Exactly 53 years ago, Stan Lee and Steve Ditko introduced the world to Spider-Man, creating one of the most successful comic book franchises of all time.

Swinging onto spinner racks and newsstands within the pages of Amazing Fantasy #15, Spider-Man ushered a new breed of superhero and style in which comic book stories were told. But at the time, no one saw the pop culture revolution in front of them. As legend has it, Stan Lee’s editors loathed the idea of Spider-Man when it was first pitched. Not wanting to waste precious resources on a title that would certainly, Marvel dumped Spider-Man and his iconic origin story into the pages of Amazing Fantasy #15,the last issue of series that they had just cancelled.

But Peter Parker struck a chord with readers, who demanded that Spider-Man return with his own comic book. Sure enough, Amazing Spider-Man was published on March 10, 1963, kicking off one of the most regarded and influential comic books off all time. If you haven't read Amazing Fantasy #15, do yourself a favor and check it out (for free) on Marvel.com.

Here’s to another 53 years (and more), Spider-Man!