Join me as I read all Spider-Man stories, one collection at a time! Today, we are reading the Ultimate Spider-Man Super Special this one-shot issue celebrates over a year of Ultimate Marvel. I collected this issue in the trade paperback Ultimate Marvel Team-Up Ultimate Collection. You may also be able to find it online with Marvel Unlimited.
What is a Hero?
Peter Parker is your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. On a night of patrol, he encounters two living vampires! This discovery has him questioning if the superhero life is too big for him. He remembers a similar event when he stopped assassin Elektra from carrying out a hit. He later found out that the man Elektra would assassinate was a genocidal tyrant. This leads him to conclude that he’s in over his head.
Looking for advice, he searches for Daredevil, Hell’s Kitchen’s costumed vigilante. Daredevil advises Spider-Man to give up his costumed career and wait until he’s much older and mature. The next day at school, Peter’s class is asked to dress up as a superhero for an assignment. He contemplates on who he would choose as a superhero, and visits the Fantastic Four to ask to join the team. The Four reject him, and he returns home to prepare for school.
At school, Peter reveals that the hero he chose is: his dad. Though he never met him, his father lived by the words “With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility.” These words were then passed on to Peter through his Uncle Ben. Peter reminisces about all the other heroes he’s met in the past: the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, Doctor Strange, Iron Man, and the Black Widow. He realizes that what makes a hero is the sense of responsibility that comes with great power.
A Heartwarming Celebration of Ultimate Marvel
I see this issues as a celebration of Ultimate Marvel. Teenager Peter Parker navigates through the struggles of feeling too small for the world around him. As he reminisces of the other heroes he’s met, he realizes that what they all have in common is the wisdom that his Uncle Ben imparted him.
This issue is non-canonical, mainly because of the appearance of the Fantastic Four. Furthermore, the timeline of events does not line up very well with other USM and UMTU issues. Regardless, it’s a fun issue to read. We get to see the many art styles of the Ultimate Universe, and we get to experience Peter’s growth as a superhero.
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