TVTropes Now available in the app store!
Open

Follow TV Tropes

Following

Spider-Man General Discussion

Go To

This thread's for the Spider-Man comics and spin-offs, whether they're decades old or brand new.

  • Apart from the main Marvel Universe titles, Ultimate Spider-Man, Spider-Man "What If?" stories, crossovers, guest appearances in other books, Alternate Universe tales and things like Marvel's manga adaptations are all on-topic here.
  • Spider-Man 'family' books are on-topic (as are their own crossovers, guest appearances etc.) - e.g. Spider-Man 2099, Miles Morales, Spider-Woman, Silk, Spider-Gwen, Venom, Carnage, Black Cat, Red Goblin and Spider-Verse.
  • Characters and comics that originated in Spider-Man but are no longer directly connected to the spider-franchise (e.g. Punisher, Silver Sable) are not on-topic, unless you're discussing historical connections and crossovers. If in doubt, check before you write a long post. If this isn't the right place, there's a more general Marvel Comics thread which covers them.

Technically, Marvel's Infinity Comics (and their predecessors, Infinite Comics) are webcomics, not comic books, but it's fine to talk about their Spider-Man stories here.

Discussions that are only about Spider-Man adaptations in other media (films, video games etc.) are off-topic, but discussing the differences between the adaptations and the original comics is fine - as long as spoilers for the adaptations are tagged.

Please follow the spoiler policy rules - tag spoilers for the latest issues, for any previews or content leaks, and for off-topic comics. When including spoiler tags, try to write so that tropers can make an informed decision before viewing them (e.g. which series and issue will they spoil?).

     Original Thread OP 
Since everyone likes talking about him. I know little about him(Ironically,I got nearly all I know about him from a Batman thread),but he's apparently important so I made this thread. Enjoy.

Edited by MacronNotes on Jul 10th 2023 at 10:58:13 AM

RedHunter543 Crimson Paladin Since: Jul, 2016 Relationship Status: Barbecuing
Crimson Paladin
#38126: Jul 6th 2025 at 8:09:43 AM

Isn't it a thing that people have somehow made magic into technology?

Kinda like how in the old Mega Man cartoon, Dr. Light made an anti-curse machine.

"The Black Rage makes us strong, because we must resist its temptations every day of our lives or be forever damned!"
DeltaCube91 from Elm Street Since: Jan, 2024
#38127: Jul 10th 2025 at 9:16:38 PM

Has anyone else noticed that a lot of Spider-Man’s rouges gallery have been changed to make them more sympathetic recently? Lizard and Norman fully reformed, Doc Ock is back and forth, Vulture has his niece, Rhino is friends with Miles, Tombstone has his daughter, Sandman has a bunch of different things, Mysteriowas friends with MJ for a bit, are Electro, Chameleon and Hobgoblin the only rouges gallery members left who are just evil assholes?

reppuzan Since: Dec, 2014
#38128: Jul 10th 2025 at 9:37:50 PM

Vulture may love his granddaughter, but he's also a deconstruction of the Boyfriend-Blocking Dad who is willing to murder the boy she's currently dating (Miles) because he believes that nothing good can come out of dating a Spider-Man. Tombstone isn't that sympathetic either. His daughter has Chronic Backstabbing Disorder and tried to supplant him as the ruler of New York's gangs back in Gang War (2023).

Rhino is also one of the on-again, off-again villains, but writers have generally portrayed him as far more reasonable and less unhinged than most of Spidey's other rogues. He's Only in It for the Money, not the carnage. Sandman ahs been in the same, being a good guy on hard times or a bad guy who relishes in tormenting Spidey Depending on the Writer. He was even a probationary member of the Avengers for a short while.

Edited by reppuzan on Jul 10th 2025 at 9:39:45 AM

HandsomeRob Leader of the Holey Brotherhood from The land of broken records Since: Jan, 2015
Leader of the Holey Brotherhood
#38129: Jul 11th 2025 at 6:52:47 AM

I wonder if some writers are trying to say that it's Peter himself (and his tendency to relentlessly troll some of his villains) that makes them worse.

Miles getting along with Rhino would indicate the former to me.

Like, considering how baked in it is that Peter always screws up, it wouldn't surprise me if they would add to that by showing that he ruins the lives of his villains (more than they do themselves) by existing.

One Strip! One Strip!
slimcoder The Head of the Hydra Since: May, 2013
The Head of the Hydra
#38130: Jul 11th 2025 at 6:54:36 AM

I always found the idea of Miles being treated better by the older rogues as kind of character shilling for him.

Like Rhino aside most of these guys are pretty psychopathic and career villains, so it doesn't really make sense why they would care to treat Miles better.

Edited by slimcoder on Jul 11th 2025 at 7:00:43 AM

"I am Alpharius. This is a lie."
Blueace Surrounded by weirdoes from The End Of the World Since: Dec, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Surrounded by weirdoes
#38131: Jul 11th 2025 at 6:56:54 AM

They already did repeatedly try to gleefully kill another teenager, so they like Miles's accent better or something?

Edited by Blueace on Jul 11th 2025 at 10:03:16 AM

Wake me up at your own risk.
HandsomeRob Leader of the Holey Brotherhood from The land of broken records Since: Jan, 2015
Leader of the Holey Brotherhood
#38132: Jul 11th 2025 at 7:09:34 AM

It might just be an easy way to dunk on Peter.

I think other heroes like Miles more as well.

It may also be that Miles just isn't as smart mouthed. There could be legitimate reasons, too.

One Strip! One Strip!
slimcoder The Head of the Hydra Since: May, 2013
The Head of the Hydra
#38133: Jul 11th 2025 at 7:13:24 AM

Also doesn't Miles do quips as well? I've read plenty of his books and he can be just as mouthy as Peter.

"I am Alpharius. This is a lie."
TomWithoutJerry Tyranny Bad, Democracy Good. from Where Might Makes Right and I have no Might. Since: Dec, 2023
Tyranny Bad, Democracy Good.
#38134: Jul 11th 2025 at 7:49:10 AM

They've got so much of a grudge against Pete that anyone else wearing the mantle looks better to them by comparison.

Please remember that, ultimately, fictional works of entertainment are just that.
KnownUnknown Since: Jan, 2001
#38135: Jul 11th 2025 at 7:53:16 AM

Also, Sandman being sympathetic if not One Good Day away from reforming has been a thing since the 70's, to the point where in the 80's he became an Avenger.

The only reason why now he's even still evil sometimes is because in the 90's a writer said "no, he's a classic villain, he's supposed to be eeeevil!" and had some other villain (the FF villain Wizard, I think?) brainwash him into being a bad guy again with it never being fixed. Writers after tend to balance him being bad with him still getting that same sympathetic writing even so.

Edited by KnownUnknown on Jul 11th 2025 at 7:55:42 AM

RedHunter543 Crimson Paladin Since: Jul, 2016 Relationship Status: Barbecuing
Crimson Paladin
#38136: Jul 11th 2025 at 7:58:18 AM

Yeah, it was Wizard.

Oddly, Norman is still a good guy for 5 years at least at this point.

"The Black Rage makes us strong, because we must resist its temptations every day of our lives or be forever damned!"
TomWithoutJerry Tyranny Bad, Democracy Good. from Where Might Makes Right and I have no Might. Since: Dec, 2023
Tyranny Bad, Democracy Good.
#38137: Jul 11th 2025 at 7:58:31 AM

That was Byrne, who felt similarly about Magneto, something Chris Claremont was against.

Someone once said that besides Doom, who was allowed to keep a sense of honor, Byrne just liked having villains as purely evil as possible, which seems to be a motif from what I've read written by him.

Please remember that, ultimately, fictional works of entertainment are just that.
RedHunter543 Crimson Paladin Since: Jul, 2016 Relationship Status: Barbecuing
Crimson Paladin
#38138: Jul 11th 2025 at 8:00:58 AM

John Bryne is not a good Spider-Man writer.

It's still hilarious to me that he firmly believes Doc Ock is Spider-Man's greatest enemy, and the Green Goblin is just a poser, but is too incompetent to actually pull that off, and his version of Ock is just annoying.

Plus it was Bryne who started that trend of Norman Osborn being the Big Bad by virtue of being responsible for several of Spider-Man's rogues that adaptations would use.

"The Black Rage makes us strong, because we must resist its temptations every day of our lives or be forever damned!"
Bocaj Funny but not helpful from Here or thereabouts (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Pining for the fjords
Funny but not helpful
#38139: Jul 11th 2025 at 8:21:33 AM

I’ve heard that Sandman was re heeled back without telling the Avengers writer, Larry Hama, which pissed him off because he had plans for reserve member Sandman. Might have been why he quit barely any time into his run. If so that makes him another writer that quit Avengers because a character was yoinked away from him. Walt Simonson quit barely any time into his Avengers run because Mr Fantastic and Invisible Woman were taken away from him.

Avengers had a hard time keeping consistent writers in that era. Until Bob Harras took over but he’s his own can of worms.

Anyway, I think Spider-Man was a reservist around the same time. Reservist is how I likes my Spider-Man Avenger.

Forever liveblogging the Avengers
KnownUnknown Since: Jan, 2001
#38140: Jul 11th 2025 at 9:02:35 AM

I've always wanted a Spidey / Flash crossover where Sandman and Captain Cold team up or at least meet. The two of them are cut from the same "Noble Demon who can sometimes be counted on to go Anti-Hero" cloth.

Edited by KnownUnknown on Jul 11th 2025 at 9:02:54 AM

HandsomeRob Leader of the Holey Brotherhood from The land of broken records Since: Jan, 2015
Leader of the Holey Brotherhood
#38141: Jul 11th 2025 at 9:11:09 AM

Which Flash?

And as of now, which Spider-Man?

(Ok, I know full well you mean Peter, but the Which Flash question is legitimate)

One Strip! One Strip!
RedHunter543 Crimson Paladin Since: Jul, 2016 Relationship Status: Barbecuing
Crimson Paladin
#38142: Jul 11th 2025 at 9:15:32 AM

The Flash from DC since he mentioned Captain Cold.

"The Black Rage makes us strong, because we must resist its temptations every day of our lives or be forever damned!"
Bocaj Funny but not helpful from Here or thereabouts (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Pining for the fjords
Funny but not helpful
#38143: Jul 11th 2025 at 9:20:33 AM

Which Flash from DC. There’s at least three. Maybe more. Imagine.

Forever liveblogging the Avengers
HandsomeRob Leader of the Holey Brotherhood from The land of broken records Since: Jan, 2015
Leader of the Holey Brotherhood
#38144: Jul 11th 2025 at 9:26:31 AM

Yeah! That's what I meant.

Why would I say Marvel Flash? He's still kinda dead right now anyway.....no wait. He came back in all New Venom. I forgot.

But yeah. We talking Barry Allen or Wally West?

One Strip! One Strip!
IndirectActiveTransport plays capoeira from Chicago (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Every rose has its thorn
plays capoeira
#38145: Jul 11th 2025 at 9:33:25 AM

Captain Cold would suggest Barry Allin, though I think the Flash most people like to pair with Peter Parker is Wally West.

Mister Negative might be one of the better Marvel villains for screwing up The Flash, if you aren't there to pit the villains against one another. Super speed, great! Fall under Mind Manipulation faster! Sandman isn't terrible, with his more sympathetic qualities, but what about the opposite? Which Flash villain works for Spider-Man?

Buldogue's lawyer
Blueace Surrounded by weirdoes from The End Of the World Since: Dec, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Surrounded by weirdoes
#38146: Jul 11th 2025 at 9:41:24 AM

Most of the Rogues, since they are basically on the same boat as many Spider-Man villains. Although seeing Peter go against Grodd would be fun.

Wake me up at your own risk.
TomWithoutJerry Tyranny Bad, Democracy Good. from Where Might Makes Right and I have no Might. Since: Dec, 2023
Tyranny Bad, Democracy Good.
#38147: Jul 11th 2025 at 11:06:02 AM

IMHO the best Flash to team up with Peter is... Jay Garrick. Not only because he's less powerful than Barry or Wally and easier to fit into a Spider-Man story but because he's basically Super-Speed Uncle Ben.

Please remember that, ultimately, fictional works of entertainment are just that.
HandsomeRob Leader of the Holey Brotherhood from The land of broken records Since: Jan, 2015
Leader of the Holey Brotherhood
#38148: Jul 11th 2025 at 11:10:46 AM

I briefly considered Jay, but thought he was an odd choice.

Now you've made me wish I had mentioned him.

One Strip! One Strip!
Joshbones Since: May, 2015
#38149: Jul 11th 2025 at 1:26:18 PM

Sandman is the most obvious pick, but I get really upset anytime a story uses Vermin as a cheap throwaway bad guy, because they gave him one of the most tragic backstoriee before redeeming him, only for that to never be brought up again.

Deadpoolrocks Since: Sep, 2010
#38150: Jul 11th 2025 at 1:32:33 PM

Hopefully he gets cured in the new spider-girl. She was able to see how messed up his life is when she looked one of the clones in the eyes and copied his powers.


Total posts: 38,947
Top