Superman. Batman. Iron Man. Iceman. What do all of these heroes have in common? Their names aren't hyphenated like Marvel's Spider-Man. Spider-Man's hyphen has become synonymous with the web-slinger. But, the reason why the popular superhero was given the punctuation was to avoid confusion with DC Comics' biggest hero, Superman.
Spider-Man first debuted in Amazing Fantasy #15 and was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. Spider-Man has worn his hyphen with a badge of pride as Superman.
According to Stan Lee (who tweeted the story of the hyphen back from his official Twitter back in 2010), Spider-Man's name was given a hyphen specifically to avoid confusion with the Man of Steel. In the thread, Lee talked about how people, even in the Marvel bullpen, would forget to include a hyphen in Spider-Man's name. He joked that a "missing hyphen can ruin my day," while g off with his trademark 'Excelsior.'
A number of you Brigadiers have asked me if there's a hyphen in Spidey's name. Is it “Spider-Man” or “Spider Man”? Stay tuned-
Spidey's official name has a hyphen– “Spider-Man”. Know why? When I first dreamed him up I didn't want anyone confusing him with Superman.
Lots of people forget the hyphen in Spidey's name. Even Bullpen letterers sometimes forget make Sergeant in my brigade!
It's tough being perfect. A missing hyphen can ruin my day. It's amazing how I can be so sensitive and yet so incredibly macho!
Gotta sign off now. I just read a fan letter in which a comma instead of a semicolon I’m too upset to go on! Excelsior!
You have to love Lee's enthusiasm for the hyphen. The Marvel Comics legend ed away in 2018, but his ion for the characters he co-created will never be forgotten.
You might be thinking, how could someone possibly mix-up the street-level hero Spider-Man with the uber-powerful Kryptonian Superman. Well, back in the 60s, these characters weren't nearly as popular or well-known to the general public. Superman and Spider-Man have similar-sounding names, so Lee chose to differentiate his creation by adding a hyphen. It's a style choice that's lived on in the Spider-Man family, as Ghost-Spider, Spider-Woman, Spider-Ham, and Spider-Man Noir have all kept up with punctuated names.
Spider-Man feels right. Spiderman or Spider Man looks wrong. The hyphen is a key detail that's far too often forgotten. It's an important part of the character and was implemented by Lee to make the character stand out even more. It's safe to say he accomplished that mission, as Spider-Man has never been more popular. The character is among the most beloved superheroes of all-time. Spider-Man (and his hyphen) have transcended pop-culture. So , it's not Spiderman or Spider Man. It's Spider-Man. The hyphen makes a big difference.
Source: Twitter
