He's A Spider-Man!? - Page 3

Nerys Myk · January 18 2010, 09:41 AM

Hermiod wrote:

Nerys Myk wrote:

Should Bruce Wayne stop being a Millionare playboy? Should Clark Kent stop being a mild-mannered reporter? Why should Peter Parker "grow up"? Because you are tired of the "stoyline? What about new fans who've yet to encounter Peter Parker? Ones without decades to grow tired? Should Bart Simpson grow up too? Archie Andrews? Shaggy and Scooby? Charlie Brown?

It's called character growth. He's still the same person, just with a different job and a different set of responsibilities. They don't exactly pay young science teachers a fortune, after all.

Judging by the reaction to One More Day/Brand New Day storyline, it would seem that a lot of people agree too.

Is it? Or is it a lack of abilty to write Peter Parker as originaly conceived? Can't or won't write about a teenager? Simple solution, make him a twenty something and call it "character growth". Peter Parker is a fictional character in a medium where aging and time is irrelevent. No need to age him to invent "new" stories. Just write new stories about a teenager named Peter Parker. Pandering to the aging fan who needs Peter to "grow" with him is a slow road to a shrinking fanbase and oblivion.

Hermiod · January 18 2010, 10:00 AM

^Perhaps we should stick to writing Sue Storm as the Invisible Girl who needs to be saved by her teammates every week as well.

Marvel's characters are not stuck in a time warp.

Nerys Myk · January 18 2010, 10:17 AM

Changing the role of a female (or male for that matter) character as societal attitudes evolve is a different matter. I'm all for comic book characters existing in today's world with todays attitudes A sliding scale time line is best for this type of serial fiction. Spider-man is always happening right now. His origin always happens in the past. (how far in the past is irrelevent) You don't have to write Sue a 1960s woman anymore than you have to dress her in 1960s fashions. But she does have to be Reed's fiancee and Johnny's sister.

January 18 2010, 10:44 AM

I have no problem with Spider-Man's origin...but the movies and cartoons...etc always have him at that stage...and yes he is in costume and called Spider-Man...but it gets old after a while...there has to me more to the character...is the life of a Spider-Man only from 16-20???

Hermiod · January 18 2010, 10:45 AM

^And Peter Parker was still Mary Jane's husband and Aunt May's nephew.

The fact that other heroes respect him more than he realises has been going on since at least the 80's. He was still Peter Parker, just with a better job and a bit more self-respect.

Unfortunately, Brand New Day turned him back in to a loser.

Anwar · January 18 2010, 03:11 PM

It also screwed up some other stuff:

It is now revealed that Harry Osborn never died back in 1993, but his father saved him and had kept him locked up in Europe until he felt it was right to revive him totally.

Originally, Norman's motivation for planning the Clone Saga and returning to duty as the Goblin was to get back at Peter for "killing" Harry (back then, Norman really DID love Harry and was PO'ed he died fighting Peter). Now, since Harry never died and Norman knew it, why did he come back to torment Peter?!

RandyS · January 18 2010, 08:14 PM

tharpdevenport wrote:

ObiWanShinobi wrote:

how old wad Spider-Man 2099?

"old wad"'s -- the great new nickname for people over 30.

Not if you happen to BE over 30 son.

Nerys Myk · January 18 2010, 08:27 PM

Hermiod wrote:

^And Peter Parker was still Mary Jane's husband and Aunt May's nephew.

The fact that other heroes respect him more than he realises has been going on since at least the 80's. He was still Peter Parker, just with a better job and a bit more self-respect.

Unfortunately, Brand New Day turned him back in to a loser.

I guess I missed MJ showing up in Amazing Fantasy #15.

Hermiod · January 18 2010, 08:31 PM

^MJ is Peter's longest running love interest. The fact that she wasn't around right at the start is unimportant.

Nerys Myk · January 18 2010, 08:42 PM

Thats part of the problem. Peter shouldn't have a long running love interest.

Sue and MJ aren't equivalent. At best, MJ is Alicia.

SiorX · January 18 2010, 09:11 PM

^I'm sure it depends on the run one grew up on or something, but the reason most of my friends hate BND so much is because for them "do not fuck with Spidey & MJ" is a sacrosanct part of the lore. Spidey spins webs, makes quips, suffers from self-doubt, carries responsibilities beyond his years, and loves Mary Jane.

Anwar · January 19 2010, 07:36 AM

Nerys Myk wrote:

Thats part of the problem. Peter shouldn't have a long running love interest.

Sue and MJ aren't equivalent. At best, MJ is Alicia.

I'd say he should. His own creator wanted him to get married and grow up. They didn't introduce MJ at first because her appearance was a running joke until they DID meet.

Seriously, this whole "Sue works because she was there from the start" thing doesn't hold water. Spidey's the story of Peter's life, meaning there's nothing wrong with him meeting the love of life when he's NOT a teenager.

Nerys Myk · January 19 2010, 09:09 AM

Anwar wrote:

Nerys Myk wrote:

Thats part of the problem. Peter shouldn't have a long running love interest.

Sue and MJ aren't equivalent. At best, MJ is Alicia.

I'd say he should. His own creator wanted him to get married and grow up. They didn't introduce MJ at first because her appearance was a running joke until they DID meet.

Seriously, this whole "Sue works because she was there from the start" thing doesn't hold water. Spidey's the story of Peter's life, meaning there's nothing wrong with him meeting the love of life when he's NOT a teenager.

Sue is a main character in the FF, not a supporting character. One the four in the Fantastic Four. The running joke started after the the book began. I don't think Stan or Steve were holding back till the right time. These books were written without much forthought in the beginning. I think he did meet MJ when they were Teenagers.
No idea what Stan's thoughts on marriage and aging Peter are. He left the book 1971 when Parker was in college and his aging had slowed to a crawl. Though I think he has stated his intention was that Gwen Stacy was the love of Peter's life.

Anwar · January 19 2010, 10:50 AM

No, he met MJ when he was at ESU. After he met Gwen and Harry.

Stan stated his intention was to marry Peter and Gwen, but she got killed instead because someone at management was uncomfortable with the idea.

Frankly, Gwen's death was when Marvel lost their balls. In a two-parter they killed off his love interest AND his archenemy. They shouldn't have stopped there, they should have continued with genre defying stories like that by never bringin Norman back and continuing to make huge changes to the series, changes that couldn't be undone just like that.

A beaker full of death · January 19 2010, 08:13 PM

Anwar wrote:

No, he met MJ when he was at ESU. After he met Gwen and Harry.

As I recall, Aunt May and her friend Anna Watson introduced them.

January 18 2010, 10:00 AM	#32
Hermiod Admiral	Re: He's A Spider-Man!? ^Perhaps we should stick to writing Sue Storm as the Invisible Girl who needs to be saved by her teammates every week as well. Marvel's characters are not stuck in a time warp.

January 18 2010, 10:17 AM	#33
Nerys Myk Admiral Location: House of Kang, now with ridges	Re: He's A Spider-Man!? Changing the role of a female (or male for that matter) character as societal attitudes evolve is a different matter. I'm all for comic book characters existing in today's world with todays attitudes A sliding scale time line is best for this type of serial fiction. Spider-man is always happening right now. His origin always happens in the past. (how far in the past is irrelevent) You don't have to write Sue a 1960s woman anymore than you have to dress her in 1960s fashions. But she does have to be Reed's fiancee and Johnny's sister.

January 18 2010, 10:44 AM	#34
Jetfire Guest	Re: He's A Spider-Man!? I have no problem with Spider-Man's origin...but the movies and cartoons...etc always have him at that stage...and yes he is in costume and called Spider-Man...but it gets old after a while...there has to me more to the character...is the life of a Spider-Man only from 16-20???

January 18 2010, 10:45 AM	#35
Hermiod Admiral	Re: He's A Spider-Man!? ^And Peter Parker was still Mary Jane's husband and Aunt May's nephew. The fact that other heroes respect him more than he realises has been going on since at least the 80's. He was still Peter Parker, just with a better job and a bit more self-respect. Unfortunately, Brand New Day turned him back in to a loser.

January 18 2010, 03:11 PM	#36
Anwar Vice Admiral Location: Regina, SK, Canada	Re: He's A Spider-Man!? It also screwed up some other stuff: It is now revealed that Harry Osborn never died back in 1993, but his father saved him and had kept him locked up in Europe until he felt it was right to revive him totally. Originally, Norman's motivation for planning the Clone Saga and returning to duty as the Goblin was to get back at Peter for "killing" Harry (back then, Norman really DID love Harry and was PO'ed he died fighting Peter). Now, since Harry never died and Norman knew it, why did he come back to torment Peter?!

STAR TREK

CSI

ABOUT US

January 18 2010, 08:31 PM	#39
Hermiod Admiral	Re: He's A Spider-Man!? ^MJ is Peter's longest running love interest. The fact that she wasn't around right at the start is unimportant.

January 18 2010, 08:42 PM	#40
Nerys Myk Admiral Location: House of Kang, now with ridges	Re: He's A Spider-Man!? Thats part of the problem. Peter shouldn't have a long running love interest. Sue and MJ aren't equivalent. At best, MJ is Alicia.

January 18 2010, 09:11 PM	#41
SiorX Fleet Captain Location: Aporia	Re: He's A Spider-Man!? ^I'm sure it depends on the run one grew up on or something, but the reason most of my friends hate BND so much is because for them "do not fuck with Spidey & MJ" is a sacrosanct part of the lore. Spidey spins webs, makes quips, suffers from self-doubt, carries responsibilities beyond his years, and loves Mary Jane.

January 19 2010, 10:50 AM	#44
Anwar Vice Admiral Location: Regina, SK, Canada	Re: He's A Spider-Man!? No, he met MJ when he was at ESU. After he met Gwen and Harry. Stan stated his intention was to marry Peter and Gwen, but she got killed instead because someone at management was uncomfortable with the idea. Frankly, Gwen's death was when Marvel lost their balls. In a two-parter they killed off his love interest AND his archenemy. They shouldn't have stopped there, they should have continued with genre defying stories like that by never bringin Norman back and continuing to make huge changes to the series, changes that couldn't be undone just like that.