Richard and Mary Parker are
fictional characters
In fiction, a character (or speaker, in poetry) is a person or other being in a narrative (such as a novel, Play (theatre), play, Radio series, radio or television series, music, film, or video game). The character may be entirely fictional or b ...
appearing in
American comic book
An American comic book is a thin periodical originating in the United States, on average 32 pages, containing comics. While the form originated in 1933, American comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publication of ''Action Comics'' ...
s published by
Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
. They are the parents of Peter Parker, the
superhero
A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...
known as
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appeared in the anthology comic book '' Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in the ...
.
Richard and Mary Parker have been adapted to appear in several animated television series and video games.
Campbell Scott
Campbell Scott (born July 19, 1961) is an American actor, producer and director. His roles include Steve Dunne in '' Singles'', Mark Usher in ''House of Cards'', Joseph Tobin in ''Damages'', and Richard Parker in ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' and ...
and
Embeth Davidtz portrayed the characters in the films ''
The Amazing Spider-Man
''The Amazing Spider-Man'' is an ongoing American comic book series featuring the Marvel Comics superhero Spider-Man as its main protagonist. Being in the Earth 616, mainstream continuity of the franchise, it began publication in 1963 as a bim ...
'' (2012) and ''
The Amazing Spider-Man 2
''The Amazing Spider-Man 2'' (internationally titled ''The Amazing Spider-Man 2: Rise of Electro'') is a 2014 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character Spider-Man. The film was directed by Marc Webb and produced by Avi A ...
'' (2014).
Publication history
Richard and Mary Parker were created by
Stan Lee
Stan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber ; December 28, 1922 – November 12, 2018) was an American comic book writer, editor, publisher, and producer. He rose through the ranks of a family-run business called Timely Publications which ...
and
Larry Lieber
Lawrence D. Lieber (; born October 26, 1931) (Scroll down) is an American comic book artist and writer best known as co-creator of the Marvel Comics superheroes Iron Man, Thor (Marvel Comics), Thor, and Ant-Man; for his long stint both writing an ...
. For many years prior to ''The Amazing Spider-Man Annual'' #5 (published in 1968), there had been no explanation of why Peter Parker was being raised by his aunt and uncle, with his parents only appearing in flashbacks and photographs. That issue finally answered the question: Richard and Mary Parker were murdered by Albert Malik, who was one of Johann Schmidt's successors to the persona of
Red Skull
The Red Skull is an alias used by several supervillains appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics and its predecessor Timely Comics. The first version, George Maxon, appeared in ''Captain America Comics'' #1 and #4. The main ...
.
In ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #365 (August 1992), Spider-Man's 30th anniversary, they reappeared. Two years later, however, in #388 (April 1994), they were revealed to be
Life Model Decoy
A Life Model Decoy (frequently known by the abbreviation LMD) is a fictional android appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. LMDs duplicate all outward aspects of a real living person with such authenticity that they can easi ...
s created by the
Chameleon
Chameleons or chamaeleons (family Chamaeleonidae) are a distinctive and highly specialized clade of Old World lizards with 202 species described as of June 2015. The members of this family are best known for their distinct range of colors, bein ...
and were destroyed.
In the novel ''Mary Jane'', it is said they died in a plane accident while going to
Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
to turn in some important discovery that Richard made. Peter tries to figure out what the discovery was but fails, as he cannot figure out the things Richard has written on his board.
In July 1997, ''Untold Tales of Spider-Man'' #-1, part of Marvel Comics' "Flashback Month" event, written by
Roger Stern
Roger Stern (born September 17, 1950) is an American comic book author and novelist.
Biography
Early career
In the early 1970s, Stern and Bob Layton published the fanzine ''CPL'' (''Contemporary Pictorial Literature''), one of the first platfor ...
and drawn by
John Romita, Sr.
John V. Romita (; born January 24, 1930) is an American comic book artist best known for his work on Marvel Comics' ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' and for co-creating characters including the Punisher and Wolverine (character), Wolverine. He was indu ...
, the characters' origins are expanded. Since then, they have rarely been mentioned.
Fictional character biographies
Captain Richard Parker, a decorated soldier of the
United States Army Special Forces
The United States Army Special Forces (SF), colloquially known as the "Green Berets" due to their distinctive service Berets of the United States Army, headgear, are a special operations special operations force, force of the United States Ar ...
and younger brother of
Ben Parker, was recruited by
Nick Fury
Colonel Nicholas Joseph "Nick" Fury Sr. is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer/artist Jack Kirby and writer Stan Lee, he first appeared in ''Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos ...
, the future director of
S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage, special law enforcement, and counter-terrorism agency appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in ''Strange Tales'' #135 (August 1965), it often deals ...
to the
C.I.A.
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gathering, processing, ...
Mary Fitzpatrick was the daughter of
O.S.S. agent "Wild Will" Fitzpatrick. She attended the best schools and eventually followed in her father's footsteps, becoming a C.I.A. translator and data analyst.
Richard and Mary met on the job, fell in love, and married. Originally they eloped, later having a more elaborate service, fooling many. Mary became a field agent like Richard, giving them both an easy cover as a married couple. They were assigned to investigate Baroness Adelicia Von Krupp, who had captured an agent of a "friendly power" (who turned out to be Logan, aka
Wolverine
The wolverine (), (''Gulo gulo''; ''Gulo'' is Latin for "gluttony, glutton"), also referred to as the glutton, carcajou, or quickhatch (from East Cree, ''kwiihkwahaacheew''), is the largest land-dwelling species of the family Mustelidae. It is ...
, then a
Canadian
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
operative called "Agent Ten" and who would eventually become an ally of their son Peter who would grow up to become
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appeared in the anthology comic book '' Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in the ...
). They rescued Logan from the Baroness and
Baron Wolfgang von Strucker
Baron Wolfgang von Strucker () is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. A former Nazi officer, he is one of the leaders of the Hydra terrorist organization and an enemy of S.H.I.E.L.D., the Avengers, and th ...
. After that mission, they discovered Mary was pregnant; Logan was actually the first person to congratulate the Parkers, commenting later that he never saw an agent as tough as Richard Parker go that white that fast.
Their son,
Peter
Peter may refer to:
People
* List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name
* Peter (given name)
** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church
* Peter (surname), a sur ...
, was often left in the care of Ben and his wife
May
May is the fifth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars and is the third of seven months to have a length of 31 days.
May is a month of spring in the Northern Hemisphere, and autumn in the Southern Hemisphere. Therefore, May ...
when Richard and Mary were away on missions. When Richard and Mary ultimately died, Peter was raised by them.
While on a mission to investigate Albert Malik, the third
Red Skull
The Red Skull is an alias used by several supervillains appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics and its predecessor Timely Comics. The first version, George Maxon, appeared in ''Captain America Comics'' #1 and #4. The main ...
, they posed as traitors and double agents to infiltrate his criminal organization in
Algeria
)
, image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Algiers
, coordinates =
, largest_city = capital
, relig ...
, ultimately being discovered. Malik had an assassin kill the two by sabotaging their
airplane
An airplane or aeroplane (informally plane) is a fixed-wing aircraft that is propelled forward by thrust from a jet engine, propeller, or rocket engine. Airplanes come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and wing configurations. The broad spe ...
and causing it to crash. They were subsequently declared missing in action/presumed dead, as two burnt bodies were found in the remains.
[''Spider-Man: Unmasked'']
After death
Richard and Mary's son, Peter, grew up to become
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appeared in the anthology comic book '' Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in the ...
. Although he has only vague memories of his parents and no memory of their militaristic history, his aunt and uncle share photographs and happy memories with him, but not their belief that they had been traitors to their country. When Peter discovers this, he travels to
Algeria
)
, image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Algiers
, coordinates =
, largest_city = capital
, relig ...
. He finds Malik who sends the Finisher to kill Spider-Man. Spider-Man turns the Finisher's missile against him, killing him, but not before revealing that Richard and Mary were in fact innocent. Spider-Man returns to America with evidence and clears his parents' names.
[''The Amazing Spider-Man'' Annual #5. Marvel Comics.]
Richard and Mary Parker were revealed to have a daughter named
Teresa Parker
Karen Page
Paibok
Doctor Paine
Doctor Paine are two fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.
Thaddeus Paine
Dr. Thaddeus Paine, created by Len Kaminski, first appeared in ''Morbius the Living Vamp ...
.
Life Model Decoys
Years later, the
Chameleon
Chameleons or chamaeleons (family Chamaeleonidae) are a distinctive and highly specialized clade of Old World lizards with 202 species described as of June 2015. The members of this family are best known for their distinct range of colors, bein ...
, working for
Harry Osborn
Harold Theopolis "Harry" Osborn is a Character (arts), fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Spider-Man. Created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, the character first ...
, created
Life Model Decoy
A Life Model Decoy (frequently known by the abbreviation LMD) is a fictional android appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. LMDs duplicate all outward aspects of a real living person with such authenticity that they can easi ...
s of Richard and Mary. These LMDs were near-perfect robotic replicas of Peter's dead parents, and managed to convince him that they had in fact been held captive overseas for most of his life.
[''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #366. Marvel Comics.] Aunt May retained some suspicions, as there were some things they did not know, such as Richard and Mary's elopement. When Peter discovers that they were fake,
[''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #388. Marvel Comics.] he suffers a nervous breakdown. When the decoys were ordered to attack Parker, the Mary duplicate—sharing the original's love for her son—saves him instead. Neither LMD survives the incident. After battling the Chameleon, Spider-Man discovers that Harry Osborn was behind the whole thing, as an effort to avenge his (supposedly) dead father,
Norman Osborn
Norman Osborn is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character, created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, first appeared in ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #14 (July 1964) as the first ...
.
[''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #389. Marvel Comics.] Spider-Man then becomes mentally unhinged over time, until having a near-death experience. May Parker eventually learns the truth about the Life Model Decoys, via learning the truth about Spider-Man. May draws strength by talking to the graves of Mary, Richard, and Ben about Peter's life. The cynical mindset of Harry Osborn and the Chameleon was present in the LMDs, particularly during ''
Maximum Carnage
"Maximum Carnage" is a 14-part comic book fictional crossover, crossover published in Marvel Comics' ''Spider-Man'' family of titles in 1993 in comics, 1993. It featured Spider-Man, Venom (Marvel Comics character), Venom, and a host of other super ...
'':
[''Spider-Man Unlimited'' #1–2; ''Web of Spider-Man'' #101–103; ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #378–380; ''Spider-Man'' #35–37; ''Spectacular Spider-Man'' #201–203. Marvel Comics.] When Aunt May advises Peter to "listen to your heart", (the pseudo) "Richard" tells a very different lesson:
[''The Spectacular Spider-Man'' #201. Marvel Comics.]
When
Shriek uses her psychic powers to turn the whole town against Spider-Man and the other super-heroes, "Richard" remarks that the "moral, orderly" world he remembered while in prison "was just an ''illusion!'' The evil was here—all along — ''festering'' beneath the surface!" — inviting a sharp rebuke from Peter's wife,
Mary Jane[''Spider-Man'' #37. Marvel Comics.] (when exposed as frauds, some of his "parents'" cynicism rubs off on the "son" — with Spider-Man becoming unusually brutal against his enemies and developing a "Spider" alternate personality).
Ambiguities in Marvel documentation
The nature and timing of Richard and Mary Parker's fate are somewhat ambiguous in
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appeared in the anthology comic book '' Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in the ...
documentation. For one thing, the very fact that Harry Osborn and the Chameleon were able to fool the
State Department
The United States Department of State (DOS), or State Department, is an United States federal executive departments, executive department of the Federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government responsible for the country's fore ...
, Peter, and (for a time) Aunt May into thinking Richard and Mary had "returned" after 20 years implies that the government was never able to solidly confirm the bodies found in the original plane crash were theirs.
[''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #366. The entire Richard-and-Mary-Parker LMD storyline lasts from ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #363 (last page) to ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #389.] This uncertainty was exploited by Harry Osborn and the Chameleon: When explaining how he and Mary "survived", the false Richard Parker asserts that the bodies found were of Russian spies who stayed on the plane while they were forced to jump out.
According to ''Spider-Man: Unmasked'', "young Peter was orphaned at an early age when his parents were declared missing in action".
It is also ambiguous how old Peter was when his parents mysteriously disappeared: some accounts have it happening in his infancy;
[''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #364. Marvel Comics.] others say he was as old as six years
[''The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Spider-Man'', 2004. Marvel Comics.]—particularly, ''The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Spider-Man'', 2004. The latter view is supported by Spider-Man's musing, during ''The Child Within'',
[''The Spectacular Spider-Man'' #178–183. Marvel Comics.] that he remembers his parents, yet "they were practically ''strangers'' to me", as he prepares to fight
Green Goblin
The Green Goblin is the alias of several supervillains appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first and best-known incarnation Norman Osborn, created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, is generally regarded as one of the a ...
and
Vermin
Vermin (colloquially varmint(s) or varmit(s)) are pests or nuisance animals that spread diseases or destroy crops or livestock. Since the term is defined in relation to human activities, which species are included vary by region and enterpr ...
.
[''The Spectacular Spider-Man'' #180. Marvel Comics.] During the fight, Harry drugs Peter and subsequently discovers that Peter blames himself for his parents' death;
[''The Spectacular Spider-Man'' #181. Marvel Comics.] Harry conceives the LMD scam to "avenge" his own father shortly after.
Another, more comprehensive book on the Marvel Universe (also released in 2004) asserts that Peter's only clear memory of his (real) parents was of the moment they were boarding the fateful plane and he promised them he would be a "good boy" for Aunt May and Uncle Ben. Most Spider-Man stories in the main continuity are vague about Peter's exact age when he was effectively orphaned.
Other versions
1602
In ''
Marvel 1602
''Marvel 1602'' is an eight-issue comic book limited series published in 2003 by Marvel Comics. The limited series was written by Neil Gaiman, penciled by Andy Kubert, and digitally painted by Richard Isanove; Scott McKowen illustrated the distin ...
'', Peter Parker's parents are briefly mentioned as having worked with Sir Nicholas Fury, Queen Elizabeth's chief of security.
Bullet Points
In the alternate timeline of ''Bullet Points'', Ben is killed a few months into his relationship with May Parker. Richard and Mary promise to "always be there for her", a vow which was later broken.
[''Bullet Points'' #1 (2006). Marvel Comics.]
House of M
In the alternate reality created by the
Scarlet Witch
Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby. Her first appearance was in ''The X-Men'' #4 (March 1964) ...
during the
House of M
"House of M" is a 2005 comic book storyline published by Marvel Comics, consisting of a core eight-issue comic book limited series written by Brian Michael Bendis and illustrated by Olivier Coipel and a number of crossover tie-in books. Its fir ...
storyline, Peter and
Gwen Stacy
Gwendolyne Maxine Stacy is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, usually as a supporting character in those featuring Spider-Man. A college student and the daughter of George Stacy and Helen Stacy, ...
name their son Richard in name of Peter's father.
Marvel Mangaverse
Richard has not appeared or been mentioned in the
Marvel Mangaverse
The Marvel Mangaverse is a series of comic books published by Marvel Comics from 2000 to 2002, with a sequel "New Mangaverse" released in 2006.
The series depicts an alternate (or possibly two alternates, see below) Marvel universe, where its ch ...
continuity, although Mary has. In this version, Mary is named Kiri and is Aunt May's sister and is both the leader of the Spider Clan and a Spider demon, who is known as the Spider Queen. She's been plotting to make her son, Peter, the new leader of the Clan, which he later rejects. Disappointed by his rejection, Mary passes leadership of the Spider Clan to her pupil,
Venom
Venom or zootoxin is a type of toxin produced by an animal that is actively delivered through a wound by means of a bite, sting, or similar action. The toxin is delivered through a specially evolved ''venom apparatus'', such as fangs or a sti ...
, causing Peter to give up his Spider-Man identity.
MC2
In the alternate reality of
MC2, Peter names his son
Benjamin Richard Parker
Benjamin Richard Parker (who was often called Benjy by his sister) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was depicted in the alternate future Marvel Comics 2, MC2 universe. He is the ...
, with his second name being in honor of his father.
Trouble
The 2003
Epic Comics
Epic Comics (also known as the Epic Comics Group)Shooter, Jim. "Bullpen Bulletins: The Truth About the Epic Comics Group!" Marvel comics cover-dated November 1982. was an imprint of Marvel Comics from 1982 to 1996. A spin-off of the publisher's ...
limited series Limited series may refer to:
*Limited series, individual storylines within an anthology series
*Limited series, a particular run of collectables, usually individually numbered
*Limited series (comics), a comics series with a predetermined number of ...
, ''
Trouble
Trouble may refer to:
Film and television
* ''Trouble'' (1922 film), an American silent comedy-drama film directed by Albert Austin
* ''Trouble'' (1933 film), a British comedy film
* ''Trouble'' (1977 film), a Soviet drama film
* ''Trouble'' ...
'', was marketed as the "true origin" of Spider-Man. In the story, characters named Richard and Mary met while on summer vacation, and Mary's friend, May, rather than Mary herself, was Peter's mother with none of the characters' last names ever revealed.
Ultimate Marvel
In the
Ultimate Marvel
Ultimate Marvel, later known as Ultimate Comics, was an imprint of comic books published by Marvel Comics, featuring re-imagined and modernized versions of the company's superhero characters from the Ultimate Marvel Universe. Those characters in ...
continuity, Richard "Ray" Parker was a biologist instead of a spy. He and Mary supposedly died in an airplane accident when Peter was six, and Peter still has vague memories of his parents. Before the crash, Richard, along with his friend
Eddie Brock Sr., father of Peter's childhood friend
Eddie Brock Jr. were working on a cure for terminal malady, in the form of a biological suit that could repair its host body. He recorded a series of tapes addressed to Peter, in which he revealed his fears the suit would be used as a weapon instead of a cure. A tape recorded just before the crash revealed his project had been taken away from him. His project became the basis of
Venom
Venom or zootoxin is a type of toxin produced by an animal that is actively delivered through a wound by means of a bite, sting, or similar action. The toxin is delivered through a specially evolved ''venom apparatus'', such as fangs or a sti ...
. His name and work were known by scientists (including
Dr. Curt Connors
The Lizard (Dr. Curtis "Curt" Connors) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, he first appeared in ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #6 (November 1963) as an enemy of ...
and the
Ultimates
The Ultimates is a superhero comic book series published by Marvel Comics and created by writer Mark Millar and artist Bryan Hitch, which first started publication from ''The Ultimates'' #1 (March 2002), as part of the company's Ultimate Marvel i ...
Wasp
A wasp is any insect of the narrow-waisted suborder Apocrita of the order Hymenoptera which is neither a bee nor an ant; this excludes the broad-waisted sawflies (Symphyta), which look somewhat like wasps, but are in a separate suborder. Th ...
and
Giant Man
Giant-Man is the alias used by several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.
Editorial Story
Hank Pym, the first Giant-Man, with the Wasp, appeared in many superheroes stories published in the serial ''Tales to ...
with the former having a written a paper on his work in college),
Susan Storm and
Reed Richards
Mister Fantastic (Reed Richards) is a superhero character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is a founding member, and the leader, of the Fantastic Four. Richards has a mastery of mechanical, aerospace and ...
of the
Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team debuted in ''The Fantastic Four'' #1 ( cover dated Nov. 1961), helping usher in a new level of realism in the medium. It was the first ...
also knew of him and his work, with the former in particular being a great admirer of it.
In ''
Ultimate Spider-Man
''Ultimate Spider-Man'' is a superhero comic book series that was published by Marvel Comics from 2000 to 2011. The series is a modernized re-imagining of Marvel's long-running Spider-Man comic book franchise as part of the company's Ultimate ...
'' #100, Richard Parker seemingly reappeared. He recounted that
Bolivar Trask
Bolivar Trask is a fictional supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is a military scientist whose company Trask Industries is well known as the creator of the Sentinels. He is also the father of Larry Trask ...
, the man responsible for shutting down the cure project, brought the research staff back together. Richard had second thoughts about working on the project, now knowing the suit he developed would be used as a weapon, and chose not to get on the plane. Mary, however, felt Richard was a fool for turning down this opportunity, and appeared willing to leave her husband (this contradicts her earlier sentiments, that Richard was getting in way over his head). After the crash, Richard was approached by government agent
Henry Gyrich, for the purposes of launching his own research project in case
S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage, special law enforcement, and counter-terrorism agency appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in ''Strange Tales'' #135 (August 1965), it often deals ...
Director
Nick Fury
Colonel Nicholas Joseph "Nick" Fury Sr. is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer/artist Jack Kirby and writer Stan Lee, he first appeared in ''Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos ...
were ever to go rogue. Gyrich showed Richard a surveillance video proving his son, Peter, was Spider-Man. Afterwards, he revealed himself to May Parker. May, shocked by the possibility that Richard was alive all this time, told him to go away.
Later, in issue #103,
Dr. Otto Octavius (who created
multiple clones of Spider-Man) reveals that "Richard Parker" was a clone, later confirmed when Susan Storm runs a test on Richard's DNA and finds it identical to Peter's. Apparently, the cloning process severely aged Richard. Though his memories were false, Richard loves Peter like a son and asks the Fantastic Four in particular Sue Storm to look after him before passing away.
In issue #4 of ''
Ultimate Origins
''Ultimate Origins'' is a comic book limited series published by Marvel Comics, released in June 2008. It falls under Marvel's Ultimate Marvel imprint. It is written by Brian Bendis and illustrated by Butch Guice. It is intended to be a chapter i ...
'', which takes place 15 years before the current Ultimate timeline, Richard is shown to have been hired by the U.S. government and
Nick Fury
Colonel Nicholas Joseph "Nick" Fury Sr. is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer/artist Jack Kirby and writer Stan Lee, he first appeared in ''Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos ...
as part of a project to recreate the Super Soldier Serum. At a covert lab in
Dover, New Jersey
Dover is a town in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. Located on the Rockaway River, Dover is about west of New York City and about west of Newark, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town's population was 18,157, , Richard worked alongside fellow scientists, a young Hank Pym,
Franklin Storm
Franklin Storm is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is the father of Susan Storm and Johnny Storm better known as Invisible Woman and Human Torch of the Fantastic Four respectively.
Frankli ...
, father of Sue and
Johnny Storm
The Human Torch (Jonathan "Johnny" Storm) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is a founding member of the Fantastic Four. He is writer Stan Lee's and artist Jack Kirby's reinvention of a si ...
, and a young
Bruce Banner
The Hulk is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the debut issue of '' The Incredible Hulk'' (May 1962). In his comic book a ...
.
[''Ultimate Origins'' #3 (2008)]
One day, while Pym and Banner are testing a possible match to the serum, Richard is just outside the lab being visited by his wife and recently born son, Peter. Having just tested the serum on himself, Banner transforms into the Hulk and goes on a rampage, destroying the complex. Richard and Mary are caught in an explosion and severely injured.
[''Ultimate Origins'' #4 (2008)]
Artist
Mark Bagley
Mark Bagley (; born August 7, 1957) is an American comics artist. He has worked for Marvel Comics on such titles as ''The Amazing Spider-Man'', '' Thunderbolts'', ''New Warriors'', ''Venom'' and ''Ultimate Spider-Man'' and for DC Comics on ''Justic ...
based the likeness of the Ultimate version of Richard Parker on that of Peter Parker as drawn by
John Romita, Sr.
John V. Romita (; born January 24, 1930) is an American comic book artist best known for his work on Marvel Comics' ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' and for co-creating characters including the Punisher and Wolverine (character), Wolverine. He was indu ...
and
Gil Kane
Gil Kane (; born Eli Katz ; April 6, 1926 – January 31, 2000) was a Latvian-born American comics artist whose career spanned the 1940s to the 1990s and virtually every major comics company and character.
Kane co-created the modern-day versio ...
in the late 1960s and early 1970s, feeling he hadn't captured Peter's appearance during his earlier run on ''
The Amazing Spider-Man
''The Amazing Spider-Man'' is an ongoing American comic book series featuring the Marvel Comics superhero Spider-Man as its main protagonist. Being in the Earth 616, mainstream continuity of the franchise, it began publication in 1963 as a bim ...
'' in the 1990s.
[Interview with ]Mark Bagley
Mark Bagley (; born August 7, 1957) is an American comics artist. He has worked for Marvel Comics on such titles as ''The Amazing Spider-Man'', '' Thunderbolts'', ''New Warriors'', ''Venom'' and ''Ultimate Spider-Man'' and for DC Comics on ''Justic ...
and Brian Michael Bendis
Brian Michael Bendis (; born August 18, 1967) is an American comic book writer and artist. He has won five Eisner Awards for both his creator-owned work and his work on various Marvel Comics books.Bendis, Brian Michael and Oeming, Michael Avon, ' ...
in '' Wizard: The Guide to Comics'' #180 (2006).
Spider-Geddon
During the "
Spider-Geddon
''Spider-Geddon'' is a 2018 comic book limited series and crossover storyline published by Marvel Comics featuring multiple alternative versions of Spider-Man that had appeared in various media, and his supporting cast. In this sequel to ''Spide ...
" storyline, a version of Richard and Mary Parker were riding an airplane provided to them by Wilson Fisk that is carrying them over the
Savage Land
The Savage Land is a hidden prehistoric land appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It is a tropical preserve hidden in Antarctica. It has appeared in many story arcs in ''Uncanny X-Men'' as well as other related books.
Pu ...
until it was rigged to crash by Fisk. The two of them perished in the crash while their son Peter was parachuted out of the airplane just in time where he was taken in by the giant spiders and became the
Savage Spider-Man.
[''Vault of Spiders'' #1. Marvel Comics.]
In other media
Television
* Richard and Mary Parker appeared in ''
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appeared in the anthology comic book '' Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in the ...
'', voiced by uncredited actors. In the episode "Doctor Strange", they appear as an illusion created by
Baron Mordo
Baron Karl Amadeus Mordo (known as Baron Mordo) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is depicted commonly as an adversary of Doctor Strange. The character was created by writer St ...
. In the fifth-season episode "Six Forgotten Warriors", it is revealed they were spies investigating a machine called the Doomsday Device created by
Red Skull
The Red Skull is an alias used by several supervillains appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics and its predecessor Timely Comics. The first version, George Maxon, appeared in ''Captain America Comics'' #1 and #4. The main ...
in
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
. After learning from
Nick Fury
Colonel Nicholas Joseph "Nick" Fury Sr. is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer/artist Jack Kirby and writer Stan Lee, he first appeared in ''Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos ...
that his parents were traitors, Peter traveled to Russia and cleared their names.
* In ''
The Spectacular Spider-Man
''The Spectacular Spider-Man'' is a comic book and magazine series starring Spider-Man and published by Marvel Comics.
Following the success of Spider-Man's original series, ''The Amazing Spider-Man'', Marvel felt the character could support ...
'', both Peter and Eddie Brock's fathers are mentioned as having been scientists who worked together, with both sets of parents having died in a plane crash just like the Ultimate Marvel versions.
* Richard Parker is briefly mentioned in the ''
Ultimate Spider-Man
''Ultimate Spider-Man'' is a superhero comic book series that was published by Marvel Comics from 2000 to 2011. The series is a modernized re-imagining of Marvel's long-running Spider-Man comic book franchise as part of the company's Ultimate ...
'' episode "Great Power".
* Richard and Mary are mentioned by
Peter Parker
Spider-Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appearance, first appeared in the anthology comic book ''Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August ...
though not by name in the ''
What If...?'' episode "
What If... Zombies?!", as some of the many people he lost, including
Uncle Ben
Benjamin Franklin Parker, usually referred to as Uncle Ben, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, usually in association with the superhero Spider-Man. He is the husband of May Parker and the pa ...
,
Tony Stark
Iron Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby. The charac ...
, and
Happy Hogan.
Film
* The Parkers are not named and do not appear in the
Raimi trilogy, but they are indirectly mentioned in the first ''
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appeared in the anthology comic book '' Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in the ...
'' film. When Peter meets Norman Osborn during a school field trip, Norman compliments Peter's interest in science by stating that his parents must be proud of him, though Peter clarifies that he lives with his aunt and uncle. Later in the film, when Peter disregards
Uncle Ben
Benjamin Franklin Parker, usually referred to as Uncle Ben, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, usually in association with the superhero Spider-Man. He is the husband of May Parker and the pa ...
's advice during a conversation inside their car after arriving at the town library, he reminds him that he understands that he's not Peter's father, which Peter replies that he needs to "stop pretending to be". Although the film doesn't clarify the Parkers' fate, the film's official novelization confirms that they died in a plane crash, much like their comic counterparts.
* Richard and Mary Parker appear in ''
The Amazing Spider-Man
''The Amazing Spider-Man'' is an ongoing American comic book series featuring the Marvel Comics superhero Spider-Man as its main protagonist. Being in the Earth 616, mainstream continuity of the franchise, it began publication in 1963 as a bim ...
'' with Richard played by
Campbell Scott
Campbell Scott (born July 19, 1961) is an American actor, producer and director. His roles include Steve Dunne in '' Singles'', Mark Usher in ''House of Cards'', Joseph Tobin in ''Damages'', and Richard Parker in ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' and ...
and Mary by
Embeth Davidtz. Like in the comics, they are both killed in a plane crash. At the film's beginning, they say goodbye to a 4-year-old Peter as they drop him off at Uncle Ben and Aunt May's. When Peter asked why they were leaving, Richard answers that it was something they had to do and told Peter to be good to Ben and May.
* Scott and Davidtz reprise their roles of Richard and Mary Parker in ''
The Amazing Spider-Man 2
''The Amazing Spider-Man 2'' (internationally titled ''The Amazing Spider-Man 2: Rise of Electro'') is a 2014 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character Spider-Man. The film was directed by Marc Webb and produced by Avi A ...
'', with their characters dying in a plane crash at the beginning of the film, due to an attack by a henchmen as the plane's co-pilot played by
Bill Heck
Bill Heck is an American actor who has appeared on Broadway and in television shows, such as '' The Leftovers'' and '' The Old Man'', and films, including in the role of Billy Knapp in the Coen Brothers' western ''The Ballad of Buster Scruggs''.
...
. Later, May reveals that she and Ben were visited by government agents a few days after Richard and Mary disappeared and were told that Richard was planning to sell secret weapons to foreign powers. However, while going through his father's things, Peter discovers clues that lead him to a secret lab his father had established in a disused railway station, which includes a video Richard recorded before his death revealing he fled
Oscorp
Oscorp (sometimes stylized as OsCorp), also known as Oscorp Industries, is a fictional multibillion-dollar multinational corporation appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, predominantly in stories about Spider-Man. The compa ...
to prevent his discoveries from being used for biological weapons. He also reveals Oscorp's genetically-engineered spiders were created using his DNA, thus explaining why Peter is the only successful 'cross-species' to be created; the spiders were specifically encoded to the Parker bloodline and will not fully bond with anyone else. In the extra features there is a scene showing Richard as alive, now visibly aged, and reveals that he has survived the plane crash after the loss of his wife. When Peter angrily refuses to accept the fact that his father is alive, Richard explains to Peter that he had to stay away from him to prevent Oscorp from recovering his research to be used as a weapon, and to make sure that his research would never fall into Oscorp's hands, including protecting his son from harm. As it is an extra scene and not shown in the final cut of the movie, Richard Parker is still considered deceased along with Mary Parker.
Video games
Richard and Mary Parker are featured in the ''
Ultimate Spider-Man
''Ultimate Spider-Man'' is a superhero comic book series that was published by Marvel Comics from 2000 to 2011. The series is a modernized re-imagining of Marvel's long-running Spider-Man comic book franchise as part of the company's Ultimate ...
'' video game with Richard voiced by
Loren Lester
Loren Lester (born October 4, 1960) is an American screen, stage and voice actor best known as the voice of DC Comics superheroes Nightwing and Robin in various media, starting with the DC Animated Universe. He is also a graduate of the Occidental ...
and Mary having no dialogue. Richard and Eddie Brock Sr. (
Eddie Brock
Edward Charles Allan "Eddie" Brock is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by David Michelinie and Todd McFarlane, making a cameo appearance in ''Web of Spider-Man'' #18 (Se ...
's father) used to work together and they created the
Venom
Venom or zootoxin is a type of toxin produced by an animal that is actively delivered through a wound by means of a bite, sting, or similar action. The toxin is delivered through a specially evolved ''venom apparatus'', such as fangs or a sti ...
suit, capable of healing its host, as a possible cure for severe illness. However, the suit is very unstable and Richard and Eddie never got to finish work on it, due to signing a contract with
Trask Industries that caused them to lose ownership of the suit and both of them dying in a plane crash shortly after. It is revealed in a flashback at the end of the game that the crash was caused by Eddie Sr. trying the unstable Venom suit on board, which caused him to lose control due to its incompatibility and kill the pilot. Mary Parker was also aboard the plane and one of the only three survivors of the crash, but died in the ambulance shortly after, before she could mention what happened.
Novels
In the "
Sinister Six
Sinister commonly refers to:
* Evil
* Ominous
Sinister may also refer to:
Left side
* Sinister, Latin for the direction "left"
* Sinister, in heraldry, is the bearer's true left side (viewers' right side) of an escutcheon or coat of arms; see de ...
" novel trilogy by
Adam-Troy Castro
__NOTOC__
Adam-Troy Castro is a science fiction, fantasy, and horror writer living in Wildwood, Florida.
He has more than one hundred stories to his credit and has been nominated for numerous awards, including the Hugo, Nebula, and Stoker. T ...
(''Gathering of the Sinister Six'', ''Revenge of the Sinister Six'', and ''Secret of the Sinister Six''), a man known as
the Gentleman — an internationally known criminal mastermind, currently in his late nineties and possessing a strong disdain for the rest of humanity, as well as being the brother of the Red Skull's assassin the Finisher — was revealed to have been partially responsible for Richard and Mary's deaths, having revealed their true identities to the Red Skull, only asking that Peter be spared so that he would be more of a challenge later on in life. The possibility was also raised that Spider-Man had an older sister: the Gentleman's ward, a young woman called Pity, who was capable of climbing walls, possessed a strength level approximately equal to Spider-Man, and could create a "darkness" preventing anyone around her from seeing. At the conclusion of the trilogy, Peter Parker meets
Logan
Logan may refer to:
Places
* Mount Logan (disambiguation)
Australia
* Logan (Queensland electoral district), an electoral district in the Queensland Legislative Assembly
* Logan, Victoria, small locality near St. Arnaud
* Logan City, local gover ...
, who reveals he worked regularly with the Parkers on joint missions between the American and Canadian secret services; the discovery that Logan was the first person to congratulate Richard after learning that Mary was pregnant prompted Peter to say "Wolverine's practically my Uncle". Logan also clarifies that Pity wasn't his sister; the photographs Peter found of his parents with a little girl were actually part of a long-term cover operation before Peter was born, with both of them still so attached to the memory that Mary kept the pictures and Richard told Logan about it during a joint mission.
References
External links
Richard Parker:
Richard Parkerat Marvel Wiki
Richard Parkerat Comic Vine
Mary Parker:
Mary Parkerat Marvel Wiki
Mary Parkerat Comic Vine
{{DEFAULTSORT:Parker, Richard and Mary
Characters created by Larry Lieber
Characters created by Stan Lee
Comics characters introduced in 1968
Fictional Central Intelligence Agency personnel
Fictional characters from Queens, New York
Fictional married couples
Fictional murdered people
Fictional secret agents and spies
Fictional special forces personnel
Marvel Comics martial artists
Marvel Comics scientists
S.H.I.E.L.D. agents
Spider-Man characters