<Li> ^ Another character commonly described as an archenemy is Venom . Eddie Brock as Venom is commonly described as the mirror version or the evil version of Spider - Man in many ways . Venom's goals is usually depicted as trying to ruin Spider - Man's life and mess with Spider - Man's head when it comes to targeting enemies . Venom is cited as being one of the most popular Spider - Man villains . This popularity has led him to be an established iconic character of his own with own comic book stories . </Li> <P> In The Creation of Spider - Man, comic book writer - editor and historian Paul Kupperberg calls the character's superpowers "nothing too original"; what was original was that outside his secret identity, he was a "nerdy high school student". Going against typical superhero fare, Spider - Man included "heavy doses of soap - opera and elements of melodrama". Kupperberg feels that Lee and Ditko had created something new in the world of comics: "the flawed superhero with everyday problems". This idea spawned a "comics revolution". The insecurity and anxieties in Marvel's early 1960s comic books such as The Amazing Spider - Man, The Incredible Hulk, and X-Men ushered in a new type of superhero, very different from the certain and all - powerful superheroes before them, and changed the public's perception of them . Spider - Man has become one of the most recognizable fictional characters in the world, and has been used to sell toys, games, cereal, candy, soap, and many other products . </P> <P> Spider - Man has become Marvel's flagship character, and has often been used as the company mascot . When Marvel became the first comic book company to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 1991, the Wall Street Journal announced "Spider - Man is coming to Wall Street"; the event was in turn promoted with an actor in a Spider - Man costume accompanying Stan Lee to the Stock Exchange . Since 1962, hundreds of millions of comics featuring the character have been sold around the world . Spider - Man is the world's most profitable superhero . In 2014, global retail sales of licensed products related to Spider - Man reached approximately $1.3 billion . Comparatively, this amount exceeds the global licensing revenue of Batman, Superman, and the Avengers combined . </P> <P> Spider - Man joined the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade from 1987 to 1998 as one of the balloon floats, designed by John Romita Sr., one of the character's signature artists . A new, different Spider - Man balloon float is scheduled to appear from at least 2009 to 2011 . </P>

How old was spiderman when he got his powers