Who invented Spider-Man's black suit?
Marvel purchased Spider-Man's iconic black suit design from fan Randy Schueller for just $220 in 1982.
In 1982, Marvel Editor-in-Chief Jim Shooter bought a black stealth suit concept submitted by fan Randy Schueller for $220. Marvel later reimagined the design as an alien symbiote, which eventually bonded with Eddie Brock to create the legendary villain Venom—transforming a modest fan submission into one of comics' most iconic characters.
Nerd Mode
In the early 1980s, Marvel Comics invited fans to submit creative ideas. Randy Schueller, a fan from Illinois, sent a letter proposing a new black costume for Spider-Man made of unstable molecules to enhance stealth capabilities. On August 3, 1982, Editor-in-Chief Jim Shooter responded with a letter offering Schueller $220 for the rights to the concept.The original pitch was for a black-and-white suit, initially connected to the Wasp of the Avengers. Although Schueller was first invited to write the debut story, the collaboration ultimately fell through, and Marvel's internal creative team took over development. The black suit made its first appearance in "The Amazing Spider-Man" issue 252 (May 1984) and was prominently featured in the "Secret Wars" limited series.Writer Tom DeFalco and artist Ron Frenz later established that the suit was actually a sentient alien organism called a symbiote. This creative shift in 1984 explained the suit's unusual behavior and its desire to permanently bond with Peter Parker. By 1988, the symbiote merged with character Eddie Brock in "The Amazing Spider-Man" issue 299, creating the anti-hero Venom. This evolution transformed a simple $220 fan submission into one of the most profitable intellectual properties in comic book history.
Verified Fact
FP-0003761 · Feb 18, 2026