The Amazing Spider-Man (pinball)

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Promotional flyer released in 1980.

The pinball machine being operated.

The Amazing Spider-Man was a pinball machine released by Marvel Comics based on their comic book character Spider-Man. The machine was designed by Ed Krinski with art by Gordon Morison and produced by D. Gottlieb & Co. as part of their Star Series 80 line. The first came off the assembly line in May 1980.

The Amazing Spider-Man was the first of Gottlieb's System 80 series of pinball machines and was the second Marvel character licensed by Gottlieb to produce a pinball machine (the first being The Hulk).

The pinball machine featured character poses taken directly from Marvel comics and style guides including Aunt May Parker, Kingpin, Lizard, Scorpion, Vulture, Black Widow and the Green Goblin.

The features;

Special 24" (60cm) wide-bodied cabinet
4-Player game
6-Digit LED display
4 Flippers (No Center Post)
1 Lane (with Spinner)
4 Exit Lanes
2 Slingshot Bumpers
3 Kick-Out Holes
2 Pop Bumpers
2 Spot Targets
2 Drop Target Banks (3 and 5 targets)

A total 7,625 were produced and are sought after collectors items.

Stan Lee, the co-creator of Spider-Man and public face of Marvel Comics, claimed ownership of one of the first machines of the assembly line and kept it in his Marvel office until he auctioned it as part of his Stan Lee collection at Heritage Comics Auctions (HCA) of Dallas, Texas, USA.

"Over the years, I have spent countless frustrating yet perversely enjoyable hours attempting to play on it, as have numerous colleagues, friends and business associates (some quite famous, though a combination of modesty, shame and my legendary bad memory prevents me from divulging their names here) during their unrelenting pilgrimages to my office. In fact, I think many of these scions of arts and industry came over JUST to beat me up at pinball. I hope its new owner will be a better player than I am." [1]