There was no symbiote flashback. At that time, the costume was not known to be a symbiote.

1. Similar? Well, while the Human Torch's foes (and therefore the FF's foes) tend to be more cosmic, Spidey's are mostly enhanced human. However there are many supervillains out there who've fought both Spidey and Torch, at the same time even. This includes the Enforcers, the Wizard, Speed Demon, Moribus, the Vulture, the Green Goblin, the Lizard, Mysterio, the Black Abbot, the Super Skrull, and many more.
2. Venom was becoming such a popular character, that Marvel wanted to give him his own series. That was tough to do because, although Venom wanted to help innocents, he also wanted to eat Spider-Man's brains. The solution was to have him stop hating Spider-Man, which he did in ASM # 375 when Spidey saved his ex-wife. After his series (actually a string of mini-series) came to an end, it was time to have him become a Spider-foe again, which he did in SPIDER-MAN: THE VENOM AGENDA. His hatred for Spider-Man really came back with a vengeance, though, when he blamed Spider-Man for his ex-wife's death in ASM vol.2 # 19.
3. No, but for a while in the late 70's, Peter was a TA at ESU while Connors was a teacher there.
4. Soon to be coming your way in the mini-series SPIDER-MAN/BLACK CAT: THE EVIL THAT MEN DO, and then her own series, both written by Kevin Smith.
5. Spidey and Sauron have scrapped once in MARVEL FANFARE vol. 1 # 1-2.
6. The movie in India? Er, not sure but if it makes you feel better, I'll mail you the Nicholas Hammond one!

Well, that's easy. Back in 1998 Marvel decided that, like many other characters, Spider-Man needed a reboot. In order to update the origin they asked John Byrne to rewite history. He'd done that a couple of times before with other characters, so, why not Spidey? Well, in my opinion the answer to that question should have been because Stan Lee and Steve Ditko did a perfect job.

Anyway, the powers that be decided John should go ahead. Out came a dreadful new Spider-Man origin. The running Spidey titles were cancelled and started again with number 1. In fact, the story simply continued. The reboot was nothing more than a renumbering of the running series. And Chapter One was quickly forgotten.

Then came 2000, there were new powers in charge and a new timeline was created. With Marvel, timelines are invented every 2-4 years, so nothing new there. This time, the newly created timeline was a retelling, recreation of the ongoing timeline that started in 1962. They called it Ultimate and it tells the story of Spider-Man like it is happening today. One could say, they are capturing the same spirit of the current era like Stan Lee did back in 1962 with his era.

Marvel tried to push us Chapter One as part of the established continuity (such as, the burglar went to the Parker's house to steal their new computer - kills off Amazing #196-200; Doc Ock and Spidey were created in the same radioactive accident; Norman Osborn was the mastermind behind the creation of some classic villains... ??? Way sucky...), while Ultimate Spider-Man has a continuity of it's own. No matter what happens in USM, we do not know its future. With Chapter One, we knew 40 years of the future, and it just doesn't make any sense.

So, back to your question. How are both stories diferent? Both are reboots, both retell the origin of Spider-Man. The difference is that Chapter One really sucks and that Ultimate rocks. Does that answer your question?

Glad we could help. And no sarcasm! Not like you needed help, sheesh, the comic isn't even a year old. How hard is it to go look at the recent issues!

For the second, try The Title Summary for more info.

1. Some battles are really open to interpretation as to if there's a winner or loser. In this case, Spidey apparently doesn't that first encounter with the Vulture to be a defeat. Probably more like a delay of getting to the real battle. On the other hand, that first encounter with Doc Ock would be considered by most people to be a humiliating defeat.
2. Part of it was cost, part of it was that ideally, the story in the comic should let you know all that info, and part was that many people didn't even read them.
3. Spider-Man's web-shooters have an adjustable nozzle that determines if the webbing comes out as a thin line, a spray, or even a "goop".

1. At large
2. At large
3. Last seen in Europe, perhaps with custody of Baby May
4. In California
5. Featured every month
6. a. active (as a detective) b. inactive in Denver c. active
7. All Symbiotes deceased.
8. Active
9. Featured every month in their own books.
10. Featured every month in their own books.
11. Featured every month in their own books.
12. Featured every month in their own books.
13. Alistair Smyth - in jail. His father - dead.
14. See current issues of Fantastic Four.
15. Norman - at large. Harry - deceased
16. Deceased
17. Who?
18. Shows up in X-Men occasionally.