Tom Holland is Peter Parker, in Columbia Pictures’ SPIDER-MAN:™ FAR FROM HOME. Tom Holland is Peter Parker, in Columbia Pictures’ SPIDER-MAN:™ FAR FROM HOME. Courtesy of Sony Pictures
By: Dr. Michael Robinson | Communications Studies Professor
The Marvel Universe is full of wealthy superheroes. When Tony Stark is not saving the world as Iron Man, he lives like an international playboy. The patents on Reed Richards’ many inventions fund the adventures of the Fantastic Four and the awesome building they live in. Even the X-Men live in the luxury of Xavier’s Mansion while they are being hated and feared by the world they’ve sworn to protect.
And then there’s Peter Parker. When Spider-Man failed to stop the burglar who killed Peter’s beloved Uncle Ben, he set himself on a quest for redemption. He also added the perpetual guilt of being financially responsible for his elderly Aunt May. After briefly sharing a nice pad with his wealthy friend Harry Osborn in their college days, Peter moved into his own apartment, where he had to hustle to make ends meet. And now the trailer for Spider-Man: Brand New Day appears to be evoking that idea for Spidey once again. Peter Parker is the poster child for living paycheck to paycheck.
The thing is, Spider-Man does not have to be poor. He’s got one of the greatest products for sale ever– his webbing.
Spider-Man’s webbing is perhaps one of the most providential discoveries in the history of comics. The invention is not the result of the radioactive spider bite that gave Peter his powers. Rather, it is the product of his genius.
Spider-Man’s webbing is small and easily portable. It is easily dispensed and is shapeable. The webbing is non-toxic and sterile. In an unmodified form, it resists fire and electrical damage (this can be modified to provide additional resistance as needed). It has considerable tensile strength and retains it over long distances.
The product can be used in a variety of applications. Imagine a webshooter that could be fired into an open wound and staunching blood loss. Imagine police forces using non-lethal means to capture criminals or even to stop fleeing vehicles, as Spidey already does so well. Imagine emergency weblines that could allow people to escape from fires in skyscrapers by lowering themselves to the ground. Speaking of fire, imagine fire suppressant systems that could deploy like sprinklers in unoccupied buildings.
The main drawback of Spidey’s formula is that webs tend to only last for an hour or two. But that’s all the time that is really needed in an emergency. This is a perfect product for a temporary solution.
What keeps Spidey from doing this? Well, there is always the concern about secret identity. If Peter Parker makes Spidey’s webbing public, it may be a clue to who Peter really is, or it may draw undue criminal attention to Spidey. But the connection is already there. Everyone already knows Peter Parker as the guy who takes exclusive pictures of Spider-Man anyway. And if Peter doesn’t want the extra attention, well, he knows Tony Stark, and he knows Reed Richards. Surely these geniuses could help the product move secretly to market?
For similar reasons, Parker’s excuses about being a science major rather than a business major also hold up. Peter doesn’t have to go on Shark Tank. He already knows truly successful businessmen who would not rip him off.
So why does Peter Parker really remain poor? Or at least not wealthy? We want him to be. It supports his thematic connection to the average person. He will always be the “hero who could be you.”
