Spider-Man’s lamest costume just won’t die, The Amazing Bag-Man, or sometimes called the Bombastic Bag-Man - a one-off gag that has somehow continued to live on even today, recently appearing Sony’s Spider-Man games PlayStation 5.
How did it happen? I’ve been researching the Bag-Man for a documentary video and found his pop-culture impact is larger than most people think. Created in 1984 by writer Tom DeFalco and artist Ron Frenz, as a throwaway joke when Spider-Man needed a costume, and Johnny Storm (aka the Human Torch), goes out of his way to make Peter look as ridiculous as possible. It was a classic moment of Bronze Age Spidey comedy and was a favorite of fans of the title.
The paper bag gimmick was actually inspired by a popular comedian in the late 70s and early 80s, the Unknown Comic, who shot to fame in his many appearances on the old game show, the Gong Show. But unknown to DeFalco, cartoon writer Jeffrey Scott had also come up with the idea to give Spidey a paper bag mask after his real one is torn up in a fight with the Sandman.
Amazingly, a third version of the Bag-Man appeared in the 90s from writer J.M. DeMatteis, and artist Luke Ross. Like the previous two, this version was also inspired by the Unknown Comic - but strangely, none of the creators were aware of the other versions of the Bag Man.
You can see more about the story, including footage from the cartoon, the forgotten Bag-Man version done by Stan lee and John Romita Sr., plus the many Bag-Man action figures and video game appearances of the character, and an exclusive interview with Bag-Man co-creator Tom DeFalco.
