SPIDER MAN

Scientists go mad, criminal mastermind super villains are born, the super hero's resolve is tested and a college-aged Charlie Brown wins the heart of his little redheaded girl. Welcome to the New York City of Peter Parker and Spider-Man, where everyone and everything seems to be falling apart and having spider powers only complicates matters.

Marvel Comics proved long ago that the premise at the core of "The Amazing Spider-Man" was grand enough to take its place as a lasting modern fairy tale. Marvel Films and director Sam Raimi have proved it again on the big screen, far above and beyond even the wildest of expectations. "Spider-Man" and "Spider-Man 2" have raked in an astonishing $1.5-billion-and-climbing in worldwide box office revenues, with "Spider-Man 2" reaching the $300 million U.S. gross faster than any film in history. The kids of the Harry Potter generation, like their Gen-X parents who watched the cartoon wall-crawler after school in the 1970s, are hooked.

The secret, as web-head faithful have known all along, lies in the timeless character archetype of Peter Parker, made of the same sort of magic that created Jack from "Jack and the Beanstalk" (think spider-powers instead of magic beans), Charlie Brown and, yes, later on, Harry Potter. In creating Parker in the early 1960s, Marvel's Stan Lee and Steve Ditko made a bold departure from the prevailing Superman and Batman super hero formulae of the day. Parker/Spider-Man was the anti-super hero of super heroes, a less-than-ordinary, nerdy every-man who could never seem to catch a lucky break. As "The Amazing Spider-Man" evolved, the comic broke all the rules -- even the Comics Code -- becoming the Marvel cornerstone, trademark and arguably the most popular super hero comic book in history.

None of this is lost on Marvel Films producers Avi Arad and, in particular, Laura Zisken (her previous credits include "As Good As It Gets" and "Pretty Woman"). Together with Raimi, they have preserved the heart of the Peter Parker/Spider-Man story with a near religious zeal; their Peter Parker is instantly recognizable as Peter Parker. In both films, the character's Charlie Brown qualities are amplified, and actor Tobey Maguire is near perfect in the role, playing Parker with the dazed humility of one who knows that Lucy will yank life's football away just as he is about to kick it.

There is much in the Spider-Man films, however, that has not leapt from the pages of the comics, beginning with Parker's movie ability to shoot webs organically (what happened to the mechanical wrist web-shooters and the web cartridges Spidey wore in his belt?). The overall effect of the liberties taken by Raimi and Co. has been an unpredictability that is, surprisingly, one of the great pleasures of the films. It's also a rare success in the book-to-film or comic-to-film genres, where it can be inconceivable to alter a classic story line ("The Lord of the Rings" was ever-faithful to the books) and even the slightest changes to a character can lead to fanboy (and girl) revolt (Halle Berry's "Catwoman" was dead on arrival).

Raimi has gotten away with it because he never loses his childlike sense of awe and wonder in telling the stories. Spider-Man, after all, has always been nothing if not "amazing." And, on one hand, the characters that support and help define Parker -- his Uncle Ben, his doting Aunt May, his best friend, Harry, and cheapskate newspaper publisher J. Jonah Jameson -- have remained basically true to their comic origins. On the other hand, the characters central to the action thus far -- the web-slinger's super villain antagonists the Green Goblin and Dr. Octopus, and Parker's beloved, redheaded girl-next-door, Mary Jane Watson -- are remarkably different from the comic book originals. Added into the mix are minor characters such as astronaut John Jameson (publisher J. Jonah's son), Betty Brant (J. Jonah's secretary) and Dr. Curt Conners (one of Parker's professors). By the end of the second film, none of them are developed, but their presence drops some enticing hints about where the next film(s) might be headed. (Raimi and key cast members are under contract to make Spider-Man 3, slated for May, 2007 release).

While not all of the changes have been for the better, and Mary Jane has not fared well in her translation to screen (the work of Zisken, the Spidey-philes grumble), the filmmakers deserve credit for keeping 42 years of Spider-Man readers on their toes and more than satisfied with the unexpected plot twists. But, here at Wireless, that won't stop us from allowing our inner geeks to dig around through the web-slinger's comic origins to see how the movies stack up, while offering up speculation about laboratory accidents and other perils that may (or may not) lie ahead in Peter Parker's world.

The Spider-Man Story 
To those who haven't seen the films (and there might still be a few of 
you out there), apologies in advance for giving anything away. 
Brilliant but socially inept high school science geek, Peter Parker, is bit by 
a genetically-altered spider (in 1963, the spider was radioactive), and 
the powers of the spider are passed on to Parker. He now has amazing 
quickness and agility, strength 15-times that of the average person, the 
ability to stick to walls and a tingling spider-sense that warns him of 
impending danger. Parker himself is still the kid who was orphaned as a 
child after the death of his parents (a page out of the Batman story) 
and raised by his Aunt May and Uncle Ben in a cramped but cozy middle 
class New York neighborhood (a big comicland departure from the shadowy, 
Citizen Kane-like solitude of Batman's Wayne Manor). He still has to do 
his homework, take out the garbage, face high school bullies like Flash 
Thompson and find unblinking bewilderment in his girl troubles. 

Parker/Spider-Man tries his hand at pro wrestling for cash, but tragedy 
soon strikes. His Uncle Ben is murdered by a thief-on-the-run in a 
confrontation that Spider-Man could have prevented. Parker learns the 
lesson that "with great power comes great responsibility" and vows to use 
his spider powers to fight crime. Meanwhile, his personal life remains 
chronically and comically troubled, as compelling to readers and 
filmgoers as the web-slinger's battles with the rogue's gallery (usually the 
spawn of mad science run amok) Marvel threw at the reader from month to 
month. In "Spider-Man", Marvel Films gives us Green Goblin Norman 
Osborn, who happens to be the father of Parker's best friend, Harry.

By the time we catch up to Parker in the second film, he is enrolled in 
college and having a terrible time balancing his schoolwork and 
part-time jobs with his super-hero moonlighting. Parker doesn't dangle around 
spinning webs in a spider cave beneath a mansion when crime is slow -- 
he delivers pizzas and falls asleep in class. The plumbing in his 
tenement is shoddy, his landlord is after him for the back rent, and, it 
seems, every time he has something important to do in his personal life, 
police sirens interrupt and the web-slinger goes into action. His main 
source of income since high school has been his trusty scam of taking 
news photos of himself as Spider-Man, and even that is thwarted by the 
unabashedly unethical whims of cigar-chomping publisher J. Jonah Jameson, 
who is out to prove that Spider-man is a masked menace. If there is one 
aspect of the films universally agreed upon, it is that actor David 
White's "peerless publisher" steals every scene he's in.

Yet, for all the light-hearted takes on Parker's situation, the emotion 
of the film is an unwavering look at a heart in complete turmoil. He's 
losing the red-head-girl-next-door, Mary Jane, whom he can't be with 
because "Spider-Man will always have enemies." His Uncle Ben is dead and 
the wall-crawler is indirectly responsible. His beloved Aunt May is 
still grieving for her lost husband, and she's in the process of losing 
her house. His best friend, Harry, is an alcoholic mess who wants to 
avenge his father's fate by killing Spider-Man.

The comic was never easy on our hero Peter, but it never seemed so 
traumatic all at once -- or maybe it was and we just didn't notice, what 
with the Green Goblin, the Vulture, the Lizard, Doc Ock, the Rhino, the 
Sandman and the Kingpin adding a little excitement to the web-spinner's 
crime-fighting routine. "Spider-Man 2" delivers a kicker familiar to 
readers of the early comics: What if, the filmmakers ask, Spider-Man 
simply decides he doesn't want to be Spider-Man anymore? What if Spider-Man 
is finished?

We know how Parker will eventually respond. Dr. Octopus is on a rampage 
and the Fantastic Four are nowhere to be found in Parker's New York. 
But if the first Spider-Man was any lesson, the comic legend is only the 
inspiration for the story, not the blueprint.

	SPIDER MAN
	Spinning Peter Parker's Web Marvel Films Meets the Origins of Spider-Man by John-david Morgan

	Scientists go mad, criminal mastermind super villains are born, the super hero's resolve is tested and a college-aged Charlie Brown wins the heart of his little redheaded girl. Welcome to the New York City of Peter Parker and Spider-Man, where everyone and everything seems to be falling apart and having spider powers only complicates matters. Marvel Comics proved long ago that the premise at the core of "The Amazing Spider-Man" was grand enough to take its place as a lasting modern fairy tale. Marvel Films and director Sam Raimi have proved it again on the big screen, far above and beyond even the wildest of expectations. "Spider-Man" and "Spider-Man 2" have raked in an astonishing $1.5-billion-and-climbing in worldwide box office revenues, with "Spider-Man 2" reaching the $300 million U.S. gross faster than any film in history. The kids of the Harry Potter generation, like their Gen-X parents who watched the cartoon wall-crawler after school in the 1970s, are hooked. The secret, as web-head faithful have known all along, lies in the timeless character archetype of Peter Parker, made of the same sort of magic that created Jack from "Jack and the Beanstalk" (think spider-powers instead of magic beans), Charlie Brown and, yes, later on, Harry Potter. In creating Parker in the early 1960s, Marvel's Stan Lee and Steve Ditko made a bold departure from the prevailing Superman and Batman super hero formulae of the day. Parker/Spider-Man was the anti-super hero of super heroes, a less-than-ordinary, nerdy every-man who could never seem to catch a lucky break. As "The Amazing Spider-Man" evolved, the comic broke all the rules -- even the Comics Code -- becoming the Marvel cornerstone, trademark and arguably the most popular super hero comic book in history. None of this is lost on Marvel Films producers Avi Arad and, in particular, Laura Zisken (her previous credits include "As Good As It Gets" and "Pretty Woman"). Together with Raimi, they have preserved the heart of the Peter Parker/Spider-Man story with a near religious zeal; their Peter Parker is instantly recognizable as Peter Parker. In both films, the character's Charlie Brown qualities are amplified, and actor Tobey Maguire is near perfect in the role, playing Parker with the dazed humility of one who knows that Lucy will yank life's football away just as he is about to kick it. There is much in the Spider-Man films, however, that has not leapt from the pages of the comics, beginning with Parker's movie ability to shoot webs organically (what happened to the mechanical wrist web-shooters and the web cartridges Spidey wore in his belt?). The overall effect of the liberties taken by Raimi and Co. has been an unpredictability that is, surprisingly, one of the great pleasures of the films. It's also a rare success in the book-to-film or comic-to-film genres, where it can be inconceivable to alter a classic story line ("The Lord of the Rings" was ever-faithful to the books) and even the slightest changes to a character can lead to fanboy (and girl) revolt (Halle Berry's "Catwoman" was dead on arrival). Raimi has gotten away with it because he never loses his childlike sense of awe and wonder in telling the stories. Spider-Man, after all, has always been nothing if not "amazing." And, on one hand, the characters that support and help define Parker -- his Uncle Ben, his doting Aunt May, his best friend, Harry, and cheapskate newspaper publisher J. Jonah Jameson -- have remained basically true to their comic origins. On the other hand, the characters central to the action thus far -- the web-slinger's super villain antagonists the Green Goblin and Dr. Octopus, and Parker's beloved, redheaded girl-next-door, Mary Jane Watson -- are remarkably different from the comic book originals. Added into the mix are minor characters such as astronaut John Jameson (publisher J. Jonah's son), Betty Brant (J. Jonah's secretary) and Dr. Curt Conners (one of Parker's professors). By the end of the second film, none of them are developed, but their presence drops some enticing hints about where the next film(s) might be headed. (Raimi and key cast members are under contract to make Spider-Man 3, slated for May, 2007 release). While not all of the changes have been for the better, and Mary Jane has not fared well in her translation to screen (the work of Zisken, the Spidey-philes grumble), the filmmakers deserve credit for keeping 42 years of Spider-Man readers on their toes and more than satisfied with the unexpected plot twists. But, here at Wireless, that won't stop us from allowing our inner geeks to dig around through the web-slinger's comic origins to see how the movies stack up, while offering up speculation about laboratory accidents and other perils that may (or may not) lie ahead in Peter Parker's world. The Spider-Man Story To those who haven't seen the films (and there might still be a few of you out there), apologies in advance for giving anything away. Brilliant but socially inept high school science geek, Peter Parker, is bit by a genetically-altered spider (in 1963, the spider was radioactive), and the powers of the spider are passed on to Parker. He now has amazing quickness and agility, strength 15-times that of the average person, the ability to stick to walls and a tingling spider-sense that warns him of impending danger. Parker himself is still the kid who was orphaned as a child after the death of his parents (a page out of the Batman story) and raised by his Aunt May and Uncle Ben in a cramped but cozy middle class New York neighborhood (a big comicland departure from the shadowy, Citizen Kane-like solitude of Batman's Wayne Manor). He still has to do his homework, take out the garbage, face high school bullies like Flash Thompson and find unblinking bewilderment in his girl troubles. Parker/Spider-Man tries his hand at pro wrestling for cash, but tragedy soon strikes. His Uncle Ben is murdered by a thief-on-the-run in a confrontation that Spider-Man could have prevented. Parker learns the lesson that "with great power comes great responsibility" and vows to use his spider powers to fight crime. Meanwhile, his personal life remains chronically and comically troubled, as compelling to readers and filmgoers as the web-slinger's battles with the rogue's gallery (usually the spawn of mad science run amok) Marvel threw at the reader from month to month. In "Spider-Man", Marvel Films gives us Green Goblin Norman Osborn, who happens to be the father of Parker's best friend, Harry. By the time we catch up to Parker in the second film, he is enrolled in college and having a terrible time balancing his schoolwork and part-time jobs with his super-hero moonlighting. Parker doesn't dangle around spinning webs in a spider cave beneath a mansion when crime is slow -- he delivers pizzas and falls asleep in class. The plumbing in his tenement is shoddy, his landlord is after him for the back rent, and, it seems, every time he has something important to do in his personal life, police sirens interrupt and the web-slinger goes into action. His main source of income since high school has been his trusty scam of taking news photos of himself as Spider-Man, and even that is thwarted by the unabashedly unethical whims of cigar-chomping publisher J. Jonah Jameson, who is out to prove that Spider-man is a masked menace. If there is one aspect of the films universally agreed upon, it is that actor David White's "peerless publisher" steals every scene he's in. Yet, for all the light-hearted takes on Parker's situation, the emotion of the film is an unwavering look at a heart in complete turmoil. He's losing the red-head-girl-next-door, Mary Jane, whom he can't be with because "Spider-Man will always have enemies." His Uncle Ben is dead and the wall-crawler is indirectly responsible. His beloved Aunt May is still grieving for her lost husband, and she's in the process of losing her house. His best friend, Harry, is an alcoholic mess who wants to avenge his father's fate by killing Spider-Man. The comic was never easy on our hero Peter, but it never seemed so traumatic all at once -- or maybe it was and we just didn't notice, what with the Green Goblin, the Vulture, the Lizard, Doc Ock, the Rhino, the Sandman and the Kingpin adding a little excitement to the web-spinner's crime-fighting routine. "Spider-Man 2" delivers a kicker familiar to readers of the early comics: What if, the filmmakers ask, Spider-Man simply decides he doesn't want to be Spider-Man anymore? What if Spider-Man is finished? We know how Parker will eventually respond. Dr. Octopus is on a rampage and the Fantastic Four are nowhere to be found in Parker's New York. But if the first Spider-Man was any lesson, the comic legend is only the inspiration for the story, not the blueprint.