Obama to appear in Spider-man comic

US President-elect Barack Obama is to be honoured in the pages of the latest Spider-man comic.

Obama, a longtime fan of the superhero, will appear in a bonus story in the new Marvel Comics release.

In the story, Spider-Man's alter-ego Peter Parker spots a doppelganger at Obama's inauguration, which is set to take place in Washington DC on January 20.

Joe Quesada, Marvel's editor-in-chief, said: "Parker decides the future president's gonna need Spider-Man, and springs into action, using basketball to determine the real Obama. He's rewarded with a presidential fist-bump".

The new comic, which hits stores in America on January 14, is expected to become an instant collectors item.