Spider-Manjust took the worst beating of his life at the hands of an ominous new villain, and from that crushing defeat, he’s been granted a dark new power that has completely transformed the Peter Parker fans know. Marvel’s friendly neighborhood hero is broken like never before, and it’s clear the publisher isn’t done pushing Spider-Man even lower.
In the Preview Pages toAmazing Spider-Man#9, by Joe Kelly and Michael Dowling, Spider-Man’sprior fight against Hellgatehas not only left him severely wounded, butHellgate’s glowing punch has gifted Peter Parker a supernatural feeling of nothingness.
Now, this dark new“power”has transformed Peter Parker’s very nature and undone what makes Spider-Man a hero.
Spider-Man’s New Emotion-Based Powers Just Broke the Web-Slinging Hero in an Unexpected Way
Amazing Spider-Man#9; Written By Joe Kelly; Art By Michael Dowling; Color By Marte Gracia; Letters By Joe Caramagna
The fallout of Spider-Man’s catastrophic defeat against Hellgate has broken him in more ways than one, with Peter not only out of commission with broken bones, but this sudden sense of apathy is causing him to act uncharacteristically unheroic. Peter does nothing to stop the villain Shocker, and J. Jonah Jameson even calls Spider-Man out for abandoning the city.
Spider-Man has had many low points before, but Peter’s lack of emotion is a new trait that appears to stem from Hellgate’s last words to“get stronger”before he punched Spider-Man into oblivion. InAmazing Spider-Man#7, Hellgate was enraged that civilians distracted Spider-Man during their fight, calling them insignificant, and now, Peter’s lack of emotion has done away with these“distractions.”
This new power could be the key to defeating Hellgate, allowing Spider-Man to focus fully on their next fight rather than defending civilians. However, this recent development completely undermines what makes Spider-Man a hero. A core aspect of Spider-Man’s identity as a hero is that he chooses to use his powers to protect others, but Peter is clearly not doing that.
Peter Parker Faces His Most Shocking Defeat Yet, With Spider-Man Reaching a New Low
Hellgate Destroys the Very Foundation of Spider-Man’s Character
Spider-Man has been broken many times before, with the previous“Eight Deaths of Spider-Man”storyline having a similar air ofPeter Parker entering a state of depressionto the point where he considers quitting the hero life. Yet, Peter Parker’s recent emotional turmoil after his fight with Hellgate seems to be contrived at the behest of his mysterious enemy.
This new dilemma for Spider-Man raises several questions, including what the goal of gifting Peter this new power is, and who is Hellgate to inflict such a power on him? Marvel continues to torment Spider-Man, bringing him down to a whole new low, and this latest dark power of emotionlessness has transformedSpider-Maninto an almost unrecognizable character.
