Favorite Superhero - Reflective Essay #1

My favorite superhero among them all is Spider-man. There are many qualities that Spider-man possesses that hold my interests and make him number one on my list of superheroes. The most important aspect of Spider-man that makes him the hero he is is the fact that he is still “human-like” despite his powers. By this I mean that he still possess many flaws and imperfections as a character. There are various instances of conflict brought upon Spider-man through his lifetime that make him more relate-able because they often personify him. As humans, we are all individually unique through our imperfections. Spider-man himself exemplifies flaws and faults, and so the reader/viewer, including myself, can empathize with and relate to him. Another factor that contributes to my keen interest in Spider-man is the fact that his powers seem more unique than most superheroes. There are many heroes that simply possess great strength and agility, or other notably common powers, however Spider-man’s abilities go far beyond that norm and include all of the key qualities that arachnids hold. Spider-man remains unique due to the fact that virtually no other superhero can climb walls with his/her bare hands or shoot indestructible spider-webs from his/her palms. It gives him finesse readers and viewers need to remain interested. The final factor that gives Spider-man the number-one spot is the story behind how he became a superhero. Once obtaining his super powers, rather than striving to use his powers for good, Peter Parker did what a majority of the population would do in his situation: use it to his advantage. This further identifies Spider-man’s character as more than just a superhero, but a normal human being.

I remember as a kid I used to watch a Spider-man TV animated series. It was always entertaining to watch and kept me believing in real-life superheroes. On nights I watched the TV show, I would always lay down on the floor, look up at the ceiling, and imagine what it would be like to be crawling and walking around on the ceiling and walls. It kept my imagination busy for hours on end, and filled my childhood with good memories. As I grew older, I continued to enjoy Spider-man through different mediums, namely the movie trilogy with Tobey Maguire. The movies continued to portray the Spider-man I grew up with, and so my love for Spider-man stayed with me through the years.

Asking one’s self “What would Spider-man do?” is completely legitimate, even as an adult. Spider-man has faced many hardships and difficult times in his career, and so many adults can relate to those adversities he has overcome. Due to his many still-intact human-like qualities, many adults find themselves in the same metaphorical position as Spider-man when he faces a tough decision. Spider-man had many hardships when fighting his shadow-self, only to find it very difficult to overcome. The same thing can be said true for adults. Many people contain less-than-ideal qualities that make their person flawed. That trait and the ability to overcome it is what Spider-man represents; his iconic figure stands for the good in everyone and what they need to do to overcome their obstacles.