A Hero in All of Us
Spider-Man, the most human of superheroes
Sam Raimi’s original Spider-Man trilogy is still one of the greatest superhero arcs on film. Yes, Nolan’s The Dark Knight trilogy is more stylish and has better performances — but the Spider-Man trilogy reflects an emotional complexity that no other series could match, alongside iconic quotes, scenes, and characters.
This emotional complexity primarily arises from the treatment of Spider-Man — quite possibly the most human superhero to ever be a part of the Marvel or DC Comics universes — and not just in his humanized form as Peter Parker.
Anyone can wear the mask
Unlike most other series, the Spider-Man trilogy sets up Peter Parker/ Spider-Man as someone dealing with moral ambiguities all through, never quite convinced in his role as a crime-fighting super-hero and the beloved of his city.
Right from his origin, it is not quite clear what he desires — when he does seek to do good and fight crime, the motivations are opaque. Unlike most superheroes, who are driven by positive motivations such as ridding their city of crime or making the world a better place, Spider-Man is driven by a variety of negative emotions, including vengeance, guilt, and shame.
This lack of clear motivation also translates into an inability to prioritize what he really desires — resulting in the very human struggle of balancing his crime-fighting duties alongside his family, relationships, education, and friends. Throughout the series, Peter Parker is constantly disappointing everyone — be it Mary Jane, by missing her show; or Aunt May, when he retells his origin story; and even the manager at the pizza store where he is working at the start of Spider-Man 2. Many of us have felt similarly overwhelmed by everything around us, balancing our various responsibilities and social commitments — Parker is only demonstrating that he is one of us.
The lack of clarity and direction also leads him to the most human of responses when he feels overwhelmed — giving up and running away. He runs away from the responsibility of being Spider-Man in Spider-Man 2, making so much of a u-turn that he even walks away from the site of a mugging and ignores crimes that happen right before him.
However, these incidents only further increase his feeling of guilt. These feelings plague Parker right from the first movie, and get amplified during his period of self-imposed exile. His inability to deal with guilt or process emotion sufficiently also leads to his constantly pushing others away — this can only be in the vain hope that by keeping Mary Jane, Aunt May, or Harry Osborn distant from him, he would not be responsible for anything negative that happens to them; not that they would necessarily be safer or better off. In many ways, this is similar to the aforementioned flight response — Parker hopes to avoid problems as opposed to solving them. For many of us, this translates into a fear of failure that prevents us from even attempting something.
Finally, Parker’s most human characteristics are demonstrated in Spider-Man 3. First, he lets adulation go to his head, and radiates main-character-energy, even at the cost of ignoring others around him. When that results in a fraying of his closest relationships, he lets the worst parts of his personality be amplified. Although it is ostensibly driven by the alien symbiote, Parker willingly succumbs to it, using the power to exact revenge on those he (usually wrongly) believes have betrayed him.
It’s no surprise that the villains who come closest to defeating him are the Green Goblin (who famously states that the best way to defeat him is to target his heart, and later offers him the choice between good and evil) and his own dark Peter persona — perhaps not in a battle, but by alienating all his friends and family, ripping his life apart, and making him lose faith in himself. We can be our own worst enemies — a lack of belief in our own ability to make the right decision is perhaps the worst crisis we can face.
We are who we choose to be — now choose!
So what does this all mean for us? Are we doomed to be tragic heroes, our human failings pulling us back despite our best efforts and skills? After all, Parker was usually trying to do good — is that not sufficient? Again, the Spider-Man trilogy provides us a clue.
First, Parker’s emotional ambiguity is mitigated when he finally aligns himself with his moral compass, prioritizing what is right, as opposed to what is the easiest (usually, running away) or has the most positive short-term impact. This is exemplified when he makes his dramatic return in Spider-Man 2, culminating in an exhilarating fight on a New York City train — not only is he battling Doc Ock, but also fighting his own fear of being recognized, and his own feelings of personal limitations and failures. This inherent determination is again on display in Spider-Man 3, when he finally finds the spine to battle the dark persona, and cast off the evil amplifications of his personality.
This is often our toughest battle — is there any bigger challenge than standing up to ourselves, acknowledging our mistakes, and attempting to make amends? Further, in a world with short attention spans and immediate gratification, choosing anything but the path of least resistance requires physical and mental fortitude that may almost seem superhuman until we find it within ourselves too.
Second, Parker’s happiest moments come when he acknowledges that he cannot have it all, and trusts others to understand this and back him. Rather than being overwhelmed by the immense weight of his responsibilities, Parker opens himself up to those close to him (namely Mary Jane, Harry, and Aunt May), thereby enabling them to carry some of that weight. He is no longer hiding a part of his self from those close to him — and this gives him a new sense of freedom.
None of us is perfect, and no one expects us to be—these lofty expectations are usually figments of our own imagination, and not thrust upon us by others. Choosing to do a few things well, as opposed to attempting to do everything and inevitably failing — as Parker initially did — is often a much more effective approach. All of us deal with responsibilities; sometimes we need to remember that solving even some of them, and trusting others to help us to solve others is a great power in itself.
Finally, Parker’s experiences remind us that we should be comfortable with who we are — and let others appreciate us for our authentic selves, rather than try to be someone we are not. Emo Peter manages to alienate everyone in his attempts to be cool — awkward, genuine Peter retains the affection of Mary Jane, Gwen Stacy, and Harry Osborn. Again, an imagined ideal persona is usually an unattainable, unnecessary goal we set for ourselves; almost everyone prefers a genuine person with flaws than an inauthentic person seeking to be what they are not.
We all have our own gifts, and our own curses. Who are we? Our best selves — and there is no one else who could be us, or anyone else we could be. We may not have masks, costumes, or webs — but we have our own super powers, and the ability to have a positive impact on those around us. As Aunt May says, there really is a hero in all of us.
