Recently, I watched Spider-Man: No Way Home, the third installment following Spider-Man: Homecoming and Spider-Man: Far From Home. Just as entertaining as its predecessors, the plot developed into the multiverse introduced in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. As I enjoyed the film’s dazzling visuals and emotional story, I found myself filled with confusion—about Spider-Man’s superpowers, the idea of a multiverse, and a host of other details.
If you’ve never watched the movies or read the comic books before, you might be asking: What is Spider-Man, exactly? Is he a spider-like man with eight limbs who can spin silk, or is he some sort of human who communicates with spiders? Well, kind of … but not exactly. He does have the ability to shoot silk, yet he retains a human-like form with just two arms and two legs. Beyond web-slinging, he possesses superhuman agility, extraordinary strength, a “spider-sense” that alerts him to danger, and the ability to cling to walls. Out of all these powers, the one that confuses me most is his web-shooting. He can shoot webs incredibly quickly—almost instantaneously. How does that work?
I’m not a hardcore follower of every comic or film detail, but based on what I know, Peter Parker (Spider-Man) invented a pair of wrist-mounted web-shooters (Interestingly, in the Spider-Man films starring Tobey Maguire, Peter Parker’s webs come straight from his wrists naturally—no gadget involved. ). These devices launch synthetic webbing toward targets. Judging from the films, these webs are released at astonishing speeds—seemingly faster than a bullet. The silk also seems light in weight nevertheless it could be shot accurately to the target as far as he wanted without worrying the air resistance and gravity. The silk is extraordinarily resilient and capable of supporting immense weight, allowing Spider-Man to swing across cities and even stop speeding trains. The silk material must also be incredibly adhesive so it can latch onto surfaces instantly, and he can shoot it on demand without ever running out.
Talking about swinging, real spiders don’t actually swing through the air. They build webs to catch prey or to travel short distances, but not like the Marvel hero. However, monkey swings! Personally, I find it a bit odd—wouldn’t riding on a flying machine be simpler and even more efficient than swinging among buildings? But given that the character was created half century ago, swinging through modern city skyscrapers must be cool and visually striking at that time.
As a summary, the web-shooter shoots extremely fast, strong, sticky, nearly unbreakable silk. It appears to have an infinite supply of web fluid (or whatever the material is). Creating such a device would require advanced technology, complex engineering, substantial energy to power it, and materials that can be converted into the silk. Is this really something a single teenager could invent in his bedroom (yes, his might be a genius, but where does those material come from)? If Peter can do it, why can’t others replicate it? But other than questions, I enjoy the spectacle and moral lessons of the character. And maybe one day, there will be better explanation and interpretation on the technology the Spider-Man uses. After all, part of the fun of watching superhero movies is in the wondering.
