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The Web of Lies: Spider-Man’s Inferiority

No matter where or when you exist in this world, you will be in some form of social structure. The sheer existence of this structure (whether it be the social ladder in high school or the Estates of pre-french revolution social structure) proves that some people can be better than others. This could be due to popularity, wealth, birthplace, or a variety of other reasons. Today’s social structure is more malleable, it’s more accepting of people from all parts of society. However, it still very much exists. There are still “cool kids” and “nerds.” If you happen to care enough to read this particular essay, I believe it’s safe to assume you’re somewhere among the degree of “nerds.” If this is true then you are familiar with the superheroes and their abilities. You might have even developed complex ideas about different superheroes and their powers. And of course, you have your own opinions as to who is the best superhero of them all. I intend to prove you wrong (or right depending on your previous thoughts before you read the essay). Spider-Man (A.K.A. Peter Parker) is the best superhero in existence.

It’s easy to look at certain heroes and admit that they’re incredibly powerful. Superman for instance; has super strength, super speed, laser eyes, the ability to fly, invincibility, the ability to freeze anything with his breath, and is essentially immortal. Superman is the pinnacle of power and strength wrapped up into one man. This man has infinite power and is able to single-handedly stop aliens from destroying Earth. But he’s not the superhero that others should look to for guidance. With his infinite power, he’s able to do anything he wants with little or no struggle. When there’s a lack of struggle, there’s little accomplishment. With little accomplishment, comes a dull story. With a dull story, comes a dull character. The struggle is essential to a valued character because it shows effort. The greater effort one puts into being a hero, the more heroic they are. A great character isn’t created by the scale of their challenges, but by the degree of which those challenges affect the character. Superman may be successful in saving the world, but his lack of struggle and character lead him to be a bland and unimpressive hero. The balance between character, struggle, and success is what dictates what a hero is. Spider-Man balances these three attributes perfectly.

  One of the core aspects of a likable character is their relatability. If you look into the Hero’s Journey structure of storytelling (which is proven to be a reliable way to tell an enjoyable story) you will notice that one of the steps is labeled “Ordinary World.” This particular section of the Journey is intended to present a stable and somewhat boring everyday life that the reader can relate to. Before Peter Parker became the webhead that we all know today he was a simple, ordinary boy trying to get by in school and focus on his future as a chemical engineer. He was an outcast and a nerd (much like the majority of people reading about his adventures). Even those who did not consider them nerds could easily relate to Peter’s everyday life in some way or another. This is not true when discussing Superman, Batman, or even Aquaman. Peter was not born special. Nor was he born rich. In fact, his family is constantly struggling to pay rent, insurance, and other everyday items. At one point or another everyone has had to deal with economic struggles. These struggles for our hero don’t stop at rent. This character takes a real world problem and applies it to the world of superheroes. He’s not only worried about paying for food, he’s also worried about not having enough money to pay for web fluid. Which frequently limits his ability to battle against his enemies. But throughout all of his struggle, Spider-Man continues to fight no matter what. He’s even been pushed to the point where he only has one working web shooter, and he still chases his villain through New York. His relatability doesn’t stop at his economic struggles though.

Peter is constantly being tormented by the burden of Spider-Man. He has to cancel plans with friends, lie to the people he loves, and even skip school. All things that Pre-Spidey Parker would never do. This constant battle between the webhead and Pete demonstrates his constant battle with character. Something that we all have to deal with to a degree. The difference between who we are, and who we want to be. The old, and the new. This struggle feeds into his character, and in turn, affects his success. The more stressed Peter Parker is with his daily life, the worse Spider-Man performs in combat. However, if success is the pinnacle to a great character, why is it important that he fails? Because success on its own must be balanced. It sounds morbid, but as an audience, we enjoy watching our heroes fail. Not because we thrive in their pain, but because if they fail, that shows that they still have room to improve. This is why The Night Gwen Stacy Died is one of the most influential comics ever written. It showed our hero at the lowest point of his life. His actions as Spider-Man led to Peter Parker’s first love dying in his hands. Even when it looks like there’s no reason left to fight for, Peter finds his own. Through all of the chaos and loss, he stays true to himself and stays true to his Uncle Ben’s wise words.

Even when Peter himself can’t find a reason to smile, he’s able to make us smile. His constant jokes and banter with his villains make every moment with Spider-Man engaging and entertaining. Nothing seems boring or dull because it’s always packed with something more to look forward to. His pop culture references are relatable and often hilarious. This all feeds into his already likable character. Alas, I admit, there times when Peter goes into dark corners of his mind and makes his audience fear for him. Not his life, but for his relationships. Relationships with Mary Jane, Aunt May, and Harry Osborne. His friends at work and his superhero allies. All of Spider-Man’s supporting cast is essential to each and every one of his stories. Having a Spidey story without Aunt May is like tearing the soul out of a beautiful medley. She’s such a sweet, kind old lady that has given absolutely everything she can to ensure Peter grows up to become the kind young man that we’ve come to know and love. The fact that she’s not even blood-related makes her that much more special. Mary Jane’s sass and classic “face it Tiger, you’ve hit the jackpot” hits home every time. Their precious love is unlike any other. Not to mention that Peter’s best friend since college, Harry Osborne, is also one of his most memorable villains. The complexity of their relationship always adds suspense and a memorable story to the life of Peter Parker. And you can’t imagine our webhead without thinking about his lovable boss Jay Jonah Jameson. It’s not just his allies either. Amazing stories have been written focusing on his fantastic villains. Doctor Octopus, Venom, The Green Goblin. Each one of these villains has affected both Peter Parker and Spider-Man’s life. With a phenomenal cast of allies and foes, you can guarantee that every story is going to be intriguing. Not just because of the star, but because of the characters surrounding him. Heroes like Superman, Batman, and Captain America don’t have their lives as intertwined with their other identities to the same degree that Spidey does. Therefore their stories are off balance and less interesting.

Actions have consequences. His actions in the suit lead to issues outside the suit, and vice versa. Gwen, Captain Stacy, Uncle Ben, each one died when he was acting reckless or irresponsible. And each one of these deaths led Peter to push himself further. Not because he wanted to, but because he has to. Peter knows the consequences of what happens if he doesn’t intervene, therefore he does anything and everything in his will to stop it from happening. Originally he didn’t want to be a hero, but because of Uncle Ben’s death, Peter realized his potential and hasn’t stopped fighting evil since. His stories are able to touch on meaningful subjects like death, betrayal, and loss without coming off as edgy or cliche. Everyone he’s lost was another lesson that he learned, and another reason for Peter to continue fighting. Yes. Peter. Because under that mask it is just Peter Parker. Just one person bears the burden of all the struggles of a superhero and the struggles of a normal person.

Superman and Aquaman may be extremely powerful, but when someone accomplishes something with little effort it makes their accomplishments seem unimpressive. Batman comes close behind Peter with his struggle of real world problems, outstanding rogues gallery, and deep character. In the end, though, he’s unrelatable (being the wealthy playboy he is) and hardly anything that Bruce Wayne does has any impact on the story. Peter Parker’s mix of struggle, character, and perfectly balanced success displays everything that makes a superhero super.