In another world, the first comic book movie Sam Raimi directed would’ve been The Shadow. The director then revisited a short story he’d written, about a man who could alter his face to impersonate others. Darkman scored terribly in previews, but was critically well-received and commercially successful, spawning two sequels, albeit without Raimi or Neeson. But its visual flair and characterization would also form the blueprint for the director’s next superhero outing, the Spider-Man trilogy. Released on this day in 1990, 12 years before Spider-Man, Darkman also serves as a superhero origin story, with much of the same pathos and struggle to reconcile one’s sense of self.