The Untold Truth Of Spider-Man And Iron Man's Relationship

Aside from occasional guest appearances and crossover events, Spider-Man and Iron Man remained largely uninvolved in each other's activities in the '80s, '90s, and early 2000s. Interestingly, despite Spider-Man's status as a reserve Avenger, he was rarely called upon to join Earth's Mightiest Heroes on their numerous missions.

This changed in 2005, when a breakout at the maximum security supervillain prison called the Raft led to the formation of the New Avengers. By this time, the old Avengers team had disassembled, following the Scarlet Witch's massive reality-warping breakdown; the escape attempt by the Raft's super-powered inmates made Captain America and Iron Man realize that the world still needed a superhero team to defend it. Spider-Man officially joins the roster (and becomes a full-time Avenger for the first time) in issue 3, alongside fellow heroes Wolverine, Luke Cage, Spider-Woman, and the Sentry. As a team, they found themselves at odds with various threats such as the vampiric human-pterosaur hybrid Sauron, the magically enhanced, crowbar-wielding Wrecker, and even the criminal organizations Hydra and the Hand.

During this time, Peter moved into Avengers Tower with his Aunt May and wife Mary Jane. This change of address also contributed to him forming a deeper bond with Tony, whose scientific brilliance he respected. On his end, Tony saw much potential in Peter as both a scientific protégé and a superhero partner, and quickly took him under his wing as his new right-hand man.