Spider-Man

Spider-Man was a fictional superhero with the ability to scale buildings by crawling along their sides, not unlike a spider. (EDA: To the Slaughter) Ca. 2005, the Doctor tried to sell a number of mint-condition issues of Spider-Man from the 1960s and 1970s. The owner of the comic book shop refused to buy them because he suspected that they were reprints. A few weeks later Gustavo Lugo reported this incident on Clive Finch's website. (WEB: Defending the Earth!) The Doctor once stated that "with great power, comes great responsibility", a quote he thought came from Marvel Comics. (NA: Timewyrm: Genesys)

Completing the argument that Jason was making about fictional character's immortality, the Doctor said that if Spider-Man aged, he would be collecting his pension. (NA: Conundrum) During an attack on the Doctor's TARDIS, a Spider-Man cartoon show was playing on the scanner screen, shortly before the screen's destruction. (DWM: The Stockbridge Horror)

Behind the scenes

 * Spider-Man was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko and debuted in Amazing Fantasy Issue 15, with Andy Yanchus colouring the comic. The quote about power and responsibility comes from this first story. The first of Dr Who's Time Tales was reprinted from this same issue.
 * The 1967 cartoon show can be recognised by the quoted line from its theme song. Technically, it isn't possible to tell in The Stockbridge Horror whether this is a cartoon with a song or if someone is warning him about the coming of the Spider-Man.