What Does Spider-Man Editorial Really Know About "Youth"?

[Jman27]

"Have to be"? UM, dealing with the laws of Human biology, how big of an age spread can you have between full siblings?

at least 34 years based on Al Pacino kids

[Alan2099]

"Have to be"? UM, dealing with the laws of Human biology, how big of an age spread can you have between full siblings?

The oldest woman to ever give birth was 75. The youngest "woman" was five.

The youngest boy in modern history to become a father was 11. The oldest man was 96.

So there's plenty of room for a rather big spread.

[Lee]

This forum readily accepts that Mayday Parker can have a brother 15 years younger than her. Is it such a stretch that Peter Parker's uncle is 15 years older than his dad?

Forget about the comics canon for a moment. Let's say someone is putting together a bible for a new Spider-Man TV show and working out the math.

Richard Parker is 15 years younger than Ben Parker. Richard Parker becomes a father at age 30. Therefore Ben becomes an uncle at age 45. By the time Peter is 15, Uncle Ben is 60. Now let's say Aunt May is 5 years older than Uncle Ben. Then 15 year old Peter Parker has a 65 year old aunt.

[marhawkman]

This forum readily accepts that Mayday Parker can have a brother 15 years younger than her. Is it such a stretch that Peter Parker's uncle is 15 years older than his dad?

Forget about the comics canon for a moment. Let's say someone is putting together a bible for a new Spider-Man TV show and working out the math.

Richard Parker is 15 years younger than Ben Parker. Richard Parker becomes a father at age 30. Therefore Ben becomes an uncle at age 45. By the time Peter is 15, Uncle Ben is 60. Now let's say Aunt May is 5 years older than Uncle Ben. Then 15 year old Peter Parker has a 65 year old aunt.

Yeah, but that's decades younger than how May is usually drawn looking.

[ARkadelphia]

"Have to be"? UM, dealing with the laws of Human biology, how big of an age spread can you have between full siblings?

This gentleman, who’s is alive, is the grandson of John Tyler, 10th president of the United States, who himself was born in 1790

[Spider-Tiger]

My dad is several years older than my mother and had me later in life. His older sister was in her 50s when I was born. My dad also had an uncle who was about 15 or so years older than his father. Its not common, but it happens.

Canonically, May would have also been mid-late 60s when Peter was a teenager. I think our perception of what a 65 year old would look like today is very different from what a 65 year old would have looked like in the 1960s. The Ditko design was definitely a caricature of a senior citizen, but she looks like an 80-something year old by today's standards.

[bat39]

My dad is several years older than my mother and had me later in life. His older sister was in her 50s when I was born. My dad also had an uncle who was about 15 or so years older than his father. Its not common, but it happens.

Canonically, May would have also been mid-late 60s when Peter was a teenager. I think our perception of what a 65 year old would look like today is very different from what a 65 year old would have looked like in the 1960s. The Ditko design was definitely a caricature of a senior citizen, but she looks like an 80-something year old by today's standards.

Precisely.

Ultimate Aunt May looks a lot more like what we'd expect someone of that age to look like. Sally Fields and Marissa Tomei's portrayals as well (Tomei looks way younger than her age though!)

I lean towards the idea that May was in her fifties, maybe 60 at most, when Peter became Spider-Man. And she's in her late sixties/early seventies now. However, she's struggled with health issues and thus looks older than her age.

[dkrook]

Wow. You wrote a lengthy article on how everything they think is wrong and everything you think is right.

That's ... really sad.

Sad is the inability to think critically about the theme and context of the written piece. The author provider plenty of point to support his statements, and further he made a sound argument for his critic.

[Lee]

I think our perception of what a 65 year old would look like today is very different from what a 65 year old would have looked like in the 1960s.

Bingo. And Ditko's depictions of people and fashions were always a little out of date, more rooted in the 1950s than the 1960s. John Romita Sr said he felt that Ditko's Aunt May was an old fashioned depiction of what an elderly woman looks like, so he intentionally drew her quite differently.

[NC_Yankee]

Part 2 and Conclusion!

There is a very simple solution. Use Miles, Ghost Spider and (when she returns) Kamala for the under 18 crowd, and shift some of the Peter rogues gallery members not named Otto or Norman permanently there. Why? Strengthen those comics. At the same time use Peter for adult stories ( with Peter acting his age). This way Marvel can make money now and in the future when the teens of today become the adults of tomorrow. Of course that is too logical for the Luddites @ the Spider Office. I would add no more Peter HS stories on Disney Plus or MCU

[Alan2099]

There is a very simple solution. Use Miles, Ghost Spider and (when she returns) Kamala for the under 18 crowd, and shift some of the Peter rogues gallery members not named Otto or Norman permanently there. Why? Strengthen those comics. At the same time use Peter for adult stories ( with Peter acting his age). This way Marvel can make money now and in the future when the teens of today become the adults of tomorrow. Of course that is too logical for the Luddites @ the Spider Office. I would add no more Peter HS stories on Disney Plus or MCU

To me that just sounds like you want the MAIN Spider-man to have all the important elements you enjoy while the lesser Spider-men get all the left overs.

Renew your Vows and Spider-girl may have a married Peter, but the people that want to see the marriage aren't pushing for them. Likewise, the people that prefer a single Peter don't want a return of the Ultimate title. Everybody wants THE Spider-man to be their Spider-man.

Also, if you really want Miles and Gwen to grow, you need to move them away from Peter, not give them Peter's old baggage. If you're going to steal villains, steal them from NON-Spider titles. Let Miles build up a rivalry with Taskmaster or Batroc. Have Gwen fight Typhoid Mary or Sabretooth. Put them on Alpha Flight or the Thunderbolts. Let them do things Peter doesn't not just things he's outgrown.

[NC_Yankee]

To me that just sounds like you want the MAIN Spider-man to have all the important elements you enjoy while the lesser Spider-men get all the left overs.

Renew your Vows and Spider-girl may have a married Peter, but the people that want to see the marriage aren't pushing for them. Likewise, the people that prefer a single Peter don't want a return of the Ultimate title. Everybody wants THE Spider-man to be their Spider-man.

Also, if you really want Miles and Gwen to grow, you need to move them away from Peter, not give them Peter's old baggage. If you're going to steal villains, steal them from NON-Spider titles. Let Miles build up a rivalry with Taskmaster or Batroc. Have Gwen fight Typhoid Mary or Sabretooth. Put them on Alpha Flight or the Thunderbolts. Let them do things Peter doesn't not just things he's outgrown.

I have no problem moving Miles etc away from Peter and not having his enemies. My main point is Miles etc should be for teens and Peter for adults. This way you get both audiences satisfied.

[Lee]

Making Peter Parker Spider-Man a character strictly for 20+ year olds would be a colossally bad idea. The character has always had kid appeal.

[Tuck]

I've never really understood this idea of the characters' ages matching up with readers' ages. There's a variety of kids, teens, younger and older adult heroes. And we mostly get attached to them when we're eight years old.

You maybe gain understanding of some aspects of some stories and characters as you yourself age up, but none of this has anything to do with whether or not you can or will enjoy a character.

[Garlador]

Making Peter Parker Spider-Man a character strictly for 20+ year olds would be a colossally bad idea. The character has always had kid appeal.

He was a grown man by the early 70s dealing with adult problems like paying bills, keeping a job, affording rent, and settling down.

Kids never had a problem finding adult Peter appealing.