GIBORIM 2021 – Spider-Man

Spider-Man is a fictional superhero created by writer-editor Stan Lee. In the stories, Spider-Man is the alias of Peter Parker, an orphan raised by his Aunt May and Uncle Ben in New York City after his parents Richard and Mary Parker were killed in a plane crash. His origin story has him acquiring spider-related abilities after a bite from a radioactive spider; these include clinging to surfaces, shooting spider-webs from wrist-mounted devices, and detecting danger with his “spider-sense”.

When Spider-Man first appeared in the early 1960s, teenagers in superhero comic books were usually relegated to the role of sidekick to the protagonist. The Spider-Man series broke ground by featuring Peter Parker, a high school student from Queens behind Spider-Man’s secret identity and with whose “self-obsessions with rejection, inadequacy, and loneliness” young readers could relate. Spider-Man had no superhero mentor like Captain America and Batman; he thus had to learn for himself that “with great power there must also come great responsibility”—a line included in a text box in the final panel of the first Spider-Man story but later retroactively attributed to his guardian, the late Uncle Ben.

Spider-Man is one of the most popular and commercially successful superheroes. As Marvel’s flagship character and company mascot, he has appeared in countless forms of media, including several animated and live action television series, comic strips, and in a series of films.

Why does Spiderman get so much love? It’s because he’s simply among the nicest and most self-effacing of superheroes. You may think kindness and humility won’t get you ahead in this world, and sometimes that may appear to be the case. In the short run, it’s often true. But, in the long run, if you are loved and respected by the people around you – and nothing earns love and respect more than sincere kindness and dignified humility – then, at the most critical moments, they will step up to the plate and help you when you need it.

Because of the words “great power,” some people misinterpret the true, deeper meaning behind the much quoted dictum, “With great power comes great responsibility.” But come now, just how “great” is Spiderman’s power, really? Compared to so many vastly more powerful beings in the Marvel and DC Universes?

First of all, the word “great” here doesn’t indicate the level or size of power. It’s the value of the power, and all powers have great value and importance.

Second, Spider-Man very much represents the average person, so what does that mean? It means we all have unique talents and abilities that give us “power.” It is your duty to find them, hone them and use them. Third, the responsibility isn’t just towards others; it’s also towards yourself. People wait endlessly for external events to make them happy. Take charge and take action. Fulfillment in life is your own “responsibility” and you have the “power” to make it happen.