Character Spotlight: Spider-Man Noir

Many realities exist as a matter of fact in comic books, no speculation necessary. You can have many versions of one person or idea in a variety of ways. Peter Parker is one such individual, there are many Spider-Men, even a Spiders-Man (many spiders who form one human-shaped body) and sometimes events require these Spider-folks to team up. One such Peter Parker is from an earlier time in history, around the 1930s. So what happens when a man can do whatever a spider can in the Great Depression? Let’s find out!

Peter Parker was raised by his Uncle Ben and Aunt May in New York City. By 1933, Uncle Ben had been murdered by The Goblin, a deadly mobster and his crew of Enforcers, comprised mostly of hitmen and former circus freaks. While out with Aunt May at a socialist rally, the Enforcers would come to put an end to Peter and May both, if not for the intervention of Daily Bugle Reporter, Ben Urich. Peter would begin studying under Urich to be an investigative reporter, this would set him on the case of an illegal sale of antiquities. One such antique was a totem of a spider-god, it was broken and Peter was bitten by a spider that came from within the shattered remains.

In a vision, Peter would meet a spider god who had chosen him as an avatar, to be his champion. When Peter awoke, he had powers of a spider, agility, strength, and he could shoot webbing out of his wrists. Realizing he could take the Goblin in now, he would arrive in a mask to take him away when he saw that Ben Urich was there, bribing the Goblin for drugs. Peter would leave in disgust and would go to confront Urich at his home later but would find Ben dead. Taking inspiration from his Uncle Ben’s World War I fighter pilot uniform, he would make a costume and begin a career as the Spider-Man.

Crime in New York City was on the rise with strange individuals appearing with powers. Peter made sure to make the Goblin and his Enforcers his number one targets and in turn this grabbed their attention. He would begin a romance with speakeasy owner and former girlfriend to Ben Urich, Felicia Hardy. He would kill the Vulture, one of the Enforcers and the killer of Uncle Ben, to rescue Aunt May. She would tell Peter he couldn’t keep killing the criminals he fought or it would destroy his humanity over time. When it came time to kill the Goblin, having defeated him in a fight, he wouldn’t have to as the last member of the Enforcers would kill the Goblin and himself, leaving a power vacuum from the Goblin’s reign of terror.

As time went on, Peter would see new threats coming to New York, the Crime Master was taking over the Goblin’s turf and working with Doctor Octavius who was testing on African Americans for the American Nazis. Peter would put a stop to this but not before Felicia Hardy was scarred by Crime Master for her involvement with Peter, his friend Robbie Robertson being lobotomized by Octavius due to his experiments, and the Crime Master murdered by Octavius. Peter would learn that he couldn’t save everyone and that even though he didn’t kill Octavius, his return to Nazi Germany as a wheelchair-using man, was a death sentence.

Peter would continue his career as Spider-Man as the Great Depression carried on until he was called upon by Spider-people from other realities seeking his help as much as to offer him protection from a threat to them all. In his time with his fellow Spiders, he would get injured and sent home to recover after rescuing two other Spiders. He would become a member of the Web Warriors team of Spider-folks who would work together beyond this dangerous time they were in to deal with other dangers to the multiverse. He would get called in again for other team working efforts for another threat to all Spiders and the multiverse but is killed in stopping a deadly threat to his team, once more taking a hit to save his fellow Spiders.

There you have it! Spider-Man Noir appeared in comics a decade ago and had a small presence ever since. He’s appeared in video games and on the small screen in animated form. He makes his big screen debut in another animated form but voiced by Nicolas Cage, teaming up with more Spiders, the guy can’t help but teaming up with his fellow Spider-friends. Where will he appear next? Who knows? See you next time!