Spider‑Man co‑creator Steve Ditko has died aged 90 in New York.
Police say he was found unresponsive at his flat in Manhattan and was declared dead by paramedics who attended the scene.
Fans, including author Neil Gaiman, have paid tribute to the artist.
Ditko rose to fame for his work with Marvel Comics in the early 1960s, working with the company's future CEO Stan Lee on ideas including Spider‑Man and Doctor Strange.
Lee came up with the idea of a teen superhero with the powers of a spider.
But it was Ditko who created Spider‑Man's distinctive blue and red costume and the web‑shooters he wore on his wrists.
Ditko left the company in 1966 after reportedly falling out with Lee and went on to create superhero The Creeper with DC Comics.
[Source:BBC News]
