# Spider-Boy

Spider-Boy (Bailey Bartholomew Briggs) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Dan Slott and artist Humberto Ramos, the character first appeared in Spider-Man vol. 4 #7 (April 2023). He is a child superhero with spider-like abilities. He was erased from existence and forgotten by everyone who knew him before being brought back. The character is also an ally of the superhero Peter Parker / Spider-Man and Gwen / Kidpool and the main character of the comic book series Spider-Boy and Kidpool & Spider-Boy.

## Development
### Concept and creation

Spider-Boy creator Dan Slott stated "So, the idea came from when we were writing. I said to my editor, "Wouldn't it be funny if there was one more guy? And now, no one remembers him." And we started talking about who that [could] be, what kind of character they would be. I was pitching really hard for it to be Spider-Boy. Why? This all-new character would be the youngest spider character we'd ever done because both Miles and Peter, when they got bit, were teenagers. I thought it would be really fun to see the adventures of a preteen Spider-Man character, someone Spider-Man won't want running around. It's child endangerment [laughs]. If you're Spider-Man, you're all about responsibility, and what kind of responsible hero would you be if you let this nine or ten-year-old kid run around and fight crime? So that's kind of where that came from." Slott later said Spider-Boy was created to be an entertaining Spider-Man supporting character, but became popular enough to get his own comic series.

### Publication history

Spider-Boy debuted in Spider-Man vol. 4 #7 (April 2023), created by Dan Slott and Humberto Ramos. He later appeared in the 2023 Edge of Spider-Verse series, and in the 2023 Spider-Boy series, his first solo comic book series. The first monthly issue was released in November 2023. He also appeared in the 2023 Superior Spider-Man series, and in the 2023 Marvel Unlimited exclusive Infinity Comic series.

## Fictional character biography

Bailey Briggs was originally a normal boy before being kidnapped by Madame Monstrosity. He and fellow prisoner Eli Hartman are respectively fused with a spider and an elephant and rhinoceros, with Eli being dubbed "Hellifino". Eventually, Bailey managed to escape and, after training with Daredevil to gain control of his powers, became Spider-Boy, Spider-Man's sidekick.
In "End of the Spider-Verse", following the defeat of Shathra and Morlun, Bailey is among their victims who are resurrected. After realizing that nobody remembers his existence, he leaves and ends up living at a F.E.A.S.T. building after saving a young girl named Christina Wu from Mister Negative's Inner Demons.
Spider-Boy later battles Madame Monstrosity, who sends Hellifino and her creation Boy-Spider to capture him. He also reunites with his mother Tabitha Briggs, who has no memory of him and was transformed into a cat hybrid by Madame Monstrosity. Madame Monstrosity captures Spider-Boy and transforms herself into a chimera to battle him when he attempts to escape. However, she is taken away by the High Evolutionary, who plans to experiment on her.
After Madame Monstrosity is defeated, the people she transformed into Humanimals are returned to normal after her husband Jeremy, who she transformed into an owl, works with her former henchmen Squeakerton and Mr. Cricket, Spider-Man, and the android Toy Soldier to modify her transformation chamber. Boy-Spider, Jeremy, and Hellifino are unable to be returned to a human form, so they choose to live on Madame Monstrosity's farm with Tabitha.
Afterwards, Bailey returns to school and begins learning everything that happened while he was missing. Tabitha also joins the F.E.A.S.T. staff, regains her memories, and learns Bailey's secret identity, but allows him to continue being a superhero.

## Powers and abilities

Spider-Boy possesses superpowers similar to those of Spider-Man. He can transform into a spider hybrid at will, gaining paralyzing venom, enhanced vision, and the ability to communicate with spiders. Additionally, he has a variety of the Spider-Sense that manifests as psychometry.

## Supporting characters
### Enemies

Spider-Boy has his own rogues gallery:
| Name / alter ego | Creator(s) | First appearance | Description |
| Madame Monstrosity | Dan Slott Paco Medina | Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 6) #31 (August 2022) | Melodia Stillwell experiments on human beings to turn them into human/animal hybrids called Humanimals. She is the mother of Farley Stillwell, Harlan Stillwell, and Shannon Stillwell. |
| Gutterball | Dan Slott Paco Medina | Spider-Boy #1 (November 2023) | A bowling-themed supervillain with a bowling ball for a head. |
| Balloon Man | Dan Slott Paco Medina | Spider-Boy #1 (November 2023) | Emilio Helio possesses gaseous powers after an accident that changed his respiratory system. This enables him to control gases including the helium in balloons. |
| Killionaire | Dan Slott Paco Medina | Spider-Boy #3 (March 2024) | A rich social media influencer. |
| Red Heron | Steve Foxe Carola Borelli | Spider-Woman (vol. 8) #5 (May 2024) | A heron-masked villain who Spider-Woman helped Spider-Boy defeat. |
| Puzzle Man | Dan Slott Jason Loo | Spider-Boy #8 (August 2024) | Krys Crossman is a Daily Bugle worker who specializes in puzzles and breaks the fourth wall to challenge readers. |
| Funhouse | Dan Slott Michael Cho | Spider-Boy #11 (October 2024) | Maka Akana / Funhouse is the apprentice of the assassin Bullseye, a shapeshifter able to assume the powers of anyone who makes eye contact with her. After making eye contact with Spider-Boy causes her to acquire all his memories, she makes it her mission to kill him, briefly taking the name "Spider-Girl" to compete against him at the Challenge of the Jade Dragon. |

## Other versions

An alternate future timeline variant of Spider-Boy appears during the Venom War event.

## Reception
### Critical response

Casey Donahue of Screen Rant named Bailey Briggs one of the best new heroes of 2023. D. R. Bickham of Comic Book Resources called Bailey Briggs one of the most interesting incarnations of Spider-Man, writing, "While his youth, quirkiness, and awkward similarities to his mentor make him immediately endearing to fans, another contributing factor to Spider-Boy's newfound popularity and staying power lies in his unique rogues gallery." George Marston of Newsarama referred to Bailey Briggs as a one of Marvel's newest breakout characters.

### Impact

In 2023, the introduction of Bailey Briggs as Spider-Boy in Spider-Man vol. 4 #7 was credited as one of the main reasons the comic book sold out. Matt Devoe of ComicBook.com ranked the comic book 1st in their "Top 10 Comic Books Rising in Value in the Last Week Include Midnight Sons and Tons of Spider-Verse" list. His appearance in Edge of Spider-Verse #3 was also credited as one of the key reasons the comic book sold out.

## Literary reception
### Volumes
#### Spider-Boy (2023)

Diamond Comic Distributors reported that Spider-Boy #1 was the 3rd top advance-reordered comic book by retailers between November 20 to November 6, 2023. ComicHub reported that Spider-Boy #1 was the best-selling comic in November 2023. The ComicHub Top 200 Comics sales chart reflects sales data collected from the ComicHub system at comic shops across the globe that sell American comics. This report was created based on information from more than 125 stores that used the ComicHub system during the reporting period.
Sayantan Gayen of Comic Book Resources called Spider-Boy #1 a "positive debut issue," asserting that it offers the freshest take on an old formula from Marvel in recent history. He praised the potential for the character, noting that Bailey's future looks bright if the creators invest the necessary love to help him grow. Matthew Aguilar of ComicBook.com gave Spider-Boy #1 a score of 4 out of 5 stars, praising the emotional depth of Bailey's origin story and the poignant reunion that unfolds, calling it a "heartfelt" experience. He noted that the villains in the series have an appealing absurdity, which adds to its charm, with artist Paco Medina and colorist Erick Arciniega effectively embracing this whimsical style in their artwork and character designs. Aguilar also highlighted the entertaining second story, "Balloonacy," by Ty Templeton and Dee Cunniffe, appreciating the inclusion of Squirrel Girl and Tippy-Toe. He remarked that when Spider-Boy takes center stage, the series evokes a unique quality that feels special, leaving him eager to see where the story goes next.