In comic books and other stories with a long history, first appearance refers to the first issue to feature a fictional character.
Marvel Comics' "Essential" line has become popular by giving readers an affordable glimpse into characters' early history.
[1] Historically, first appearances tell the origin story for the character, although some, such as Batman and Green Goblin, remained dubious figures for several issues.
The events portrayed in most famous first appearances are continuously retconed, rebooted, or expanded upon by subsequent writers.
Like many golden and silver age comics, first appearances often become dated and do not fit the modern portrayal of the character.
1990s-era Spider-Man writer Howard Mackie said that his favorite story featuring the character was his first appearance and origin story in Amazing Fantasy #15 (August 1962), stating that writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko "gave us everything we needed, I wanted or could ask for in the least possible space.