Spider-Man (real name Peter Benjamin Parker) is the titular protagonist of Sam Raimi's Spider-Man Trilogy. He was a high school student who was bitten by a genetically altered "super" spider while on a school field trip. Endowed with the proportionate powers and abilities of a spider, he used them to become the crime-fighting superhero; Spider-Man.
He was portrayed by Tobey Maguire, and other stuntmen.
Personality and traits[]
Peter Parker, as Spider-Man, is shown to be a brave and righteous hero with an indomitable sense of justice and responsibility. Since the death of his wise and beloved Uncle Ben, Peter's vow of responsibility had led him to a path of heroism and humanitarian.
To those in the authorities, Spider-Man was shown to be an outlaw and vigilante, someone just as dangerous as those he brought in. Over the years, Spider-Man gradually became respected by the authorities, those are the NYPD and NYFD, as well as the citizens of New York City, despite J Jonah Jameson considering him as a masked menace on the Daily Bugle newspaper.
Spider-Man is individualistic as he works by himself, this was caused when he was a social outcast in his youth. This had gradually lessened when he became best friends with Harry Osborn and then the boyfriend of Mary Jane Watson.
Peter was originally shy and awkward towards his life-long crush Mary Jane Watson, as he had a hard time talking to her and making conversations with her. Since he didn't want her to get hurt by his enemies, he wanted to be friends with her, but after Mary Jane discovers his superhero identity, she decides to be with him no matter what risks can be caused.
When the Venom Symbiote bonded to him, it unleashed his dark and vengeful side when he fought Sandman in the subway in a relentless way. He temporarily became arrogant and aggressive when he reveals Eddie Brock's fake photos to the Daily Bugle and unintentionally strikes Mary Jane at the Jazz Club. He realised that the symbiote was controlling him and he rejected it, returning back to his true personality.
After defeating Venom and Sandman along with the death of his best friend Harry Osborn, Peter realises that whatever battle-raging inside himself and everyone he loves, he and his loved ones always had a choice. This was when Harry taught him and he will always choose to do what was right.
Peter has a caring side when near the end of Spider-Man 3, he eventually decided that it was time to mend his relationship with Mary Jane, which she returned as the two rekindled their romance and were back as a couple.
Powers and Abilities[]
Powers[]
- Spider Physiology: Due to being bitten by a genetically altered super spider, Peter Parker had now gained the proportionate powers of spider. He has increased strength, speed, stamina, durability, agility, reflexes, healing and highly acute senses. He can produce organic webbing and scale on walls. His powers include:
- Spider-Sense: Spider-Man possesses an extrasensory "danger" or "spider" sense which warns him of impending danger by the manifestation of a tingling sensation inside within his brain, and links with his superhuman kinesthetics, enabling him to evade most any injuries, unless he cognitively overrides his automatic reflexes. The precise nature of this sense is unknown. It appears to be a simultaneous clairvoyant response to a wide variety of phenomena (everything from falling safes, speeding bullets, thrown punches, etc), which has given several hundredths of a second warning, which is sufficient time for his reflexes to allow him to avoid injury. The sense also can create a general response on the order of several minutes: he cannot discern the nature of the threat by the sensation. He can, however, discern the severity of the danger by the strength of his response to it. Spider-Man's spider-sense is directional and can guide him to or away from hidden weapons and enemies. Sudden and extreme threats can cause his spider-sense to react with painful intensity. Spider-Man can also sense and dodge attacks directed randomly or by a computer. Using his spider-sense to time his enhanced reflexes, Spider-Man can casually dodge attacks up to and including automatic-weapons fire, provided there is sufficient distance. His spider-sense is sufficiently well-linked to his reflexes to the point that a threat can trigger them even when Spider-Man is asleep or stunned. His spider-sense has helped him preserve his secret identity since it alerts him to observers or cameras when changing into or out of his costume. The spider-sense does react to those who Peter does not consider to be a threat, such as Aunt May. Spider-Man can choose to ignore his spider-sense, and the more immlnent and threatening the danger is and where the dangers are coming from and how to avoid it, the stronger the tingling, Spider-Man's fighting style incorporates the advantage that his "spider-sense" provides him. His body begins to produce more adrenaline after the sense is triggered, an extension of the "fight or flight syndrome", Even when he does not have to use his eyes Spider-Man can still use his spider-sense to help him see by sensing the direction is coming from by listening to the loudest sound around him, This ability limitlessly passive and limitlessly uncontrollable.
- Superhuman Strength: Spider-Man possesses superhuman strength enabling him to lift 20 tons. Spider-Man's physical strength is sufficient to lift and throw objects as heavy as most standard automobiles with ease. He must also pull his punches and kicks unless fighting someone of similar or greater physical durability. Otherwise, his blows would prove fatal to a normal human being. Spider-Man's physical strength also extends into his legs, enabling him to be able to jump to a height of several stories in a single bound. Spider-Man has shown impressive feats of strength. Such as when he was able to hold a cable-car full of children with one arm and show no sign of stress. He was also able to send Flash Thompson flying many meters with a single punch. Also, Spidey was able to support the warehouse where Doctor Octopus was holding his secret experiment. Also, Spider-Man has managed to over-power multiple men with ease. And his strength temporary increased when he was connected to the Venom Symbiote.
- Superhuman Speed: Spider-Man is capable of running and moving at speeds that are far beyond the natural physical limits of the finest human athlete. He is ultimately capable of running at speeds in excess of 300 miles per hour.
- Superhuman Stamina: Spider-Man's advanced musculature produces less fatigue toxins during physical activity than an ordinary human. This allows him to exert himself physically for much longer periods of time before fatigue begins to impair him. At his peak, Spider-Man can physically exert himself for several hours before the build up of fatigue toxins in his blood begins to impair him.
- Superhuman Durability: Spider-Man's body is physically tougher and more resistant to some types of injury than the body of a normal human. His body is more resistant to impact forces than anything else. He can withstand great impacts, such as falling from a height of several stories or being struck by a incredibly strong opponent, that would severely injure or kill a normal human with little to no discomfort.
- Superhuman Agility: Spider-Man's equilibrium, dexterity, and flexibility are all enhanced to levels that are beyond the natural physical limits of the finest human athlete. Spider-Man is extraordinarily limber and his tendons and connective tissues are twice as elastic as the average human being's, despite their enhanced strength. He has the combined agility and acrobatic prowess of the most accomplished circus aerialists and acrobats. He can also perform any complicated sequence of gymnastic stunts such as flips, rolls, and springs. He can easily match or top any Olympic record at gymnastics apparatus such as flying rings, climbing ropes, horizontal bars, trampolines.
- Superhuman Equilibrium: Spider-Man possesses the ability to achieve a state of perfect equilibrium in any position imaginable. He seems able to adjust his position by instinct, which enables him to balance himself on virtually any object, no matter how small or narrow with little effort.
- Superhuman Reflexes: Spider-Man's reflexes are similarly enhanced and are currently about 30 times greater than those of an ordinary human. In combination with his spider-sense, the speed of his reflexes allows him to dodge almost any attack, or even gunfire, if he is far enough away.
- Wall-Crawling: Spider-Man's exposure to the mutated spider venom has allowed him to mentally control the flux of inter-atomic attractive forces on surfaces he touches, allowing him to stick to any surface. He has conscious control over this ability, and it is simple and instinctive for him to use. This ability is so far limited to Spider-Man's body (especially concentrated in his hands and feet) and another object, with an upper limit of several tons per finger. The full nature of this ability has yet to be established but it seems that, he is capable of using this combined with his strength to uproot objects from their place without having to fully use his hands.
- Organic Webbing Generation: Spider-Man was also gifted with the ability to organically produce his own silk webbing from glands within his forearms, limited by his body's health and nutrition. These organic webs have many of the same properties as his Earth-616 counterpart's artificial webbing. Thanks to its similar properties, it appears Spider-Man can utilize his organic webbing in any way he could with his artificial webbing. The silk is released through a spinneret near each wrist containing a central web spigot orifice used for web-slinging and drag lines, supplemented by several radial minor spigots for other types of webs connected to specialized glands; he can from his wrists organic webbing (without web shooters).
- Regenerative Healing Factor: Spider-Man regenerates his injuries faster and more extensively than a normal human. After getting his powers, he soon found that his eyesight was repaired, discarding his glasses. Minor injuries heal in a matter of hours and serious injuries in a matter of days. Although Spider-Man is not able to regenerate missing limbs or organs. Thanks to his regenerative power he is more resistant to the effects of alcohol and drugs. It is unknown if the power slows down aging process.
Abilities[]
- Genius-Level Intellect: Peter Parker is very smart as he is an expert in all kinds of science. Peter goes from a science whiz in high school to a laboratory assistant of Dr. Connors and a brilliant Columbia University physics student who is at the top of his class as he becomes secure with his dual roles.
- Science Major: His knowledge of science has impressed the likes of Norman Osborn, Otto Octavius, and Doctor Connors. Considered a genius by Harry and Gwen, he has shown himself to be knowledgeable in mechanics, quantum mechanics, photonics, nuclear fusion, acoustics, and nanotechnology.
- Skilled Photographer: Peter is a very skilled photographer.
- Master Acrobat: Thanks to his superhuman agility, reflexes and strength, Peter is a very skilled acrobat and gymnast. He is skilled in all kinds of acrobatics and gymnastics as he uses these to dodge gunfire.
- Expert Combatant: Thanks to his superhuman physiology, reflexes, and spider-sense, Peter Parker (Spider-Man) is a very skilled hand-to-hand combatant, despite never learning any fighting skills. He is shown to be able to take down the likes of the Green Goblin, Doc Ock, Sandman (in human form), and Venom along with a group of thugs.
Weaknesses[]
- Spider-Sense Disruption: Spider-Man's spider-sense can lose it's effect when he is close to the Venom Symbiote, due to him being a host to the Venom Symbiote. The symbiotic life form can block his spider-sense which enables Venom to tackle Spider-Man without warning him, making Venom a deadly foe.
- Bad Luck: Not exactly a typical weakness, but Peter Parker's life is a very complicated one. His superhero duties make it hard for him when he tries to get to his college classes, work and even Mary Jane's play on time. Sometimes he can be late for his work at the Daily Bugle, college classes, dates and going to see Mary Jane's acting plays, due to his crime-fighting activities. This has put strains on his relationships with his loved ones and he struggles to maintain his relationships with his Aunt May, Harry Osborn and Mary Jane Watson.
Trivia[]
- There are differences between this incarnation of Spider-Man and his comic book counterpart. In his origin, Peter wrestled to win money to impress Mary Jane with a car in the first film. In the original source material, he volunteered to wrestle a man named Crusher Hogan to test his powers, another alteration was Flint Marko was responsible for his uncle's death in the third film while in the comic book, it was a burglar backstage of a TV show that Spider-Man was winning money from. The other main differences that have been shown are falling in love with Mary Jane Watson since childhood in the first film while in comics, he didn't love her until around his college years and after the death of Gwen Stacy.
- Also, in the original comics, Spider-Man used mechanical web-shooters with artificial webbing he designed himself, unlike the Raimi Series Spider-Man who had the ability to shoot webbing. This change was due to Sam Raimi's decision of making it more realistic, since a high schooler could not have created something government scientists could not (considering that in comics, Peter Parker is quite genius).
- It was revealed that Tobey Maguire was gonna come back as Spider-Man again if Spider-Man 4 didn't cancelled in 2010, but it didn't work out with Sam Raimi.
- Unlike the comic book version of Spider-Man's suit, Sam Raimi's Spider-Man suit has a silver raised web pattern and eye lenses.
- Tobey admitted that he was unable to breathe during the kiss.
- Before Tobey Maguire was cast as Spider-Man/Peter Parker, Leonardo DiCaprio, Edward Furlong, Freddie Prinze Jr., Chris Klein, Wes Bentley, Heath Ledger, Chris O'Donnell, James Marsden and Ewan McGregor originally auditioned for the role of Spider-Man/Peter Parker, but turned down the role.
- Tobey Maguire said he had never read a Spider-Man comic book but took the role because he liked the script.
- By signing on for two sequels, Tobey Maguire secured himself a paycheck of $26 million.
- When Peter Parker is testing out his webbing for the first time, he says several classic DC Comics (archrival of Marvel Comics) catchphrases, most notably "Up, up and away, Web!" (Superman) and "Shazam!" (DC's Captain Marvel, not to be confused with a same named Marvel Comics character). Tobey Maguire added these lines, which were not in the original script.
- To acquire his bumped-up physique, Tobey Maguire went through a strict five-month regimen of exercise, weight training and martial arts six times a week, as well as eating a high protein meal four to six times a day.
- When Sam Raimi first offered to cast Tobey Maguire as Spider-Man, the studio was initially very reluctant. That was until they saw Tobey's exersice and they saw that the actor had clearly bulked up for the role.
- Tobey Maguire had to have his Spider-Man outfit slightly remodeled as the original design had not made any allowances for when the actor needed a bathroom break. A vent was added to enable him to perform that function without having to take the entire costume off.
- To create Spider-Man's costume, Tobey Maguire was fitted for the skintight outfit, being covered with layers of to create the suit's shape. It was designed as a single piece, except for the mask. The webbing that accented the costume was cut by computer.