Accidentally Depressing Spider-Man Greeting Card Goes Viral

Marvel fans are so familiar with Spider-Man‘s tragic origin story, at this point, that they can’t even abide having to sit through it again. The more recent crop of new Spider-Man movies and comics have largely circumvented the slaying of Peter Parker’s Uncle Ben by a random robber – but apparently that memo hasn’t yet reached the greeting card industry. As you will see below, a Spider-Man greeting card has gone viral for the way it crassly invokes the tragedy of Uncle Ben’s death to create a some Spider-Man-themed humor in the name of selling a few cards.

Check out this (hilarious? Twisted?) Spider-Man greeting card that could be yours!

What’s twisted about this product is that it is a greeting card meant to be a gift for an uncle from his nephew. Given the context of the Spider-Man origin story, it’s legitimately hard to interpret the card’s caption, “Heads Up, Uncle!” Is it meant to be a cutesy signaling to an uncle that he’s being acknowledged by his nephew? Because it could just as easily be given a more cynical spin, and interpreted as a kid sending a not-so-beloved uncle that he wants him to die!

The nice little Spider-Man artwork makes this card ultimately lean closer to safe side of being an attempt at cuteness. Clearly the amount of thought put into it only went so far as to reason that Spider-Man is a popular character with kids, and that Spider-Man is a character who has a beloved uncle. This case study actually raises an intriguing point: just how aware are kids when it comes to the darker portion of Spider-Man’s origin? Like do they recognize the deep-seeded pain and loss that Peter Parker has in his life, and how that hole inside him motivates him to do the heroic things he does? Or is it more of just a cursory knowledge of the hero? Because this card suggests it’s the latter.

In any event: if you Marvel fanboys out there have any uncles you want to give a sly middle-finger to, this card seems pretty useful.

Upcoming Marvel Studios projects include Black Widow on May 1, 2020, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier in Fall 2020, The Eternals on November 6, 2020, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings on February 12, 2021, Loki in Spring 2021, WandaVision in Spring 2021, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness on May 7, 2021, What If…? in Summer 2021, Hawkeye in Fall 2021, and Thor: Love and Thunder on November 5, 2021, and Black Panther 2 on May 6, 2022. Marvel Studios Disney+ series without release dates include Ms. Marvel, Moon Knight, and She-Hulk.