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Dan Avenell
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 06 March 2008
Posts: 1038
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| Posted: 19 January 2011 at 10:18am | IP Logged | 1
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Over at AICN they have the news the new movie will feature mechanical web-shooters. The debate over which is best, or makes more 'sense' rolls on, but the point that has been made is that if Peter Parker could design the web-fluid, as well as being unlikely or as Peter David there puts it (who claims he came up with the biological web-shooter idea in the comics), one MacGuffin too far, the logical thing for Peter Parker to do would be to sell his miracle web-fluid and get rich.
Of course this wouldn't be right for the character, but would it be so easy? I purport that given the origin story, Parker has already invented his webbing and entered showbiz (presumably to get rich the quick and easy way, not thinking yet of whether he could sell his fluid formula, or want to) before Uncle Ben gets killed and he decides to fight crime. Soon after, in the comics, he does try and sell the web-formula and is told that no one wants a temporary glue. Well, maybe that doesn't work - as Peter David says, wouldn't the police be interested in a non-lethal criminal capturing web-gun?
BUT, here's my point. if Parker tries to sell or patent the web-fluid, all it takes is for the patent guy or someone on the business side to say 'Hey, this stuff's like what that the Daily Bugle says that masked menace Spider-Man uses, I'm calling the cops.'
Cue the rebuttal that Parker could say 'you can't prove anything.' Hmmm, still seems too risky to me, but people knowing he sells all the pictures of Spider-Man to The Bugle is a bit risky too.
So what do you think? Could or should Peter Parker try and make money from his web-fluid? Does it, as some claim, make him a doofus that he can invent this amazing gadget and not profit from it (to pay for Aunt May's medicine for example). Most comic-book characters could profit from their powers, especially the dumb villains who use them to rob banks etc - that's a genre thing. But some super-heroes supposedly do, like Reed Richards or Tony Stark, and supposedly the world is slightly better off because of it. A police force armed with web-guns would make moral sense right?
My conclusion is one that has been mentioned here - it was possibly a mistake to ever age Peter Parker. If he's eternally 17 then we can imagine that one day he will be a rich and successful scientist, but not yet. If he's 25ish and still working for peanuts, he's missed a lot of chances and maybe smart ol' Pete could have figured out a way to make his webbing - or maybe his powers - make him wealthy. What do you reckon?
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Paul Greer
Byrne Robotics Security
Joined: 18 August 2004
Posts: 14191
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| Posted: 19 January 2011 at 10:27am | IP Logged | 2
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Sell his web fliud? Sure, if you want to end the series after two or three issues. Peter David should be smarter than that. It's a conceit of the genre to not allow Peter to profit from his genuis. He is to remain a tortured soul while at the same time protecting society. That is what makes him a hero. Anyone who thinks him a fool shouldn't be reading comics let alone writing them.
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Michael Penn
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 12 April 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 12552
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| Posted: 19 January 2011 at 10:30am | IP Logged | 3
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Lee-Ditko "did" this already. Peter was in desperate need of money, tried to sell his web fluid, but was rejected because it wasn't permanent.
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Francesco Vanagolli
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 03 June 2005
Location: Italy
Posts: 3130
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| Posted: 19 January 2011 at 10:36am | IP Logged | 4
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Exactly, Michael (and I remembered that scene from CHAPTER ONE instead than from the original stories). Who could buy a "super glue" which doesn't endure?
And nobody could use it to swing like Spider-Man: just imagine the New York skyline filled by dozenz of potential Tarzans...
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Donald Miller
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 03 February 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 3601
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| Posted: 19 January 2011 at 10:39am | IP Logged | 5
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Excellent Answer Paul!
The thing is Peter is a genius...not just a science savy kid...a GENIUS...he does things we cannot...like create a web fluid that is stronger than steel yet dissolves in an hour. or a spider tracer that is spefically tuned to his Spider Sense.
He created it originally just to capitalize on his other powers and stick with a spider theme. He was then quickly drawn into a world of crimefighting after learning a truly tragic lesson...the fact that he never capitalizes on his invention is one of the things that make him a hero.
D-
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Joel Tesch
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 19 May 2006
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| Posted: 19 January 2011 at 10:43am | IP Logged | 6
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Jeez, talk about overthinking. I guess Stan and Steve got it wrong and Peter David got it right. Oh...except for the fact that Stan and Steve addressed that specifically (as others noted). "One MacGuffin too far"...please. Peter David's had one McMuffin too many is more like it.
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Francesco Vanagolli
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Location: Italy
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| Posted: 19 January 2011 at 10:49am | IP Logged | 7
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I liked when JB (him, again!) explained in CO and ASM that the web fluid was part of a study about polymers.
It makes sense that Peter, even before becoming Spider-Man, could work on his own science priojects.
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Jon Stafford
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Joined: 29 December 2010
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| Posted: 19 January 2011 at 10:58am | IP Logged | 8
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I'm not even sure if "MacGuffin" applies here. A MacGuffin is more often something that the characters are trying to obtain. The nature of the MacGuffin is irrelevant -- it's merely a device to drive the plot. The mysterious cases in the films Pulp Fiction and Ronin are good examples of MacGuffins.
My own interpretation of the web fluid has always been not simply that Peter Parker was a genius, but that his spider-like nature gave him the instinctive ability to make the stuff. As to whether he could make money with it? Yeah, in the real world almost certainly. But as has already been said, if the character was a millionaire it would kind of ruin the story.
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Dan Avenell
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 06 March 2008
Posts: 1038
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| Posted: 19 January 2011 at 11:01am | IP Logged | 9
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To be fair to Peter David, the context is why making the web-shooters organic for the movies is defensible amid plenty of people saying how dumb they are, and also that if Lee & Ditko had done it the organic route in the comics it wouldn't have presented the 'problem' that he is such a genius but can't sell his formula and solve his money worries. I think he understands that wouldn't be the way to write Spider-Man, and that the character of Parker is to never get an easy break.
I mentioned above that the comics had Parker unsuccessfully trying to sell the fluid, but the reason why he can't maybe isn't that logical. Maybe there are applications that a temporary dissolving glue would be ideal for, like emergency surgery or as mentioned, non-lethal web-guns for the police. I'm also wondering, hypothetically, if there are other ways that Peter Parker could exploit his powers for financial gain. Like he could use his Spider-Sense to win bar bets, I don't know...
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Anthony Warlow
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| Posted: 19 January 2011 at 11:07am | IP Logged | 10
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Reed Richards/Dr Doom/Dr Octopus/Tony Stark/"insert any genius character name here" has already stolen the patent on the web fluid and it's registered under their name. Spidey is actually in violation of a cease and desist order from the patent owner. Even more reason for the Bugle to go after Spidey as a criminal.
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John Byrne
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Joined: 11 May 2005
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| Posted: 19 January 2011 at 11:12am | IP Logged | 11
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There's no "defense" for making the webshooters organic. It just creates far more problems than it solves -- as Stan and Steve clearly recognized.
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Dan Avenell
Byrne Robotics Member
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| Posted: 19 January 2011 at 11:19am | IP Logged | 12
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I agree JB - particularly the oft-mentioned 'shouldn't the webbing come out of his butt?' Also mechanical web-shooters are cooler and Parker should be smart enough to invent them, otherwise anyone could do what he does.
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