Despite the complexity of the design, production, and overall result of Marvel films, it is often the case that such masterpieces are created not thanks to huge budgets, but thanks to fan ideas. In particular, the suit of one of Marvel's main heroes, Spider-Man, was designed by a fan, and the company acquired this concept for only $220.
Marvel periodically held contests to stay connected with its fans. One such contest was in 1982, where Randy Shuler won. At the age of 22, Shuler proposed a new black and red suit for Spider-Man. Thus, the black version of Spider-Man's suit was developed by no one other than a fan.
This basic idea was later adopted by Marvel and became the basis for the development of the Venom concept. It turned out that this fan idea transformed into the famous alien symbiote Venom, which brought billions in global revenue.
When Marvel ran a contest for new authors and artists, participants were asked to present ideas related to existing characters and established storylines. Among the many concepts submitted was Shuler's idea. He proposed a black and red suit for Spider-Man that would be more suitable for covert operations and look more elegant.
Shuler suggested that this suit should be created by Janet Van Dyne, a designer, and Reed Richards. Reed Richards had previously created suits using unstable molecules for the Fantastic Four. According to this idea, Spider-Man's suit, which could previously tear, should now be modern and capable of self-repair.
The Marvel company really liked this suit idea, although it did not resemble the current Venom at the time. The company acquired this concept for about $220 for a new project. At the time, Marvel planned to sell various Spider-Man figures and collectibles, so they created a new event similar to 'Secret Wars' to bring their characters onto one platform.
In 2007, Shuler told CBR that in the early 80s, Marvel held a contest for new writers and artists. He jokingly noted that he had always been a big fan of Spider-Man and dreamed of the development of the comic book universe. According to him, he found it interesting if Spider-Man improved both his abilities and his appearance, so he came up with this new suit that Reed Richards could create using unstable molecules from the Fantastic Four.
Shuler also mentioned that in his original concept, the unstable molecules were supposed to penetrate Peter's pores, allowing him to cling to walls better. He stated that his initial vision could increase his adhesion ability by 25%. He described this suit as a stealth version of the original outfit, completely black, so that he could blend into the shadows.
The most noticeable detail of this suit was supposed to be a dark red spider emblem on the chest. He also added that the spider symbol in his design was red, not white. Furthermore, he included a mesh texture under the arms, similar to Dick Thompson's original design.
This famous suit was carefully prepared behind the scenes before its first major screen appearance. Ultimately, Randy Shuler's suit idea, presented at the 1982 contest, was bought by Marvel for $220, and subsequently, this same concept is linked to the history of the black Spider-Man suit and Venom.