Is Spider-Man Still Marvel's Flagship Superhero?

[Spiderfan001]

Spider-Man is the flagship icon of misery and destruction.

Unfortunetly yeah.Although that should be a teen pete.I think(and hope) we may be getting a full adult one from now on

[CosmiComic]

This^^^^^^^^^

Haha, I'm glad we agree. I wouldn't even mind seeing a middle-aged Spider-Man. Really all the Silver Age heroes should at least be middle aged by now. Give room to newer heroes to take up that mantle, while Spidey and co move on to new storylines.

I know Parker industries wasn't everyone's favorite cup of tea, but at least it was him moving beyond beating up local bank robbers, as if that's even much of a threat anymore. Heck, he could even just continue his career in journalism.

[NC_Yankee]

[QUOTE=Tien Long;5501773]Hi all. Been meaning to ask this question for a long time. Just want to know if you feel that Spider-Man is still Marvel's flagship superhero. By "flagship" I mean the character that is one of, if not the, most popular figures. I'm talking about a character that ranks highly not just in comic books, but also popular culture. Batman and Superman come to mind when I think of this. Indeed, for many decades, Spider-Man was Marvel's answer to those two. The question is, is he still that? In the last decade with the rise of the Avengers, perhaps he isn't anymore?
I think Spider-Man still is huge but not to the extent as before. Why? 1: He is no longer the only Spider character. You have Miles, Gwen, Cindy, Miguel and others and as the kids of today become more accustomed to those characters, it will be even less so. 2: Keep in mind Marvel is a subsidiary of Disney, so even though he is NOT a super hero the flagship character of Disney is Mickey Mouse. There is a reason why it is called “The House of Mouse.” By comparison Batman is more of a symbol of Warner then Bugs Bunny Superman or other characters.

[CosmiComic]

I like that they're branching out and creating other Spider-heroes, even if not all have the best stories.

I think he's still the most recognizable Marvel hero to the general public, so in that way he's a flagship, but he's no longer the character Marvel solely relies on IMO. Other Marvel heroes have made more money at the box office, and are probably nearly as popular as he is, if not fully so.

[Spiderfan001]

Haha, I'm glad we agree. I wouldn't even mind seeing a middle-aged Spider-Man. Really all the Silver Age heroes should at least be middle aged by now. Give room to newer heroes to take up that mantle, while Spidey and co move on to new storylines.

I know Parker industries wasn't everyone's favorite cup of tea, but at least it was him moving beyond beating up local bank robbers, as if that's even much of a threat anymore. Heck, he could even just continue his career in journalism.

he is around 30 right now.I think they should give him 5 years every 10-15 depending on how they go with it.His powers would make him able to function at higher ages than most like the likes of batman daredevil etc.

[CosmiComic]

he is around 30 right now.I think they should give him 5 years every 10-15 depending on how they go with it.His powers would make him able to function at higher ages than most like the likes of batman daredevil etc.

That could work. 5 per 10-15 is reasonable for him and his contemporaries. He still probably ages more slowly due to his healing factor, I think. So he'd probably be 100 and still function like a spry 80!

[Batman Begins 2005]

Spider-Man will always be THE #1 Marvel character to me.

[Jman27]

Because he inhabits one city, whereas the others travel the whole world and even the universe

everything happens in new york though

[CosmiComic]

everything happens in new york though

A lot does, maybe too much, but not everything

[Tien Long]

Hi all. Been reading the comments and many of them have been insightful. I'm getting the sense that many of us feel Spider-Man is still the flagship Marvel character due to this combination of factors, such as longevity, storylines, and merchandise. In addition, his popularity may wax and wane but he'll always be in the consistent top of Marvel characters. Maybe he doesn't stand out as much as before since Marvel isn't relying solely on him anymore to anchor the company. Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, and other Spider folk like Miles, Gwen, and Cindy have had more of a spotlight.

But he's still very prominent. And he will always be.

Would this be the general consensus?

[CosmiComic]

I'd say yeah.

Honestly I think it's good Marvel isn't relying on him too much anymore.

[Revolutionary_Jack]

In addition, his popularity may wax and wane...

Spider-Man's popularity has NEVER waned.

Other characters and titles have had up and down decades but Spider-Man has always been among the most popular decade by decade.

[CosmiComic]

Spider-Man's popularity has NEVER waned.

Other characters and titles have had up and down decades but Spider-Man has always been among the most popular decade by decade.

I think it's more others' popularities have risen

[Revolutionary_Jack]

I think it's more others' popularities have risen

I never got this idea "I can succeed only when others fail". I mean that's true for Batman at DC where editorial constantly shafts and sabotages its other characters from getting any time in the sun.

At Marvel, Spider-Man came in when Fantastic Four was the top comic, and Fantastic Four wasn't ever the top comic after the '60s. It was the X-Men from the mid-70s to the mid-90s and Spider-Man was still super-popular in those decades. Even when Daredevil and others became popular.

It's more remarkable that Spider-Man has maintained high demand even when he has had competition than it would be if he was the only guy carrying the team.

You look at Superman, in the 1940s, Fawcett's Captain Marvel, outsold him and in response to that DC sued Fawcett into submission. In the 1950s, Superman was the top superhero comic...however that was also a decade when superheroes weren't the top comics because in that decade, Uncle Scrooge Comics and other non-superhero comics outsold Superman. So Superman's influence and popularity never did well when pressed by competition, barring some exceptions here and there. Batman was always a strong seller but he was always second banana to Superman until the late-70s when he emerged as DC's top selling and top earning hero.

[CosmiComic]

I never got this idea "I can succeed only when others fail". I mean that's true for Batman at DC where editorial constantly shafts and sabotages its other characters from getting any time in the sun.

At Marvel, Spider-Man came in when Fantastic Four was the top comic, and Fantastic Four wasn't ever the top comic after the '60s. It was the X-Men from the mid-70s to the mid-90s and Spider-Man was still super-popular in those decades. Even when Daredevil and others became popular.

It's more remarkable that Spider-Man has maintained high demand even when he has had competition than it would be if he was the only guy carrying the team.

You look at Superman, in the 1940s, Fawcett's Captain Marvel, outsold him and in response to that DC sued Fawcett into submission. In the 1950s, Superman was the top superhero comic...however that was also a decade when superheroes weren't the top comics because in that decade, Uncle Scrooge Comics and other non-superhero comics outsold Superman. So Superman's influence and popularity never did well when pressed by competition, barring some exceptions here and there. Batman was always a strong seller but he was always second banana to Superman until the late-70s when he emerged as DC's top selling and top earning hero.

Oh, I didn't mean to say it's zero sum. He's still the most popular, it's just the rest have become relatively less unpopular