It's Time Marvel Embraces a Spider-Family

Peter Parker, aka Spider-Man, is one of the most recognizable and beloved characters in American fiction. From his relatable problems, upbeat attitude, incredible powers, and captivating storylines, Spider-Man has helped make Marvel Comics the worldwide brand it is today. With such an outstanding reputation, Marvel has capitalized on Spider-Man’s popularity by introducing numerous other Spider-themed superheroes and legacy characters. Indeed, from Miles Morales to Madame Web, Peter has no shortage of wall-crawling friends. Moreover, many of these new Spider-People have themselves become household names with spin-off comic series chronicling their amazing adventures. However, even though the primary 616-timeline features so many interesting Spider-People, and many of them having close relationships, Marvel has yet to take the next step in advancing the Spider-Man mythos: creating a Spider-Family.

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Now, when I say “Spider-Family,” I am not referring to Peter settling down and having a child with someone like Mary Jane. While many fans agree that it would be a welcome change from Marvel’s current status quo where Mary Jane and Peter never seem able to be together, the writers seem adamant that Peter will never have a stable love life. What I am suggesting, though, is that Marvel take a page out of DC’s handbook and create a superhero family like the Bat-Family or the Superman-Family. The idea of a Spider-Family has already proven to be a successful formula in the Spider-Verse movies, where several Spider-People come together as teammates and friends.

Marvel already has numerous Spider-People in the comics operating in New York City. Yet, they don’t interact with each other much outside of teaming up periodically to defeat city-wide or Multiversal threats. For the most part, across the various Spider-titles, the characters work alone. Compare this to the Bat Family, where Batman’s protegees and allies have each other’s back across various comic titles. Batman will appear in a Nightwing comic, Batgirl will appear in a Robin comic, and so on. And their interactions aren’t limited to crimefighting; the Bat-Family is consistently shown hanging out together, mentoring one another, and just having fun with each other outside of work. It’s this kind of dynamic that would be perfect for Peter and the other Spider-people – and would also offer so much untapped potential for character development, comedy, drama, and more interesting and complex relationships. If done right, it could elevate Spider-Man and the rest of his supporting cast to new heights of popularity and approval.

Marvel Has Everything it Needs to Make a Spider-Family Happen

Numerous characters would be perfect to band together to become the Spider-Family. As of now, aside from Peter, at least ten different webslingers are swinging around New York City. There’s Miles Morales, aka Spider-Man; Gwen Stacy, aka Ghost-Spider; Jessica Drew, aka Spider-Woman; Kaine Parker, aka Scarlet Spider; Cindy Moon, aka Silk; Julia Carpenter, aka Madame Web; Bailey Briggs, aka Spider-Boy; Anya Corazon, aka Araña; and Maka Akana, aka Spider-Girl. This list doesn’t even include the countless Spider-people from across the Multiverse that are fan favorites like Spider-Ham or Spider-Man 2099. To make it even more interesting, The Spider-Family wouldn’t necessarily have to be limited to those with just spider-based powers. Mary Jane, the current Venom, can also become a member and regularly fight crime alongside Peter, which could help mend their broken friendship. With so many popular Spider-people operating in New York, it’s wild that Marvel hasn’t already tried to create a Spider-Family.

The possibilities of an ongoing, tight-knit alliance of a Spider-Family are nearly limitless. On the one hand, they could combine their unique abilities. Just imagine Miles’ bioelectricity coming together with Julia’s precognition. Villains would not stand a chance! Similarly, instead of having these heroes only come together for major crossover events, let characters like Kaine appear and work alongside Gwen in her solo run, or have Peter more frequently team-up with Jessica in The Amazing Spider-Man series. On the other hand, akin to the Bat-Family, show members of the Spider-Family interacting with each other in new kinds of settings and situations unrelated to their superpower activities—hanging out, having fun outside of work, enjoying witty banter. This would have the added benefit of helping fans get to know the characters better, and much more personally.

With these kinds of more varied relationships, Marvel could explore the conflicting viewpoints and personalities within the Spider-Family as a major source of drama, while also highlighting moments when they rely on each other for guidance and emotional support. Marvel can even go a step further and have an ongoing comic series centered around the Spider-People fighting evil together as a surrogate family. With the multi-generational dynamic, conflicting personalities, and variety of spider-based abilities, such a team could be a tremendous source of drama, comedy, and character growth.

A Spider-Family Would Fix the Biggest Problem in Spider-Man Comics

The biggest problem with Spider-Man comics today is the stagnation of Peter Parker’s character, as Marvel’s writers have trapped Peter in a perpetual cycle of loneliness and suffering. Almost every modern Amazing Spider-Man story arc goes the same way. Parker will be miserably lonely, a villain will beat him to a bloody pulp, and then he’ll heal up and save the day (while still being miserably lonely), rinse and repeat. Yet, whenever Peter is at his lowest, there is rarely someone there to help and comfort him, except for Aunt May. In fact, quite the opposite: the Fantastic Four and Peter’s coworkers are quick to turn on him if things go south. It’s gotten so bad that now Peter looks to Norman Osborn, his former arch-nemesis, for comfort. However, given Marvel’s persistence in reverting to the status quo, no doubt it won’t be long until Norman reclaims the mantle of the Green Goblin and once again terrorizes Peter. Marvel consistently treats Peter like he is doomed to be forever alone, while ignoring his very real wall-crawling friends and loved ones who should be there to support him.

By creating a Spider-Family, Peter will not only have a strong support structure, but it will also allow Marvel to take his character into bold new directions. As portrayed in the Spider-Verse movies, Peter can serve as a mentor to younger Spider-people, such as Miles, Bailey, and Maka. Such a dynamic could supply heartfelt and comedic character interactions as Peter teaches the next generation of heroes. In addition, the Spider-People can learn from each other, becoming better heroes. Peter and Miles can have their own independent adventures with intermittent team-ups. Furthermore, having more interactions with webslingers his own age, like Jessica, Cindy, Kaine, and Julia can give Peter peers and friends he can talk to who relate to the struggles he faces as a vigilante. As time goes on, these Spider-People can become an extended surrogate family for Peter. In a universe where Peter is constantly beaten down and hated, what he needs more than anything is a found family that will be there to pick him back up.

In short, creating a Spider-Family would allow Marvel to end its cycle of abuse towards Peter and provide a powerful message about how family is more than just blood. Whenever any member is in danger, the rest of the Spider-Family would be there to help a fellow wall-crawler. Whether it’s through more frequent team-ups and hangouts or an all-new solo series, a Spider-Family is what Marvel needs to take the Spider-Man comic franchise to the next level.

Do you think Marvel needs a Spider-Family? Let us know in the comments.