10 Forgotten Spider-Man Characters

[Mister Mets]

CBR has a list of ten Spider-Man supporting characters we don't see very much any more.

https://www.cbr.com/spider-man-forgo...ng-characters/

#1 is a deep cut.

[Vortex85]

Um... why on Earth is Norah Winters in this list? She’s been all up in the current run. Do cbr writers even read the current comics before writing these lists?

[Pav]

No Billy Walters.

Shame.

-Pav, who has been waiting for his return...

[babyblob]

What ever happened to Joy Mercado?

[ngroove]

Most of entries on list are either A) as long as that certain transition of Peter Parker's life, B) as long as the creator who created him / her's run, or C) DEAD.

Only legit longtime "forgotten" entry, my opinion, Anna Watson, as she was a longtime supporting character for decades, before not-so-used much lately.

[Revolutionary_Jack]

Most of entries on list are either A) as long as that certain transition of Peter Parker's life, B) as long as the creator who created him / her's run, or C) DEAD.

Only legit longtime "forgotten" entry, my opinion, Anna Watson, as she was a longtime supporting character for decades, before not-so-used much lately.

Anna Watson is more accurately a longtime background character than a supporting character. She was always that old lady who was connected to MJ and Aunt May. She's not supposed to be especially deep and interesting.

[HypnoHustler]

Dr Kafka never should’ve been killed. She was a recurring character in the books for 20 years.

Jessica Carradine, daughter of the burglar, should’ve been on here.

[Huntsman Spider]

Dr Kafka never should’ve been killed. She was a recurring character in the books for 20 years.

Jessica Carradine, daughter of the burglar, should’ve been on here.

Agreed on the first, though have you checked the end of Ravencroft #2? Assuming it's not a trick, you're in for a pleasant surprise.

As for the second, yeah, the dramatic potential in that would be great to capitalize on, especially since Jessica Carradine already met Ben Reilly during his time as Spider-Man.

[ngroove]

Dr Kafka never should’ve been killed. She was a recurring character in the books for 20 years.

Jessica Carradine, daughter of the burglar, should’ve been on here.

A) I've loved Doctor Ashley Kafka's character too, but before apparently "Ravencroft" and the two major Massacre stories, her last usage to my knowledge was her creator, J.M. DeMatteis' second Spectacular Spider-Man run (1996-1998).

B) Her pagelife was as far as creator, Dan Jurgens, was on Sensational Spider-Man, which was Issues #0-6, along with Amazing Spider-Man the same time, but last seen, Sensational #6. She walked out, forgiving Ben of sorts of the conflict between her family vs his family. That's it. Her story is finished. She was a girlfriend, of the much rather forgotten about by many in general Ben Reilly Spider-Man run.

[David Walton]

I can definitely see the potential in bringing Jessica Carradine back (whose name I'd completely forgotten).

[Scott Taylor]

Lily Hollister

Carlie Cooper

Just a couple of other suggestions for such a list. Recent characters, relatively speaking, but they both look to be permanently shelved.

[David Walton]

Has Joy Mercado resurfaced any time in the last ten years? I can't recall.

[Huntsman Spider]

Lily Hollister

Carlie Cooper

Just a couple of other suggestions for such a list. Recent characters, relatively speaking, but they both look to be permanently shelved.

Carlie actually did reappear in Nick Spencer's Spider-Man. She was the one who steered Mary Jane toward the Lookups, a support group for the friends/family/lovers/loved ones of superheroes headed by Edwin Jarvis. And she helped out in ASM 25 when Mary Jane was up against the new Electro. Lily Hollister, though, one would think Felicia would have had something to say about her running around as "Queen Cat."

[hbomb450]

This list highlights a problem I’ve had with the Spider-man books for a long time and has led to a disconnect for me with the character. The problem I see is that I don’t really recognize/ know/ relate to or care about the Peter Parker character and the supporting cast suffers because there’s nothing for them to do.
When Stan was on the book, he’d spend so much time with Peter and his supporting cast that the villain would show up at the end of the book, necessitating a second part to some stories to include the superhero action/fight. But he made you care about the gang at the Coffee Bean.
During Conway’s time on the book, Peter actually “lived” in New York City. He had a fight at 30 Rock, he went to Saturday Night Live, he took MJ to see Star Trek, to Coney Island and laser light shows. I remember his apartment building with Ms. Muggins and then when Carrion bombed it, his friends chipped in to replace his furniture, leading to that wooden Native American statue he had for years.
The point I’m getting to is that I got a sense of who Peter was by how he lived his life, who he hung out with, where he went and so on. What does he even do now? Does he go out? Isn’t he back in school? Has he been to class? I haven’t read every issue of Spencer’s run but this is an ongoing issue. During Big Time, you’re telling me that he got a brand new apartment and there wasn’t a house warming party, did we even get a good look at it, does no one celebrate birthdays or holidays and invite Peter?
Just wanted to vent, I guess, going back to this list, doesn’t matter who’s on it. Peter Parker’s life and friends has taken a backseat in his own series for a long time. I’ve gotten the sense that the Peter Parker parts of the book are just there as breaks in the action and not to showcase the character or his interactions with his cast.

[Revolutionary_Jack]

This list highlights a problem I’ve had with the Spider-man books for a long time and has led to a disconnect for me with the character. The problem I see is that I don’t really recognize/ know/ relate to or care about the Peter Parker character and the supporting cast suffers because there’s nothing for them to do.
When Stan was on the book, he’d spend so much time with Peter and his supporting cast that the villain would show up at the end of the book, necessitating a second part to some stories to include the superhero action/fight. But he made you care about the gang at the Coffee Bean.
During Conway’s time on the book, Peter actually “lived” in New York City. He had a fight at 30 Rock, he went to Saturday Night Live, he took MJ to see Star Trek, to Coney Island and laser light shows. I remember his apartment building with Ms. Muggins and then when Carrion bombed it, his friends chipped in to replace his furniture, leading to that wooden Native American statue he had for years.
The point I’m getting to is that I got a sense of who Peter was by how he lived his life, who he hung out with, where he went and so on. What does he even do now? Does he go out? Isn’t he back in school? Has he been to class? I haven’t read every issue of Spencer’s run but this is an ongoing issue. During Big Time, you’re telling me that he got a brand new apartment and there wasn’t a house warming party, did we even get a good look at it, does no one celebrate birthdays or holidays and invite Peter?
Just wanted to vent, I guess, going back to this list, doesn’t matter who’s on it. Peter Parker’s life and friends has taken a backseat in his own series for a long time. I’ve gotten the sense that the Peter Parker parts of the book are just there as breaks in the action and not to showcase the character or his interactions with his cast.

That's quite insightful. I think the last time the story was as you say was in the early JMS years. I think the shift happened when Peter moved to Avengers Tower and after that it created a new kind of rhythm across the books that ultimately led to writers not knowing how to dial it down and bring things back to earth.