This article contains spoilers for Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man.
By the end of the final episode ofYour Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, Peter Parker has saved the day.
But the most shocking moment doesnt involve Peter at all.
There, she checks in on an inmate curious about Peter.
But instead, we see Richard Parker, Peters father.
The reveal should make longtime comic book fans roll their eyes and sigh.
He simply lives with his Uncle Ben and Aunt Mayno more explanation needed.
That changed with 1968sAmazing Spider-Man Annual#5, written byStan Leeand penciled by his brother Larry Lieber.
At Long Last… the Parents of Peter Parker!
Worse, the newspaper describes the couple as traitors to America.
Upset by the news, Peter dons his Spidey costume and investigates.
Spidey refuses to believe it and continues to push further, interrogating someone familiar with the operation.
Like most stories in early annuals, its easy to dismiss the secret agent reveal.
And for decades, thats exactly what writers did.
By themselves, these spy stories are fine.
The Marvel Universe is full of such derring-do.
But they dont make sense next to Spider-Man, at least not in his lineage.
Peter Parker works best as a regular, unassuming guy.
Super-smart, sure, but otherwise unremarkable.
Thats what makes it so special when he chooses to use his great power for good.
Making his parents secret agents undoes that banality a bit, transforming him into a scion of heroes.
The sole exception to this rule wasThe Amazing Spider-Manmovies.
Once again,The Amazing Spider-Manmovies commit the key error with Richard and Mary.
He might just be a regular guy with a prison sentence, not some SHIELD agent deep undercover.
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man season one is streaming now on Disney+.
