During the early 2000s, Marvel Comics introduced an alternative continuity that combined elements of film noir and pulp fiction with the Marvel Universe. Known as Marvel Noir, this miniseries event introduced noir versions of some of Marvel’s biggest names. One such name was reimagined as Great Depression era version of a certain web-slinging hero. Do you know who this is?  

Spider-Man Noir, created by David Hine, Fabrice Sapolsky, and Carmine Di Giandomenico, made his debut appearance in Spider-Man Noir #1 in 2009. This story introduces an inexperienced and idealistic version of Peter Parker who serves as an apprentice to respected yet troubled reporter Ben Urich. After following a tip-off meant for Urich, Parker finds himself in a warehouse where the Goblin’s men are unloading a shipment of stolen antiques. One antique, a spider statue, breaks open and releases a horde of highly-venomous spiders. Parker is bitten by one of the spiders and wakes up hours later, upside-down in a black web. 

Upon awaking, Parker discovers that he has gained arachnid superpowers, including strength, speed, and agility of a spider, spider-sense and organic webbing. He later created a costume based on his uncle’s World War I era airman uniform and officially became the vigilante Spider-Man. The initial series follows Spider-Man’s one-man war against the criminal underworld in New York led by the city’s major crime lord, Norman Osborn, a/k/a the Goblin. In a tense altercation between Spider-Man and the Goblin, the crime boss is killed by a barely alive Chameleon. The subsequent series, Spider-Man Noir: Eyes Without a Face, picks up a few months after the death of the Goblin. 

Now 1934, Spider-Man has a new masked criminal causing problems in his city – Crime Master. While investigating the supervillain, Spider-Man’s relationship with speakeasy owner Felicia Hardy continues to develop. At the same time, Doctor Otto Octavius is experimenting on monkeys on Ellis Island, leaving Spider-Man to balance fighting both Doc Oc and Crime Master. In 2014, one of the biggest events in the Spider-Man Universe brought together multiple alternative versions of Spider-Man in Into the Spider-Verse. This storyline, which spawned several spinoffs, has recently been adapted into a feature length animated film. 

Along with Nicolas Cage as Spider-Man Noir, the film includes Shameik Moore as Miles Morales, Jake Johnson as Spider-Man, Haliee Steinfeld as Spider-Gwen, John Mulaney as Spider-Ham, and Kimiko Glenn as Peni Parker. The many faces of the Spider-Verse invade the big screen on December 14, 2018.