SPIDER-MAN: POWERS & WEAPONS Silver Age

The first web shooters created by Peter Parker were of a simple design.Which would be logical based upon his level of income at the time.Once he made money as a performer, he was able to greatly improve upon his designs both for web shooters and webbing. WEB-SHOOTER: The composition of the fluid itself is unknown, but has many of the same properties as Nylon. It is contained in web cartridges under high-pressure (300 psi), which can be inserted into the shooters. The shear-thinning webbing chemical is in an almost-solid state, until shearing force is applied to it using a tiny turbine pump vane. It is then turned into a liquid, driven through the turbine and out the spinneret. This "cold-draws" the webbing, giving it extraordinary strength. The tensile strength of the webbing is estimated at 120 pounds per square millimeter. Upon contact with the air, the webbing molecules knit themselves into long, flexible and adhesive fibers. The longer Spider-Man's webbing is exposed to the air, the less adhesive it becomes, although it stays very sticky. After two hours, the chemical bonds dissolve, and turns to powder. 2. SPINNERET: The wrist cuffs have palm triggers, made of spring steel, which require 65 pounds of pressure to activate. A small spinneret nozzle placed at the base of the wrist can adjust the diameter of the web from very thin strands to wide web sprays. They are made of high-tensile steel, and have a single hinge which allows them to be easily removed. The cuffs have several places where web cartridges can be inserted. Webs are an integral part of Spider-Man's fighting strategy, as well as serving as his mode of transportation, and a convenient method of detaining subdued criminals. Spider-Man can use his webbing for a wide variety of different things. He can make various objects including shields, concentrated webbing balls which he uses as projectiles, nets for catching falling people or debris, web-shields, web-balls, web-cocoons, web-gliders and anything else he can think of. Shortly after he gained his powers, Peter Parker set out to create a web of his own. He used his High School's science laboratory after hours and , having studied multipolymer compounds for a few years prior, he produced an adhesive fluid capable of imitating a spider's silk webbing. To complete the mechanism, he designed and built a pair of web-shooters that snapped on his wrists. Although he built the original pair, he now splits up his designs for the various parts and sends them to a number of different machine shops in New York. To maintain secrecy he later assembles all of the pieces himself. The pressure in Spider-Man's web cartridges is enough to propel a single strand of webbing up to 50 yards with a parabolic arc, but thicker strands and more complex web patterns can't reach nearly as far. According to the Spider-Man Encyclopedia the web shooters have a range of 15 yards upward and 20 yards horizontally. Each of his web shooters has ten cartridges, and each cartridge contains approximately 1,000 yards of single strand webbing. Normal webbing can easily withstand temperatures of 1,000 F. It melts but it has never caught on fire. Webbing has been created that can resist temperatures of up to 10,000 degrees F. This type of webbing can only be released in strands that are as thick as a clothesline. It's special cartridge can only hold 10 yards of webbing at a time. Large objects like a web trampoline tend to lose their structural integrity if they extend beyond a diameter of 20 feet. The thicker the webbing, the faster it evaporates. After many hours and years of training, Spider-Man has trained himself to use his webbing without conscious thought. The web shooters were designed so that they would not accidentally fire every time a fist was made. Resting in the palm of his hand, the trigger works just like a computer mouse. Spider-Man must tap twice in rapid succession to release his webbing.

Like having a personal radar unit. Even if trapped in complete darkness his spider sense would prevent him from bumping into anything. He can judge the proximity and severity of a threat by the intensity of his tingles. The nearer the danger, the stronger the tingling which originates in the back of his skull. It is not clairvoyance, he cannot tell the exact nature of the particular threat but it always lets him know when and which way to move in order to avoid danger. Thanks to this it is almost impossible to sneak up on him or ambush him. Not only can he sense the exact direction of an impending threat, but his spider sense triggers his reflexes to help him avoid injury. He often dodges blows before they are actually thrown.

AAs a part of his Spider strength, Spider man can leap approximately 3 stories straight up or the length of a highway. The 1994 Fleer Bagely card series states he can leap as much as five stories and the length of a city block.

The Spider Tracers first appeared in Amazing Spider-Man v.1,#11. They were used by Spider-Man to keep tabs on Doc Ock after he was released from prison. The original tracers were tuned to a battery operated radio transmitter frequency and used by Spidey like a GPS device. The device was not a regular part of Spider-Man's utility belt and had a short range of reception. Over a period of time, Peter Parker analyzed his spider sense ability and realized that it was capable of picking up certain frequencies. He developed the micro radio transmitters that are encased in the tiny spider to be in tune with one of those frequencies that he could pick up and discarded the transmitter( Amazing Spider-Man v.1,#37). The tracers are coated with adhesive material and each spider leg is aerodynamically designed for throwing.

The Spider Signal first appeared in Amazing Spider-Man v.1,#3. It was used by Spider-Man in his first fight and defeat at the hands of, well what do you know, Doc Ock again. The Spider signal is essentially a small lamp possibly halogen that Spider-Man has placed an image of his mask over. This signal is placed in the center of his belt. Both the Spider-Man Utility belt and Spider Signal have elements from Batman.

Of all the fictional characters ever written, very few have the ability to climb and stick to surfaces like Spider-Man. It is said that no one knows exactly how Spider-Man's clinging ability works. Peter himself has theorized that it is a form of bio-magnetic power that allows him to increase the attraction between his molecular structure and all other objects. Despite the surface texture, smooth or slippery, Spider-Man can attach himself to it. Unlike his spider sense, his clinging ability is totally a conscious effort. He does not (as seen in the movies), have things stick to him against his will. He must concentrate on sticking to something in order for it to adhere . Once Spider-Man is attached to something almost nothing can unattached him. He can be pulled off of a ceiling for example, but only with the ceiling still attached to his feet. Because his gloves and boots are made up of breathable Spandex, his clinging ability is not reduced. Spider-Man cannot cling to walls wearing shoes or sneakers, again, despite what you may have seen in a Spider-Man cartoon. This clinging ability is not limited to his hands and feet. Every part of his body has the ability to cling just a strongly as his fingers and feet. It is also this clinging ability that accounts for how Spider-Man can web swing across vast areas of the city at high speeds. He anchors himself to the web line in his hand, and releases it the instant he reaches for the next web line.

Powers Update

According to the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe

-Spider-Man- 2005 edition

Group Affiliation: The Avengers

Superhuman Powers: Peter can cling to most surfaces,can now lift 15 tons, and is roughly 15 times more agile than a regular human.His Spider Sense has increased from giving him an early warning to include a psychic alignment with his environment, specifically to insects.

He can create Organic webs limited by his body's health and nutrition.

He continues to use the SpiderTracers that he can follow with his Spider Sense and the Spider Signal.

Peter Benjamin Parker/Spider-Man is an accomplished scientist, inventor and photographer

Evolve or Die-The Modern Age Powers of The Other Spider-Man

As a result of The Other story arc that ran across the three Spider-Man titles in 2005( Amazing,Friendly Neighborhood and MK Spider-Man) The powers of Peter Parker/Spider-Man have evolved. These new powers are1- Sensitivity to vibrations and currents in the air 2-Sensitivity to vibrations through his webbing 3-Night Vision 4-Clinging ability throughout his entire body ( not new at all just rarely if ever used throughout Spidey's history) 4-Heightened Spider Sense in relation to agility and reaction time 5- Stingers( possibly a one time occurrence( we can only hope). As someone who has dedicated a web site to the Silver Age Spider-Man mythos, I have been asked very often how I feel about this OTHER-Spider-Man. The following is a post of mine from Spider-Man Hype

Aloha,
I would agree with the overall report card.And definitely say that stingers must go, which, I'm pretty sure they will in time. I've just recently finished The Other and while I have my issues with things like stingers, I have to say that " it's high time this happened". What I mean by happening is the exploration and evolution of Spider-Man's powers, which has NEVER been done.One of the things that made me glad that Spidey was a member of the Avengers was that he was finally in a position to have all of his powers tested. Reed Richards has done and continues to do this with the FF., Professor X with the X-Men and Tony Stark has always done it with the Avengers. If Silver Age Spider-Man's powers are based upon the premise that Peter Parker AKA Spider-Man has the proportionate strength, speed , agility and jumping ability of a spider, then in my opinion Spider-Man has NEVER been portrayed accurately a spider, 5 foot 11 inches (Peter's height) would be able to jump much more than 30 feet which is the stated height now.All of Spidey's powers should have evolved by now and since they were not explored in the past, Joe Q, JMS and Co. are doing this now.The fact that Spidey has ALWAYS had total body clinging ability but none of these guys remembered that , just goes to show why we the fans must stay on their case 24/7.I look forward to the exploration and evolution of Spidey's powers. It would also appear that as a result of this Rebirth, Spider-Man has adopted the abilities of ALL spiders.Almost to the point where it can be said that " If a spider can do it, Spider-Man has the ability to use that ability." Spider-Man, Spider-Man does WHATEVER a Spider can-may be more on target than anyone realized back when they wrote that.While I hate to admit it-Stingers are more realistic for a Spider-Man than webbing coming out of his wrist( web shooters , please God). I know that if the powers are out of wack with the Silver Age Spider-Man, they will fall by the wayside in time.As far as the new costume with the "legs coming out of the back". I think that there may be a retconning of some of the looks that were used in the third Spider-Woman series.I'm pretty sure that Starks Spidey suit is tied directly into Civil War.Secret War produced the Black Costume-Civil War is the reason for the Armor costume. I don't think the armor will last any where near as long as the Black costume did.
All in all, 2006 looks like a great year to see the Exploration & Evolution of the powers of Spider-Man. After 43 years, it's about time.

End of 2006 Update

Now that we are in the middle of Marvel's Civil War and have seen the Iron Spidey costume for several months, I can only say that I am disappointed at the lack of exploration of both Spidey's new powers or his new suit. At the time of this writing (Amazing Spider-Man #536), it was reveled that Tony Stark did indeed, have the Iron Spidey costumed rigged and that Peter eventually figured that out. Since The Other story arc-very little was reveled regarding the extent of Peter's new powers. As I predicited-The Iron Spidey costume was discarded in Amazing Spider-Man #536.

In 2007, as past of the Back in Black story Line, Peter Parker wore the Black costume once again. His throwing of a jeep across a street and up to a second story window or rather through it, also represents an increase in physical power (Amaing Spider-Man #539).His fight with the Kingpin in Amazing Spider-Man #542 represents one of the few times that Spider-Man decisively beat the Kingpin, something that I felt should have ALWAYS been the case since Kingpin has NO SUPER POWERS.

Brand New Day-2008

Spider-Man has returned to using web-shooters; his powers and strength have returned to the state they were before his transformations by the Queen and after battling Morlun.

Spidey rules