Prowler first appeared in Amazing Spider-Man #78 (August 1969), created by Stan Lee, John Buscema, and John Romita Jr. He was introduced as Hobie Brown, a window washer who had invented special equipment to make his job easier, such as wrist and ankle bracelets that could shoot pellets filled with cleaning fluid, steel claws and special boots for climbing. However, he lost his job and decided to use his inventions for crime instead. He made a costume with a hood, cape, and mask and called himself the Prowler.

His first target was the Daily Bugle, where he planned to steal the payroll and then return it as Hobie Brown, hoping to become a hero and impress his girlfriend, Mindy. However, he encountered Peter Parker outside the building and pushed him through a window, thinking he had killed him. Peter managed to save himself with his spider powers, but Hobie was filled with guilt and remorse. He then tries to lure Spider-Man into a fight at a jewelry store, hoping to redeem himself by defeating him. However, Spider-Man quickly overpowered him and unmasked him after hearing his story. Spider-Man let him go, believing he was sincere and had learned his lesson.

Prowler did not give up his costume entirely but used it for good instead of evil. He became an ally of Spider-Man, who sometimes asked him for favors or helped him out of trouble. For example, Spider-Man asked Hobie to pose as him to deliver a message to Peter Parker to convince his friends that he was not Spider-Man after accidentally revealing his secret identity while suffering from a fever. Hobie agreed and used his special equipment to complete the impersonation.

Prowler also tried to prove himself a hero by pursuing other criminals or villains, such as the original White Tiger, who he thought had killed his “little brother” from the Big Brother program. However, he soon discovered that the natural killer was a night watchman who had tried to break up a gang fight. He also applied for membership with the Defenders but was outclassed by their power level. He eventually settled into a construction worker career and married Mindy.

Prowler’s life was not always easy or peaceful. He faced personal and professional challenges and threats along the way. Some of them include:

– Having his costume and weapons stolen by two different criminals who used them to commit crimes in his name. The first was the Cat Burglar, who worked for the original Belladonna. The second one was Rick Lawson, who the Tinkerer manipulated. Both times, Spider-Man helped him clear his name and stop the impostors.
– Being framed for murder by the Chameleon, who disguised himself as Prowler and killed a security guard at Oscorp. Prowler was arrested and sent to prison, where he met Rocket Racer. They managed to escape with the help of Spider-Man and expose the Chameleon’s plot.
– Being infected by Carrion’s virus turned him into a mindless zombie-like creature. He attacked Spider-Man and other heroes until Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four cured him.
– Being kidnapped by Norman Osborn’s Dark Avengers, who wanted to use him as a test subject for their Super-Adaptoid project. Spider-Man and Ronin rescued him.
– Being blackmailed by the Kingpin into working for him as an undercover agent in Parker Industries, where Peter Parker had hired him as head of security. He was forced to sabotage Parker’s inventions and spy on his activities while trying to find a way out of Kingpin’s grip.
– Being killed by Electro during a battle between Spider-Man’s allies and enemies at Parker Industries. He sacrificed himself to save Spider-Man from Electro’s blast.

Prowler may be dead in the central Marvel universe (Earth-616), but his legacy lives on in other realities and media. Some examples are:

– In Ultimate Marvel (Earth-1610), Prowler is Aaron Davis, the uncle of Miles Morales, who becomes the second Spider-Man after Peter Parker’s death. He is a thief who steals a spider from Oscorp that bites Miles and gives him spider powers. He later tries to exploit Miles’ abilities for his gain, but the Scorpion kills him.
– In Spider-Gwen (Earth-65), Prowler is Hobart Brown, a friend, and ally of Spider-Woman (Gwen Stacy). He is a former member of the War Machines, a gang of vigilantes who fought against the corrupt police force. He later joins Gwen’s band, the Mary Janes, as their drummer.
– In Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018), Prowler is Aaron Davis, voiced by Mahershala Ali. He is the uncle of Miles Morales and a hitman for the Kingpin. He is assigned to kill Spider-Man but hesitates when he discovers he is Miles. He is then shot and killed by the Kingpin’s henchman, Tombstone.
– In Marvel’s Spider-Man (2018), Prowler is Hobie Brown, voiced by Tim Russ. He is a former criminal who works as a security expert for Silver Sable International. He helps Spider-Man and Miles Morales stop the Maggia from stealing Sable’s weapons.
– In Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales (2020), Prowler is Aaron Davis, voiced by Ike Amadi. He is the uncle of Miles Morales and a former member of the Underground, a group of high-tech thieves led by the Tinkerer. He initially helps Miles fight against Roxxon but later betrays him to the Underground. He then redeems himself by saving Miles from Roxxon’s reactor explosion.