Marvel Comics reveals the new Spider Man is black - and he could be gay in the future

Hey, if it'll speak to the new younger generation about values of morality, responsibility and all that good stuff then I'm all for it. I can see how 'geek' forums will be a shit-show when concerning this new Spidey though.

 

This should be interesting. I might actually pick up a copy or find other means of reading the issue.

 

A black/latino Spider-Man could be cool but a gay Spider-Man wouldn't really be Spider-Man anymore.
Btw, I find it kind of funny how they crammed in two ethnicity in this new character... should've gone all the way and squeezed in Asian and Indian as well lol.

 

*Spoilers, @AgentO

If Peter Park is dead, and it's just another person that got bit by a radio active spider that dons his suit, how is it not "Spider-Man" anymore? It's not Peter Parker anymore but he's still a Spider-Man...

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Anyway, I'm 100% for it. And I look forward to reading it all.

 

I think Agent O may have been trying to say that it takes away even more so than a multicultural Spider-Man the "aura" or idea of Spider-Man. It's not anything against other races or sexualities at all, but, it's just my opinion, wanting to appeal to EVERYONE is a poor reason to add in all these elements into something that's gone on for years one way. Sure, change is good, but isn't that what the Ultimate universe and things of that nature are for? Not to mention the countless renditions through comics, TV, movies, etc.

The same thing happened to the Mass Effect series: the first game allowed same-sex relationships only between women, the second didn't allow same-sex relationships at all, and the third is said to be allowing them again, but this time for men, too. Why? Because they want to appeal to a more wide audience. I'm not gay myself, but who says that just because Spider-Man or Commander Shepard aren't stereotypically homosexual that individuals in the homosexual communities won't be appealed by them?

I'm pretty sure morality and doing good and saving people is the same thing to heterosexuals as it is to homosexuals as it is to white communities as it is to black/Indian/Asian/Australian/etc. communities.

 

It's easy to be cynical about this decision, but when you think about some of the themes the Spider-Man series has explored, it's a perfect fit.

Who would know more about the horror and confusion of adolescence than a gay, mixed-race teenager?

 

This pretty much. It just seems cheap and stupid to me; "Ok, let's mix this up, but do it big and try to jam as much as we can at once". That, and I just hate when new characters just start being Spiderman or Captain America after the last one dies.

 

Looks like a cheap attempt at pleasing all minorities at the same time.

 

My thoughts exactly. What's he gonna do anyway? Also get bit by a radioactive spider? Or just give himself a transfusion with Parker's blood?

 

First thought: who cares?

Second thought: if people actually care, then the move is justified. The fact that people blow up over these things and accuse the comic of pandering only shows that people are very unaware of their privileges. Spidey HAS to be white or it's pandering to minorities? Bah humbug. Lose-lose situation. Only shows that more of this needs to be done since people are accustomed to have white protagonists only. Then, and only then, will it not be weird. But somebody has to start. A black protagonist should not be cause for a stirup.

I've only dabbled in a little bit of these comics, but a move like this doesn't really feel that out of place. Besides, there's probably a way to milk a bit of suspense from this.

 

Marvel always bust their nut weeks in advance with these dumb ass press releases. The suspense shouldn't come after they've already revealed this, it should have been built up then unveiled when the comic is released, months from now. The people in charge of promoting and marketing comic books have always amazed me. Probably because I'm a 90s kid, and that's really when they made the move to these press releases that spoil EVERYTHING, all for the media to pick up on it for a few weeks and it's forgotten about until the issue does normal or a little below normal business. Big meh.

I bet Donald Glover is pissed, though. Woulda been the perfect tie-in for a black Spider-Man movie starring Glover. Oh well.

 

[thumb]http://gordonandthewhale.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/iron-man-2-20090115-nick-fury-samuel-l-jackson.jpg[/thumb]

I'm pretty sure more people are "accustomed" to the black Nick Fury than the original white one. In fact, the current renditions of Fury in the comics is based off of Samuel L. Jackson himself so it has nothing to do with a any protagonist being black, but Spiderman the original hero is white. Maybe not everyone but a ginormous percentage don't want to see a black Iron Man or a Latino Batman. Some things just should not be for the sake of appealing to everyone.

If I'm not mistaken, I recall watching an animated series of Green Lantern where the leading Lantern was black. No problems there considering they are ALL Green Lanterns and Hal Jordan is just the poster boy. It's not having a problem with other-racial superheroes at all because I personally am a fan of black Nick Fury, as are many others. The reason this is so huge is because the majority find it stupid and they're in the right mind to think so, I believe.

 

I see your point but I'm not sure where you're coming from with two of the comparisons you've made.

In the case of Mass Effect, all it is is having another option for a character that's almost completely customisable anyway. It's not pandering any more than how you can also make the characters in those games either gender or pretty much any colour, or being able to have a same sex romance with female characters.

In the case of Nick Fury, more or less the same thing has been done there. He was originally white as you've pointed out, so besides how well-known they are and how in Fury's case it's actually the same character being a black guy in that continuity as opposed to it being a legacy character, there isn't that much difference there.

 

Nick Fury as a white guy is so boring.

 

People are also missing this is the Ultimate Universe, not the "main" universe. (like the black Nick Fury). And for the story:

The writer on Donald Glover:

He looked fantastic!" Bendis recalls. "I saw him in the costume and thought, 'I would like to read that book.' So I was glad I was writing that book." The writer gives Glover "mucho credit" for the way Miles Morales looks in Ultimate Fallout issue 4.

Good point no one brings up:
"And several men of varying skin color have wielded Captain America's shield and worn Iron Man's armor." I think the "masked" heroes have a bit more room. Mess with Wolverine, Superman, Storm, Luke Cage etc, by all means be pissed. lol

And this sounds more personal and less "need more minorities buying comics!":

The creation of Miles Morales, a teenager with an African-American father and Hispanic mother, has been personal for his creators. Axel Alonso, Marvel's editor in chief, is of mixed cultures (his father is Mexican, his mother is British), and Bendis has two adopted daughters, a 3½-year-old from Ethiopia and a 4½-month-old African American.

"Wouldn't it be nice for them to have a character or a hero that speaks to them as much as Peter Parker has spoken to so many children?" Bendis says. "There's nothing wrong with that, and I think we need more of it."

1) Sounds pretty genuine to me 2) It's the Ultimate Universe 3) Spiderman has been different people in different universes 4) It's freaking SPIDERMAN. Are people that attached to it? Superman I can understand. He's an alien. Making him black would be crazy random. Wonder Woman and Thor I can understand based on their mythology. But Spiderman? I always thought it was more about the story and less about his race. I think it could be black, latino or asian as long as they don't make him stereotypical. This isn't a "black Peter Parker" like a black Nick Fury. This is a new guy who I guess will come out with a similar power origin.

This http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternative_versions_of_Spider-Man anyone? They're not all "Peter Parker". It's like people are making this more about race than it actually is (I'm black by the way lol).

But people are freaking out about Perry White....

 

Yeah. At this point it's too early to assume anything anyway. They could be pandering, OR it could actually be a good idea in keeping with the spirit of Spider-Man even if this guy isn't precisely the same as Peter Parker.

I'd be more concerned about how it's Zac Snyder directing that film haha

 

I hope other companies geared towards kids/young adults follow Marvel's foot steps.

However, I do think it's a little silly to try and cram all of these minorities into one. Just pick one, haha.

 

THIS is what we should be worrying about lol

 

How is it silly? Are you saying it's improbable for someone to be African American and Latino?

I'm a mix of Caucasian, African-American, Japanese, German, Irish and Cherokee. Should I just say I'm white or say that I'm black? I say I'm mixed with White and African American because I am mostly that but there are still others I have. I think it's silly to accuse people of "Cramming" minorities when there are plenty of people that are mixed and are of more than one ethnic background.

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As for people who think that Marvel are just trying to pander and pull some stunt, I disagree. I believe that this time they actually want to genuinely tell a great story, one that has nothing to do with Peter Parker. We've just about heard all of his stories and it's not like only one person can be bitten by a radio-active spider in the world, if it happens once it most definitely can happen again...

Anyway here are two good reads (imo) about Miles Morale, his creation and where Marvel intends to take him. (Spoilers)

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=33755
http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=33786