Peter Parker: Angry Misanthrope!

[starwolf_oakley]

As discussed on the BATMAN: GHOSTS post, Peter Parker was a friendless outcast in high school and became an angry misanthrope in college. It really wasn't until Steve Ditko left and John Romita Sr took over the SPIDER-MAN art that Peter mellowed out



Some of Peter Parker as a bitter misanthrope makes sense. He stresses out over Aunt May, ignores people who try to get his attention, and they think he is "high hatting" them.

Sometimes it seems like Peter Parker hates himself and the world and everyone in it because... reasons? It isn't even Uncle Ben's death.

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #38.







This issue had Spider-Man yelling at protesters. Stan Lee changed it to Spider-Man supporting the protesters.

Comments

[silverhammerman]

I feel like this misanthropic edge is something that tends (understandably, given how tiring it can be to read) to get forgotten when people look back on the early Spider-Man stuff. As great as the Ditko stuff is, I've always preferred the Romita era because it's not universally filled with jerks.

Looking at these pages actually reminds me of some discussion I saw surrounding the latest film reboot; namely that an actual update to the Ditko Peter Parker would be utterly steeped in privilege. Peter would be less geek chic than he'd be the kind of clueless whiteboy who could get really into men's rights for a while.

[starwolf_oakley]

Or he could go right into a teenage Bruce Wayne where "Only the Mission matters." Yes, Peter Parker has never really been as obsessed with Bruce Wayne, and often just changes into Spider-Man when the need arises. But that could change in a modern era.

[jlroberson]

Peter Bagge actually took that idea on.