A bit of a vague question, I know. Stay with me.
I like superheroes and comics, but I'm not a huge buff. One thing that I never seem to be able to figure out is how the timelines of comics (I'll use Marvel specifically as an example) is established.
For instance, the first Spider-Man comic came out in August 1962. There have been many since. However, I know there have been different series (Ultimate universe, 2099, etc), so not all of those Spider-Men are the "original" Peter Parker. So relating to my question, is the "main" universe (616, correct?) Spider-Man still the same Peter Parker from 1962? Do the events and time of the comics keep up with the time of the real world? Or does the universe not move in real time, and it's its own special "comic time"?
Furthermore, how do reboots (new #1 issues) affect this? I've tried reading up on the latest Battleworld event, but no explanations on how this all works have come up.
Sorry if this is too many questions in one, or two vague; I don't know how to succinctly put this! Just ask if you need more clarification. Thank you!