[OT] Was Spiderman always so whiney? 1980's cartoon

[coyote6]

What happened to your 3.0 daughter? Why the update?

Haste, harm, Power Attack -- the usual reasons.

 

[Samothdm]

Hal, what you're describing about Spider-Man is the classic Marvel formula for superheroes, most specifically for their mutant characters.

A good 90% of the dialogue in one of Marvel's multitude of mutant magazines (I like alliteration) goes something like this:

"My life sucks. I have all these cool powers but everybody hates me. I wish I was normal like everyone else."

The Spider-Man cartoon to which you're referring was from the 90s as someone pointed out, which was the height of this kind of whiney self-introspection.

Note: This isn't a complaint about the X-Men or Spider-Man or Marvel or whatever. I grew up on these comics. So, don't think that I'm bashing them or anything.

 

[Ranger REG]

She is happy but...

What is up with every episode Spidey is ready to quit or give up?
Mary Jane misses me,
I need more time at work,
The city hates me,
Maybe JJJ is right etc, etc.

I mean every episode is him getting ready to give up and then a friend/fan/fellow hero gets him seeing that it is the good fight and he should stay.

This guy has some serious issues, he needs to go to Doc Oc but for therapy, sheesh...anyone else notice this?

Well, Spidey is not your average larger-than-life superhero type, like Superman. He's a guy who happens to wonder if he cut out for the job and he have problems that we can relate to.

As for JJJ being on his case, he's the first superhero he can take potshot at, out of all the Marvel superheroes that are based in New York.

But despite his constant angst, whining, and instrospection, he can always step up to the plate if need be. Oh, yeah, there are other superheroes that can protect New York, but in the end, he always remind himself of Uncle Ben's words.

 

[s/LaSH]

Angst-o-rama - that's Marvel in a nutshell. Everybody's life sucks - look at Ben Grimm, from the very first Marvel silver age book Fantastic Four, who is basically a giant rock monster right from book one. That kinda set the tone. For someone who seems so very jolly in real life, Stan Lee must have had a few issues to write such stuff for however many decades he did...

Yep, Spidey's always been whiney. His life really does suck, but fortunately he can always beat on some dumb supervillain while making wisecracks, which is more than most of use can do. And isn't that why we love him?

 

[Tarrasque Wrangler]

And isn't that why we love him?

I don't know...I kinda loved him for his clone.

(prepares to dodge thrown objects )

 

[Dimenhydrinate]

MY SOULMATE!!

I don't know...I kinda loved him for his clone.

(prepares to dodge thrown objects )

I too must confess. I liked the clone better as well.

 

[Welverin]

Which clone? There were so many of them.

 

[Tonguez]

Stan Lee must have had a few issues to write such stuff for however many decades he did...

so cue amature pyschanalysis of Stan Lee

Hmm angst-ridden teenage outsider who doesn't fit in because of above average ability. Sees himself dealing with the cruel world even if violence is required to do so.

Yep classic nerdboy...

(No disrespect to the great and powerful Stan Lee intended)

 

[Viking Bastard]

Which clone? There were so many of them.

Ben Reilly.

 

[Ranger REG]

For someone who seems so very jolly in real life, Stan Lee must have had a few issues to write such stuff for however many decades he did...

Probably because comic book writing isn't exactly his first career choice. But you have to admit, for most of his years, he made Marvel Comic into a multimillion-dollar enterprise, thanks in part by us then-kids now adults who still like comics and cartoons.

And isn't that why we love him?

We love him because he injects the human angst into superheroes, the kind of issues and problems that we can relate to, even though we don't talk out loud to ourselves, but it's the kind of things that goes on in our mind.