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| Author | Jim Butcher |
|---|---|
| Genre | Superhero fiction |
| Publisher | Simon & Schuster |
Publication date | June 27, 2006 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Paperback |
| Pages | 304 |
| ISBN | 1-4165-9476-0 |
| LC Class | 2007583176 |
Spider-Man: The Darkest Hours is a novel written by Jim Butcher featuring characters from the Spider-Man Marvel Comics created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. The book was first published by the Pocket Books division of Simon & Schuster on June 27, 2006.
The book opens with Peter Parker being forced to be a substitute basketball coach at the high school where he teaches science. He is challenged by Samuel Larkin, a star basketball player, who refuses to work with the other players. Peter soon finds out that Samuel never got the regular and required vaccines, and will be suspended and therefore unable to play for the rest of the season, making it nigh-impossible to get into a good university. After coaching, Peter returns home to find that Mary Jane Watson got a part as Lady Macbeth, but since the show is playing in Atlantic City, she bought a car, despite not knowing how to drive. As they are discussing Peter teaching her, The Rhino attacks Times Square, and Spider-Man is needed. As he swings to the battle, Felicia Hardy, otherwise known as "The Black Cat", tells him that he is in danger and the Rhino's attack is a trap. Spider-Man swings on, and easily defeats the Rhino. After he knocks him unconscious, the three vengeful siblings of Morlun (Thanis, Malos, and Mortia), appear and say that Spider-Man caused the death of their brother. Spider-Man evades them until a SWAT team appears. In the end, it is Mary Jane who defeats the siblings. Already angry that she can't help Peter like Felicia can, Mary Jane is enraged by what the siblings are putting her husband through. She defeats them by driving into them with her car, distracting them long enough for Spider-Man to banish them to another dimension using three objects that Doctor Strange (who claimed that he could not directly help Spider-Man, for fear of hurting the cosmic balance) had arranged for him to be given.
A review described Jim Butcher to have managed Spider-Man's character well, but it criticized action in the story and considered 300 pages to be excessive considering the short plot. [1]
Maybelle "May" Parker-Jameson, commonly known as Aunt May, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Spider-Man. Making her first full appearance in Amazing Fantasy #15, the character was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, playing an influential role in the Spider-Man comic books.
Gwendolyne Maxine "Gwen" Stacy is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, usually as a supporting character in those featuring Spider-Man. A college student and the daughter of George and Helen Stacy, she was the first romantic interest for Peter following his high school graduation before she was murdered by the Green Goblin. Her death has haunted Peter ever since, and stories published long afterwards indicate she still holds a special place in his heart. Gwen was posthumously subjected to numerous cloning experiments by her former professor Miles Warren, Peter's clone Ben Reilly, and an A.I. of Harry Osborn, the latter resulting in the creation of the Kindreds, and Ben briefly resurrecting Gwen in "Dead No More: The Clone Conspiracy" (2016–2017), with the embodiment of Death herself confirming in Ben Reilly: The Scarlet Spider (2017–2018) that all clones Ben created of deceased people had their souls intact on being brought back, while clones of living people had unique souls of their own. In the alternate realities of Ultimate Marvel and Spider-Gwen, a still-living Gwen respectively becomes their universe's versions of Carnage and Spider-Woman.
Mary Jane "MJ" Watson is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, making her first appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man #25, and subsequently designed by John Romita Sr. in #42. Since then, she has gone on to become Spider-Man's main love interest and later his wife. Mary Jane is his most famous and prominent love interest due to their long history, and one of the most iconic in all of comics.
The Rhino is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He was created by writer Stan Lee and artist John Romita Sr., and first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #41. The character is a Russian thug who underwent an experimental procedure that gave him an artificial skin covering and superhuman strength. Rebelling against the scientists responsible for his transformation, Rhino used his newfound powers to become a successful criminal, and soon clashed with superheroes like Spider-Man and the Hulk. The character is typically portrayed as a dimwitted brute, capable of great destruction, but ultimately easily deceived.
Mysterio is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, the character first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #13. In his comic book appearances, Mysterio is the alias of Quentin Beck, a former special effects artist, illusionist and actor who turns to crime. He is one of the superhero Spider-Man's most enduring enemies and belongs to the collective of adversaries that make up his rogues gallery. He is also a founding member of the supervillain team the Sinister Six, and has fought other heroes, including Daredevil.
Black Cat is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Marv Wolfman, Keith Pollard, and Dave Cockrum, the character first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #194. Felicia Hardy is the daughter of Walter Hardy, a world-renowned cat burglar. She trained herself in various fighting styles and acrobatics and, after deciding to follow in her father's footsteps, adopted the costumed identity of Black Cat. She has the subconscious ability to affect probability fields, producing "bad luck" for her enemies. Throughout her history, Black Cat has sometimes been an enemy, love interest, and an ally of the superhero Spider-Man.
The Sinister Six are a group of supervillains in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, mainly those featuring Spider-Man. The members are drawn from the character's list of enemies, with the original members forming the team in The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1. Led by Doctor Octopus, the team in its premiere followed swiftly the very early appearances of many of the most enduring members of Spider-Man's rogues gallery: the Vulture, the Sandman, Electro, Mysterio, and Kraven the Hunter. While Doctor Octopus has generally remained its leader, the Sinister Six has had multiple variations of composition.
Elizabeth "Liz" Allan, also known as Elizabeth Allan-Osborn and commonly misspelled as "Liz Allen", is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. In the character's earliest appearances, she was a popular girl at the high school Peter Parker attends. She has been a regular supporting character in the various Spider-Man, Daredevil, and Venom series in an on-and-off basis, and has ties to the Green Goblin and Molten Man. She is married to Harry Osborn, the mother of their son Normie Osborn, and the CEO of Alchemax. Liz Allan later becomes Misery after bonding to portions of the Anti-Venom and Carnage symbiotes.
Ultimate Spider-Man is a superhero comic book series that was published by Marvel Comics from 2000 to 2011. The series is a modernized re-imagining of Marvel's long-running Spider-Man comic book franchise as part of the company's Ultimate Marvel imprint. Ultimate Spider-Man exists alongside other revamped Marvel characters in Ultimate Marvel titles including Ultimate X-Men, Ultimate Fantastic Four and The Ultimates.
Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane is an American manga-influenced comic book series focusing on a teenage Mary Jane Watson, the romantic interest of superhero Spider-Man. The series, published by Marvel Comics, is a teen drama set outside the regular Marvel continuity and aimed at teenage girls as opposed to the traditional male comic book audience.
Walter Hardy is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is a world-renowned cat burglar and the father of Felicia Hardy, a.k.a. Black Cat.
The Sinister Syndicate is a group of supervillains appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The characters serve as a collection of lesser-known Spider-Man villains. The group was the focus of the 1991 Deadly Foes of Spider-Man mini-series.
Venom is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is a sentient alien symbiote with an amorphous, liquid-like form, who survives by bonding with a host, usually human. This dual-life form receives enhanced powers and usually refers to itself as "Venom". The symbiote was originally introduced as a living alien costume in The Amazing Spider-Man #252, with a full first appearance as Venom in The Amazing Spider-Man #300.
"Spider-Man" is the name of multiple comic book superheroes from the Marvel Comics Multiverse. The original and most well known is Peter Parker created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko originating from the Earth-616 universe. Within the mainstream Marvel Universe there have been characters that have taken the mantle such as Ben Reilly, Mac Gargan, Otto Octavius, and Kurt Wagner.
Jackpot is the name of three superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first incarnation of Jackpot, Sara Ehret, first appeared in Spider-Man: Swing Shift, and was created by writer Dan Slott and artist Phil Jimenez. The second incarnation, Alana Jobson, debuted in The Amazing Spider-Man #545. In August 2023, Mary Jane Watson was announced to be taking up the mantle as the third Jackpot.
Spider-Man Noir, often referred to as Spider-Noir, Spider-Man, or simply Noir, is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Part of the Marvel Noir universe (Earth-90214), this alternate version of Spider-Man is a noir-themed take on the character and emerges in a version of New York during the Great Depression.
Spider-Gwen is an ongoing comic book series published by Marvel Comics that began February 2015. The series revolves around Gwen Stacy of Earth-65, an alternate universe version of Gwen Stacy that debuted in Edge of Spider-Verse #2 as part of the 2014–2015 Spider-Man storyline "Spider-Verse". Spider-Gwen explores a universe where Gwen Stacy was bitten by the radioactive spider instead of Peter Parker, leading her to a career as the Spider-Woman of her world.
The Inheritors are a supervillain group which appears in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The family of Morlun, they typically are enemies of Spider-Man and the iterations of him.
Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows is two series of comic books published by Marvel Comics. The series revolves around Peter Parker / Spider-Man and Mary Jane Watson having remained married and raising a daughter named Anna-May "Annie" Parker, with Mary Jane and Annie further becoming the superheroes Spinneret and Spiderling. The original series was a 2015 comic book limited series that tied into that year's Secret Wars event. Following the event's end, the popularity of the series led to a sequel ongoing series set in the alternate reality of Earth-18119, which was published from 2016 to 2018.
Marvel's Spider-Man: The City That Never Sleeps is a collection of downloadable content (DLC) developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment for the 2018 video game Marvel's Spider-Man. Based on the Marvel Comics superhero Spider-Man, it is inspired by the character's long-running comic book mythology and adaptations in other media. Released in three distinct chapters, The Heist, Turf Wars, and Silver Lining, the DLC serves as an epilogue to the main game taking place three months following its conclusion and follows Spider-Man as he contends with a new crime wave led by the physically enhanced mob boss Hammerhead.
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