Secret identity

Spidey co-creator just a friendly neighborhood resident

Nobody’s Spidey sense tingled when Steve Ditko walked into his Midtown building.

The 90-year-old Ditko, found dead in his W. 51st St. apartment last week, kept his worldwide acclaim as a star in the Marvel Comics universe to himself. The artist partnered with legendary coworker Stan Lee to create both Spider-Man and Dr. Strange during the 1960s, helping to conjure a pair of indelible characters.

“I didn’t know he was famous,” said Corneliu Gojey, who works the Midtown apartment building’s front desk. “He never told us … He was a very nice man. Even when he passed me by, we just nodded and shook hands.”

Doorman Leon Tapia, who only recently started work in the building, said he was there when Ditko was found dead — but had no idea of his worldwide renown.

Autopsy results released Saturday by the city medical examiner showed his death came from natural causes — specifically cardiovascular disease.

The reclusive artist was discovered dead June 29 by a social worker assigned to meet with him.

“The J.D. Salinger of comics,” said John Gorga, 31, part-owner of Carmine Street Comics. “Some days the only thing that gets me up in the morning is thinking about these images that Steve Ditko drew in 1965, 1966, of SpiderMan.”

Ditko lives on through his iconic work in the world of comics and beyond. Peter Parker’s costumed alter-ego “Spider-Man” long ago crossed over into television and major motion pictures, and Dr. Strange was played in 2016 by Oscar nominee Benedict Cumberbatch.

Both characters appeared in the recent blockbuster flick “Avengers: Infinity War.”

“In his lifetime he blessed us with gorgeous art, fantastical stories, heroic characters and a mystical persona worthy of some of his greatest creations,” said Marvel Chief Creative Officer Joe Quesada.