Warning: Spoilers for The Amazing Spider-Man #60!Other than a few changes thanks to a few different alter egos under the mask, the primary colors forSpider-Manhave been red and blue (with a little black). Aside from heroes like Miles Morales or Benjamin Reilly, Peter Parker is a key pillar of the Spider-Verse in every iteration. But with a colorful switch up, Marvel holds the possibility for a whole new mythos for the Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man that I really think holds an entire spectrum of potential.
InThe AmazingSpider-Man #60,“Team-Up: Part 2” by Zeb Wells, Todd Nauck, Rachelle Rosenberg, and Joe Caramagna, features Spider-Man finding himself in one of the strangest situations I’ve ever seen. Mary Jane andSpider-Manare battling the Die-Chromator, a villain with a magic scepter that has control over the light spectrum. Yet, the Die-Chromator offers a look into just how many Spider-Men there could be.
Using his powers, this Spidey villain scatters Spider-Man’s colors, showing Spider-Men beyond the iconic red and blue. From here, a host ofcolorful Spider-Man in combinations like green and black as well as yellow and green give the option for Spider-Man to expand into a Green Lantern-style mythoswith various colors and personalities.
Peter Parker Is Ready for a Rainbow Makeover
Spider-Man has had more than a few alternate personas. Spider-Man is a symbol, after all, andit’s not just Peter Parker under the mask.There’sMiles Morales, who gives the suit a black and red look - as well as a few extra powers, including his recent vampirism. Otto Octavius had his stint as Superior Spider-Man, changing the suit to red and black. Beyond that, there have been many different personalities of Spider-Man all throughout the Spider-Verse, as well as right in this reality, when Ben Reilly took on the role of Spider-Man as Peter Parker’s clone.
I don’t see why he can’t expand into the whole color spectrum, just like Green Lantern.
While those are a lot of Spider-Men for me to keep track of, I am a firm believer that there is only one Spider-Man - until the Die-Chromator changed my mind. Even then, when it’s Peter Parker as Spider-Man, I think also of his iconicblack suit that he’s recently returned toafter all this time. Spider-Man bonded with the Venom Symbiote shows thatSpider-Man can have different personalities that correspond to color.If that’s the case, I don’t see why he can’t expand into the whole color spectrum, just like Green Lantern.
Spider-Man Is Ready for a Green Lantern-Like Mythos Expansion
Peter Parker Takes a Page out of DC’s Colorful Lore
Green Lantern lorehas been one of my favorite pieces of comic history. Though it may seem strange to link Marvel and DC together in this tenuous way, there’ssomething satisfying to me about variations of suits corresponding to color. In DC’s case, the Lanterns are powered by different emotions: yellow meaning fear, indigo meaning compassion, red meaning rage, and so forth. At the end of the day, the Green Lanterns are still the central heroes with their willpower and are only stronger when compared with the other colors in the so-called Emotional Spectrum.
Green Lantern is once again struggling with a massive upheaval to the Emotional Spectrum - for more, check out DC’s recentGreen Lanternrun by Jeremy Adams and Xermánico!
The same can be true of Spider-Man, with other colors making his red and blue stand out even more. I see realpotential here for Spider-Man to expand from his quipping, light-hearted self into something more complex. Just like the Venom symbiote, a darker color could correspond to a darker version of Spider-Man, while a bright yellow Spider-Man could mean something entirely different, with powers closer to Hyperion or Nova. The possibilities are endless - as endless as the color spectrum.
As a Spider-Man Fan, I Really Believe That There Can Never Be Too Many Spider-Men
Spider-Man Gets His Pigments Split
I sometimes think there are enough Spider-Men as it is, especially with the Ultimate universe still at play, redefining Peter Parker’s history. But after anotherdeath of an iconic Spider-Man character, it might be nice to see the Spider-Verse expanded right here in New York. The solution could be toexpand Spider-Man’s family into rainbow Spideyswho don’t need to share his same name or identity. Just as with the Scarlet Spider, the differently colored versions of the webslinger don’t have to share anything at all with Spider-Man other than to be another strand in the famous web.
Spider-Man & Wolverine Are Officially Marvel’s Best Hero Friendship, As Marvel Cements an Iconic One-Off Moment as Long-Term Lore
A bonding moment between Spider-Man and Wolverine has become an official tradition that proves their unlikely friendship is one of Marvel’s best.
It’s been noted that many famous Marvel characters are justrejected Spider-Man costumes.Canonically, Deadpool himself wears a costume that Spider-Man turned down, because it just didn’t feel right. Even Blade had a stint as Spider Hero. Spider-Man casts a long shadow, and there’s no reason I can see that Spider-Man shouldn’t have a colorful family full of wild personalities. The Friendly NeighborhoodSpider-Manwill always be there for fans like me to love, but there’s potential for a whole new host of Spider-Men with untold stories - some lighter, some darker. I, for one, am ready to read them all.
The Amazing Spider-Man#60is available now from Marvel Comics!
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is the name given to several individuals who have employed a spider-moniker throughout Marvel Comics. Typically gaining their powers through a bite from a radioactive spider, the different Spider-Man heroes employ super-strength, agility, and intellect while utilizing webbing to swing and tangle up their foes. The most notable of these Spider-Men is Peter Parker, who remains one of the most popular superheroes throughout the world.
