He's A Spider-Man!?

[TemporalFlux]

Cant say I recall anything in the 70s that shout "Peter Parker is in his late 20s". He pretty much stopped aging in real time by that point, no?

I can't cite point for point evidence, but my "feel" of it has always been a pretty natural progression in the mainstream Marvel universe.

1960's - Pete in high school / early college
1970's - Pete's college age years
1980's - Pete in mid 20's
1990's - Pete in mid to late 20's
2000's - Pete around age 30

Of course, the recent "Brand New Day" kind of throws a curve ball in things; I can't really get a handle on where things are. I suppose he's supposed to be exactly where he was when Stracynski's book left off; but for me, "Brand New Day" feels like a regression in age back to mid 20's.

 

[TemporalFlux]

Cant say I recall anything in the 70s that shout "Peter Parker is in his late 20s". He pretty much stopped aging in real time by that point, no?

I can't cite point for point evidence, but my "feel" of it has always been a pretty natural progression in the mainstream Marvel universe.

1960's - Pete in high school / early college
1970's - Pete's college age years
1980's - Pete in mid 20's
1990's - Pete in mid to late 20's
2000's - Pete around age 30

Of course, the recent "Brand New Day" kind of throws a curve ball in things; I can't really get a handle on where things are. I suppose he's supposed to be exactly where he was when Stracynski's book left off; but for me, "Brand New Day" feels like a regression in age back to mid 20's.

 

[Snaploud]

I think he works best as a thirty-something teacher.

 

[Nerys Myk]

So, no super heroics from 8am-3pm?

 

[Nerys Myk]

Cant say I recall anything in the 70s that shout "Peter Parker is in his late 20s". He pretty much stopped aging in real time by that point, no?

I can't cite point for point evidence, but my "feel" of it has always been a pretty natural progression in the mainstream Marvel universe.

1960's - Pete in high school / early college
1970's - Pete's college age years
1980's - Pete in mid 20's
1990's - Pete in mid to late 20's
2000's - Pete around age 30

Of course, the recent "Brand New Day" kind of throws a curve ball in things; I can't really get a handle on where things are. I suppose he's supposed to be exactly where he was when Stracynski's book left off; but for me, "Brand New Day" feels like a regression in age back to mid 20's.

Yeesh, he'll be 40 in a decade or two! ( if comics last that long!)

 

[Snaploud]

Of course, the Spider-girl comics have Peter Parker as an older man (Spider-girl's father).

 

[Nerys Myk]

Which is the right way to do it, always in the "future" or an alternate reality.

 

[Hermiod]

The question is, should Peter Parker "grow up". Why is that needed or necessary? Spider-man's personna is the wise cracking, hard luck hero who some people don't trust. Peter is a guy who's life never quite comes together because he's Spider-man. It costs him jobs, friends and relationships. A Spider-man with a steady job, a steady girl and membership in the most prestigous Super-Team isn't really Spider-Man. It goes against the core of the character. He can have these things briefly, but in the end it has to fall apart.

I believe he should grow up. We've spent decades telling the Peter Parker Loser storyline. It's done. The moment Captain America shook his hand and told him how much he admired and respected him is the same moment that storyline ends.

He still had to juggle teaching his classes and being a superhero and people still don't entirely trust him (see the reaction when the New Avengers were announced with Spidey, Wolverine, Luke Cage and Spider-Woman a members).

 

[Nerys Myk]

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?

 

[Hermiod]

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.

 

[Nerys Myk]

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]

^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]

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.

 

[Jetfire]

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]

^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]

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]

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]

^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]

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

 

[Nerys Myk]

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.