8 Days of Superheroes that got Schooled – Part 8: SPIDER-MAN

8 Days of Superheroes that got Schooled – Part 8: SPIDER-MAN

Peter Martin finishes his 8-day article

Part One HERE – Part Two HERE – Part Three HERE – Part Four HERE – Part Five HERE – Part Six HERE – Part Seven HERE

In anticipation of Captain America: The First Avenger which opens today, July 22, we started to think about common themes that run through all superhero stories, including the ones that have been released this summer. And it seems to us that education is Priority #1. Superheroes must learn how to use their superpowers with extraordinary precision and control, or else they could do serious damage to themselves, to others, or even the entire planet. That applies even if they’re ordinary people who are gifted with extraordinary powers. So we’re counting down the top 8 moments when superheroes got schooled in the movies.

 

1. Spider-Man
Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) has always been the kid that everyone picks on, but then he gets bit by a spider, and his body transforms overnight. He exercises his new-found abilities, beating up abusive classmate Flash Thompson. He’s starting to feel cocksure about himself, and his putative parents, Uncle Ben (Cliff Robertson) and Aunt May (Rosemary Harris) notice the change. One evening, in the front seat of a car, Uncle Ben tries to reason with Peter, telling him that, while he may now have the power to beat up bullies like Flash Thompson, “with great power comes great responsibility.” Peter is not ready to be schooled in that moment, and lives to regret the insult he flings in his kindly uncle’s face. But the lesson sticks with him, shaping his future course as much as that bite from a radioactive spider.

Thanks for reading! Let us know if you think we missed one.

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