“The Amazing Spider-man” is the story of a young boy, Peter Parker. A common household spider that had been exposed to an enormous amount of radiation bites Peter. Hours later Peter gains extraordinary arachnid abilities. He uses these abilities to protect the people of New York City. To hide his true identity, Peter wears a mask. He is known as the vigilante Spider-man or ‘the friendly neighborhood webslinger’1.
Many adaptations of Spider-man have been created over the years. This report will contrast the variations in the original 1962 “Amazing Fantasy” #15 comic of Spider-man and the 2002 film adaptation.
1962 “Amazing Fantasy” Spider-man
Created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, the “Amazing Fantasy” issue #15 comic is the original Spider-man text. Spider-man is the first marvel superhero to go against ‘superhero fare’. The ‘superhero fare’ is a superhero trend. Spiderman was the first Marvel character to break this trend. Peter is just an average nerdy high school student who, like everyone else, has insecurities and anxieties. Due to the mask, the public did not know his identity. Spider-man could be anyone giving a sense that he is ‘the superhero who could be you’2. This idea started a comic revolution, which later resulted in comics such as The Incredible Hulk, and X-men3.
An article by Christopher Conway introduces and idea that “The Amazing Spider-man” can be seen as an ‘extension of a conservative view of politics and public life.’ This claim is supported by the view that Spider-man’s heroics are placed at the service of Cold War politics, battling communists and personal gain4. Salvatore Mondello, distinguished writer, believes that “During the late 60’s and early 70’s, Spider-Man had helped to keep alive American lib...
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...riggers Peter’s reflexes and will tingle if there is an incoming threat. Again Peter’s intelligence helps him create ‘spider-tracers’ which help to track foes6. 2002 ‘Spider-man’ film does not identify any ‘spider senses’ rather Peter has enhanced awareness and reflexes. Therefore he can dodge attacks but he cannot detect danger.
Humor
Spiderman’s character is portrayed in the comic as humorous. He will crack jokes at his opponent to throw them off which gives him an advantage. This trait is one that the 2002 “Spider-man” film did not include. This changes how the character is viewed. The comic’s Spider-man makes jokes and is fun, which appeals to younger audiences. The film however shows Spiderman as a serious crime fighter with no sense of humor. He is more focused on keeping the city of New York safe labeling it more of a family movie targeted at older ages.
The only reason i think this is because Spiderman is known as a hero but he is not portrayed as one in this
Throughout history, there have been hundreds of urban legends that have been told over and over again and have been passed down through generations. Over the years, there has also been much debate as to whether or not these legends are myths or if they actually have some truth to them. One legend in particular that there has been a debate on is The Spider Bite legend. This Legend has been told dating all the way back to the 1970’s and has had many variations of the story ever since. There has been extensive research throughout the years as to whether or not this legend is actually possible and although evidence has showed that this legend is most likely just a myth there have been stories in the news that have questioned the validity
Watchmen takes place during one of our country’s most recent politically intense era’s. The fear of government corruption along with the fear of the Soviet Union and nuclear warfare was very much a real thing. Alan Moore uses political symbols, real and fictional, to represent this rough time and create a realistic setting to an otherwise fictional plot of superheroes. By incorporating mature messages and illustrations it does not only appeal to young adults looking to be entertained by a picture book. It allows Watchmen to stand alone in the category of graphic novels and be looked at as an icon of its time.
There have been major changes to the superhero archetype in comics in these recent years as compared to the past. Along with that arises controversy on the subjects like the new female Thor or a black kid as Spiderman. Many are zealously against such changes for reasons like sexism or racism. While many others are fervently behind such changes because they use it to empower their own political views on today’s topics. These topics are important to today’s society however they should not be so important in comic books because comic books should be value-neutral and gender, ethnicity, sexuality and things of this nature should not matter.
Allen Moore’s sordid depiction of twentieth century life presents a complex world, where the distinction between a virtuous hero and a villainous wrongdoer is often blurred. In stark contrast to the traditionally popularized portrayal of superheroes, whose unquestionably altruistic motives ultimately produce unrealistically idealized results; the realistically flawed characters of Watchmen exist in a multi faceted world characterized by moral ambiguity. America’s imperialistic ambitions have long been justified as an expression of American idealism. Much like the portrayal of superheroes in popular culture, America’s intervention in foreign affairs was portrayed as the result of a clearly defined problem, where American intervention was necessary and consensual. The Watchmen exist in an American reality that does not depend on them as the archetypal hero as demonstrated by the fact that their presence is not necessary to the survival of the world. Collectively the characters of Watchmen parallel the tumultuous relationship that as a superpower the United States of America has with the rest of the world.
Marvel has been releasing blockbuster after blockbuster for over the last decade. Marvel movies have action, a great story line, and even some comedy. Some of my favorite movies that Marvel has released are: the Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, and the Amazing Spiderman. DC movies, on the other hand, are awful and boring. Most of them don’t have a story line, they’re slow in telling the superheros story, and they aren’t based off the comics. Some disappointing DC movies that I thought would be great but weren’t: Green Lantern, Man of Steel, and the Dark Knight Rises. While the future of Marvel movies are looking bright (Dr. Strange, Captain America 3), the DC movies will probably crash and burn (Batman vs Superman, Suicide
While this may be stressful at first, eventually they realize how to be self “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” shows this idea through the towns eagerness to be distracted by the spider woman. Part of this change in focus came due to convenience; it cost less to see her than it did to see the angel. It was also easier to chose seeing the spider over the angel. The spider was open to questions and it was more obvious to identify a lesson from her, while the angel rarely interacted with anyone. It seems there would be much to learn from the angel if the townspeople would be willing to invest the time.
Every child in the United States has heard or read the Marvel and DC comics books. If you have not then you have probably have heard of their characters like the famous star spangled hero, Captain America, or the Dark Knight himself, Batman. Both Marvel and DC has influenced the children and adults of American in its darkest times. The great wars affected many by its poisonous grasps, and its victims sought comfort with the antidote provided by the marvelous illustrators and writers of comic books. Now their cinematic counterparts are here to inspire the 21st century. The Marvel and DC cinematic universes have similar content, they both have unique characteristics that set them apart.
Rʼnžička, Jiří G. "American Superheroes And The Politics Of Good And Evil." New Presence: The Prague Journal Of Central European Affairs 12.2 (2010): 46-48. Academic Search Premier. Web. 2 Apr. 2014.
To conclude, the graphic novel Watchmen presents the non-fantastic representation of a superhero, implying that not all heroes are like Superman. This notion is explored within the novel by mentioning the realistic motives of the characters choosing to become superheroes, by Rorschach’s representation and through the heroic reactions of the New Yorkers to a street crime. These elements all contribute to Watchmen’s uniqueness and complexity as a superhero comic.
"Miles made big waves when he took over the lead as the Ultimate Universe’s Spider-Man after that Earth’s Peter Parker died in the line of duty. Since that time, he quickly built a following of fans
Unlike Batman, who was nicknamed the "Dark Knight" due to foreboding and his dark character, Spider-man, AKA Peter Parker, is a genuine kid with strong morals and ethics who cares about virtually every citizen of New York city. While both Peter Parker and Bruce Wayne had a rough upbringing and many drastic family tragedies, only Peter was able to keep an optimistic and stable character. Peter Parker has also had to over come challenges that have strongly challenged and questioned his heroism, but have made him a better hero and strengthened his admirable character. Through his many rough experiences, Peter Parker has become a well-balanced hero, who has come to believe and demonstrate that “with great power comes great responsibility”.
“The Golden Age of Comics” PBS. PBS, 2011 Web. Retrieved on February 11 2014 from http://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/feature/the-golden-age-of-comics/
We all have heard of Spider Man. He was the average teenager until he was bitten by a radioactive spider. I like Spider Man but I believe there are a lot of things missing in his movies. The police and government are portrayed poorly, as to assisting Spider Man or lack there of. Spider Man goes about doing his own thing, outside of the law. He is something we can all relate to and I believe that is why a lot of people like him. Most people would say they want to be like Spider Man because of his cool super human powers. I believe it would be a lot of hard work, dedication, and a lot of responsibility. Think about this, you would have two lives to live as a completely different person. You would have to keep up good grades, make some money to live on, support your family in one life, then save people, fight crime, and kill villains in the other life. It would be way to overwhelming for me.
Genre of The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is action, adventure, and fantasy. The film was set in New York City during 2010s. A brief storyline of The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is that, the main protagonist Peter Parker discovers that his most critical battle is ready to begin. It is wonderful to be Spider-Man, but for Peter Parker especially, there is no feeling like swinging between towers, embracing being the hero, and spending time with Gwen Stacey who is a girlfriend and a helper of Peter. However, being Spider-Man has disadvantages: only Spider-Man could protect the New York citizens from the terrible enemies that threaten the New York City. With the appearance of Electro named Max Dillon, who is a main antagonist against Peter, Peter should encounter a foe that is more powerful than he is. Moreover, as his old friend Harry Osborn, who is a supporter of antagonist Max, comes back and Peter recognizes that all of his opponents have a common ground: Oscorp. In the end, Peter triumphed over the enemies and saved New York City, but Peter lost his girlfriend Gwen due to the final battle.