By Odeisel
By now, you’ve heard the news. As of issue 700, Peter Parker, the Amazing Spider-Man has bit the bullet. He met his end at the hands of his greatest enemy, Dr. Octopus, ending the narrative of perhaps the most important character of the modern era of comics and Marvel’s flagship character. But Peter Parker was far more than that for long-time readers.
Spider-Man certainly wasn’t the first superhero orphaned or whose origin is steeped in tragedy. Bruce Wayne’s parents were murdered right in front of him in a filthy Gotham alley. Superman lost his entire planet, including his parents while his rocket hurtled towards Earth and both characters precede Spider-Man by over 20 years.
Peter Parker, however was the first major imperfect superhero. He wasn’t the pinnacle of human perfection or the representative of some grand ideal, like Captain America. He wasn’t swimming in money like Wayne or Iron Man. He wasn’t some invincible Adonis like Superman or indomitable like Thor. He was very human and his flaws struck a chord with a changing world as the Stepford reality of the 50s shrunk further in the rearview mirror.
Spider-Man was a child hero, thrust by tragedy into the role of protector. Once he gained his powers he went out like most of us would: he tried to get paid. When that attempt inadvertently led to the death of his uncle, he learned his immortal lesson, “With great power comes great responsibility” and was almost guilted into his role. He had girl trouble, money issues and an almost Charley Brownian luck as Peter Parker and even as alter ego Spider-Man, he was branded a menace and an outlaw by his hometown newspaper.
Through it all, he persevered and always fought the good fight. Spider-Man, even when faced with impossible odds, never quit. But he was afraid. He often talked himself through fights with a banter that maddened his opponents, but really served as the equivalent of nervous chatter, like making small talk in awkward situations. Through it all, he’s lost the love of his life, lost many of his friends, lost his job all in the way of doing the right thing. And now, Peter Parker is no more.
As a child I identified with Spider-Man on an intimate level. I was an explorer I liked to climb on shit and as a black kid, in a world of so many white icons, Spider-Man’s face was totally covered. He could be anyone. I learned to read from my father’s comic book, unfortunately destroying many a number 1 issue in the process (sorry Dad) but Spider-Man was my guy. Hero of the late bloomers.
Comics had lost their luster for a while for kids growing up and have become a niche for cats in their 30s and older that grew up with them. The hood wasn’t really checking for them until the movies recently. Ironically, with all the kids that feel ostracized and lonely, so many of them needed Peter Parker in their lives to show them that they weren’t alone and that others were too short or too fat or too uncool or not hot with the ladies…but life goes on. No you can’t walk walls, but there is life and no matter what you are going through, there is always a tomorrow. Today, after so many tomorrows, Peter Parker’s tomorrows have come to an end.
Don’t get me wrong, comic book deaths are never permanent, and writer Dan Slott, whose run on The Amazing Spider-Man was the most ambitious since Lee and Ditko and Romita (look ‘em up), has written Parker’s end in such a way that he could return someday. There’s also a hundred million dollar movie franchise with Peter Parker as Spider-Man that has to be taken into account. It also isn’t the first time that a major character met his end. Again Superman beat him to the punch on that as well. Batman and Captain America were similarly presumed dead a few years ago. It isn’t even the first time a Spider-Man died in the last two years as Ultimate Peter Parker met a very permanent end in Ultimate Spider-Man. But this one stings.
The guy who never gave up breathed his last today and Slott has received death threats and all kinds of things in response to the issue and Parker’s death. In removing Peter from the role of Spider-Man, he has made the character conspicuous in his absence and magnified what he meant to millions of people. Including me. So rest in peace, Peter Parker. For those of us that grew up on you, the insurmountable can always be stared down and even the most unassuming of us can be amazing.
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