A Thematic and Speculative Revisit
This will not function as an ordinary review. Fans and critics alike rave that Spider-Man: Homecoming stands as one of the finest additions to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I concur. This is a well-written, charming, and exciting comic-book teen adventure flick. It excels as a teen comedy, as an action movie, and a solid adaptation of superhero literature.
I would like to touch on something that I find fascinating about this entry into Spider-Man’s world and Marvel’s universe as a whole. Spider-Man, as fans know, has a no-kill rule. Peter Parker (portrayed excellently by Tom Holland) does not kill. He has a wide variety of motivations for adopting this moral precept. I am most interested both in his reasons for his no-kill rule and in his execution, but especially the latter. If we stop and consider his perspective and how he applies such a rule, we see some stark contrast with other heroes in Marvel as well as the DC adaptations.
Spider-Man is the first member of the (big-screen) MCU who has this rule. Captain America kills. He’s a soldier, a patriot, and a veteran. He believes that sometimes in order to protect those whom he loves or the values which the West represents, he must kill. Iron Man makes a distinction between civilian and combatant and does his best to protect the latter, but does not hesitate to pull the trigger. Black Widow and Hawkeye—assassin and super spy—you get the picture.
I move now to a particular scene near the end of Homecoming. After Stark’s plane has crashed on the beach, the Vulture/Adrian Toomes (Michael Keaton) moves to steal away with some of the loot. Spider-Man notices that his wing-suit malfunctions and may explode at any moment. He warns the Vulture, but he does not listen. Instead he crashes back down in a fiery spit. What does Parker do next? He hustles into the flames to pull out Toomes’s body, now burnt and wounded. Parker saves his enemy’s life. Spider-Man is a novel kind of hero.
Do I mean to say that other heroes would not try? No. Certainly not. Matthew Murdock, aka Daredevil, for example shares this ethic. Still we witness something remarkable. The hero of this story risks his own life and limb in order to preserve that of the man who, moments ago, threatened to kill him in cold blood.
“With great power comes great responsibility.” Having learned from his Uncle Ben, this becomes Spider-Man’s modus operandi, his heroic principle. What constitutes that responsibility? Or, perhaps, more precisely, what does it mean to call it great? In order to make these determinations, it is beneficial to consider the proportion at the heart of the statement. The strength of one’s power corresponds—in some way—to the immensity of one’s responsibility. In a word, it seems quite reasonable that because one has been graced with incredible power, one takes on more responsibility. The hero, insofar as he is a hero, tries to seek and to enact justice. The superhero, insofar as he is super, takes on a superb or—if you like—transcendent responsibility.
I suggest that one precept of this moral code demands that the hero put all other lives before his own. The will to sacrifice means having the will to sacrifice for anyone. The best heroes do so without a second thought. Their parents, their guides, their loved ones instill in them a duty beyond the self. This seed grows into a habit over time, and with practice. It is not enlightened self-interest which guides Spider-Man. It is not some abstract understanding of virtue. Rather it is the concrete and real idea that he carries with him: to save those who cannot (or will not) save themselves.
The superhero stands above the rest, even the everyday heroes, by definition. In my opinion, this is the principle which makes Superman the greatest superhero in the genre. Spider-Man and Batman are close approximations. It is precisely Kal-El’s alien origins, his transcendent character, his being from some place beyond the heavens which establishes Superman’s authority. He represents an ideal to which men may aspire. As Grant Morrison puts it so eloquently, “You have given them an ideal to aspire to, embodied their highest aspirations… in time, they will join you in the sun.”
Bearing the duty to care for and protect not only one’s own, but one’s enemies as well, is a trademark Christian notion. It should come as no surprise to readers and viewers alike that these three—Spider-Man, Superman, and Batman—are the most popular and best-selling comic book characters of all time. Call me an optimist, but I believe this notion of mercy (a radical love grounded in self-sacrifice) has some small part to play in their popularity. Spider-Man upholds the dignity and safety of each and every neighbor, most especially his enemies.
Rating: Good Old-Fashioned Values
DK's Musings 