Jump to content

Spider-Man: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
Digresser (talk | contribs)
962 edits
rv - The official Sony Pictures Spider-man newsletter states clearly that Spider-man will wear a black suit in the new movie.
Line 364: Line 364:
[[Category:Marvel Comics superheroes]]
[[Category:Marvel Comics superheroes]]
[[Category:Marvel Comics titles]]
[[Category:Marvel Comics titles]]
[[Category:Marvel vs. Series fighters]]
[[Category:Spider-Man|*]]
[[Category:Spider-Man|*]]
[[Category:Fictional New Yorkers]]
[[Category:Fictional New Yorkers]]

Revision as of 06:59, 5 April 2006

Spider-Man is a Marvel Comics character. For other uses see Spider-Man (disambiguation).
Spider-Man
File:Spider-Man50.jpg
Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 2) #50.
Art by J. Scott Campbell
Publication information
PublisherMarvel Comics
First appearanceAmazing Fantasy (Vol. 1) #15 (August 1962)
Created byStan Lee
Steve Ditko
In-story information
Alter egoPeter Benjamin Parker
Team affiliationsAvengers,Tony Stark employer, Mary Jane Watson-Parker wife, Daily Bugle
Notable aliasesSpidey, Wall-Crawler, Webhead, Webslinger, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, also known for a short time as: Ricochet, Dusk, Prodigy, Hornet, Spider-Venom (with symbiote)
AbilitiesAbility to stick to solid surfaces, super-strength, precognitive "spider-sense", enhanced speed, reflexes and agility, both synthesized and organic ability to produce spider-web, paralyzing poisonous stingers located in arms, ability to see in the dark, and the ability to "feel" his environment (can detect vibrations within his immediate surroundings.)

Spider-Man, also frequently (and incorrectly) spelled Spiderman, Spider-man, or Spider Man (real name Peter Benjamin Parker), is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in the comic book Amazing Fantasy #15 (August 1962), with a cover drawn by Jack Kirby and Ditko. He has since become one of the world's three most popular superheroes, the others being Superman and Batman of DC Comics.

Spider-Man expanded the dramatic potential of the fantasy and superhero subgenres by having a strong focus on a younger, more troubled character and his personal struggles. Since his creation, his popularity has led to many of the superheroes who predated him being reworked with more complex personae.

Spider-Man is one of the most recognizable of all superheroes. Through the years, he has appeared in many media, including several animated series, a daily and Sunday comic strip, and two very successful films, with a third one debuting in 2007.

Marvel has published multiple ongoing comic book series featuring the character, the flagship being The Amazing Spider-Man. Since his debut in the 1960s Silver Age of comic books, Peter Parker has grown from a shy high school student to a troubled college undergrad and graduate student, to a married man and a professional. These and several other controversial changes have provoked arguments as to whether or not the core concepts of the character are still intact.

Publication history

File:AmazingFantasy15.jpg
Amazing Fantasy #15 (Aug. 1962), the first appearance and origin story of Spider-Man. Cover art by Jack Kirby (penciler) and Steve Ditko (inker).

Creation of character

Main article: Creation of Spider-Man

Various accounts of the character's creation have been given, with at times, Stan Lee, Steve Ditko (the official creators), Jack Kirby and Joe Simon claiming various degrees of credit for the character's concepts.

Milestone: Comics Code

In 1971, Spider-Man was the first comic to challenge the rigid Comics Code. Previously, it was forbidden to depict illegal drugs, even negatively. However, The Amazing Spider-Man #96–98 (May–July 1971) featured a story arc that showed the negative effects of drug abuse (a storyline conceived at the request of government drug-prevention authorities). Most notably, Harry Osborn started taking pills and became so ill that, when Spider-Man fought the Green Goblin (a.k.a. Norman Osborn), Spider-Man vanquished Norman by simply showing him his sick son. The three comics were sold without the Comics Code approval, but met with such critical acclaim that the industry's self-censorship was undercut.

Character history

Early life

Peter Benjamin Parker was born to Richard Parker and his wife Mary Fitzpatrick-Parker, both of whom were agents of the CIA and later of S.H.I.E.L.D. (a fictional secret agency). Their last assignment was the infiltration of the criminal organization of Albert Malik, the third Red Skull. Malik found out about their plans and arranged a plane-crash that resulted in their deaths, although this retconned backstory was not known at the time of the creation of Spider Man's character.

The infant Peter Parker was left in the care of his Uncle Ben and Aunt May (Richard's older brother Benjamin Parker and his wife May Reilly Parker), who lived in the Forest Hills neighborhood of Queens, New York. Though Peter was always loved by the aging couple, he was unpopular among those of his own age. Over time, he grew to be a lonely, timid teenager. The exceptionally bright Peter showed more interest in his studies, especially science, than in any kind of social life. He was often the target of jokes by more popular fellow students like Flash Thompson, the high school's star athlete, who ironically would later become Spider-Man's biggest fan and one of Peter's best friends. In addition, Aunt May made him wear non-prescription glasses to protect his eyes, since she was worried that his constant reading would have a negative effect on his eyesight. When these glasses were broken in a schoolyard fight with Flash Thompson, he didn't bother to get new ones, since they were never really needed in the first place and only made him look awkward. (In later retellings of his origin, most notably in Kurt Busiek's 1995-97 series Untold Tales of Spider-Man, Peter's eyesight was corrected by the spider bite, but this was never explicitly stated in the early 1960s comic book stories.)

Origin

When he was 15 years and 7 months old, Parker attended a science exhibition where he was bitten by a spider which had been irradiated. The spider bite gave Parker an array of spider-like powers. These powers included the ability to cling to walls and ceilings, super-human strength and agility, and an extra-sensory "Spider Sense".

In addition to his physical powers, Peter Parker successfully designed and utilized mechanical "web-shooters" to spin webs in a variety of ways. In the current Spider-Man stories, he produces his webs from organic spinnerets in his wrists and no longer requires the mechanical web shooters, most likely to bring character recognition inline with fans who mainly know him from his movie incarnation. This change has proven to be very controversial among fans.

His legal guardian and beloved Uncle Ben was later killed by a thug that Peter had allowed to escape. Realizing that stopping the thief when he had the chance would have prevented his uncle's murder, Spider-Man devoted himself to fighting injustice, driven by the realization that "with great power there must also come great responsibility." This phrase (usually in the modified form "with great power comes great responsibility") has subsequently achieved widespread fame.

Problems as Spider-Man

Spider-Man consistently tries to do the right thing, but is viewed with suspicion by many authority figures. He is often considered little more than a costumed menace himself, largely thanks to a smear campaign by J. Jonah Jameson, publisher of the Daily Bugle. Ironically, Parker has spent much of his life working, off-and-on, as a freelance photographer for Jameson, selling photographs of himself as Spider-Man.

Spider-Man has amassed many enemies over the years, some even targeting him as Peter Parker or attacking his loved ones, as when the Green Goblin killed girlfriend Gwen Stacy and Venom threatening to reveal his secret identity. The stresses of Parker's dual identity led to a separation from his wife Mary Jane (see below), although the couple later reconciled.

Love Interests

You must add a |reason= parameter to this Cleanup template – replace it with {{Cleanup|section|reason=<Fill reason here>}}, or remove the Cleanup template.

Peter Parker/Spider-Man has many love interests in his life:

Comics

  • The first love-interest of Peter was Liz Allan though they never got together. Instead Liz married Peter's friend, Harry Osborn.
  • Peter's next love interest was Daily Bugle's secretary, Betty Brant. They dated for sometime but in the end broke up due to her blaming of Spider-Man for the death of her brother, Bennet. Later, Betty Brant married Daily Bugle reporter, Ned Leeds.
  • Peter's first real girlfriend was Gwen Stacy. Many years later, the Green Goblin killed Gwen by throwing her off a bridge. (However, it is not known whether the stress of the fall or the sudden stop due to Spider-Man's attempt to save her with a web-line. A "snap" sound effect balloon was placed inconspicuously next to Gwen's head as the web-line stops her fall, implying that the sudden stop snapped her neck.

In the extremely controversial Sins Past storyline of 2004-05, it was revealed that Norman Osborn and Gwen Stacy—in a moment of weakness for both—had a romantic tryst. The consensual encounter resulted in a pregnancy that she then hid from Peter with a trip to Europe. She later gave birth to twins, Gabriel and Sarah. Gwen told Norman that she wanted Peter to be the father of the twins, which was another reason why Green Goblin killed her so that he can have the twins for himself. When the twins were older, Norman told them that Spider-Man killed their mother. Many years later, Gabriel and Sarah decided to kill Spider-Man in an attempt to seek revenge. In the House of M storyline, Gwen is still alive and married to Peter.

  • After Gwen Stacy, Peter's next and most well known girlfriend was Mary Jane Watson, who is also currently Peter's wife. Before Peter, Mary Jane had also dated Harry Osborn. She works as an actress and a model. Like Peter, MJ lived with her aunt, Anna Watson. After many years of dating, Peter and MJ finally got married. In the MC2 continuity, Peter and Mary Jane gave birth to their daughter, May Parker (Spider-Girl) who is named after Peter's Aunt May. Later, Peter and MJ gave birth to another child, a boy named Ben who is most likely named after Peter's Uncle Ben or Ben Reilly, Peter's new clone.
  • Another love interest of Spider-Man was Felicia Hardy a.k.a. Black Cat. The relationship between Spider-Man and Black Cat was short lived after Spider-Man learned that Felicia Hardy was only interested in him as Spider-Man and not Peter Parker.
  • During a short time where Peter believed MJ was dead, Peter had a short romance with a girl named Sarah Rushman. However, she turned out to be brainwashed Mutant named Marrow who was used by S.H.I.E.L.D.

Television

  • In Spider-Man: The Animated Series, Peter's love interest was Mary Jane Watson. MJ was thrown into a portal created by the Green Goblin. She then returned in the series without explanation. Later in the series, Peter married MJ and found out she was a clone made by Miles Warren for Morris Bench/Hydro-Man. Spider-Man also has feelings for the Black Cat and some fans think that she was a better love-interest for Spidey than MJ.
  • In the Spider-Man Unlimited animated series, Peter's Counter-Earth love interest was Dr. Naoko Yamada-Jones who reminds Peter a lot of MJ. Lady Vermin, one of the Knights of Wundagore, has feelings for Spider-Man, but he does not reciprocate.
  • In the MTV's Spider-Man: The New Animated Series, Peter's love interest was still MJ. Later in the series, he fell in love with Indy, a girl who works for Empire 1, a news channel. This made MJ jealous.

Ultimate Spider-Man

  • In the Ultimate Marvel continuity, Spider-Man's love interest is Kitty Pryde/Shadowcat of the X-Men after breaking up with MJ. In Ultimate Spider-Man #87, Kitty and Peter are dating for the first time in the "real" comic. Brian Michael Bendis, writer of Ultimate Spider-Man, plans to continue with Kitty as a supporting character in USM. Issue #66 of Ultimate X-Men showed Kitty and Spidey on a date. This issue reveals that they spend much of their time hunting criminals to fight. This effectively makes Kitty his crimefighting partner. However, the issue after this shows a singular panel with them passionately kissing, indicating they use the crimefighting as a screen to cover the reason why they're seen together, as both of them have had problems with being too overexposed as their alternate identities.

Clone Saga

Main article: Clone Saga

In one of the most controversial stories of the 1990s, Marvel reintroduced a clone of Spider-Man, now calling himself Ben Reilly (a.k.a. the Scarlet Spider), having somehow survived the first "clone saga" involving Dr. Miles Warren (a.k.a. the Jackal). Tests indicated that Reilly was the original and Peter was actually the clone. Reilly briefly assumed the Spider-Man identity until a resurrected Norman Osborn, the original Green Goblin revealed he had manipulated the tests and Reilly really was the clone, after all. Reilly was impaled upon the Goblin's Glider while saving Peter, and effectively died a hero. His body crumbled into dust shortly after (a side effect of Clone degeneration), proving definitively that he was the clone.

21st-century Spider-Man

Peter's life had begun to calm down in recent years, until a villain named Morlun, and an ally named Ezekiel (possessing the same powers as Peter) appeared. In a storyarc that proved very controversial among fans (as many interpreted it as an attempt to turn Spider-Man into a magic-based character instead of the result of a scientific accident), Ezekiel suggested that the accident that gave Peter his abilities might not have been a fluke, and that he might have a deeper connection to a totemic spider spirit (not unlike DC's Animal Man, and his connection to "The Red"). Morlun had come to New York for that reason: he feeds off the powers possessed by those connected to animal totems. After a fight between Peter and Morlun that spanned New York, wherein Morlun severely beat Peter — whose attacks had no effect on Morlun — Peter fell back onto his last plan: Morlun wanted only pure spider-blood, so Peter injected another dose of radiation into his bloodstream, attempting to 'poison' his powers. The plan was a success, and Peter battled Morlun again, and aided by the impurity in his blood, defeated the villain, which led to Morlun's apparent death at the hands of his own lackey.

Currently, Parker works as a science teacher for his old high school while still moonlighting as a freelance photographer for the Daily Bugle. In 2004, an altercation with a former classmate-turned-superhuman, Charlie Weiderman, led to the destruction of both Peter's apartment and Aunt May's house. Thanks to Spider-Man's membership in the latest incarnation of the Marvel Universe superhero team the Avengers, Peter, Mary Jane and Aunt May were able to move into Tony Stark's Stark Tower.

Storylines

Main article: Spider-Man: The Other, Civil War (comics)

In an extremely controversial and much-maligned 2005 storyarc spanning 12 parts, across several titles, Spider-Man finds himself cursed, killed, and eventually reborn in a metaphoric experience which "evolves" his powers, including the addition of new "stingers," as well as upgraded speed and spider-sense. The last issue of "The Other" series revealed three of Spider-Man's new abilities including the ability to see in the dark, the ability to attach things to his back (a variation of his wall-crawling), and an ability to "feel" his environment as he can detect vibrations from his immediate surroundings due to his web and hairs on his arms. He also gained a new costume (see below).

Many fans interpreted the intent of both the "Ezekiel" and "The Other" storylines as an attempt to somehow rewrite Spider-Man's origin into one of a mystical nature.

Appearance

Costumes

File:Secretwar8.jpg
The Black Spider-Man costume.

Although the details and proportions have changed somewhat over the years, with a few notable exceptions, Spider-Man's costume has remained fairly consistent. The standard costume is a form-fitting fabric covering his entire body. From the waist down, it is dark blue (or sometimes black, depending on the colorist), except for mid-calf boots with a black web pattern on a red background. From the waist up, the fabric is the red-and-black web pattern, except for his back, sides, and insides of his upper arms, which are dark blue. There is a large red spider outline on his back, and a smaller black spider emblem on his chest. The mask has large white eyes rimmed with black that allow him to see but hide his eyes. He is sometimes depicted with "under-arm webbing" connecting his arms to his torso.

File:BenR SpiderMan.jpg
Ben Reilly as Spider-Man, showing his version of the costume.

When Ben Reilly replaced Peter Parker in the role, he altered the costume to make the chest spider cover the entire torso. Instead of a large red spider on his back, the web pattern and spider emblem were repeated there. The gloves had web-shooters on the outside, and the web design on the boots and gloves was partially replaced with dark blue.

One of the most significant alterations to Spider-Man's costume came about in the mid-1980s, after his return from the Secret Wars. He appeared in an almost all-black costume, with a large white black widow spider emblem on the chest and back, and with built-in webshooters on the back of his hands. The costume turned out to be a living symbiotic creature, capable of generating its own webbing and improving most of Spider-Man's abilities. Spider-Man rejected the symbiote after finding out it was alive and trying to merge with him. He did however wear a non-living version of the black costume until the new occupant of the living costume, Venom, frightened Mary Jane so badly that she could no longer stand to see Peter in the non-living black costume. Despite Mary Jane's objections, Peter has continued to use the black costume on a few occasions, when stealth was required (e.g. Peter Parker: Spider-Man #13).

During the late 90's he acquired four seperate costumes during the Slingers storyline. He went by the identities of Dusk, Ricochet, Hornet, and Prodigy. These costumes and identities were later used by four other people in the Slingers comic book series.

File:Spider-Man new.JPG
The new costume created by Iron Man. Art by Bryan Hitch.

As a result of the events of the recent storyline The Other, Iron Man has given Spidey a new costume with a red and gold color scheme, designed to deal with his new transformation as well give him a few technological updates (see "Equipment" below).

The reason for his costumes is of course to keep his true identity a scret, even if there are a number of people who knows who he is.

Powers, abilities and equipment

Powers and abilities

Peter Parker became Spider-Man when he was bitten by an irradiated spider, causing a variety of changes in his body which gave him his superpowers.

Recently, the "The Other" storyline purported that Spider-Man's powers may be mystical in nature, and the story ended with Spider-Man gaining many new powers.

In the original Lee-Ditko days, Spider-Man was established as having:

  • The ability to cling to walls.
  • Super-human strength.
  • A sixth sense (dubbed "Spider-Sense") which alerted Spider-Man to danger.
  • Incredible balance, agility and leaping abilities.

After being bitten by the radioactive spider, Peter Parker created mechanical web-shooting devices, since the bite did not give him the ability to spin webs.

Spider-Man's powers and equipment endured with very few changes for some 40 years, right up until recent times.

Wall-Crawling

Spider-Man gained the ability to adhere to a surface using any part of his body - although if the surface is particuarly greasy, he can't stick. His ability to stick to objects is strictly conscious though - i.e., he cannot stick to something by accident. In addition, if he chooses to not release himself from an object he sticking to, nothing can remove him. His arms would rip off first or the wall would break before his hands let go. The same goes for any part of his body.

Various attempts have been made to explain Spider-Man's wall crawling abilities in the comics including barbed hairs on the ends of his fingers (in the movies, at least), suction from his pores and a sort of bio-static electricity.

Superhuman strength and agility

Spider-Man's strength has varied with the amount he can lift varying hugely depending on the writers, although he can certainly lift many times his own body weight. It was generally held that Spider-Man could lift (press) about 10 tons; however, over the last couple of years, certain developments have raised his strength levels significantly. The alterations made by The Queen, an insect/arachnid-enhanced old experiment known to Steve Rogers, in Spider-Man: Disassembled, led to an increase in strength. This enhancement was furthered recently by Peter's literal rebirth in Spider-Man: The Other, leaving Peter with strength potentially in the Class 20-25 range . Spider-Man's leg muscles have developed to the point where he can jump several stories in a single bound.

Durability

Spider-Man's bodily tissues are substantially more durable and resistant to impact or trauma than an ordinary human, although he is certainly not invulnerable. His recovery time from injury is somewhat faster than that of an ordinary human, although not nearly as fast as those with true healing factors. He can also recover from poisons, but he is not immune to natural diseases - early in his career, he was defeated and unmasked by Doctor Octopus because of a bad cold (his poor showing meant that "Doc Ock" believed him to be an impersonator). His myopia (short-sightedness) was corrected as a result of the spider bite.

In the highly controversial Spider-Man: The Other storyline, after being fatally injured by Morlun, Spider-Man shed his skin and outer tissues. When he emerged from this dormant state, lost or damaged tissue (including a lost eye) was completely regenerated. The story in which this occurred stated that such an ability could be used only once, however. The full consequences of this regeneration have yet to be explored, although he also developed new powers including retractable bone stingers that protrude from his wrists (which he has not yet developed control over), enhanced speed, and his spider-sense was heightened, allowing him to see in the dark and sense vibrations transmitted over his web-lines.

Spider-sense

Spider-Man's most subtle power is his spider-sense. A form of clairvoyance or sixth sense, it unconsciously activates and alerts him to any threat to himself, manifesting as a tingling at the back of his skull. While it cannot tell him of the exact nature of the threat, it is vaguely directional and Spider-Man can judge the severity of the threat by the intensity of the tingling.

The spider-sense not only alerts Spider-Man to threats to his physical safety, but also warns him to threats to his privacy such as being observed while changing identities. Spider-Man also uses the spider-sense as a means to time his evasive maneuvers to the point where he can avoid multiple gunshots or machine gun fire. When combined with his superhuman reflexes and agility, this makes him an extremely difficult target to shoot in combat and formidable in close quarters.


The exact nature of the spider-sense took many years for writers to nail down. In the early days, it could be used to locate objects and people, as well as detecting danger. Later, it reacted only to enemies, not friends, even if said friends were about to attack Spider-Man (as in a memorable issue where Aunt May Parker hit Spider-Man over the head with a vase). Eventually, it was firmly established that the spider-sense reacts to any and all potential dangers facing Spider-Man. The spider-sense sometimes have abilities that reminds about clairvoyance. In the Secret Wars story line, he was able to feel the danger coming even days before he was transported to the other planet, like he could feel what the future was bringing. He has sensed not only direct danger, but also potentially danger from people able to hurt him even if they are harmless for the moment. And in a story where he cooperates with Dare Devil, he becomes temporary blind and his spider-sense developes into a radar similar to that of Dare Devil, where he can sense the objects and surroundings around him. What has not been totally agreed on is whether the spider-sense triggers an instinctive reaction in Spider-Man's reflexes to avoid the danger, or whether he must consciously choose to act on the warning and avoid the danger.


As of the highly controversial Spider-Man: The Other storyline, Spider-Man has honed this sense to allow him to have 360 vision which ties in with the mystical totemistic side of his powers. This ability is like a spider's, as spiders can see all around them. He can also now see in the dark and sense vibrations in his web-lines.

In comics, the activation of the spider-sense is often shown by wavy lines emanating from Peter's head, with a symbolic image of his mask occasionally being half-drawn over his face when he is out of costume as an additional cue.

Beating the spider-sense

Although his spider-sense has saved his life innumerable times, Spider-Man has learned the hard way that it can be beaten. For instance, the Green Goblin once secretly attacked him with a gas that temporarily suppressed this perceptive ability, allowing the supervillain to shadow him and learn his secret identity. Additionally, the alien symbiote Venom and its offspring Carnage are not recognized by the spider-sense. This is believed to have been caused by the Venom symbiote's bonding with Peter Parker. The spider-sense recognizes both as a part of Parker's physical body. For instance, if Peter were to slap or punch himself, his spider-sense would not perceive the act as a threat and would not activate. Ben Reilly did not suffer from this problem as he never bonded with the symbiote, and was cloned from a cell that was taken before Peter wore the symbiote suit. The ability to avoid Parker's spider-sense gives some supervillains an edge that Spider-Man often has trouble countering.

Stingers

Recently, in the controversial The Other: Evolve or Die storyline, Peter developed long, bone-like "stingers" (which many fans have decried as being derivative of Wolverine's bone claws from the 1990s, to say nothing of the fact that spiders do not possess such weapons) that protrude from under his wrists (one on each arm), which pop out against his will when he is shocked. He considers it "Wolverine envy." The Spider-Man of 2099 has a similar ability, though this version is part of Miguel O'Hara's costume.

Scientific abilities

Apart from his physical abilities, Peter has prodigious aptitude in the physical sciences. In the comics, he has a facility for chemistry and physics, and later pursues a graduate degree in biochemistry from Empire State University. In the recent films, he maintains a superb intellect with a mastery of physics and a degree from Columbia University, although a controversial aspect of the films is director Sam Raimi's decision that the film version of Peter Parker wouldn't be smart enough to design and build mechanical web-shooters (hence the organic web-shooters of the movies).

Equipment

Although he is usually of limited financial means, Spider-Man has developed personal equipment that plays an important role in his superhero career. Every so often, he will concoct a special armor or web fluid for a specific threat. For example, he donned a padded suit to battle Electro, and used a very short-lived armored suit in Web of Spider-Man #100.

Recently, Spidey has received a controversial new suit of armor from Tony Stark that was custom built to enhance his abilities. Supported by a system similar to that of Stark's classic 'Iron Man' design, it features gadgets that will each have a power that mirrors one of Spidey's classic villains; for instance, three mechanical spider-arms to combat the merciless mechanical tail of The Scorpion. Other features include, but are not limited to: mesh webbing that will allow gliding for short distances, heat resistant Kevlar micro-fiber that can withstand small-caliber bullets, built in fire, police, and emergency scanner, audio and visual amplification including infrared and ultra-violet, carbon filters in the mouth area to keep out toxins, and a short range GPS microwave communication system. All of these are routed through a computerized control system in the titanium chestpiece. Within a day or so Stark had already made a version 2.0 of the costume. He had adjusted the fabric so it uses a liquid metal nano-fiber that can more or less disappear when not needed, as it responds to neurochemical pulses. The new costume was also able to conform to other styles Spidey had affected over the years, and even has the ability to camouflage into a variety of backgrounds...the darker the better.

Web-shooters

Spider-Man's web-shooters are one of the character's most distinguishing traits. They are wrist mounted devices that fire a fibrous adhesive very similar to the material spiders use to construct webs. The trigger rests high in the palm and requires a double tapping from the middle and ring fingers to activate, so Peter can't accidentally fire the shooter if he makes a fist or his hand hits the trigger. The placement of the trigger and the finger pressure needed to activate it yield Spider-Man's distinctive hand gesture, with the two outer fingers extended, and the two inner fingers on the palm.

The default setting has the adhesive threaded through a special mesh to take on a spider web like design. The substance dries almost immediately into a strong material that can support very heavy loads: into the one-ton range. Typical uses of his webs include creating long swing lines which he uses to travel through the chasms between the Manhattan high-rises. He can change the setting to a wide spray to ensnare criminals, and to form protective shields or nets. He can also form crude objects with a heavy application. In addition, when Spider-Man desires it, he can fire the web fluid as a straight liquid when he needs to use the substance's maximum adhesive strength. However, the default meshed spray generally allows for sufficient strength while being more versatile in its use and easier to remove when desired. The substance is formulated to dissolve after one hour which is generally sufficient time for Spider-Man's needs while ensuring the webs he makes do not cause undue litter. In addition, Parker can modify the fluid formulation to suit particular specialized needs when called for (this explains why the webbing sometimes conducts electricity, but can also be used as an insulator). The web-shooters can also be used to expel other liquids, using interchangeable cartridges, but are seldom used to do this.

In the 1990s Spider-Man animated TV series, Peter Parker explained that when he became Spider-Man he also became subconsciously aware that a combination of certain enzymes would create a strong, sticky fluid, reminiscent of a spider's webbing.

In some versions of the character (such as in the popular movie series), the character generates webs organically from his own altered spider-like biology, instead of mechanical web shooters (a very controversial change that has recently wormed its way into the comic books).

Recently, Spider-Man and Captain America crossed paths with a villain called the Queen. During this encounter, the Queen transformed Spider-Man into a human-sized spider. The end of the situation saw the Queen presumably dead and Spider-Man reverting back to human form. The transformation, however, seemed to give Spider-Man organic web glands in his wrists (which proved very controversial among fans). Spider-Man is now able to produce webbing without the aid of his web-shooters.

Spider tracers

Spider-Man has also developed small electronic "spider-tracers" which allow him to track objects or individuals. The outer casing is shaped like a spider and is designed to cling to a target without attracting attention. While he originally threw his tracers at a target in the hopes that at least one hits, he later developed a wrist launcher which ejects tracers above the wrist while the web is fired from below to allow for more precise and reliable applications of the tracers.

Spider-Man originally used a small receiver device to follow the tracers. However, he eventually learned that he could tune the tracer signal frequency to his own spider-sense for more convenient use, but the receiver is still used as a back-up and long-range measure.

Other equipment

Spider-Man keeps his regular field equipment in a specially designed utility belt that contains his web fluid cartridges and his tracers. Strangely enough, the bulky belt never seems to make so much as a bulge in his costume.

It also carries his camera, which has an extended rear metal plate that allows him to use his web to position it without interfering with its functions. The camera also has an automatic shutter mechanism linked to an internal motion detector so it will take a picture whenever Spider-Man moves in front of the camera lens.

Finally, the belt contains a strong light called a Spider Signal that creates an image of his mask when activated. He typically uses it not only for a light source, but as a way of unnerving opponents and to call attention.

In addition, the Human Torch once helped Spider-Man build a car called the Spider-Mobile which had a paint job and modifications that followed his spider motif. Unfortunately, Spider-Man had never learned to drive a car, and crashed the car into the Hudson River soon after receiving it. Later it was retrieved by the Tinkerer, who altered it, making it capable of driving itself, shooting webbing, and rolling on the walls with sticking tires. It was finally immobilized by Spider-Man and sent back to Corona Motors.

Enemies

Amazing Spider-Man #500, featuring Spider-Man along with his wife, Mary Jane Watson, surrounded by many of his numerous villains. Art by J. Scott Campbell.
See also: Spider-Man villains

Spider-Man has one of the best-known rogues galleries (list of enemies) in comics. His most famous enemies include the Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus, and Venom. Like Spider-Man himself, a large percentage of these villains have their origins based in storylines featuring scientific accidents or the misuse of scientific technology, many with animal themes.

Other Spider-Men

In the comics, others have used the Spider-Man identity. Five of these actually exist in the Marvel Universe:

  • Ben Reilly, a clone of Parker, who also fought crime as the Scarlet Spider.
  • Kraven the Hunter donned Spider-Man's costume for a short time in Kraven's Last Hunt.
  • Mattie Franklin, the niece of J. Jonah Jameson, who assumed the role with a padded costume when Parker temporarily quit. She later became Spider-Woman for a time.
  • Blood Spider was an evil version of Spider-Man created by the Taskmaster and the Red Skull.
  • The Spider Doppleganger was an evil version of Spider-Man created by the Magus during the Infinity War. There were many Dopplegangers made of Marvel Heroes, the Spider-Man doppleganger being the only one to survive after the death of the Magus. He would later team up with Carnage during the Maximum Carnage series.


Other characters are spin-offs and exist in alternate versions of the Marvel Universe. These include:

Appearances in other media

Television

Main article: Spider-Man on television

Spider-Man has been adapted to television numerous times, through two short-lived live-action television series and several animated cartoon series. There were also the "Spidey Super Stories" segments on the PBS educational series The Electric Company, which featured a Spider-Man who did not speak out loud but instead used only word balloons.

Cinema

File:Movie poster spiderman 2.jpg
Movie Poster for Spider-Man 2.

  • Spider-Man: On May 3, 2002, the feature film Spider-Man was released. It was directed by Sam Raimi and stars actor Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker. The film utilized various CGI effects to bring Spider-Man to life. Although the film adaptation took some major liberties with the character's history and powers, most notably giving him organic web-shooters rather than mechanical ones, it was generally held to be essentially true to the character and was widely embraced by the viewing public. Earning more than $403 million at U.S. box offices, it was the highest-grossing movie of the year while also opening up at a record $114.8 million. Spider-Man went on to become the sixth highest-grossing film in North American history and is ranked 11th worldwide with a total take of more than $821 million internationally.
  • Spider-Man 3 began production in 2005 under director Raimi. The studio has announced a theatrical release date of May 4th, 2007, on a budget reputed to be north of $250 million. [1] The Official Sony Pictures Website has featured a picture of Spider-Man wearing an all black spider suit, suggesting a connection to the Venom storyline. Thomas Hayden Church has been cast as Sandman.

Stage

In 2002, the company 2MA produced the first live-action Spider-Man stunt show, staged in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Video games

Main article: Spider-Man (games)

Many games starring Spider-Man, based on both comics and movies, have been released for different platforms.

The very first Spider-Man game was released on the atari 2600. Games include two based on the comic series made for the Playstation, the first of which was also released for the Nintendo 64 and Sega Dreamcast, two games based on the Spiderman movies that came out on the PS2, Xbox, Gamecube, and Gameboy Advance (Spiderman 2 also appeared on the PSP and Nintendo DS), and Ultimate Spiderman, a cel-shaded game for the PS2, Xbox, Nintendo DS and Nintendo Gamecube that is based on the comic series. To date, Spider-Man has made appearances on over 15 gaming platforms, which also includes mobile games on cellphones.

Real life

Spider-Man imitators in real life include:

  • "Spider Dan" Goodwin, who in 1981 climbed the glass of the Chicago skyscrapers the Sears Tower and the John Hancock Center using suction cups.
  • Alain Robert, nicknamed Spiderman, rock and urban climber who has scaled more than 70 tall buildings using his hands and feet, without using additional devices. He sometimes wears a Spider-Man suit during his climbs. In May 2003, he was paid approximately $18,000 to climb the 312-foot Lloyd's of London building to promote the premiere of the movie Spider-Man on the British television channel, Sky Movies.
  • Spider-Tim Spider-Tim, who portrays Spider-Man at charity functions and made movie accurate versions of the costume for a short time.

Spider-Man in music

The catchy original 1960s Spider-Man cartoon theme song has been covered and reinterpreted by numerous musical acts, including The Ramones, Aerosmith, Moxy Früvous (often miscredited as They Might Be Giants), and Tenacious D. The 2002 movie features Jayce Bartok as a subway performer singing the classic song. For other versions, see: Spider-Man (1960s animation).

In 1972, Buddah Records released "Spider-Man: From Beyond The Grave," a so-called "Rockcomic" that featured a sort of rock musical Spider-Man storyline, complete with a villain (Kingpin) and a guest-star (Dr. Strange). The original LP opened up to a wordless comic strip that listeners could visually follow the storyline, matching it to the album's dialogue and music.

In 1975 Marvel Comics and Lifesong Records released an album entitled, "Spider-Man: Rock Relfections of a Superhero." It contained songs of various styles altered to elucidate certain moments and feelings of Spider-Man's origin, such as "No One's Got a Crush on Peter" and "Peter Stays and the Spider-Man Goes" interspersed with small clips of narration by Stan Lee.

The 2003 "Weird Al" Yankovic album Poodle Hat has a track entitled "Ode to a Superhero". It is a parody of the Billy Joel song "Piano Man", and recounts the events of the film.

And soundtrack albums were released with each of the two Spider-Man films.

Spider-Man in pop culture

On Halloween 2004, an estimated 2.15 million U.S. children dressed up as Spider-Man, making it the year's most popular costume.

In the political sphere, David Chick used a Spider-Man outfit to obtain publicity for fathers' rights. See [2].

In the early to mid-1990s, the wrestling organization then owned by Ted Turner, World Championship Wrestling featured a wrestler known as "Arachnaman" who wore a costume like Spider-Man's except rather than being blue and red, it was yellow and purple. He used a web gun to shoot something like silly string during his entrances. Marvel got the character squashed. He was played by a wrestler known as Brad Armstrong (who had previously been known as "The Candyman"), the son of the legendary wrestler, "Bullet" Bob Armstrong, and brother of Total Nonstop Action Wrestling wrestler, B.G. James, who is best known for his stint in the WWF as "Road Dogg".

Bibliography

Main article: Bibliography of Spider-Man titles

Ongoing titles

Spider-Man first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15. After that, he was given his own series. Many followed, and as of 2005, the related titles are:

Marvel Universe

Other continuities

See also

References

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Spider-Man&oldid=47054100"