Comics Is it time the Spider-man name was passed on? Could it work?

[RAMORE]

The thing that has always made Spider-Man a stand out series, and a landmark in the world of comics, is that it dared to put the focus on the boy/man behind the mask. The alter ego and his life, problems and friends mattered as much as the "sure to AMAZE" super hero slugfests every other comic was peddling.

That is why Spider-Man is considering to have [/had] the best supporting cast in comics. That is why Spider-Man is considered by many, including Wizard Magazine, as arguably the greatest comic hero ever created. That is why stories such as "The Night Gwen Stacy Died" impacted the entire genre in the way it did. That's the reason that so many other heroes were revealed as "hallow" by comparison, causing other creators and companies to go back and add more depth to existing icons.

This should never change.

Because for all that Spider-Man is and does, he's still only a boy/man named Peter Parker.

This brought a tear to my and i wanted to stand up and applaud however i still think it could and should be done.

 

[RAMORE]

Spider-Man's not much one who can pass on his mantle, because the way he sees it, being Spider-Man is HIS responsibility. Uncle Ben died because of HIS inaction, so why would he ever let anyone else do what he considers to be HIS penance?

Why would batman?

 

[RAMORE]

I like legacy characters in general. It allows characters to age, but enables the super hero to remain pretty much the same.

But I don't think it works unless powers can be replicated sensibly. Most of Marvel's characters were created in such a way that legacies were always going to be tricky. Spider-man is a prime-example.

Really you think that would be hard. How about a guy doing a science experiment when lightning strikes him and the chemicals and he gets super speed...now try same said character with young kid with has same thing happen and kid gets speed too That by the way is barry allen the flash and his sidekick wally's origin.

 

[SpideyInATree]

Really you think that would be hard. How about a guy doing a science experiment when lightning strikes him and the chemicals and he gets super speed...now try same said character with young kid with has same thing happen and kid gets speed too That by the way is barry allen the flash and his sidekick wally's origin.

But The Flash is a DC character. A LOT of DC characters have that ability to hand the mantle down, it's why DC is a lot more interesting than Marvel in so many ways. You've had Jay Garrick, Barry Allen, Wally West, and Bart Allen as The Flash throughout his history. DC can do that with their characters. Marvel, however, cannot do that with their characters.

Well, they could but then fans would say that Marvel is only copying DC, and so forth.

 

[Captivated]

You LOST me at hello...

The title was bad enough, but, when I read:

"First let me say I have nothing against Peter. I think he's a great character but honestly I think perhaps after 40+ years that it's time to move on to someone new.

I knew there was no point in going on...

BTW - moving on to another character is always an option... if you're tired of Spider-Man (who IS Peter Parker), read about someone else.

 

[regalredstar]

I dont recall if I ever posted something like this before but if I have I'm sorry for the repeat topic.

This has really been on my mind lately. First let me say I have nothing against Peter. I think he's a great character but honestly I think perhaps after 40+ years that it's time to move on to someone new. Now I'm not saying that all characters should do this. I think that for some characters and some type of characters that having a new person after a while wearing the costume and mask breathes fresh air into a franchise and character.

It seems to have worked pretty well for the Flash I believe. There have been what 4 so far? Alan?, Wally, Barry, and Bart. All know each other, help each other, are basiclly family due to the Speed Force. Now there is a new Flash and I wouldn't be surprised if he's connected to them as well. Just because there was a new Flash didn't mean the others couldn't show up. The Flash still did heroic deeds, was a mainstream character. Just that the person as the Flash brought a new and different dynamic to the situation and allowed for other, different personal situations and stories to be writen. I see no reason why this can't be done for someone like Spider-man.

When I think about it, Spider-man can have an entire arc for a long time in which the mask never comes off and I doubt there would be a serious problem. Peter is a very important part of the character and helps shape Spider-man. Another person can help shape it the same way I feel while bringing in something new. Spider-man can still act the same but the personal situations would be different. One doesn't need to write Peter out of the story completely either. He can be support and finally be allowed to age and have his marriage. After 40+ years one can and should run out of things to do with a particular characater and with all of the trouble with Spider-man in recent years I think it's time for a change. At least when certain things are done, it isn't something that ends up hurting Peter's character. It could very well work and be more accepted and liked if it was being done to a new character then Peter.

My ideal way of doing this would be to have a long say 6 to 7 part story arc. In which it opens with Spider-man fighting someone and doing his Spidey thing. Once the story starts up we have scenes with Peter/MJ/Aunt May. You go back and forth, near the ending issues you include scenes with Peter and a young teen (perhaps a student of some kind). Now these scenes wouldn't at all show who is Spider-man. Peter and his family would be talking about the situation Spider-man is going through but not so much with the teen. Meanwhile Spider-man is kicking some serious ass, doing the jokes but as the series goes on you notice slight differences in how he talks or fights. Nothing major just something that seems new, like he hadn't do before. Perhaps he's a bit more aggresive, or more defensive, or even more stealth like in how he takes on situations, something of that nature. Then at the end, we see Spider-man and Peter talking about the situation and the mask comes off to show the new kid. Meanwhile, readers are taken a bit back. They were enjoying and cheering on Spider-man and then find out it wasn't Peter but someone new.

Now it might come as a surprise but I don't think that would be insulting to readers the way that the Clone Saga seemed to be with the whole cloning, telling people this guy was a fake but then again he isn't the other one was, etc. Peter is still Peter. He's just passing on his legacy, if a bit early. Readers have gotten a taste of what this new Spider-man can do and even enjoyed it. They see he's being taught by Peter/Spider-man. It's sort of being told you are eating one thing, loved the hell out of it, and then being told what it really was. Now afterwards do you throw up after having loved ever bit of it just because you weren't told it's real name before? Or do you stop and rethink your feelings about the food now that you've tasted, enjoyed it and found out that your previous feelings on it were completely wrong?

I believe doing things this way would be a similar situation. Peter has to be able to advance. Wanting to keep him young, down and out isn't helping anymore. People change and grow as they get older and unless they are willing to deage him by some science or mystical means then he has to grow. Not letting him does a disservice and damage to the character. Explore the young days and stories with a new character. Start with a somewhat clean state and let the writers be creative instead of limited by Peter's history. He, Aunt May, and MJ can still be a large part of the comic as they help this new guy. This also allows for the new Spider-man to have his own cast of characters beside the Parker family. Which should be a huge plus considering that Peter's cast of characters are pretty much dead or put into limbo. This could also mean new and old enemies going after new guy/Spider-man thinking him to be Peter/Spider-man.

This worked well I feel with Batman Beyond by having Terry as the new Batman, learning to become the new Dark Knight with Bruce while older still able to kick ass and pass on the skills. I still remember the episode of Justice League Unlimited when Batman, Green Latern, and Wonderwoman, and I think Hawkgirl end up in the Batman Beyond future and the Beyond Bruce ended up playing "bad guy" to the younger Bruce Batman. The older one calling the younger Bruce "green" was pretty interesting and funny. Even though older Bruce wasn't in the costume he was Batman. He neve stopped being it but at the same time Terry was Batman as well and that was a point that was stressed in the series and Terry proved he was worthy of the name Batman, just that he was different from Bruce but similar in ways as well.

No reason it can't be done for Spider-man. Or is it simply Spider-man readers (not all cause I have talked to some peopel that would be open to the idea of a new guy behind the costume if done correctly and without getting rid of Peter completely) are just really to set in their ways and just not open tot he idea? Or is it something else that stops peopel from accepting or being open to ideas such as this?

It happened once in Tom DeFalco MC2 universe, However in that situation it was the son of Jessica Drew(Spider-Woman) taking on his mother's mantle

 

[SpideyInATree]

You LOST me at hello...

The title was bad enough, but, when I read:
I knew there was no point in going on...

BTW - moving on to another character is always an option... if you're tired of Spider-Man (who IS Peter Parker), read about someone else.

People are allowed to have different views on things. Just because he doesn't hold Peter Parker up on a pedestal like many Spider-Man fans do doesn't mean he's wrong in the situation. He's just merely offering a different look at how maybe Marvel can make the comic more appealing.

But I agree with the consensus that there is really no reason in doing it at all. You've got Spider-Girl over in the MC2 universe. You've got Ultimate Spider-Man which is basically what he's saying. So, it'd really be like beating a dead horse to even bother doing that.

But before the MC2 and the Ultimate Universe, yeah, you could have done that in the comics. And they tried, with Ben Reilly, and even though Reilly was made into such a likeable character it still didn't work with fans because it wasn't EXACTLY Peter Parker.

And, once again, passing on mantles and handing things down to other characters is more of a DC thing than it is a Marvel thing.

But he does have a point, in my opinion. Because in 20 years from now what's the state of the Spider-Man comics going to be like? Is Peter Parker just going to stay a late twenties to early thirties character the rest of the comic book run? Are we going to age him very, very slowly? Because eventually it's going to come to a point where the Spider-Man series is going to have to end. And you can either replace him with another Spider-Man or you can just let the series end.

 

[Geko]

Why would batman?

Totally different motivations
Spider-Man fights because he had the power and failed to use it, resulting in the death of his Uncle.
So therefore he'd want to PREVENT someone else from putting themself in danger.
Batman fights because he was powerless and then forced to watch his parents killed.
So when he meets a kid who was in the same situation he was in, he'd want to help him by training him to no longer be powerless.

 

[LobokDaikon]

Because eventually it's going to come to a point where the Spider-Man series is going to have to end. And you can either replace him with another Spider-Man or you can just let the series end.

Or just tell stories without one huge, overarching continuity.

 

[TheFlyinRussian]

They did this with Spiderman 2099,too.He was about 40 in that.And he'll never pass down the mantle in the sense that he'll train someone new and stop fighting because no matter how old he gets he still has that responsibility.They showed his "death" in Amazing #500 and he was still wearing the costume.I just don't know how many other ways they could turn over a new leaf without angering the fans.

 

[TheFlyinRussian]

Or just tell stories without one huge, overarching continuity.

Good point,they do this in Spiderman Unlimited.

 

[LobokDaikon]

Those would be the short versions, yeah.

 

[Cyclops]

Why would batman?

Good question. Why would he? I don't think he would. Seeing as how Bruce Wayne is Batman's secret identity, not the other way around. The closest he ever got was getting a substitute, which is not in any way passing on the mantle.

 

[UK_Stu]

Really you think that would be hard. How about a guy doing a science experiment when lightning strikes him and the chemicals and he gets super speed...now try same said character with young kid with has same thing happen and kid gets speed too That by the way is barry allen the flash and his sidekick wally's origin.

Well duh! I'm well aware of the Flash and his history - thanks anyway Mr Patronising.

My point was that with a few exceptions, most of Marvels early characters received their powers through freak accidents - Spider-man, Hulk, Fantastic four, even Captain America was a one off. These guys simply couldn't pass on their mantles to anyone else, unless they had a equally powered sibling to pass it onto. In contrast a lot of DC characters could do this - Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, Green Lantern, Green Arrow, Aquaman etc etc.
(Flash being an exception)

Because these sidekicks/peers weren't the hero's dependents, they could work alongside the heroes, without the need to marry off or age the heroes themselves. Plus it meant the character wasn't a direct replacemnt for an existing hero. They could be killed off without affecting the legacy hero, or could be promoted into the role, if they were popular enough. Marvel haven't been able to do this, obvious exceptions apart.

Its not easy to directly replace an established character, but its possible if one has been groomed for the mantle.

 

[SpideyInATree]

Or just tell stories without one huge, overarching continuity.

That's possibly something that they could do. But would long time Spider-Man fans want those kinds of stories all the time? It would eventually come to a point where fans of the series want some type of continuity and ongoing story.

 

[LobokDaikon]

That's possibly something that they could do. But would long time Spider-Man fans want those kinds of stories all the time? It would eventually come to a point where fans of the series want some type of continuity and ongoing story.

Well, it depends on how long you're talking about. The length of stories in Spider-Man unlimited, at half a comic book each, is not what I had in mind. More like DC's All-Star, where writers come on to tell their stories regardless of continuity. And some writers could have only 6 issues worth of stories in them, or they could have plans that stretch out for five years, possibly more. There are going to be fans that would want to go back to the old way, but what about new fans? Quesada and Jemas knew that it's hard to sell the would-be casual reader on 40, 50, or 60 years of continuity when they made the Ultimate line (however short-sighted that line may be).