Peter Parker as the yardstick for Kamala Khan in the 21st Century

[Ravin' Ray]

Marvel is making the press rounds as of late, and in Axel Alonso's interview with Entertainment Weekly and picked up by CBR, he made this statement about Kamala Khan vis-à-vis Peter Parker:

“She [Kamala Khan] is Peter Parker for the 21st century,” Alonso explained to EW. “Peter Parker can be a 16-year-old Pakistani girl from Jersey City. If her story is universal, then people are going to come and read it. If it feels true, if it resonates, people are going to come.”

There we have it. Peter Parker is now the standard to which new, young relatable superheroes, in the form of Kamala Khan, are measured against. But that also opens up a question, in that what does the present-day Peter Parker represent now, since he has long since moved away from his beginnings.

[Highland Chicken]

He still represents youth to an extent, and an everyman until he became CEO of his own company.

[Mister Mets]

Peter Parker is unambiguously the most successful young superhero ever, so it makes sense that he'd be the standard by which Marvel measures the new guys.

Marvel has a fine line going forward. There's a divide between those who see Spider-Man defined by his youth and those who think the most important thing about the character is that he has grown.

I think the ideal take on Peter Parker is a guy who has been active as a superhero for some time, but whose options are limitless.

[Vegeta]

Similar statements have been made about Richard Rider (Nova, in the 70's) and Speedball (the 80's) in the past. Kamala IS big right now (and I personally like her) but time will tell.

[Dr. Jay]

Who made these comments about Speedball? Did they ever look at his original series?

What about Darkhawk in the 90's?

[oldschool]

Similar statements have been made about Richard Rider (Nova, in the 70's) and Speedball (the 80's) in the past. Kamala IS big right now (and I personally like her) but time will tell.

Good point but I have to say that I don't recall either Nova or Speedball having the kind of success that Kamala has had already. I mean her book has sold more (comparatively by today's metrics) and had more influence than either of theirs did in their respective eras----heck, probably than the two of them combined.

[Darthfury78]

And Rick Jones could have fitted into this category as well.

[Confuzzled]

I was one of the first people to call Kamala "Peter Parker of the 21st Century" as soon as the preview of her debut issue appeared. Don't wanna brag but #Wasdoingitbeforeitwascool.

[Punisher007]

Good, now maybe that can use a character (Kamala) who actually fits the whole "face of youth" role into said role, instead of trying to crowbar Peter in there.

[Vegeta]

Good point but I have to say that I don't recall either Nova or Speedball having the kind of success that Kamala has had already. I mean her book has sold more (comparatively by today's metrics) and had more influence than either of theirs did in their respective eras----heck, probably than the two of them combined.

True, I'm just noting that editors in the past have made the same comparison whenever the introduce a new young superhero.(And yes, Dr. Jay, Darkhawk was another young up and comer said to be the "Spidey of his generation.")

Kamala is probably the only one to legitimately earn that title though, (depending on how long her series lasts).

[Confuzzled]

Good, now maybe that can use a character (Kamala) who actually fits the whole "face of youth" role into said role, instead of trying to crowbar Peter in there.

The fact that Peter is going to be a high schooler in the new MCU films makes me a little scared, seeing how much Marvel is so into "synergy" that they revised the Maximoff twins' parentage.

But the presence of Miles makes me a little more optimistic. They can't have two prominent male Spider-Teens in the same universe, can they?

[Frontier]

Well, you can bet that they'll keep Kamala in high school as long as possible now so they don't make the same "mistake" they made with Peter, oblivious to how that was also part of his appeal .

Though I do wonder how intentional or aware G. Willow Wilson was of how much Ms. Marvel and Kamala is reflective of, or in the same vein as, the classic Lee and Ditko Spidey. I know she's an established X-Fan, but has she ever commented on having experience or affinity with Spider-Man?

[Den]

I have never thought of Peter Parker as the "Everyman"... instead, he was the "Every nerd" in a time when Nerds weren't celebrated or shown positively. He was not an 'average joe', he was a kid genius who was alienated by both that genius and his lack of social status among his peers. He was awkward, interested in things that bored others his age, and an easy target because he had nothing his social circle respected. He also was a decent young man with strong values instilled in him by his Aunt and Uncle, and yes, those values also got him no respect among his bullies, or his peers. He was lame, he was a square.

Peter Parker was no everyman, but I think every person can sympathize a little bit with his plight: Under appreciated, just trying to be a good person, and incredibly frustrated to find himself a living example of Nice guys finishing last. Then came the powers, then came one more moral lesson, and bam... superhero.

Under the mask, Peter bore incredible responsibility, but he also had anonymity and with it liberation. Suddenly he could smart mouth all he wanted. He could crack wise and if no one laughed, their loss. And yet, he came to learn, the more freedom he had, the more he needed to use that freedom as well as that power responsibly. That maybe another we can all relate to as it is a very big part of growing up. Peter got to be himself, and then decided what kind of man himself wanted to be and tried to stick to it. Again, I think he's an every nerd, not an everyman, but I think that's one that every man (and woman) of conscience eventually goes through.

We relate to Peter, but not because we are all in the same boat (Though comics do have a higher percentage of nerds among the fanbase to use a stereotype) but because we've all been similarly adrift in our own boats.

I am not going to say what Peter/Spidey must be, but I think attempts to make him the average joe will fail just because he's not average. He's exceptional, flawed, but exceptional. The fact he couples that with humility maybe one of the more endearing things about him.

Kamala is growing up in a world where nerds are celebrated or at least tolerated far more than they were in Peter's teen years. She's got a bigger and better cast of friends and more support. None of teenage Peter's friends rushed to his aid quite like Bruno did for Kamala. Kamala is in a much better place in that regard. Her persecutions will be ones of age, against her ethnic background, and against her religion. Her story, like any teen's story, is one of self discovery. How much will she allow herself to be defined by her background and belief system? And how much does she not only want to hold onto, but embrace? She's a dreamer, far more optimistic than a young Peter Parker in some ways (IMO, of course), but she's finding her resolve and learning what matters to her as she grows as a person and a superhero.

She and teen Peter have a lot in common, an exuberance at being able to make their own choices and set their own standards for themselves, and also a deep dread of the consequences ( not just on them, but their loved ones) if they mess up. I think its that mix of joy behind their masks, idealism, and weighty responsibility that they have in common. One isn't a copy of the other, but while it was a different trail, Peter has walked ahead on a similar journey.

I'm good with Peter being the grown up. If written well, he could very easily be a living example for those who've felt lost, frustrated, bullied and helpless but still wanted to do the right thing that, to borrow a tagline "it gets better"
Whether Marvel will use him that way or not, I don't know.

All my rambling opinion.

[jimishim12]

I don't see why there can't be two youth based personifications in Marvel. Peter's the fore father and now Kamala's the new incarnation of Parker.

[Mister Mets]

Similar statements have been made about Richard Rider (Nova, in the 70's) and Speedball (the 80's) in the past. Kamala IS big right now (and I personally like her) but time will tell.

Yeah, everyone gets compared to Peter Parker.

Some of the other guys have stuck around on and off.

I will say that Ms Marvel's adventures seem better than those of the first Nova, or Speedball, or Darkhawk for that matter. Which isn't to suggest that these are bad comics.

Although, the best teen hero of the 21st Century was probably Ultimate Peter Parker, and it's not quite on that level.