Off My Mind: Is Spider-Man Building Too Many Gadgets?

@g_man: Well this a reason you should know that if someone uses an EMP then if his gadgets get scrambled then there is one thing he can do make them again or improved them by making and EMP disruptor which I believe one superhero used it against Megatron I believe so truth is that Spider-Man is considered a street level character and he is not Superman that he has a huge variety of powers he can use to either melt,Freeze or trap him by using his mind.Spider-Man can sure fight against some villains without the gadgets that is true but there are few villains such as Electro,Sandman and Hydro-Man that have other traits of power which Spider-Man can't handle without gadgets.Recently there are villains that need to be defeated by gadgets for Spider-Man cause he just punch Electro if he is in his electrical form wearing his regular normal suit without any gadgets except for web shooters cause he is gonna get zapped and damaged severely or he could get killed cause he is not immmortal.The Goblins are expert in harming Spider-Man cause they are their counter part because they know his weakness if he does not use his gadgets like he could not handle the sonic scream or get kidnapped by gassing him with sleep gas which goblins can use.

Spider man is just becoming more of a logical character. Honestly it would make sense to use a satchel and bombs and a flying vehicle to fight that villain. It is tech available for him to use that makes it easier to do something and more efeciently I might add. Now would this be an acceptable norm? No, but it makes sense that it was kinda a fast half assed preparation he made since he just starts to get used to use vilain oriented weaponry profiently for once and had not made it apart of his norm yet. I mean you've never had to like idk do something impromptu real fast but had enough time to analyze options. That's what spider-man did. Oh and he is not as weak as you guys keep on mentioning. Statistically he is stronger physically than captain America and iron man. Now that could change since captain America's strength has had variation per writer but still. I mean in the what if where spider-man had been recruited by weapon x he was actually more dangerous and effective than wolverine. He also has literally pierced a human heart with his fist in another what if where Mary Jane had died at the end of civil war and he totally just beat the crap of iron man and went up to king pin and kalemarred his fat ass. Oh and he nicked a dudes jaw clean off in superior spider-mans first part with doc in spidey's body and he has to fight an average mugger. Otto obviously did t have the restraint Peter had and totally just nicked the dudes jaw off like it flew off. Also spidey has fought the hulk and came out victorious actually. Sure he got beaten up for literally like 2 weeks in a row off recurrent fights with hulk. But then he got a little residual gamma radiation off hulk that was temporary and just got buff w ought to kick the hulks ass. That's all I have to say.

as long as remains realistic (on a comic level) i like it

This is what we call "character development". Spidey since his creation has always been one of the smartest guys around but without enough resources to use in his favor. Now, we have a writer that developed his character by fulfilling his dream and becoming a scientist and as a result, he gets the chance to build whatever it is needed to face his foes. This is what makes more sense for him right now.

Also, let's not forget that this is how Stan Lee portrayed him since he created the character. Most of the time, spidey would rely to some kind of gadget or device to beat most of his opponents, or generally he mostly used his brain than his powers. Dan, now has just took it to the next level. Not just his intellect but his powers as well. With the training he had, he can now use his powers to an even greater level, and with his new job, he can use his intellect to make better gadgets than he used to do. And as i said, this is what we called, character development!!

:))

Spider-man has ALWAYS depended on gadgets, always. The only difference now is that Spider-man has a lot more equipment and budget now that he works at Horizon Labs. Spider-man's capability of building tech didn't change, just his budget.

I've always thought Peter should have been inventing new things. When Ben Reilly came back and invented Impact Webbing and his Stingers I really hoped they were going to use that to inspire Pete to create new things. That being said though...their does need to be a balance between Peter not using his brain and Peter creating new devices that only get used once and then totally forgotten about. 

I don't think he has too many. As long as he uses them to an extent I'm fine. He's making all these gadgets but he doesn't necessarily have to use them. It's just that now he knows that if a threat pops up that he can't immediately handle he has several new weapons to combat that threat that are all ready and waiting to be used.

I am sick and tired of Spider-Man constantly building / assembling / designing / sowing a new suit with every new major event. His recent creation from that to the end and whatever crap. He looks even more insane. I don't mind spider-man having a few gimmicks but he needs to stick to a design and recognizable trade of gimmicks for awhile. I don't mind Marvel modernizing their entire line of heroes with new outfits but it should be reminiscent of what the characters were and are and it should the modern age of costume designing.

He is a scientist so he is always working on new gadgets and I think spidey grows as do his foes

I like how he's becoming Batman. Spider-Man will finish fights in 10 seconds, yeah I'd like to see what he creates when he battles Galactus. I like how he's got all these gadgets now, steps up his game

I like his versatility.

Peter is finally using his genius to better his crime fighting and civilian life. The same with the suits, sometimes you need something special. His villains have a wide variety of abilities, Peter needs to be adaptable.

Good article.

@wrestlgurl: I agree. Especially the glider he no longer does his iconic web sling through the city. I like the bombs and the plans but the suits just take away from his powers and make them almost unnecessary.

Whats too many?....He's an inventive genius. This is long overdue.

No, fricken Tony Stark has too many gadgets, it's ridiculous.

Why are people so against this? Spider-Man's always used gadgets, whether it was his trackers or his web shooters, one of the things that i have always admired about spidey is that he takes the safety of the people more important than stopping evil, so it makes sense that he would use whatever edge he could take. Not to mention that his long-time enemies would have learned his tricks by now at least a little, so mixing up his technique would keep him unpredictable

@DocFatalis: isn't that jeep, in the Old man Logan story???

He become Marvel's Batman!!!

They are the sam gadgets Cryo cpsules,smoke bombs,special suits (but Batman created there many years ago)

I personally believe that there can never be too may gadgets just because it's confusing to the audience. As long as the human mind continues to develop and as long as his enemies are getting stronger I see no problem.

@Watcherg6 said:

@DocFatalis: Why doesn't he have his own cave? and why doesn't he sell these things and get rich?

He does have a "cave" of sorts, a big space in Horizon Labs where he stores his tech and invents new tech.

He is far better off financially due to his paycheck from Horizon, whom he gives the inventions too.

@DocFatalis: Why doesn't he have his own cave? and why doesn't he sell these things and get rich?

I don't think Spidey's career was "fine" befor the gadgets. How many time has he been broken, burned, slashed, beaten up, and otherwise given a hard time?

I personally love that he's been given a chance to flex his intellectual muscles lately. He's been always able to keep up with the science babble of Reed, Stark, Pym, and the gang; it's nice to see that he can be a science guy too. :)

I love it!

I like the fact he builds gadgets. Its pretty sweet.

I always enjoyed the parts of the comic and tv show where spidey would have to customize his webs or some gadget for this reason or the next. It shouldn't be a constant thing but it's fun to see occasionally.

What are they doing to my Spider-Man??? Yeah, I'm not feeling the whole Spider-Green Goblin-Mr. Fantastic-Man thing.

I don't mind him using gadgets to an extent. It should not detract from, but enhance his powers and abilities. I'm hoping the gadgets don't become a crutch, more like a finger splint.

The only problem this creates in my opinion, is that in the future if he struggles with any of these villains or circumstances, everyone will immediately cry foul and want to know why he didn't use the gadget. If he gets shot, "Why wasn't he wearing his bullet-proof suit?" If he struggles with Hydro-man "Why didn't he use his freezing cubes?"

I am however keen on the concept of Peter creating a sort of super-suit for special occasions, like what he's worn in so many alternate reality stories. And I guess if he has the resources to make this stuff now, it makes sense. It was kind of annoying how rarely his intellect was utilized.

That Spider-glider is just all kinds of terrible though.

Nah I love that he is finally developing as an inventor. It was stressed pretty early on when Stan was writing the first issues (like to defeat Vulture and Lizard), but at some point he just relied on what he already had. He's still no Reed Richards, but this is great.

@SupremeHyperion said:

I really hope the comic doesn't go the way of those really bad action figures like 'Water Ninja combat Spidey' or 'Fire fight flame suit spidey' or 'anti-allergy dog walking spidey'

What makes spidey so col is that he is pretty simplistic. his greatest weapon is his wit and his ability to figure things out on the fly. with the gadgets it kind of takes away from the spidey I love who saves himself and other in the last second with some sort of quick decision. I don't need another batman.

If Spidey was stuck in a glass jar, it would be boring as hell. This is why I liked that he moved away from being a newspaper photographer because it never showcased his intelligence. The one that I want to see is the expansion of his female superhero relationship beyond The Black Cat.

I think it's nice they're showing off his smarts. Believe it or not, I know some people who still don't know he's a smart guy.

I really hope the comic doesn't go the way of those really bad action figures like 'Water Ninja combat Spidey' or 'Fire fight flame suit spidey' or 'anti-allergy dog walking spidey'

What makes spidey so col is that he is pretty simplistic. his greatest weapon is his wit and his ability to figure things out on the fly. with the gadgets it kind of takes away from the spidey I love who saves himself and other in the last second with some sort of quick decision. I don't need another batman.

Well, humans don't need computers, electricity, cars, planes, comics, video games, and yadda yadda, not really. We did okay without them for thousands of years, so lets all throw off the shackles of unnecessity. Whose with me?!?! No one!?! I figured as much. Instead of maybe just practicing discretion and balance to not become to reliant or dependent on things at the expense of our other abilities. So as long as Spiderman keeps balanced and aware, then better to challenge himself than stay complacent. The problem with fiction, coms with consistency and fans abilities to understand and enjoy.  

His utter lack of gadgets never jived with his perceived intellect. If he's near the Doom/Richards/Banner/Stark level, then why didn't he have more to begin with?

@k4tzm4n said:

Interesting, it's right in our face the whole time but I never really took a moment to think about this. I guess Spider-Man using his brains and tech was always considered a heavy part of the character to me. Acid webbing to take down Rhino, a device to disrupt Vulture's suit, luring Lizard into the cold, so on and so on. So when Parker busted into the page with a glider, I didn't even do a double take. Shame on me! But honestly, I'm happy to see Parker has finally hit it "big time." He's almost always been down on his luck, so it's nice to see he's finally financially stable and has the means to create anything and everything his brain comes up with. I'm thrilled to see this upgraded armor version of Pete take on the Sinister Six (especially since it'll be fun to use in the battles forum!). It'll be a blast to see what he'll deploy to counter each of his enemies, however, I do fear that this could take away the challenge of his threats in the long-run. I guess we should be happy he doesn't have a "Spidey belt" where he can pack a counter for every enemy.

Agreed.

@CATPANEXE said:

Spider-man's built gadgets and created formula's, new webbing, costume implements, ect, since his creation to aid him in solving problems, defeating foes, ect. The fact that one writer after the next, and even the same writer on the same run constantly ignore all of this represents one of the largest continuity holes for his character. If it's absent mindedness in mass, how hard is it for the persons who come up with the Handbook bio's to make a list of this stuff for writers to use really. If it's intentional to add more danger to a story (like Spider-man having to avoid touching Electro for example, despite having already devised web fluid to make contact and insulate himself with, and other methods each and everytime), then it's just lazy as hell writing and insulting to the reader. The fact that Peter is in yet another new lab environment currently doesn't actually mean he's doing the hard science work any more than he ever has, nor than he should be. Slott's apparently just a little more open to the idea of embracing that in his run and challenging himself to have to get more creative and write it in, and not insult the readers IQ.

- Marvel should have an internal wiki with pretty much every important detail on all their characters as reference for writers and editors.

- I agree that expecting someone to keep to memory every gadget Spider Man has made, every ability of the Iron Man armor, and every invention of Reed Richards is ridiculous.

- I like the direction of showing Peter's intelligence, but the rate of new gadgets is too much, too fast.

Spider-man's built gadgets and created formula's, new webbing, costume implements, ect, since his creation to aid him in solving problems, defeating foes, ect. The fact that one writer after the next, and even the same writer on the same run constantly ignore all of this represents one of the largest continuity holes for his character. If it's absent mindedness in mass, how hard is it for the persons who come up with the Handbook bio's to make a list of this stuff for writers to use really. If it's intentional to add more danger to a story (like Spider-man having to avoid touching Electro for example, despite having already devised web fluid to make contact and insulate himself with, and other methods each and everytime), then it's just lazy as hell writing and insulting to the reader. The fact that Peter is in yet another new lab environment currently doesn't actually mean he's doing the hard science work any more than he ever has, nor than he should be. Slott's apparently just a little more open to the idea of embracing that in his run and challenging himself to have to get more creative and write it in, and not insult the readers IQ.

I really like the idea of Spidey using more gadgets. Though he never really needed them before that doesn't mean he wouldn't have benefited from them.

@War Killer said:

One thing many writers seem to forget a lot when writing Spider-Man is to remind people that Peter is a genius. I think the fact that writers try to play him as the character that "anyone" can relate to with all of his personal day-to-day issues like with his job, family, friends, love life, etc. that they forget that he's up there in terms of brain power with the likes of Reed Richards, Hank Pym, and Tony Stark. That's one of the little details most origins in cartoons and in the original movie trilogy neglected in the fact that before he was bitten and given spider-powers, he was a really smart kid and, if not for becoming Spider-Man, would most likely have become an inventor of shorts or some kind of scientist. That's one of the reasons I love Spidey having web-shooters instead of the organic webbing. It's the easiest way to show that underneath the mask there's a genius level intellect and is honestly the main reason Spidey has been able to beat his villains before, even the likes of Doc Ock and Norman Osborn, because he was able to think up a plan on the spot. I personally love how he's using so many gadgets, and I could actually see him becoming "too" dependent on them turning into a interesting storyline in the future if they choose to go that route. But I do love how Peter's taken advantage of his new job and is now planning ahead on how to take down his villains quicker and with less effort. It's a great way to show of his big brain and to be honest brings a new feel to Spider-Man's world.

I like this answer.

@cracker_jack:

He has Uatu LOL

@Deadcool: Also, Batman has no powers, beides his intellect, his training and his badassery.

Does he have a spider-mobile and a 10 yr old sidekick yet?

@avidwriter said:

So he wants to be more like Batman?

That is correct.

@cracker_jack said:

He should just change his name to Spider-Bat.

co-signed.

@Deadcool said:

@sethysquare said:

Dan Slott is ruining Spiderman.

I think that is quite the opposite...

agree to disagree then.

with technology growing, spidey should adapt, and thats what he's doing.

One thing many writers seem to forget a lot when writing Spider-Man is to remind people that Peter is a genius. I think the fact that writers try to play him as the character that "anyone" can relate to with all of his personal day-to-day issues like with his job, family, friends, love life, etc. that they forget that he's up there in terms of brain power with the likes of Reed Richards, Hank Pym, and Tony Stark. That's one of the little details most origins in cartoons and in the original movie trilogy neglected in the fact that before he was bitten and given spider-powers, he was a really smart kid and, if not for becoming Spider-Man, would most likely have become an inventor of shorts or some kind of scientist.
 
That's one of the reasons I love Spidey having web-shooters instead of the organic webbing. It's the easiest way to show that underneath the mask there's a genius level intellect and is honestly the main reason Spidey has been able to beat his villains before, even the likes of Doc Ock and Norman Osborn, because he was able to think up a plan on the spot.
 
I personally love how he's using so many gadgets, and I could actually see him becoming "too" dependent on them turning into a interesting storyline in the future if they choose to go that route. But I do love how Peter's taken advantage of his new job and is now planning ahead on how to take down his villains quicker and with less effort. It's a great way to show of his big brain and to be honest brings a new feel to Spider-Man's world.

I'm digging it so far. The one obvious difference between Spidey's gadgets and Iron Man's or Batman's is that if his awesome new suits are smashed up too badly or lost he can't replace them. He's not independently wealthy so the shiny new toys he makes have to be justified as working on a new invention. That keeps his inventory from getting too deep and if any of his inventions become a crutch that take away from the story the writer can just take them away.

I  think the gadgets are needed for spider-man to keep going. Otherwise it just be the same shit over and over.

@HeavyDuty32 said:

How long til he make Spidey-Shark Repellant?

Never this.

So he wants to be more like Batman?