Spider-Man (Pavitr Prabhakar)
This article may require copy editing for grammar, style, cohesion, tone, or spelling. (June 2023) |
Pavitr Prabhakar Spider-Man | |
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Publication information | |
Publisher | Marvel Comics |
First appearance | Spider-Man: India #1 (2004)[1][2] |
Created by |
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In-story information | |
Alter ego | Pavitr Prabhakar |
Species | Human mutate |
Place of origin | Mumbai/Mumbattan, India |
Supporting character of | |
Abilities | Superhuman strength, speed, agility, reflexes, durability, and balance
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Altered in-story information for adaptations to other media | |
Partnerships |
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Spider-Man (Pavitra Prabhakar) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics in collaboration with Gotham Entertainment. He is an alternate version of Spider-Man who lives in Mumbai, India.[3][4]
In the Marvel Comics universe, Spider-Man lives on Earth-50101. His secret identity is Pavitr Prabhakar, a shy school student, who lives with his Aunt Maya and Uncle Bhim in Mumbai. He has many supporting characters in the books such as Meera Jain, Flash Thompson, Nalin Oberoi, and Doctor Octopus. He came to Mumbai from a small village. He and his uncle struggled with financial difficulties, yet in spite of that, his uncle wanted Pavitr to receive a high-quality education at 'The Heritage International School', one of the top schools in the city.
The other kids in school mock him due to him coming from a village and wearing a dhoti, so bullies would often beat him up. A mystical Yogi gives Pavitr the magical powers of a spider, which he uses to fight against an evil businessman, Nalin Oberoi, who is after a magical amulet. In search of the amulet, Oberoi destroys Pavitr's village and kills everyone there. Later, Spider-Man defeats and hands him over to the police.[5]
Pavitr "Pav" Prabhakar / Spider-Man India made his cinematic debut in the 2023 animated feature film Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, voiced by Karan Soni in English and Shubman Gill in Hindi and Punjabi, depicted as a member of Miguel O'Hara's Spider-Society.[6] He will reappear in the film's 2024 sequel.
Publishing history
Pavitr Prabhakar first appeared in Spider-Man: India #1 (January 2005).[7][8][9][10][11] Marvel created the Indian version in collaboration with Gotham Entertainment Group. Debdatta Das co-created this Indian version.[12]
Fictional character biography
Pavitr Prabhakar, a simple Indian boy from a remote village, moves to Mumbai with his Aunt Maya and Uncle Bhim to study after getting half a scholarship. His parents died some years ago. Other students at his new school tease him and beat him up for his studious demeanor and simple background. He knows his Uncle Bhim is struggling to support him and his aunt Maya, and pay his school fees. Only Meera Jain, a popular girl from his school, befriends him.
Meanwhile, a local crime lord named Nalin Oberoi uses an amulet to perform an ancient ritual in which he is possessed by a demon committed to opening a gate for other demons to invade Earth. While being chased by bullies, Pavitr Prabhakar encounters an ancient yogi who grants him the powers of a spider to fight the evil that threatens the world. While discovering his powers, Pavitr Prabhakar refuses to help a woman being attacked by several men. He leaves the place, but comes back when he hears his uncle cry out, and discovers that he has been slain. He learns that Bhim was stabbed when he tried to help the woman. Pavitr Prabhakar understands that with great power comes great responsibility, and swears to use his powers for the good of others.[7]
Nalin Oberoi briefly becomes human again and transforms a mild-mannered doctor into a demon with four magical tentacles (the Indian version of Doctor Octopus) and sends him to kill Spider-Man, as instructed by the demon voices. "Doc Ock" fails, and Spider-Man makes his public debut as a hero. The newspapers, however, label him as a threat.[7]
Oberoi kidnaps Pavitr Prabhakar's aunt, taking her to a refinery outside Mumbai. There he betrays Doctor Octopus, blasting him into the ocean. Spider-Man arrives and fights Oberoi, who has also kidnapped Meera. He drops both Maya and Meera from the top of the refinery. Spider-Man dives for his aunt, but fails to rescue Meera, who is saved by Doctor Octopus. Pavitr reveals his identity to Meera and asks her to take his aunt to safety.[7]
Oberoi gets rid of Doctor Octopus for good and touches Spider-Man with the amulet. A Venom-like creature emerges from the amulet and tries to lure Spider-Man to the dark side. Pavitr remembers his uncle's saying about responsibility and rejects the evil, shattering the link between the demons and Oberoi and making Oberoi human again. Spider-Man throws the amulet into the ocean and Oberoi is sent to a mental institution.[7]
Peace is restored to Mumbai eventually. Pavitr Prabhakar begins a romance with Meera, and is shown celebrating the festival Diwali with his aunt. The story ends with a quote from the Bhagavad Gita, showing the Venom-Demon still alive.[7]
Spider-Verse
During the Spider-Verse storyline, which featured Spider-Men from various alternate realities, Pavitr Prabhakar was seen fighting a mysterious new villain named Karn, whom he mistook for a demon. The Superior Spider-Man (Doctor Octopus' mind in Peter Parker's body) managed to save him and recruited him into his army of Spiders.[13] In the second volume of Spider-Verse set during the Secret Wars event, Pavitr Prabhakar found himself in the domain of the Battleworld called Arachnia, where he teamed up with Spider-Gwen, Spider-Ham, Spider-Man Noir, Spider-UK, and Anya Corazon, though none of them remembered their previous encounter during the original Spider-Verse.
Following the conclusion of Secret Wars the team of six Spiders that formed during the event will rename itself and feature in a new ongoing series called Web Warriors, a name coined by Peter Parker from the Ultimate Spider-Man TV series during the original Spider-Verse.[14]
Spider-Geddon
During the Spider-Geddon storyline, Pavitr has been keeping surveillance on Earth-3145 with the help of Spider-Girl, Spider-Punk, Spider-UK, and Master Weaver. They find that the Inheritors have become malnourished since they were last seen.[15]
In other media
Film
- Pavitr "Pav" Prabhakar / Spider-Man India appears Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023), voiced by Karan Soni in English and Shubman Gill in Hindi and Punjabi. This version is a member of Miguel O'Hara's Spider-Society and friend of Spider-Punk and Spider-Woman who lives in Mumbattan, an Indian city based on Mumbai and Manhattan, who is dating Inspector Singh's daughter Gayatri.[16]
- Pav is set to return in the upcoming sequel Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse (2024).
Video games
Pavitr Prabhakar appears as an unlockable playable character in Spider-Man Unlimited.
Reception
James Whitbrook of io9 placed Pavitr as number fourteen as the greatest alternate take of Spider-Man. Explaining that he "shares much in common with the general Spider-Man legacy, but he's probably the best example of a foreign Spider-Man Marvel's ever attempted." Ryan Linch of Screen Rant placed Pavitr as number ten, opining that the character "has some really clever deviations from his American counterparts, but still retains everything that makes Spider-Man great."[17][18]
References
- ^ "Spider-Man: India (2004) #1 | Comic Issues | Marvel".
- ^ "Spider-Man: India (2004) Issue #1 - Read Spider-Man: India (2004) Issue #1 comic online in high quality".
- ^ Jeevan Kang. Spider-Man: India (1 ed.). Marvel comics. pp. 1, 5.
- ^ "Who is Spider-Man India in Across the Spider-Verse? Pavitr Prabhakar explained". WION. Retrieved 2023-06-05.
- ^ Spider-Man: India #1, #2, #3 and #4 (1 ed.). New York, USA: Marvel comics. 2004–2005.
- ^ Atal, Raj (2023-05-19). "Who Is Indian Spiderman Pavitr Prabhakar? Comic Origin, Powers & Abilities, And Weakness Explained". Superhero Maniac. Retrieved 2023-06-02.
- ^ a b c d e f Spider-Man: India #1-4
- ^ "Spider-Man, Swinging Through India". NPR. January 6, 2005
- ^ Overdorf, Jason. "A MULTICULTURAL WEB". Newsweek International. July 25, 2004
- ^ Sandhu, Sukhdev. "World Wide Web". New York Magazine May 21, 2005
- ^ "Spider-Man gets Indian make-over". BBC News. June 24, 2004
- ^ "'We had Spider-Man celebrate Diwali, swing from Gateway of India'". Hindustan Times. 2023-05-26. Retrieved 2023-06-06.
- ^ The Superior Spider-Man #32
- ^ "Spider-Gwen Stars in Web Warriors Launched by Mike Costa and David Baldeon #MarvelOctober (UPDATE)". 29 June 2015.
- ^ Spider-Geddon #0. Marvel Comics.
- ^ Polo, Susana; Patches, Matt; McWhertor, Michael (2022-12-13). "Every new Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse character, explained". Polygon. Retrieved 2022-12-13.
- ^ Whitbrook, James (7 July 2017). "The Greatest Spider-Men of All Time, Ranked". io9. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
- ^ "11 Best Alternate Versions of Spider-Man". Screen Rant. 26 April 2016. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
- Wikipedia articles needing copy edit from June 2023
- Marvel Comics characters
- Comics characters introduced in 2004
- Fictional characters with precognition
- Marvel Comics mutates
- Marvel Comics superheroes
- Marvel Comics characters with superhuman durability or invulnerability
- Marvel Comics characters with superhuman strength
- Fictional Indian people
- Hindu superheroes
- Alternative versions of Spider-Man
- Indian superheroes
- Spider-Man characters