Just a few ground rules...
- I'm referring to Modern Age Peter Parker and not pre-spider bite Peter or Lee/Ditko Peter.
- I'm referring to the 616 version, but we can use examples from any version heavily inspired by 616 like The Spectacular Spider-Man or the Insomniac games. Versions of Peter that deviate too far from 616 (i.e. Noir) don't count.
The reason I ask is because I noticed differences in how Peter's loner status and outgoing nature is perceived among the fanbase.
Just some examples...
- The second issue of Life Story. Some of us thought thought Peter not liking the disco atmosphere made sense because he is supposed to be a square, others often say that Peter outgrew his squareness in the Lee/Romita era where he is shown frequently dancing with Gwen and MJ (when he is Spider-Man, of course).
- The debate over how much of Spider-Man's solo status has to do with Peter's personality. Some attribute Spider-Man's refusal to work in a team to Peter's loner status since high school, others say this is is a false dichotomy because Peter has his own supporting cast while most of the Avengers are each other's supporting cast.
- The discussion as to who Peter's close friends are, and how many he has. Some see Harry as Peter's best friend and only close friend, others argued that his closest friends are within the superhero community (Human Torch and The Defenders), and a few people have stated that Peter doesn't have close friends period due to the nature of the secret identity.
I realize that Peter is a fictional character and an everyman, and that therefore everyone will project part of their personality and life experiences onto him. But I'm curious if we can arrive at a more objective answer.
In my opinion, Peter is what I would jokingly refer to as 'an extroverted introvert'. That is to say he is someone who leans more on the introverted side and prefers a close handful of people to bigger groups, but has enough of an extroverted side to make the Spider-Man persona function and to seem "normal" whenever he does happen to go out - as in to not seem socially awkward or be completely quiet, even if not as talkative while under the mask. However, as someone who generally fits that description, I admit I could be biased.