Is the new Spider-man gay?
Marvel Comics recently killed off original Spider-man Peter Parker in their Ultimate Spider-Man series (an alternate reality spin-off of the Spider-man universe), and this week came the news that a biracial, possibly gay teen would be spinning the web in his place.
Miles Morales, a half-Hispanic half-Black teen, was revealed as the new Spider-man, and his mixed race and perceived sexual orientation has caused a mixed reaction.
Marvel editor-in-chief Axel Alonso said the new Spider-man’s race was not a publicity stunt, but rather a decision to reflect the diversity found in real-world America.
“This was a conscious decision. Here at Marvel, we pride ourselves on reflecting the real world in all its diversity,” he said.
“We think that readers will fall in love with Miles Morales the same way they fell in love with Peter Parker.”
It is believed that the artist responsible for Spider-man’s new image, Sarah Pichelli, was the first that let slip that he may also be gay.
“Maybe sooner or later a black or gay—or both—hero will be considered something absolutely normal,” she said.
Unfortunately, but not unexpectedly, there’s been some racist and homophobic backlash against Marvel’s decision.
Buzzfeed has a round-up of the more offensive social media reactions here.
The latest Spider-man reboot on screen hits cinemas next year with Andrew Garfield in the title role.
This is retarded, I loved the old spiderman, why did they have to kill him off? Couldnt they just say that something else happend and in alternate universe all this about the new spiderman occurred? Marvel just ruined my favorite superhero who i grew up watching <{3
Come on People,
First off, last time I checked, this is America and people can say what they feel. Just because Kema feels that a gay spiderman is uncool does not mean everyone does..Only MOST OF US! This is just another example of Hollywood and the Gay Rights groups putting pressure on the majority of Americans to except gays. I can’t watch a good T.V. show these days without having it thrown in my face. Not every comedy on T.V needs a gay in it, but thats what keeps happening. Sorry people, but I dont need to see it! If you want to be gay, be gay, but dont force me to watch it or try to force me to except it. I like working on cars, but I dont make you watch car shows on t.v. everynight. If you want a Gay super hero, Marvel should just make “Rainbow Man”! He shoots you with his rainbow ring and turns your clothing Pink! What a bunch of loosers..Get a life!
Ed: M, did you stop to think that perhaps the same is true in reverse? That gay people are tired of having str8 stereotypes rammed down their throat on TV? It’s a diverse world. No reason why we can’t all co-exist peacefully and respectfully.
5% does not represent those who haven’t “come out of the closet.”
That 5% only shows the 5% of gays who have “come out of the closet.”
[…] heard, Marvel recently introduced Miles Morales, the half-black, half-Hispanic (and possibly gay) Spiderman to replace the recently deceased Peter Parker in its latest incarnation of the […]
Garetz, is that a serious comment regarding evolution or are you having us on?
I believe being gay is a natural evolutionary response to overpopulation, you will notice as the world population has skyrocketed so has the % of the population being gay, and it will continue to increase. However lets be real, this is a cartoon/comic, it is not the real world, it is fantasy, why would fantasy reflect the real world at all ? It makes no sense that it should.
There must be more than 5% of gay people perchasing comics ( and/or looking to increase on that) or I doubt they’d change such an iconic figure. Though I think the target market is a lot older than when I was reading comics. Back then, i wasn’t thinking of such matters when i picked up a comic.
Personally i don’t enjoy any fantasy/sci-fi sexed up in either direction. Books, comics, movies etc etc and I found, as i grew older, i put down comics around the same time i started thinking about sex.
But i must say the news of SpiderMan being remade got me to google. :)
PS Kema( reading from top to bottom, i can’t see anything over-the-top in what you said ,maybe the way you used the percantage sign led all to think you hetro and anti-gay) But you really hit a nerve, I had no idea, comic fans were so thensative.;)
Kema – You’re an absolute idiot if you think that spiderman is for straight people, and for the record, there have been other gay superheroes before this, so it wouldnt make that big of a deal
its equal representation, just because there may be more straight people in the world, it doesnt mean that gay people have any less right for equal representation
asshole
Ahhh poor, poor “hetero” “Kema”. 5% has always been the figure that you breeders have always felt comfortable with. Would it actually shock you majority heteros to discover the ACTUAL truth?!? LMFAO!!
“less than 5% of the USA population is gay; how does making a superhero gay reflect the real world?”
Kema: what real world would you like to see reflected in Spidey, and using what criteria? If you want Spiderman to reflect the demographic groups currently in majority on a global scale he’d be a 27,7 year-old half Chinese half Indian Muslim.
Somehow, though, I think that if Spiderman were to reflect the “real world” Kema lives in, he’d just be 100% a-hole.
Kema:- isn’t it just a bit absurd talking about a Superhero reflecting the real world…none of us can fly, let alone leap from tall buildings in a single bound.
But seriously, I am sure we can all cope that one out of hundreds of Superheroes is gay. Xena Warrior Princess was a long time ago.
Gay spiders might not be marching in the streets for equality, and they might not listen to Julia Gillard when she tells them to look up lessons in the Bible, but they are deserving of the basic respect to be treated as any other spider!
Here is account from a spider expert.
“
I
observed these male spiders with their chelicera e
locked together (I did not witness the initial cou –
pling), one male with its fangs locked against the
dorsal apophysis of the other. The abdomen s
were paraxial, neither curled under . The only
movement observed was that of the palps of both
males. These were used alternately to “search”
the underside of the abdomen of the respective
partner for 30-210 s before switching to th e
alternate palp . This behavior continued for 1 7
minutes, although, because I did not observe the
initial encounter of the pair, the exact duratio n
of the interaction is unknown . After this time the
spiders disengaged naturally in a manner similar
to disengagement in normal inter-sexual encounters
in tetragnathids. Neither appeare d
harmed by the interaction .
The behavior observed was considered sexual
rather than aggressive .”
For information:
http://www.americanarachnology.org/JoA_free/JoA_v19_n3/JoA_v19_p229.pdf
Kema, your a douche
kema – on behalf of the rest of the ‘real world’ I’d like to congratulate you on your narrow minded view. You’ll be surprised to find that beyond the United States borders there are many other countries with actual people living in them; some of those people enjoy Spiderman and many of them are gay!
It’s called targeting a market kema.
Whatever the percentages, gay is topical and gets peoples attention.
Just look at how many straight people have been finding their way to this web site of late. :)
less than 5% of the USA population is gay; how does making a superhero gay reflect the real world?