Richard and Mary Parker facts for kids

Richard and Mary Parker are important characters in the Marvel Comics universe. They are the parents of Peter Parker, also known as Spider-Man. Even though they are Peter's parents, he was mostly raised by his Aunt May and Uncle Ben. Their story helps explain why Peter grew up with his aunt and uncle and how he became the hero he is today.

Richard and Mary Parker first appeared in a comic book called The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #5 in 1968. They were created by famous comic writers Stan Lee and Larry Lieber. Richard Parker is the younger brother of Peter's Uncle Ben. Mary Parker's last name before she got married was Fitzpatrick.

Their Secret Agent Lives

In their first comic appearance, it was shown in a flashback that Richard and Mary were killed by a supersupervillain named Albert Malik, also known as the Red Skull.

Later, in comics from the 1990s, more details about their lives were revealed. It turned out that Richard Parker was recruited to work for the CIA, a secret government group, by Nick Fury. He was pretending to be a Russian double agent, which means he was secretly working for the CIA while pretending to work for someone else. Richard and Mary were said to have died in a plane crash. This crash was not an accident; it was caused by someone on purpose.

Robot Imposters

At one point, Harry Osborne, a character who was often an enemy of Spider-Man, created robots that looked exactly like Richard and Mary. Harry used these robots to trick Peter Parker into thinking his parents were still alive. He did this to try and hurt Peter emotionally. After Peter believed his parents were back, Harry revealed they were just robots, hoping to upset Peter greatly.

Richard and Mary in the Movies

Richard and Mary Parker have also been mentioned or shown in Spider-Man movies, though their roles are sometimes different from the comics.

2002 Spider-Man Movie

In the 2002 movie Spider-Man, Peter's parents are mentioned indirectly. For example, Norman Osborne (who becomes the Green Goblin) tells Peter Parker, "Your parents must be proud." Peter replies that he lives with his aunt and uncle, and they are proud of him. Later, Uncle Ben tells Peter, "I know I'm not your father," and Peter responds, "Then stop pretending to be." At the end of the movie, the Green Goblin tells Spider-Man that Peter has been like a son to him. Peter then says, "I had a father, his name was Ben Parker." These lines show how important Uncle Ben was to Peter, even though his real parents are not shown.

2012 The Amazing Spider-Man Movie

In the 2012 movie The Amazing Spider-Man, Dr. Richard Parker is a scientist. He and his wife disappeared after leaving their son Peter Parker with his Uncle Ben and Aunt May. In this movie, Dr. Richard Parker is also responsible for creating the genetically engineered superspider that bites Peter. This bite is what gives Peter his amazing spider-powers.

See also

In Spanish: Richard y Mary Parker para niños