Spider-Man has a new sidekick: The president-elect. Barack Obama collected Spider-Man comics as a child, so Marvel Comics wanted to give him a “shout-out back” by featuring him in a bonus story, said Joe Quesada, Marvel’s editor-in-chief. “How great is that? The commander in chief to be is actually a nerd in chief,” Quesada said. “It was really, really cool to see that we had a geek in the White House. We’re all thrilled with that.” The comic starts with Spider-Man’s alter-ego Peter Parker taking photographs at the inauguration, before spotting two identical Obamas. Parker decides “the future president’s gonna need Spider-Man,” and springs into action, using basketball to determine the real Obama and punching out the impostor. Obama thanks him with a fist-bump. Marvel comics have featured most presidents, but generally in walk-on roles, Quesada said. “I think President Nixon might have appeared on the cover, but not in a good way,” he said. Obama has said that as a child, he collected Spider-Man and Conan the Barbarian comic books. His Senate website used to have a photo of him posing in front of a Superman statue. The Obama story is a bonus in Marvel Comic’s Amazing Spider-Man 583, available in comic book shops nationwide on Jan. 14 for $3.99 and is expected to sell out, with half the covers devoted to Obama.

OMG, how awesome is this? The story sounds a bit cheesy but I love the fist pump and I love that Obama is honored in such a pop culturally way. While appearing on the cover of Spider-Man is kinda cool, Obama has already made his comic book debut. Before the election, over the summer, both he and Senator John McCain appeared in their own comic books that told their life stories leading up to the election. At this rate, Obama might get his own comic book series somewhere down the line ;) I already have my copy of the first Barack Obama comic book … but I’m gonna have to get my hands on this Spider-Man comic, too. Will I be seeing any of ya’ll at the comic book store come January 14?

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