Marvel's alternate reality, too. Unfortunately, in that story he turned out painfully lame.
In the 1998 story arc titled "Identity Crisis," the Marvel mascot Peter Parker is incapable of NOT being a superhero, though, this new threat forces him to do the unthinkable. To give up the Spider-Man identity, and create a new one showcasing his just-as-fantastic abilities. And if you're going to copy a superhero... why not make it Superman?
One of the personas created by Peter to conceal his identity while fighting crime is revealed to be 'Prodigy,' a character inspired by the classic superhero comics that once belonged to Uncle Ben. Simply put, Prodigy enabled Peter to be the hero he fantasized about becoming when he was a little kid: square-jawed, uncomplicated, and decent -- and certain that everyone loves him. But no matter how good Peter's impression of a Superman-esque superhero turns out to be, the hero he creates comes of as a total square. An in no coincidence, makes his debut catching a falling helicopter in classic Superman fashion.
Peter's inspiration for Prodigy came from classic comic books. The Marvel comics have repeatedly hinted that DC/Marvel Amalgam crossover event aside, the most likely explanation is that the DC heroes exist in the form of comic books that Marvel characters have read about. Therefore, the hero that Peter read about in Uncle Ben's comics as a child would have to be the one and only Superman. Prodigy is bulletproof, much like Superman. When Prodigy wants to make an exit he leaps high up, roof top to roof top -- giving the appearance of flight. Who else can leap tall buildings in a single bound? Superman. And if anyone still has doubts, Peter's quiet monologue about his idea of what a great hero should be is a description of the Man of Steel to this day:
I think people really want an old-fashioned good guy they can call their own! And, after years of being the prototype for the neurotic super hero -- so do I! Getting into the Prodigy costume -- playing the part of a hero so square he makes Captain America seem a radical -- is a total blast! He represents everything I've ever tried to be in my life: someone who always does the right thing -- no matter what! But -- unlike Peter Parker -- Prodigy doesn't make mistakes! He isn't tortured by confusion, guilt, and self-doubt!
But Peter may have leaned too hard into the boy scout aspect of Superman, and created a character that is too square to be likable. When Peter puts on the Prodigy costume, he loves it... but not everyone does. When Prodigy would meet with Norman Osborn and the Ambassador to the Sufindian Empire to aide them in saving the Ambassador's daughter, Peter lays on the heroic talk thick. Flash Thompson, another reporter for the Daily Bugle goes far enough to call Prodigy a cornball, holding Spider-Man to a much higher esteem, thanks to his less-than-heroic personality. But even if Spider-Man fans may not like Prodigy, at least they can't figure out they're the same hero.
