With the hype around Marvel’s one of the most anticipated games, Spider-Man 2, all blazing over the internet, there is something that one cannot simply forget about the superhero. Thanks to the onset of internet, memes not just make people laugh for the moment, they stay in their memories for longer than expected. And one such example is the famous Spider-Man meme.
Yes, the meme where two identical animated versions of the superhero are seen pointing accusingly at a copy of each other. It is clearly one of the most popular Marvel memes that has been circulating on the internet for years, and it never gets old.
Almost everyone who uses or has used social media ever in their life has at least once come across the world-famous meme. The evergreen Spider-man pointing meme has been used and reused in various contexts and shared across multiple social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. However, not everyone knows the real story behind the meme and where it came from.
Where did the viral Spider-Man Meme originate from?
The actual image that went on to become the iconic Spider-Man meme originates from the classic 1967 animated series. To be specific from the episode “Double Identity.” Given how old the image actually is, many users wouldn’t recognize the cartoon. Additionally, since then Spider-Man has starred in many more cartoons than any other Marvel character, the original often gets lost.
The 1967 cartoon was simply titled Spider-Man and ran on ABC for two seasons. After that, it went into syndication for its third and final season. The series consists of a total of 53 episodes featuring Paul Soles as the voice of the protagonist.
Besides, the series also featured other supporting characters and villains (of course) from Spider-Man’s earliest adventures. The remaining cast included J. Jonah Jameson, Betty Brant, Vulture, Scorpion, Electro, Sandman, Green Goblin, and Rhino, among others.
Like other cartoons, the episodes of the series’ first and third seasons were divided into segments. As a result, every episode was broken up into two stories. The second segment of Spider-Man season 1, episode 19 was the said episode titled “Double Identity.”
In the episode, Peter Parker fights an actor-turned-criminal named Charles Cameo, who impersonates Spider-Man to steal art. However, Cameo is encountered by the real Spider-Man, who lands right in front of him. The two characters point at each other, and it’s that very scene that has become the perfect meme resource.
The meme has been around on the internet since at least 2011. Fans, celebrities, and even politicians have used the image to draw humorous comparisons between people who seem similar or engaged in the same kind of activity.
Among the most notable recreations is the meme recreated in Sony’s animated Spider-Verse movies in 2018. At the end Into the Spider-Verse, the Spider-Man from Earth-67 is seen recruited by Spider-Man 2099. Eventually the two Spider-Men end up in an argument and point instead.
Similarly, the 2023 sequel Across the Spider-Verse recreates the meme several times over as countess versions. After 2099 gives the extremely ambiguous order to “Stop Spider-Man”, without actually specifying which one needs to be stopped, several Spider-Men start pointing at each other. No matter how long the image has been used as a meme, fans keep recreating it unique ways to have fun with the image, and always find a way to keep it alive and relevant.