Character Profile: Spider-Man

 

Hey everyone, my name is Anthony and welcome everyone to my very first “Character Profiles”.

Which is basically doing a review of the characters from old or new, from movies, video games, comics, shows and many others. Though its not the first time I’ve done it, it was last decade ago for my early attempt, but I was pretty much being brain-dead to understand how to do a “Review”. Yeah, I was a cringy older teen before I was 18 in order to be learner with bigger brain, especially for being improved since in my experience of Movie Review. So, it is time to do the reboot of my Character Profiles.

This time as a rebooted pilot, I decided to starting off talking about my childhood favorite superhero (even though I never had a superhero comic books in my childhood), Spider-Man.

Spider-Man, aka Peter Parker is a main superhero in Marvel Comics, created by Steve Ditko and our old friend Stan Lee in 1962.

For over decades, we’ve seen plenty of iconic superheroes from many comics, but in case for Marvel, Spider-Man is easily the icon of Marvel Comics for one of the most inspiring and the most beloved character, not just in Marvel, in comics and superheroes industries, he’s been on shows, movies, video games, having a crossover and even one time a musical play (but lets not talking about the controversial “Spider-Man: Turn off the dark”). Like I said before, he’s my childhood hero that I’ve seen from PC game, a movie trilogy by Sam Raimi and even a show from 1967, he’s not just famous for general audience, but even for kids, yours truly included.

But in order to knowing how Spider-Man is an icon, we gotta go back in time, where it all began.

So, lets find out.

The Creation

At the end of the 50s, Marvel Comics (formerly known as Magazine Management or Atlas Comics) are starting to building up after their rough time in the 50s, since DC was a big deal for their superheroes contents during the beginning of Silver Age. So after renaming to Marvel Comics, it was time to making many of anthology comics like Tales of Suspense (though since 1959), Tales of the Astonish (also since 1959) and Amazing Adventures (before remaining as Amazing (Adult) Fantasy) to creating their prototype superheroes or even creating comics involving the group like starting with Fantastic Four in 1961.

Following the success of Fantastic Four, Stan Lee was thinking to creating another superhero in anthology series. This time, he came across of comics are grown population of not just mature audience like adults, but also teenage audience, but only downside is he needed to find a gimmick for superheroes, it wouldn’t be until he found crime fighter in Pulp Magazine simply called “Spider” aka Richard Wentworth, however, despite Richard works as a crime fighter, but he has no super-powers, so Stan did the opposite, rather than hero without power, how about a teenage hero with powers based on various spiders’ abilities like climbing on walls, agility, some strength, spreading web, as well as creating a sense of warning (aka quick reflexes) what he called “Spider-Sense”.

And in the original name and his appearance, his name was meant to be called “Spider-Boy” since he’s a teenager in attempt to gearing towards teens, but Stan chooses “Spider-Man” as a perfect fit to make superhero aging, sure Spider-Man is still young, but he can be aging up at the time. Finally, according to Steve Ditko, the costume was originally going to be orange and purple, but it was chosen red and blue, despite the coloring idea is dangerously similar to Superman from DC but I didn’t matter. Once Stan Lee showed to Marvel’s publisher named Martin Goodman, he gave it an approval to Stan Lee, however, it was suggested that Spider-Man will appear in Amazing Adult Fantasy, but had to renaming it without “Adult” on the title, and not to mention, while they continued Tales of Suspense and Tales of the Astonish, it was announced that Amazing Fantasy will coming to a close with Issue Number 15, meaning Amazing Fantasy was quickly ended from 1961 to 62.

The Origin

Unlike most superheroes has some mysterious origins or even showing us tragedies, here its a combination of unexpected to a moment in a wrong time that changed his life, but it is the most iconic origin we’ll never forget.

Like I said, he first shown in issue number 15 in Amazing Fantasy (sadly, as the last issue of its anthology), we introduced Peter Parker, a science nerd who lives with his grandparents in Queens, New York (after his parents are both dead), while he’s good at science, he didn’t get a respect that he was constantly made fun of and bullied in his school, since he was shy being a wall-flower. But it wouldn’t be until during field trip to laboratory for showing the lab and without expected, he was bitten by a radioactive spider. At first it may sounds like he’s getting sick from spider bite, but in reality however, the spider bite gave him something unusual receiving super powers like climbing on walls, strength, agility and quick reflexes (before it later called “Spider-Sense”). And after curiously seen pro-wrestling match, he uses his superpowers as his personal gain for his wrestling match easily beat Crusher Hogan to win a money. After win a match, he decided to creating not only a new costume, but also creating web-slinger on his wrists and becoming Spider-Man that we all know, but before being a superhero, he uses his alter-ego as his minor celeb to showing off his ability, which that could probably made himself looking like a jerk, including one moment when a thief ran by, Spidey just let him go to the elevator, leaving a security guard scolding him for not stopping him, by Spider-Man pretty much shrugged to telling him that its his job and has no time for being pushed around (or should I say: “I miss the part where that’s my problem”), jeez Parker, there’s no need for being an A-Hole if you’re a celeb.

But that all changed when he arrives back home, a policeman arrive for bad news, when asked, the policeman informed that his beloved Uncle Ben was tragically gunshot to death, Peter was devastated what he heard, along with being regretful of his selfish jerk, he took his spider suit to seeking revenge to hunting down the same thief what he saw, but once he caught him, it feels like his damage was already done, despite it got himself surprised to giving himself a super power, but his uncle’s murdered came out at the wrong time that it heartbroken'd Peter so much, but at the end, it ended got himself a motivation that he’ll never forget, “With Great Power, comes Great Responsibility”.

Pretty fascinating story for not only and sadly concluding Amazing Fantasy, but Spider-Man was surprisingly well-received from the public that it became a success that Marvel decided to creating a new comic series featuring our favorite web hero by 1963 called “The Amazing Spider-Man”.

The Journey

Ever since Spidey’s popularity, its no stranger Spider-Man got himself a monthly comics of his history, some are memorable, but some are questionable, so lets get a long and short history what he’s been in the comics.

Despite losing his beloved uncle, Parker lives with his aunt May Parker. But the downside is that their money of their bank are starting to draining, leaving Peter not only been in high school (along with constant bullied from Flash Thompson), but also looking for job in New York, where he became a news photographer (while secretly dressing up as Spider-Man at the same time with his tricks) at Daily Bugle for his editor-publisher J. Jonah Jameson, despite of his consideration of Spider-Man as a “public menace”, which Peter gets frustrated from the front-pages, but he’s better get used to it.

As time went on in his double life, he fought numerous villains on his rogues gallery, his first villain is “Chameleon” where he uses his disguise for his criminal purpose. Later on, we’ll witnessing more and memorable villains like Vulture, Dr. Octopus (aka Doc Ock), Sandman, Electro, Mysterio, Lizard, Scorpion and Living Brain. Anyone? Living Brain?? Eh, my thoughts exactly, nobody cares about Living Brain anymore, maybe.

Of course, who could ever forget everyone’s favorite Spider-Man’s main nemesis, Green Goblin, aka Norman Osborn.

But the worst is yet to come, aside of more villains, as well as found his later father was worked as a CIA agent that it hurt him from a secret truth, while fighting against Doc Ock, he sensed a police captain, George Stacy was brutally wounded after saving the kid, while Spider-Man finishes Doc, he comes to see Captain Stacy at the last time, where George, before his death, secretly acknowledges Spider-Man is Peter behind the mask, resulting a one of Parker’s biggest weakness, his secret identity, which is a serious problem that being a superhero, its to keep your identity in secret without causing major problem for exposure, which is exactly what happened to Peter, he wants to keep his identity in secret for his friends and family.

Sadly, it was only just the beginning and it has gotten even more tragedy, with Parker’s identity is in danger, Green Goblin proceeds to kidnapping Pete’s love interest named Gwen Stacy and held her in hostage in top of Washington Bridge, as Spidey comes to facing against Gobby to save Gwen, Goblin downright pushing her off the bridge, Spider-Man uses his web saving her, despite his best effort to saving her, the neck snapped once she’s caught, making saving her pretty much too late and it makes him gotten worse for his vengeance to going after Goblin for last stand off (even though later on Norman will be back for a long while), not before when Spider-Man had to stop beating him brutally, he quickly avoiding Goblin’s glider and straight up impaling his nemesis, killing him instantly. After all that, Parker is heartbroken and left alone for his loss of Gwen Stacy, it wouldn’t be until he meets and has a relationship with Mary-Jane Watson. Not not only its one of the biggest tragedy in comic’s history, but it also changed comic to end the Silver Age, and begins the Bronze Age.

As time goes on in Bronze Age, Spider-Man got himself an unexpected makeover, during the Secret War, Spider-Man was struggle in the war that his suit is damaged, while looking around to fixing his suit, he notices a black orb thing that it ended up bonding him, creating the infamous black suited Spider-Man we all know, which it wouldn’t be until the black suit is actually alive as an alien being known as Symbiote that not only mixing up his attitude that he wants to take it off so badly and it’ll later creating everyone’s favorite villain/anti-hero, Venom.

Of course at the same time, he also dealing with Kraven The Hunter in his Last Hunt story that he was “killed” by Kraven to making him a new Spider-Man, but in reality, he was knocked unconscious to having a dark and gritty final battle between the two.

Unfortunately, not all stories that are fascinating, but also gave us quite possibly the worst one of all, that leads us to the controversial Clone Saga. It started odd and questionable when Spider-Man is facing against Jackal for creating the clone of Gwen, but then everything going down to somehow even worse when we introduce Ben Reilly, at first they unlikely teaming up together to facing against Jackal, along with Ben and Peter duking each others up, but after medical checking, Ben considering himself as the Original Spider-Man and calling Peter a Clone.

That right is easily pissing of both readers and the fans of Spider-Man, I know I’ve never read the comics, but this one right there is easily pissing me off that not only its an insult to Peter Parker’s heroic career, but its also an insult of our intelligence that we all know that Peter Parker is the OG Spider-Man while Ben is an obvious clone, but they switch up the role to focusing on Scarlet Spider as the main Spider-Man, like I hated its double standard of their attempt of throwing Peter out of window to favoring Ben Reilly. And how long it takes in Clone Sage? 1994 to 1996. Yeah, Marvel comics in the 90s was nothing but a punching bad from DC’s success…

Oh and how did the Clone Saga ended? Well, not only Ben Reilly is killed off because he’s really a clone (duh!), but also the return of Norman Osborn, aka Green Goblin who not only got resurrected from the dead, but also responsible of the Clone Saga. Wow…! Talk about giving a final FU to end this saga.

Anyway, after that… Whatever, Spider-Man is back to normal in typical hero stuff, but then came Civil War, when the government quickly passed “Superhero Registration Act” that the superheroes are under law enforcement by the security, Iron Man became a supporter of the government and Captain America went rebellious against politics. But then Spider-Man went in, not only removing his mask to revealing his identity, but also being a supporter to Iron Man, but his identity revealing became a HUGE mistake after the civil war. But once he’s becoming a father to have a daughter, he noticed his aunt May is wounded by one of the agents from Kingpin, Peter came to one of the worst Spider-Man’s moment of all, dealing with the devil Mephisto to not only keeping May alive, along with going back to hiding his secret identity, but also wiping out the some memories of his past and removing his future daughter.

*slow clap* Good Job Marvel… You’ve done it again, but even worse than the clone saga…!

Yeah, by this point, aside of Raimi’s Spider-Man movies, Spider-Man in comics is going down, not only he dealt with the devil to going back to square one, in a bad way, but also leads us one of the most divided moment of all, his mind was swapped by his old nemesis Dr. Octopus, who’s dying that he planned to swapping his own brain into Parker’s body, making him as an anti-hero that he called “The Superior Spider-Man”, this leads to either turning away from MJ, being a Dick to other heroes, as well as creating his own army of robot spiders, that is until Doc Ock’s Spider-Man is pretty much overwhelming that he decided to pass Peter’s conscious back to his own body, leading Ock’s conscious disappears, not only Parker went back to square one, AGAIN, but also forming his own industries. Huh, he’s also something of science himself much like Green Gobby.

But then, we’re going to the last, but definitely not the least of all, “Spider-Verse”. Where he’s forced to working with many variations of Spider-Men, such as Spider-Man 2099, Spider-Gwen, Spider-Ham, Spider-Man Noir, Spider-Punk, Indian Spider-Man, Spider-UK, Spider-Woman (Jessica one, not Gwen), SP//dr with Peni Parker, Mayday’s Spider-Girl, and of course, Miles Morales’s Spider-Man (aka Ultimate Spider-Man). So what’s the reason about the whole Spider-Verse? Its because one of the Inheritors family, Morlun, who jumps into various universes to messing them up. And as we all know, the whole multiverse of Spider-Man is such a big deal that it spawned sequels and even brought them into movies like Sony’s Spider-Verse, which it only focuses Miles Morales, but it has a new level of animation from Sony Pictures Animation that I enjoyed, and MCU has their own with Spider-Man: No Way Home, which is easily one of the best MCU’s Spider-Man film of all and I adored it for a crossover film with three movie Spider-Men like Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield and Tom Holland.

Legacy/Conclusion

As time went on, aside with some questionable and stupid moments, its no secret that Spider-Man will live on as one of Marvel’s greatest hero since 1962. It inspired numerous people based on Spider-Man’s popularity and the idea of teenage superheroes time and after times, as well as give a new chance to shine with new variations of Spider-Man like the aforementioned Miles Morales as Ultimate Spider-Man (after Ultimate version of Peter Parker was tragically died while fighting against Green Goblin), alternate universe version of Gwen Stacy (from Earth-65) and Spider-Man 2099. Spider-Man has numerous appearance outside of comics like getting into video games with with good to bad, but as recently, Insomniac Games gave us Spider-Man games that we all know and love to this day that gave us Miles’s own game and this year’s sequel, Spider-Man 2, but as im writing this, its not available until at the end of October 2023.

And then there’s movies, which I gotta say, Spider-Man movies are pretty fun and fascinating, such as Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy, which I’ve already reviewed both of them, I love the first and second, while the third one is disappointing, but does has a guilty pleasure (Thanks, Bully Maguire). Though Sony tried again with two The Amazing Spider-Man movies, but while the first one is good, but the second one felt flat, both critically and financially, but it doesn’t mean Sony is losing Spider-Man, they still made more with the aforementioned Sony’s Spider-Verse from “Into the Spider-Verse” to “Across the Spider-Verse”, and we’ll wait to see “Beyond the Spider-Verse”. And finally, with the rise of Marvel Cinematic Universe, we wanted to see our friendly neighborhood in MCU, and Disney gave our answer after asking Sony to having MCU’s own Spider-Man with his debut at “Captain America: Civil War” and the rest was history until we have the best one “Spider-Man: No Way Home”.

Of course, Spider-Man also appeared on TV animated shows, the one that I know is the 1967 Spider-Man that I know, and made a buncha memes like Spider-Men pointing each others (Ahh, a classic), there’s Spider-Man: TAS in 1994 that im sure some of you have a childhood memory of it, and few other shows. But it wasn’t just animation, there’s the Japanese version of Spider-Man in 1978, which is completely different that this Spider-Man as special car and, in typical Japanese fashion, giving a superhero a giant robot. Odd, but pretty fascinating that Marvel brought him into Spider-Verse.

There’s also a stage musical adaptation called “Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark”, but the best way to describing it is, it feels like an experiment gone wrong from actors got hurt, a stunt with effects gone wrong and a backstage police over creative difference with the director of musical of The Lion King and two members of U2, Bono and The Edge, how Spider-Man is a “Chosen one” by Archne, and… Yeah, the whole thing about this is pretty stupid, I recommend to check out Wait in the Wings’ take of Spider-Man: Turn of the Dark on Youtube, its a pretty fascinating and questionable history about this idea.

Of course, since Spider-Verse is a big deal, especially with Sony’s Spider-Verse, its pretty fun to see everyone making their own universe versions of Spider-Man, or better known as Spidersonas, and I will say, I enjoy lot of peoples making their own Spider-Man, some are creative and some have a unique origins. And before you asked, yes, I even made my own Spidersonas, cause as a fan of Spider-Man, I like to jump on a bandwagon for the success of Spider-Verse.

In conclusion, Spider-Man will always in the bottom of our hearts of not only our childhood heroes, but also being one of the most influential, and one of the best superhero both in Marvel and of all times, he gave us the inspirations, motivations and the big deal of multiverse, there’s no such things that, aside of dumb moments of him, Peter Parker will always live with us with important words;

“With Great Power, comes Great Responsibility”

So this ends of my returning Character Profile, what do you think of my idea? Let me know in the comments bellow, I would like to read your thoughts of my idea and maybe send me a request to give me a shot of which characters il talking about.

Of course, be supportive on https://ko-fi.com/blackevil

Thanks for reading, and im Anthony, signing out.