10 Problems Spider-Man Fans Won't Admit

Don’t get us wrong, we freaking love the web-slinger, but this masked hero has got some issues that need addressing. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the Problems With Spider-Man Fans Will Never Admit.

For this list, we’ll be looking at some of the biggest issues faced by our beloved Spider-Man, Peter Parker. For the record, there are surely plenty of fans out there who are willing to acknowledge or even outwardly complain about these editorial problems and issues of character development - but there are also those who will defend their favorite hero to the end of time, even in the face of obvious shortcomings. So let’s have an honest conversation about Spider-Man, shall we?

#10: The Constant Major Events

Whatever happened to our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man? We get that with him being one of Marvel’s most popular characters, the editorial powers that be want to involve him in as many crossovers as possible, but at what cost? Peter Parker is a great hero, but he’s at his best and most relatable when he’s keeping his activity to NYC, swinging through the city and foiling small-time to mid-levels crooks and costumed evildoers. But apparently there’s a concern that such stories don’t sell, and so Spider-Man seems to instead find himself embroiled in one massive plot after another. Spider-Island, Spider-Verse, Spider-Geddon and everything in between... we’re by no means saying that they’re bad - just that it’s overkill.

#9: The Silly Villains

Okay, we’re expecting some serious blowback on this one, but just try to hear us out. The Rogues Gallery of any costumed crimefighter is made up of a colorful bunch of oddball evildoers with strange names. Once you get past the A-List of Spidey villains, you’re left with guys like the Kangaroo, Big Wheel, the Swarm, The Thousand, the Ringer, and many, many more. Spidey’s Rogues Gallery is rivaled only by the likes of Batman and The X-Men in terms of iconic villains, but that doesn’t mean they’re all home runs. Some, unfortunately, are best forgotten.

#8: His Place with the Avengers

This is sort of in the same spirit as Spider-Man taking part in too many events - but it warrants a separate entry because it gives birth to its own set of problems. Spider-Man is one of the most popular heroes in the world - our world that is. But within the world of Marvel comics, though popular, behind the mask he’s supposed to be this grounded, relatable guy. He’s always been in school or working, struggling to get by, balancing his personal life with super-heroics while taking care of his aging aunt. Now consider the Avengers; these are full-time heavy-hitting heroes, many of whom forego secret identities altogether. He simply doesn’t fit. The only reason he keeps winding up on the team? Because of his popularity.

#7: The Immortal Aunt May

Batman has Alfred, Spider-Man has his beloved Aunt May. Now… we would never wish death upon a kindly old woman, especially not one who is so important to the history of comic books. Furthermore, considering how seriously he was affected by the death of her husband, Uncle Ben, we know that the death of Aunt May would absolutely devastate Peter. All that being said, Aunt May, and the necessity to keep her around… does pose a problem for Spider-Man’s development. Writers use May as a crutch, a character to put in jeopardy, but one that we know will ultimately never be allowed to die - at least not for good. The one time they did seem like they were going to kill her off, it turned out to be an actress hired by the Green Goblin! Years after that, Peter forfeit his marriage to save her life after she’d been shot. We can’t imagine May wanting that.

#6: His Way With Women

Word to the wise: though he may be handsome, intelligent, likable and have that boy-next-door sort of humble, bumbling charm about it him, Peter Parker is not the sort of guy that you want to get romantically involved with. Maybe it’s the fact that he’s had his head in super-heroics since he was a teen, but it seems as if Peter’s approach to love and relationships stopped progressing when that radioactive spider bit him. He’s just an all-around terrible boyfriend. And while he might have a valid excuse, that doesn’t make him any more viable as a partner. Worse, however, is the fact that this apparent “everyman” and relatable figure somehow only dates women who look like supermodels. You can’t have it both ways, Marvel!

#5: The Constant Attempts to Make Him a Public Enemy

Being a superhero involves many challenges. For Spider-Man, in addition to balancing a personal life with his superheroic responsibilities, the powers that be also seem to feel it necessary to make him a fugitive from the law every so often. We get that vigilantism is inherently a crime, and with more grim and gritty heroes like Batman, Moon Knight, and the Punisher, the police pursuing them totally makes sense. But Spider-Man? We don’t buy it. It feels forced! The Avengers aren’t working from the shadows - they’re a major organization. And though Spider-Man is often working solo, his affiliation with them should make him far more public-approved. J. Jonah Jameson can print as much anti-spidey propaganda as he wants, the public turning on him just doesn’t feel believable anymore.

#4: The Refusal to Let Him Age

Batman and Superman have been around since the late 1930s - nobody wants to see their lives progress in real time. Like most fictional characters in episodic adventures, superheroes need to be kept roughly the same age. We totally get that. But here’s the problem… both Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent are kept in the prime of adulthood - they behave like grownups! Parker, by contrast, was first introduced as a high schooler. And while he’s been allowed to move on to college and eventually the working world, Marvel has consistently insisted on having him remain (and continue to behave like) a young adult. But at a certain point, following the adventures of a man child becomes grating.

#3: The Irreparable Damage of One More Day

Speaking of refusing to let the character mature… let’s talk about this dark chapter. It would seem that a married Peter Parker was too grown up, and so the editorial team hit the reset button on Parker’s life, taking him back to status quo as young and untethered. And how did they do it? By putting Aunt May’s life on the line (sigh) and having Peter make a literal deal with the devil, to take back his secret identity and save Aunt May at the expense of his marriage. Of course, this would also inevitably alter the lives of countless people in unexpected ways. It was a decision that went against character, leaving Spidey’s world and identity broken in the eyes of many.

#2: His Finances

When Doctor Octopus took over Peter Parker’s body, he not only managed to keep up with the superheroic responsibilities of Spider-Man, but he also got Peter his doctorate degree and founded Parker Industries. Peter Parker, by comparison, for whatever reason, has never seemed to be able to get his finances in order. While we can appreciate that not all geniuses are financially-minded, someone with the upkeep costs associated with vigilantism would certainly need to figure it out. Whatever job he has at the time, it never seems like it should be making enough to cover his Spider-Man related expenses, let alone an apartment, or the other general costs of living in a place as expensive as New York City.

#1: His Repeated Failure to Live by That Important Rule

“With great power comes great responsibility”. Introduced early in Spider-Man’s mythos and supposedly central to the character, these words are attributed to Peter’s late Uncle Ben and are intended to be the rule by which he lives his life. So… why doesn’t he? Don’t get us wrong, Spider-Man is a hero through and through, and he uses his powers altruistically. But why doesn’t he apply those same words to all aspects of his life? Over the years, Peter Parker has proven himself to be an incredibly irresponsible character - one who has allowed his loved ones to come to harm and failed to learn from past mistakes. Where was his “great responsibility” when he rewrote all of reality and made a deal with a demon just to save Aunt May? We’re not asking for perfection, just a more mature understanding and application of Ben’s words.