Spider-Ham

Publication history

Spider-Ham debuted as the star of the 1983 humorous one-shot Marvel Tails, which also featured a backup cast of other anthropomorphic talking-animal parody versions of popular Marvel superheroes, including Captain Americat, Hulk-Bunny, and Goose Rider. Two years later, a solo bi-monthly series titled Peter Porker, the Spectacular Spider-Ham launched under Marvel's Star Comics imprint, lasting seventeen issues before its cancellation in 1987. Following the series' end, the character became a backup feature in Marvel Tales, a monthly reprint series, appearing in issues #201–212, 214–219, 223–230, 233, 236, 237, 239, 240, and 247 before ceasing.

In issue #3 of What The--?! (cover dated October 1988), Porker met Raven the Hunter in a story satirizing the "Kraven's Last Hunt" storyline. The character appeared on the cover of Wha...Huh? #1 and was referenced as a fictional character in the Earth-616 Marvel Universe in Generation X #52. Spider-Man Family #1 (2005 one-shot) included a sixteen-page Spider-Girl story where May Parker watched a DVD showing a fictional Spider-Ham animated series, and also contained a partial reprint of Marvel Tails #1. Spider-Ham was selected by fans and retailers for the final variant cover by Mike Wieringo to Amazing Spider-Man #528.

Fictional character biography

Peter Porker was originally a spider living in the basement lab of scientist May Porker, who invented an atomic-powered hairdryer. After accidentally irradiating herself, May bit Peter, transforming him into an anthropomorphic pig while retaining a spider's abilities. Peter adopted the surname "Porker" and dedicated himself to fighting injustice, using May's transferred scientific genius to create webspinner gauntlets. In his first adventure, he teamed up with Captain Americat to foil the Marauder's plot, leading to the creation of Hulk-Bunny. Spider-Ham later encountered his main nemesis, Ducktor Doom, a duck parody of Doctor Doom, in his solo series' first issue. He faced other menaces including the Bull-Frog, the Buzzard, Hogzilla, and the King-Pig.

In other media

Spider-Ham appears in Ultimate Spider-Man in two forms. In the first season episode "Run Pig Run", Loki transforms Spider-Man into an anthropomorphic pig resembling Spider-Ham during Asgardsreia. The character proper appears in the third and fourth seasons, voiced by Benjamin Diskin, as a pig who gained powers from a spider that fell into his Aunt May's vitamin pancake batter. In Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018), Spider-Ham is voiced by John Mulaney and resembles golden-age cartoon characters, arriving in Miles Morales' universe alongside Spider-Man Noir and Peni Parker.

Mulaney also voices him in the prequel short film Spider-Ham: Caught in a Ham, where he battles Doctor Crawdaddy before being whisked away by an interdimensional portal. Spider-Ham makes a non-speaking cameo in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and is planned to appear in Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse with Mulaney reprising his role. Mulaney expressed interest in a potential spin-off film focusing on the character's reporter career. He also voiced Spider-Ham in the animated short Back on the Air, promoting the character's appearance in the video game Marvel Contest of Champions.