Comics Organic or mechanical?

[ArdentReason]

Organic or mechanical web shooters: do you have a preference?
I never liked the mechanical version.

 

[Donald Thomas]

Organic or mechanical web shooters: do you have a preference?
I never liked the mechanical version.

Aloha,
Welcome to the Hype.


Let me get something off my chest before I go any further

"Organics Suck".

Having said that, I can say without hesitation that I support the total success of the Sony Spider-Man franchise. I say this because they have done their homework and hired both a director ( Raimi) and lead actor (Tobey Maguire) who continue to go to great lengths to capture the essence of the comic book-The Amazing Spider-Man. Reading the first volume of Amazing Spider-Man should be a requirement for the job of director of this movie franchise. I trust that Sony seeks out directors and actors who have a true love of this character and are as committed, if not more committed to the Spider-Man character as Raimi and Maguire have been.

But, as a Spider-Man comic book collector, I propose the following argument.

The web shooters are an integral part of the character Spider-Man. No other character in science fiction has such a device. Gunfighters have six shooters, Swashbucklers have swords, Star Wars Jedi Knights have Light Sabers, Star Trek Federation members have phasers, Dick Tracy has the Two Way Wrist Radio, but Spider-Man and only Spider-Man has a unique devise called web shooters. They are a means of transportation as well as defensive and offensive weaponry.

That the movie would imitate everything about the web shooters except the web shooters themselves is proof of the importance of them. If Spider-Man has organic webbing why does he have to press his two fingers into his palms?

The character Peter Parker represents one of the first teenagers to star in his own comic book. Prior to this, teenagers were the side kicks for adult Super Heroes. At 16, Peter Parker was Spider-Man, a boy/genius, whose greatest invention( which he can never take public credit for) is the web shooters and webbing. His genius, angst and altruism are part of what makes his character so enduring. That Mr. Raimi would state that he couldn't see Peter Parker creating something that 3M couldn't make, is both insulting and confusing. Val Kilmer's( Batman ) breakout movie was Real Genius. In this movie, he and several other students, the principle being a 16 year old character, created a Laser device similar to the United States Star Wars program. Angelina Jolie played in the movie Hackers, where she and several High School students, had the intellectual capacity to hack into Top Secret Industrial files. In the comedy Weird Science, we have High School students developing their own woman in the form of Kelly LeBroc. Mathew Broderick in War Games showed how a High School student could match wits with a Super computer. In the Philadelphia Experiment we have a High School student played by Christopher Collett, who developed a nuclear device with stolen radioactive materials and Radio Shack parts. All of these movies came out years after the Stan Lee/Steve Ditko created character Peter Parker, 16 year old High School Science whiz, was created. For all of the success of the Spider-Man movies, (a success I support because it brings people into the comic books ), the Spider-Man movie franchise can never reach it's full potential until it presents the complete Peter Parker/Spider-Man character. That character can only be complete with web shooters and Peter Parker created webbing.
Spidey rules

 

[Spider-ManHero12]

The mechanical will always remain my favorite, but the organics work best for the films, IMO.

 

[Venom 1988]

Leave it to a newbie to make a topic like this (no offense)

Anyway Mechanical all the way. Hate organics

 

[Doc_OCK_4MUGEN]

DT pretty much said it all. (sometimes I miagine his posts as if they were read aloud by George Buza using his Hank McCoy voice. Fascinating!)

The Mechanical Web Shooters are an integral part of Peter Parker. They demonstrate his intelligence and resourcefulness for a guy who has little monetary resources like say, Tony Stark or Reed Richards.

With the Organics the only problem I see is that any idiot could be Spidey. And that diminishes the importance of Peter Parker in the Spidey mythos. (IMO)

 

[brianbuck]

Organics make no sense, especially where the appear on Peter's body. Just exactly how much extra food would Peter have to eat in order to generate all that webbing?

Mechanicals, all the way.

 

[Doc_OCK_4MUGEN]

Dude, we're talking about a guy who sticks to walls because he got bit by a radioactive spider... That makes as much sense as the organics... Holy crap I'm defending organics!!

 

[ArdentReason]

Thanks for the welcome DT. J I agree with Doc Ock, you pretty much said all the good stuff about mechanics. I can appreciate how the mechanic shooters were a distinguishing trait. They showed off Pete’s technical ability and intelligence and they presented interesting story openings.
But I just always thought it was something he should have developed along with his spider sense, reflexes, and strength. Plus, organic webbing means he’s no longer dependent on web cartridges.
And if we’re going to start being concerned about things like where the webbing would shoot from or how much extra food Peter would have to consume - what about the propellant he would need to make his mechanic shooters reasonably functional? Seems to me we’re talking super silly string instead of super hero webbing.
I don’t know, maybe I want it both ways. Then again, I’m just a noob.

 

[MaskedManJRK]

On one hand, I like the mechanical web-shooters, because, like Doc Ock said, it shows Peter's intelligence and technical ability. On the other hand, the mechs have a problem in that he always seems to run out of web-fluid because the writer wants to make the scene more dramatic, and the organics eliminate that as a crutch.

Really, it doesn't bother me either way.

 

[brianbuck]

Thanks for the welcome DT. J I agree with Doc Ock, you pretty much said all the good stuff about mechanics. I can appreciate how the mechanic shooters were a distinguishing trait. They showed off Pete’s technical ability and intelligence and they presented interesting story openings.
But I just always thought it was something he should have developed along with his spider sense, reflexes, and strength. Plus, organic webbing means he’s no longer dependent on web cartridges.
And if we’re going to start being concerned about things like where the webbing would shoot from or how much extra food Peter would have to consume - what about the propellant he would need to make his mechanic shooters reasonably functional? Seems to me we’re talking super silly string instead of super hero webbing.
I don’t know, maybe I want it both ways. Then again, I’m just a noob.

Check out the Spider-Man entry in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe edition. It explains in detail how and why the web shooters and fluid work the way they do.

 

[Spectacular23]

Mechanical all the way. It really the only thing that parker made that shows off his intelligence. without it he just a "smart kid"

 

[ArdentReason]

I just ran across a History Channel special on YouTube that's about the science behind Spider-Man. If you are interested just type in "history channel spider tech". (I'd post the link but I can't do that in this forum yet.)
But if you go and watch it or if you've already seen it before I'd be interested in hearing your take on it.
*edited to add: It looks like there are 6 parts to it.

 

[Donald Thomas]

I just ran across a History Channel special on YouTube that's about the science behind Spider-Man. If you are interested just type in "history channel spider tech". (I'd post the link but I can't do that in this forum yet.)
But if you go and watch it or if you've already seen it before I'd be interested in hearing your take on it.
*edited to add: It looks like there are 6 parts to it.

Aloha,
Good looking out.
When does this show air in the US?
Also don't forget that Chris Wallace brought up the fact that in Amazing Spider-Man #296 and 297, Peter did in fact create a light that would go on when he was low on webbing similar to printers that let you know when the ink is low. For some reason,EVERYBODY at Marvel has forgotten this
Spidey rules

 

[Doc_OCK_4MUGEN]

For some reason,EVERYBODY at Marvel has forgotten this
Spidey rules

Also they had forgotten that Spidey could stick to surfaces using his whole body when they upgraded Peter's Powers post the Other.
It's a shame that with all these Essential, omnibus, Marvel encyclopedia, Ultimate guides, plus the internet, yet these mishaps happen.

 

[Donald Thomas]

Also they had forgotten that Spidey could stick to surfaces using his whole body when they upgraded Peter's Powers post the Other.
It's a shame that with all these Essential, omnibus, Marvel encyclopedia, Ultimate guides, plus the internet, yet these mishaps happen.

Aloha,
Very true. We must never forget that it was the FANS who were some of the first to create websites with Spider-Man continuity information.And while it was frowned upon by some, it was the FANS of comic books who showed Marvel that there was a market for Digital comics.
Spidey rules with fans who take this stuff serious

 

[brianbuck]

They also forgot about Spidey's web shooters now being made from advanced plastics that won't trip metal detectors at airports.

 

[Jennifer Walters]

This is how I feel on the matter, I like both, for various reasons. Mechanical shows Peter's smarts and intelligence, but organics gets rid of one of the biggest crutches in Spider-Man's writing history.

I also think the organics give him more of a ''Spider'" feel, but mostly because I get tired of the dreaded ""OH NO! I'VE RUN OUT OF WEB FLUID AND I HAVE TO DEFEAT DOC OCK STILL'" thing.

 

[MaskedManJRK]

Also they had forgotten that Spidey could stick to surfaces using his whole body when they upgraded Peter's Powers post the Other.
It's a shame that with all these Essential, omnibus, Marvel encyclopedia, Ultimate guides, plus the internet, yet these mishaps happen.

They probably wiped out that stuff with Mephisto's magic spell too.

 

[Themanofbat]

I also think the organics give him more of a ''Spider'" feel, but mostly because I get tired of the dreaded ""OH NO! I'VE RUN OUT OF WEB FLUID AND I HAVE TO DEFEAT DOC OCK STILL'" thing.

Really?

I'm not wanting to sound like a prick, but the last time we saw a "I've run out of web-fluid" moment during a battle was during the Roger Stern era circa 1984 (pre-OMD that is...), so I fail to understand how somebody could get "tired" of something that occured mostly during the 60's & 70's era of Spider-Man...

Not trying to be sarcastic... I'm really "just wondering"?

If you can provide some insight, that'd be really cool...

 

[The Lizard]

Organic webshooters still suck, but I care a lot less about them than I did nine years ago when I joined SMH.

There's so much other stuff in the comics that's been screwed up in Spidey's history, continuity and characterization that the webshooters seem like small potatoes now.

I'm just glad the movies never had a "webshooter wet dream" scene like in Cameron's original script. Bleah.

 

[The Bruce]

With the Organics the only problem I see is that any idiot could be Spidey. And that diminishes the importance of Peter Parker in the Spidey mythos. (IMO)

I agree with you on the mechanical webshooter thing man. But isn't the "Every idiot could be spidey" the whole point of the book?

 

[Doc_OCK_4MUGEN]

But isn't the "Every idiot could be spidey" the whole point of the book?

In a way Spidey is the most relatable hero. He's not an alien, mutant, god, millionaire playboy with spare time. He's got everyman issues combined with the problems that come to a man in tights. But he is not an everyman

Spidey's most unique characteristic is the web-shooters. Parker's brain is what separates him from the everyman. If he had the resources (or wasn't fighting crime) he could've been the next Hank Pym, Reed Richards or Tony Stark.

Also his guilt is a huge driving force. Uncle Ben, Gwen,Capt. Stacy, Ben Reilly, Jean DeWolffe, and everyone else who has died because of his failures as Spidey haunt him every night. (We've seen a lot from the first two) The guy seems to have a problem with letting go even after he lets go. Otherwise why does he keep beating himself up with the WGPCGR mantra and putting on the suit.
What makes Spider-man Spider-man is the flaws and brains of Peter Parker + The powers.

If we take away the webshooters; we've eliminated Spidey's means for transportation and weapons. We'd just have a superstrong acrobat hero (or a villain).

The Organics make the importance of Peter Parker pretty much the same as the Symbiote's hosts (post Parker). We've gone through 4 Venoms, a cloned symbiotes the awful symbioffsprings, and Anti-Venom. Or the Iron suits... Remote controlled, other people in them, etc.

I'm not sure if it makes sense, but Pete's Personality is what makes Spidey Spidey...

 

[Themanofbat]

I'm not sure if it makes sense, but Pete's Personality is what makes Spidey Spidey...

Totally... he puts the Man in Spider-Man... anybody "could" be a person with Spider Powers, but it's Peter Parker that makes "Spider-Man" matter...

 

[Ugfugly]

Mechanical!!

Spider-man had always been about the nerd under the mask and the tensile strength of the weblines and sheer ingenuity of it is very distinctly Peter's. It's one of his greatest achievements.

 

[The IronMan]

Before Spiderman 1 came out I heard a rumor that spidey would have organic webbing but needeed the web shooters to gain more control over the webs i.e accuaracy ,different forms of webbing etc. I wonder how that would have played out