment: A scene from the new film in which Peter uses his new powers to make a fool out of obnoxious jock, Flash Thompson, keeping a basketball away from him, before slamming it home in spectacular style. 

Why it's great: Andrew Garfield has Peter's smart-alecky side down pat, and he really seems to be enjoying taking Flash down a few pegs here.

Cheat! - Spider-Man (2000)

The moment: Inputting the cheat code "GBHSRSPM" to unlock "What If..." mode in Spider-Man for PS1, N64, and Dreamcast. Or rather, inputting the code, and then replaying the game.

Why it's great: Spider-Man for PS1, N64, and Dreamcast is one of the webhead's all-time greatest adventures, with plenty of winks and nods to comic fans. But "What If…" mode turns the easter eggs up to 11, with more character cameos, movie references, and even a gag involving Scorpion and J. Jonah Jameson playing Marco Polo.

Can it - Spider-Man (2004)

The moment: As the pressures of great power and great responsibility weigh heavily on Peter's shoulders, he turns his back on heroism, dumping his Spidey suit in a nearby trash can. 

Why it's great: The scene allows Raimi to show off his eye for detail, with the final frame an exact recreation of a similarly famous panel from the comics.

Revelations - The Amazing Spider-Man #476 (2001)

The moment: Aunt May walks in to Peter's bedroom in The Amazing Spider-Man #476, to find him asleep next to his shredded Spider suit. She wasn't expecting that, was she?

Why it's great: Not only does Aunt May discover Peter's secret, she also realises the extreme toll his dual life is taking on him, as the bruises swell up and the blood begins to dry on his face.

Feeling blue - Spider-Man: Blue (2002)

The moment: Spider-Man: Blue is a beautifully heartrending retelling of Spider-Man's love affair with Gwen Stacy. While most of the story happens in flashback, the framing device of a heartbroken Peter recording a love letter to his dead lover is genuinely affecting. 

Why It's Great: It's a very mature take on the character's greatest love story, tragic and haunting throughout.

Split oersonality - Spider-Man (2002)

The moment: Norman Osborn begins to lose the plot, hearing a manic cackling ringing through his apartment before discovering the Green Goblin, his alter ego, in the mirror. 

Why It's Great:  Willem Dafoe is on top scenery-chewing form here in a scene that stays just the right side of panto.

Peter unmasked - Civil War (2006)

The moment: During the Civil War storyline, Spider-Man declares his allegiance to Team Stark by revealing his true identity to the world, putting his loved ones in great danger on account of his dedication to the cause. 

Why it's great: Spidey's unmasking even made a splash in real-world newspapers, with the moment a high-point of a particularly well-received series.

George Wales

George was once GamesRadar's resident movie news person, based out of London. He understands that all men must die, but he'd rather not think about it. But now he's working at Stylist Magazine.

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