How Spider-Man went from a story about one character to a “team franchise”

[Snoop Dogg]

Peter being by design a character who should be alone does not actually mean he should be alone. It means he can be interesting when he is with others, but he cannot always be with others. Marvel overdid it because he's popular.

[HypnoHustler]

You can't be an underdog AND an expert at the same time.

I didn’t say “under dog.” I said “lone wolf.” Lone wolf has nothing to do with odds or skill level; it’s just someone who primarily works alone. And tons of people who operate on their own are experts in their field.

[CosmiComic]

Why exactly should he always be a lone wolf though? I can see him doing that most of the time, because he generally deals with local crime, but this whole "I don't need anyone" always comes off as some sort of weird American Exceptionalism macho man stuff. What's the appeal of that?

[Frontier]

Peter is not a leader. He should not like actually be leading people. None of them are leaders. That is the appeal of having them team up or putting Peter in a group setting. They just kinda have to figure stuff out.

Has that actually lead to any good stories, though?

Peter being by design a character who should be alone does not actually mean he should be alone. It means he can be interesting when he is with others, but he cannot always be with others. Marvel overdid it because he's popular.

I think that works for team-ups, but on an ongoing basis?

Why exactly should he always be a lone wolf though? I can see him doing that most of the time, because he generally deals with local crime, but this whole "I don't need anyone" always comes off as some sort of weird American Exceptionalism macho man stuff. What's the appeal of that?

I don't think it needs to be viewed so much as that but that generally Peter, as a character, works better independently.

And I'm coming at this as someone who has never been fond of the "Spider-Team" when implemented in cartoons or how they handle Spider-Man with Iron Man and The Avengers in the MCU.

[CosmiComic]

I agree he works better independently more than other heroes do. I just don't think he should avoid interacting with others at all, or that he should be stuck with the same exact underdog loner schtick forever. Working with other Spider-heroes can actually allow his character to grow and evolve, something Marvel seems otherwise averse to

[Frontier]

I agree he works better independently more than other heroes do. I just don't think he should avoid interacting with others at all, or that he should be stuck with the same exact underdog loner schtick forever. Working with other Spider-heroes can actually allow his character to grow and evolve, something Marvel seems otherwise averse to

I'm not against in principle, but in practice it just doesn't seem to work out that way.

[CosmiComic]

I'm not against in principle, but in practice it just doesn't seem to work out that way.

I guess I don't totally agree. I don't he's suffered from interacting with other heroes so far.

[Frontier]

I guess I don't totally agree. I don't he's suffered from interacting with other heroes so far.

I'm fine with him interacting with heroes. I just don't want to see more of stuff like in the Marvel's Spider-Man cartoon.

[CosmiComic]

I'm fine with him interacting with heroes. I just don't want to see more of stuff like in the Marvel's Spider-Man cartoon.

I don't watch the cartoons so I'm not sure what you're talking about tbh.

[phonogram12]

I actually really enjoy the cartoon. Yeah, surprised me, too. LOL

[CosmiComic]

I actually really enjoy the cartoon. Yeah, surprised me, too. LOL

What happens in it?

[phonogram12]

What happens in it?

At first I just watched the premier episode because I love every origin story that's ever been told about Spidey, but the characters are actually pretty entertaining/engaging and the plot's smarter than I thought it would be.

Well, at first, Peter is recruited into some super smart school from Midtown (which was initially one of the things that put me off when it first aired), but I really liked how they made science actually something really cool and useful and not just something jocks/bullies use as an excuse to pick on kids for. Harry Osborn is already a student there, but gets framed for something and gets kicked out, so as a result, his father Norman opens up a school of his own for him to attend. Gradually, more spider-people are introduced (something else that initially put me off), but they're just so damned likeable that I had to keep on watching. First it's Miles, then Gwen and Arana. And since Dan Slott worked on the show as well (I know I know), they adapted a few of the stories that he originally wrote for the comics (I know I know), but you know what? While I never read them when they came out, these adaptations were actually pretty fun, like Spider-Island and when Doc Ock took over Spidey's body. That's all I'm going to reveal for the time being because I think if I reveal anything else it might move into spoiler territory.

But one complaint I often hear about new Spider-Man cartoons and movies is how they incorporate modern music of trends or whatever into them, which is a complaint I just don't understand. I mean, Spidey and his fellow classmates are teenagers. Of course they're going to be up on all the new music and trends. I mean, my favorite iteration of Spider-Man is the '60s show, but while some may see that as timeless, it's just really dated by todays standards. As is the '90s cartoon.

[CosmiComic]

At first I just watched the premier episode because I love every origin story that's ever been told about Spidey, but the characters are actually pretty entertaining/engaging and the plot's smarter than I thought it would be.

Well, at first, Peter is recruited into some super smart school from Midtown (which was initially one of the things that put me off when it first aired), but I really liked how they made science actually something really cool and useful and not just something jocks/bullies use as an excuse to pick on kids for. Harry Osborn is already a student there, but gets framed for something and gets kicked out, so as a result, his father Norman opens up a school of his own for him to attend. Gradually, more spider-people are introduced (something else that initially put me off), but they're just so damned likeable that I had to keep on watching. First it's Miles, then Gwen and Arana. And since Dan Slott worked on the show as well (I know I know), they adapted a few of the stories that he originally wrote for the comics (I know I know), but you know what? While I never read them when they came out, these adaptations were actually pretty fun, like Spider-Island and when Doc Ock took over Spidey's body. That's all I'm going to reveal for the time being because I think if I reveal anything else it might move into spoiler territory.

But one complaint I often hear about new Spider-Man cartoons and movies is how they incorporate modern music of trends or whatever into them, which is a complaint I just don't understand. I mean, Spidey and his fellow classmates are teenagers. Of course they're going to be up on all the new music and trends. I mean, my favorite iteration of Spider-Man is the '60s show, but while some may see that as timeless, it's just really dated by todays standards. As is the '90s cartoon.

Ok, thanks. While I can see the fear of something becoming dated by incorporating modern trends, at the same time that can also keep the characters fresh and modern. It's a tricky balance for sure. Although I don't think referencing modernizing culture is any less odd than the MCU's dad rock preference, for instance. I haven't seen this show so I can speak exactly to how awkward it may be

[transformers03]

I remember reading comments around the time of Amazing Spider-Man's #800 release that fans felt that the new extended Spider-Man cast felt too similar to the Batfamily. While I saw where they were coming from at the time of #800 release, it was during the Sin's Rising and Last Remains in Spencers run that I REALLY started seeing the Batfamily similarities.

I agree that Spider-Man extended cast doesn't work as well conceptually as the Batfamily, but at the same time, I love characters like Miles, Gwen, and Kaine that I would rather have them be around and be a Spider-Family than not have them. I think a lot of us agree that each of the Spider characters works better individually rather than together, and their constant team-ups haven't really worked that well. What made the original Spider-Verse so tantalizing was the fact it was the first time a large group of alternate Spider-Men characters joined forces and interacted for once. But now all the main ones like Peter, Miles, and Gwena are in the same universe and are constantly in contact with one and another, and it just isn't as special.

On that note, the upcoming Spidey And His Amazing Friends TV show made me realized that I would like the Spider-Family more if it was just Peter, Miles, and Gwen. I love Kaine and the rest, but if the extended family just boils down to those three I think I would like it more. The rest of the Spider-people can exist, I'm not saying getting rid of them, but I would have their direct interaction with Peter kept to a minimum.

[Revolutionary_Jack]

People who started this thread or have issues of Spider-Man as a franchise best be prepared for disappointment. Spider-Man Beyond clarifies that you are not gonna get non-Franchise Peter for a little while.