Stan Lee's tale of the existential superhero moved into a supremely Shakespearean Chapter Two, and preached the Marvel Comics gospel almost as loudly as the original, if box office receipts are any indication.

Spider-Man 2 was the second-highest grosser of the year, and the edgy, realistic superhero from the sixties might just be the most powerful franchise on the planet, with script ideas for Spiderman VII being tossed around, and enough villains to make sure the web spins fast and long.

The webslinger's success is already branching beyond Hollywood, with a musical on Broadway featuring U2 under way.