The 1981 syndicated version of Spider-Man was based on the popular Marvel Comics character of the same name. The series featured Peter Parker having to balance his alter ego crimefighting with his responsibilities as a university student, a part-time photographer for the "Daily Bugle" and caring for his elderly Aunt May. Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends, which originally aired on NBC around the same time, featured Spider-Man, Iceman, and Firestar. In this incarnation, the three superheroes are all college students at Empire State University, who operate as the "Spider-Friends" as the superheroes battle various supervillains.