Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man

by

Summary

  • Uncle Ben’s significance in Spider-Man lore lies in his role as a mythic figure who embodies the phrase “With great power, comes great responsibility.”
  • Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man makes passing references to Ben Parker, maintaining his legendary status as a father figure for Peter Parker.
  • Including Uncle Ben on-screen would diminish his mythic stature, as he would become just a regular character rather than a larger-than-life hero for Peter to emulate.

Regardless of whether it’s Toby Maguire, Tom Holland, animation, comic books, Peter Parker or Miles Morales, the essence of Spider-Man is encapsulated in the phrase: “With great power, comes great responsibility.” And who instilled this crucial lesson in Spider-Man? Ben Parker.

In most Spider-Man stories, Uncle Ben, who holds significant value to the character’s backstory, is seldom present. This trend continues even in the recent series, “Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man“, which merely hints at Ben Parker. Fans might wish for a full portrayal of Ben’s story, revealing what became of Peter Parker’s influential father figure in this version. However, bringing his story to the screen could diminish the mythical impact that Uncle Ben has on the young hero depicted in “Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man“.

Who is Uncle Ben in Spider-Man?

Ben Parker debuted alongside Peter and Aunt May in the same comic book issue, which was titled Amazing Fantasy #15 and was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko back in 1962. This groundbreaking comic introduced Spider-Man to the world, a complex character whose rash decision led to Ben Parker’s untimely demise. Although his story remains impactful, it should be noted that in this first appearance, Ben didn’t have much depth as he mostly stood by May and smiled, offering support to Peter. In fact, it was not even Ben who delivered the iconic line; instead, it appeared in a caption box.

For approximately six decades following this point, not much else happened with Ben. Every so often, there would be brief reminders or stories set in different realms that offered readers a peek into Ben’s life, but he didn’t embark on any new ventures. He simply continued to smile, acknowledge, and eventually pass away. That was the story of Ben Parker’s life.

In 2002, the narrative of Ben’s life shifted dramatically when Sam Raimi brought Spider-Man to the big screen. Actor Cliff Robertson played a captivating role in the initial part of the film, portraying Ben as a hardworking individual whose kindness was unyielding despite his string of misfortunes. Wisely, Raimi and his fellow writers gave Ben an inspiring line (simplifying it from Stan Lee’s verbose creation) that elevated him beyond just a character who dies to motivate the hero. Now, he serves as the role model that Peter aspires to emulate.

Raimi and Robertson reshaped Ben’s character for future interpretations, elevating his significance within the mythos and influencing other adaptations. This significance is recognized even in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films where Ben isn’t directly referenced and a crucial line is delivered to Aunt May instead. However, it remains intriguing that Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man chose to subtly acknowledge Ben, making this decision both perplexing and captivating.

Is Uncle Ben in Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man?

The opening scene of Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man finds Aunt May driving Peter Parker to school. As always, the thoughtful boy expresses gratitude for her assistance. It’s been tough for him since the incident involving Ben, a fact that doesn’t need to be explicitly stated as viewers are already aware of Peter’s decision not to employ his abilities to stop a thief, leading to Ben’s untimely demise.

Initially, all seems normal, but suddenly an unexpected character enters – a mix of Venom and Kraven. Shortly after, Doctor Strange makes an appearance as well. The audience is taken aback when they notice that Peter chooses to stay out of the battle. However, he has his reasons for standing aside. At this point in the story, Peter hasn’t experienced the bite of a radioactive spider yet, which means he doesn’t possess his powers at this stage.

In the world of Spider-Man, the revelation that Peter acquires his abilities following a fight significantly alters Uncle Ben’s storyline. Since in this scenario, Ben didn’t perish because Peter hadn’t yet used his powers for the benefit of others, one might wonder why this particular Uncle Ben met an untimely end.

So far, Spider-Man, often referred to as “Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man”, hasn’t revealed any details about Ben’s destiny. Peter and May have brought up Ben multiple times, and it seems they believe he is deceased. However, the specifics of his demise remain unclear, with neither of them offering any explicit information on how he died. Instead, they continue to keep Ben Parker in the picture, a towering presence even after his supposed death.

Should Uncle Ben Appear in Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man?

The reimagined version of everyone’s favorite wall-crawler, “Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man“, playfully revisits traditional Spidey tales. This creative strategy allows the series to establish storylines that are likely to surprise us more than they do our characters. For instance, Norman Osborn initially appears as Peter’s mentor, yet it’s clear he’ll eventually betray Spider-Man. Similarly, Lonnie Lincoln is shaping up to be a character with a tragic end, leading him towards the transformation that will turn him into Tombstone.

In line with this, it’s quite plausible that I, too, would share some significant revelation with my Uncle Ben, given his profound impact on me. The creators, skillfully manipulating the foundational tales of Spiderman, seem to be hinting at a fresh role for Uncle Ben in the narrative.

As Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, I recount my origins, emphasizing my role within our community. By introducing characters like Lonnie, Nico Minoru, and Harry Osborn, the series consistently reminds us that I am part of a larger family, not a solitary figure. This message is clear from the very start, as I return a thief to his stolen goods’ owner, asking for leniency. My compassion, in part, stems from Ben, who serves as my towering heroic ideal in my mind. It’s only natural that a young boy like me would deify a lost relative.

If Ben, who is thought of as legendary by Peter and many viewers, were to actually appear on-screen, he’d lose some of that legendary status for both Peter and the audience. Instead of an unattainable standard, he would simply become a man trying his best – a best that Peter surpasses easily due to his spider-powers, causing him to quickly outshine Ben.

The One and Only Uncle Ben Parker

Previously, it was apparent that Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man has chosen to deviate from his conventional circle of friends. Characters like Mary Jane Watson, Gwen Stacy, and Ned Leeds have not been present. This change is effective as it allows Peter Parker to develop fresh connections, expanding the network of care he provides.

Maintaining the idea that no character can truly fill Ben’s shoes, as demonstrated with Norman Osborn and Tony Stark in the MCU, it is crucial for the series to keep Peter feeling inadequate as a replacement for his uncle. This way, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man will be more impactful and imbued with greater tragedy.

Read More

2025-02-12 23:40