You’ve heard of the Huntsman spider? Well, get ready for the hunty spider.
After years of speculation and fan theories, the announcement of a new gay Spider-Man has queer fans of the web-slinger rejoicing.
The Spider-Man character makes his friend of Dorothy debut as “Web-Weaver”, a gay fashion designer fighting crime in a McQueen-inspired, lash-laden supersuit:
Web-Weaver
my design for the brand new Spider, debuting in Edge of Spider-verse 5 pic.twitter.com/vl2qVUtGVq— krisanka (@kristaferanka) June 23, 2022
Something I realized immediately when conceiving Web-Weaver is that he can’t–and shouldn’t–represent ALL gay men. No single character can.
His fearlessly femme identity is central to who he is, but it’s not the STORY…which you can experience for yourself in September!
— Steve Foe Updates (@steve_foxe) June 27, 2022
Spider-Man has had a choke-hold on the gay community for decades. Even before heartthrob actors started bring the hero to the big screen, the lythe, lycra-clad lad with nothing but quippy one-liners and a cool $3 in his bank account has been a queer crowd favorite.
It’s not just the audience that has felt the fruit apparent in the Spider-Man universe — actors on Spider-Man film sets are constantly in favor of their characters to make queer turns.
Andrew Garfield famously wanted to get Michael B. Jordan to be his M.J., Tom Holland said “of course” Spider-Man could be gay, and Marisa Tomei pushed for her “Aunt May” character to have a girlfriend.
Even while shooting their latest MCU installment Spider-Man: No Way Home, which featured all three major Spider-Man players, Garfield revealed that the actors had “compared bulges” in their suits. There’s just something about this hero that makes people feel the fantasy!
Related: Jake Gyllenhaal worked Tom Holland over so hard he couldn’t walk
While we may not get a queer Spider-Man out of Sony or Marvel Studios any time soon (a leaked document stated he is, contractually, to be straight and white), comic fans will get to enjoy their gay Spidey reverie in full effect this September when Edge of Spider-Verse #5 drops.
Fingers crossed that Web-Weaver finds himself a nice daddy long-legs to settle down with!
CatholicXXX
Why couldn’t we get a normal Spider-Man and not a gay caricature of a bad stereotype.
DarkZephyr
I am actually glad that we have a gay superhero that is apologetically femme, because thus far most of the gay superheroes have not been, which is perfectly fine, but its nice to have a femme one too, finally.
Its time to stop calling feminine gay men “caricatures” and “bad stereotypes” because they aren’t. These ARE the superheroes of the gay rights movement. The men who *couldn’t* hide in the closet even if they wanted to. They don’t deserve the disrespect and contempt they get from their own gay brothers.
Kangol2
More b*tching and dismissiveness from CatholicXXX. It’s like you’ve been guzzling vinegar since the sun rose today!
mailliw110
Define “normal”. I’m guessing you think it’s someone like you. But that’s rather selfish, don’t you think?
Cam
The same old right wing troll that routinely defends bigots is furious that there is some LGBTQ representation.
jcool
that is hysterical. a “normal” superhero.
why can’t we have normal people comment on these stories?
Bosch
There is already a “normal” Spiderman. In fact, in the spiderverse there are hundreds of “normal” Spidermen. The whole point of the spiderverse is that Spiderman is someone different in each parallel universe.
I don’t watch superhero movies and I don’t read comics, yet even I know this.
Bengali
Oh. Gay is not normal for you? Insecure much? Repressing your homosexual longing to be with another man? You top or bottom? Chode. You’re on the wrong site.
mujerado
@DarkZephyr, I hope you mean UNapologetically femme. If he apologizes for who he is the whole thing will crash and burn.
SDJeff
@eveyone. Why oh why do you all give into
@CatholicXXX or the other trolls who spat or spurt the crap that they do. If your ignore them, one can honestly hope they will just go away. Unfortunately they probably will not, but don’t give into the shit that they spew. I get it! I get angry at those that you have already deemed as trolls or Russian bots. IGNORE THEM.
My rant is over.
Prax07
Ummm having a gay femme Spidey has never been a dream for me. A regular Spidey, sure, that’d be cool. A swishing femme one, nope. No thanks
wikidBSTN
“swishing femme” not cool. Got it.
Do you really think you are helping anything by making a comment like that? The “femme” gays take the brunt of the crap that society hurls at gay people. We should not make it worse by doing the same.
phenom
Your homophobia and femmephobia is so boring. Just say you’re a misogynist and move on
David Myers
So don’t watch it . . .TROLL!
SDJeff
@Prax07. I get what you’re saying. Spider-Man is going to be Spider-Man. He will always be after MJ. He has never been portrayed as gay or gay acting in the comics. And I do not think he will ever be gay. Or femme in the same aspect. Yes, I read the article and I’m not even sure why the writer of the article thinks that Spider-Man would be anything but the person we have all grown up knowing as Peter Parker who has the hots for Mary-Jane. We have gay comic hero’s that aren’t portrayed in Marvel/DC movies. Doesn’t mean we have to make the hero’s that are out there gay or femme. Peter Parker will always be straight, unless in an alternate universe.
BaltoSteve
I personally can’t wait to see what they do with this Spidey. I mean, let’s face it, Spidey has never really been a paragon of Masculine Virtue. So to see them play with how he presents should be fun. I think it will be quite positive for those little feminine presenting boys seeing someone just like them.
alexpof
spider -drag
tjack47
Normal? Wtf!
SDR94103
Fred Warner is the spiderman of my dreams. Google him.
xxhallowsxx
Gay men get so annoyed when other gay men say they prefer masc dudes or even act masc … but literally every single gay icon or character on planet earth sashays around like queen Elizabeth. Talk about stereotypes … not all of us are fem and no, it’s not an act. So annoying.
DarkZephyr
But nobody was stating a preference, Buddy. They were flat out attacking the idea of a femme Spider-man and castigating their femme gay brothers. Its one thing to have preferences, its another thing entirely to be a douche to the guys you aren’t attracted to. If feminine gay men annoy you, then you are an unwanted bigot.
DuMaurier
My automatic reaction was negative; as in “Wow, did they miss ANY gay stereotypes or did they manage to check all the boxes?” When I read the commentary about him not representing all gay men, being “fearlessly femme” as an important part of his personality my opinion shifted.
But my initial reaction didn’t have anything to do with internalized homophobia or disgust for gay men being “femme”; maybe it’s related to my age, because in the actual real world I’ve experienced, if someone wanted to mock the idea of a gay Spiderman (or other superhero), this is exactly the image they would’ve come up with. That’s just a fact; and while we can reject that attitude and not let it control how we see ourselves, it’s still a jolt (for me, anyway) at first, to see all those characteristics used for so many years to show derision and contempt.
Sturdivant
GOOD I look to se what go on in September 2022
Diplomat
The standard for gay males is to be attracted to the masculine ideal. Men attracted to men. Particularly the alpha males: the hot jock, the football player, the sexy lead in a play. It’s just human nature and will never be escaped. If a character in a show isn’t sexually attractive then most gay men change the channel.
There hasn’t been a masc or any gay spider man yet. Public opinion will determine how well this new show goes.
SDJeff
Have we really come to this? Associating our gayness to a comic book character? I mean, Spider-Man is a straightish character in comics. We as gay people get Superman’s son as a gay character, do we really need Spider-Man who has never been portrayed as anything but straight. Yea, we can wish Tom Holland as a gay Spider-Man in all his boyish charms and muscled physique. It’s still just wishful thinking.
Still just a comic book character non the less.
theaterbloke
I dunno. I just remember how the femme Extrano went over. Nowadays he looks and acts like Doctor Strange.
So I’ll withhold judgment for now, and hope he gets rid of the open sleeves which aren’t practical on a guy who swings through the air, you know, wind resistance, etc.
MystiRivers
Embarassing