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It has been 17 years since Marvel Comics had Spider-Man save President Barack Obama and become an American hero.
Spider-Man Saves the U.S. President from The Chameleon
On January 14, 2009, Marvel Comics released The Amazing Spider-Man #583 from Mark Waid and Barry Kitson. The issue had two stories in it, with the first focusing on Peter Parker and Betty Brant, and Parker forgetting what Betty said she wanted for her birthday. Titled “Platonic,” it opened with Spider-Man battling a D-list villain called Kilgore, who was clearly a rip-off of Lex Luthor with mech armor. It then switched to Betty taking Peter on a speed dating trip to help him find a girlfriend (and failing miserably). It was a sweet story about best friends, but it wasn’t what really made this book stand out.
It was the bonus back-up feature, and it featured Spider-Man saving President Barack Obama. Under the creative team of Zeb Wells and Todd Nauck, Spider-Man’s first-ever super-villain, the Chameleon, made his return. The story took place on the day he was supposed to take office, but things took a strange turn when a second Obama showed up, and the Secret Service had no idea which was the real one. Spider-Man figured it out quickly by having someone ask Obama a question only he would know the answer to, and it worked.
It was humorous because Chameleon believed that if he snuck in as President-Elect Obama and was sworn in, he would have been named the President of the United States. Obama even made a joke, saying, “I’m more upset by the Chameleon’s shockingly deficient understanding of the electoral process.” When Obama fist-bumped Spidey, it made his day. Shockingly, President Barack Obama either appeared or was mentioned in Marvel Comics 46 times, appearing in everything from Secret Invasion and Siege to issues of Black Panther, The Incredible Hulk, and Avengers. His last appearance was in Captain America: Sam Wilson #19 in 2017.
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