spider man hero's journey essay

Spider-Man and The Hero’s Journey Essay

• To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
• As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
• As a template for you assignment

Spider-Man is an action movie directed by Sam Raimi. It tells the story of a teenager acquiring supernatural abilities. The following text will depict the twelve steps of the Hero’s Journey, using the scenes as examples. During the first step, Peter Parker is depicted as a schoolboy who is bullied by his classmates. The movie introduces his love interest, Mary Jane Watson, and his friend, Harry Osborn. Peter’s life changes after being bitten by a spider during a field trip to a laboratory. As a result, he acquires supernatural abilities, such as web shooting and climbing walls. At this point, Parker is overjoyed and unaware of the responsibilities that follow. The third step takes place when Peter is given a chance to catch a robber who steals money from an accountant after a wrestling match Parker has finished. The guy rejects the opportunity, letting the bandit run away. This mistake leads to said robber killing Peter’s uncle, Ben.

After the death of the boy’s uncle, he recognizes the latter as a mentor figure and follows his words. During the fifth step, Parker becomes a hero by fighting crime in New York. The multiple tests approach him when he is confronted by his new nemesis: the Green Goblin. The latter believes that humans are unreliable and offers Peter an alliance. Moreover, Peter’s love interest is dating his best friend, and the boss at his new job despises Spider-Man.

The stakes are raised when Norman (Goblin) notices a cut on the guy’s arm during a Thanksgiving dinner with May, MJ, and Harry. He realizes that Parker is Spider-Man because the injury is identical to his enemy’s. This leads to the eighth step when May is attacked by Goblin. Peter realizes what may happen if he loses his anonymity (Raimi, 2002). The Reward is represented by Mary Jane having a personal conversation, and after May overhears it and advises Peter to confess, he does it indirectly, and MJ holds his hand.

Spider-Man has his final battle with the Green Goblin, with the latter forcing the former to choose between Mary Jane’s life and saving the lives of a group of kids he is holding hostage. Peter successfully rescues both MJ and the children, having to fight the Goblin for the last time later. Norman dies, trying to kill the guy but indirectly causing his own demise. Parker acknowledges his responsibilities in the final stage and continues living as Spider-Man.

Raimi, S. (2002). Spider-Man . Columbia Pictures.

• Housman’s Illustration to Rossetti’s Poem ‘Goblin Market’
• MJ Gleeson Plc Financial Analysis
• 10 Terminologies of Philosophy: Nemesis, Thumos, Physis, Nomos, Phronesis, Mimesis, Arête, Kairos, Aidos and Eupsychia
• The "My Cousin Vinny" Movie by Jonathan Lynn
• The "22 Again" Short Movie Analysis
• The "Pirates of Silicone Valley" Film Analysis
• Forrest Gump by Robert Zemeckis: Relationships Analysis
• I of Newton Episode of The Twilight Zone Show
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2023, July 29). Spider-Man and The Hero's Journey. https://ivypanda.com/essays/spider-man-and-the-heros-journey/

"Spider-Man and The Hero's Journey." IvyPanda , 29 July 2023, ivypanda.com/essays/spider-man-and-the-heros-journey/.

IvyPanda . (2023) 'Spider-Man and The Hero's Journey'. 29 July.

IvyPanda . 2023. "Spider-Man and The Hero's Journey." July 29, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/spider-man-and-the-heros-journey/.

1. IvyPanda . "Spider-Man and The Hero's Journey." July 29, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/spider-man-and-the-heros-journey/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Spider-Man and The Hero's Journey." July 29, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/spider-man-and-the-heros-journey/.

Hero's Journey

Ever notice that every blockbuster movie has the same fundamental pieces? A hero, a journey, some conflicts to muck it all up, a reward, and the hero returning home and everybody applauding his or her swag? Yeah, scholar Joseph Campbell noticed first—in 1949. He wrote The Hero with a Thousand Faces , in which he outlined the 17 stages of a mythological hero's journey.

About half a century later, Christopher Vogler condensed those stages down to 12 in an attempt to show Hollywood how every story ever written should—and, uh, does —follow Campbell's pattern. We're working with those 12 stages, so take a look. (P.S. Want more? We have an entire Online Course devoted to the hero's journey.)

Ordinary World

Peter is a skinny, wimpy, thoroughly relatable high school senior. He gets picked on by his classmates, he has a BFF named Harry, and he's madly in love with his neighbor, Mary Jane. He lives with his Uncle Ben and Aunt May in Queens. They're kind of corny, but they're loving surrogate parents for Pete.

Call to Adventure

On a field trip to the Columbia University science department, Peter suffers a bite from a genetically engineered super spider.

Okay, "suffers" is probably too harsh a word here since that gnarly looking spider bite gives Peter a set of rad superpowers: enhanced strength and speed, the ability to crawl up walls, web shooters, and precognition. Peter is physically transformed into a buff dude capable of stopping the bullies that once picked on him. He's capable of stopping criminals, too.

Refusal of the Call

Peter refuses to use his enhanced abilities to stop a robber who holds up the wrestling tournament Peter just participated in. In this moment, he's called to use his superpowers for good; when he lets the robber go, he essentially says, "Thanks, but no thanks."

And his uncle winds up dead as a result. Whoops.

Meeting the Mentor

On graduation day, when Peter is missing Uncle Ben something fierce, Aunt May reminds Peter that Uncle Ben loved him and knew he was destined to do great things. In effect, she represents both herself and Ben now, mentoring Peter by proxy and reminding him of his values and what he's fighting for.

Crossing the Threshold

Peter gives Spider-Man's costume a much-needed upgrade, and Spider-Man hits the streets of New York, stopping criminals left and right. Gone is the bitter teen who refused to stop a thief.

Public opinion about Spidey and his crime-fighting motives are mixed, but he's officially made his presence known to the denizens of New York City…including a certain glider-riding supervillain.

Tests, Allies, Enemies

Peter's chief allies are his best friend, Harry, and his oldest friend, Mary Jane, with whom he's also secretly in love. The whole situation is complicated by the fact that once Peter and Harry become roommates after high school, Harry and Mary Jane start dating. Sorry, Pete.

Peter's #1 enemy, as Spider-Man, is the Green Goblin. Gobby firmly believes that people are terrible: they'll never appreciate the sacrifices you make; all they'll do is betray you. The Green Goblin proposes that he and Spidey team up and become allies, presumably in chaos and destruction, fueled by their bitterness over being taken for granted by the world.

Spider-Man also faces minor opposition from J. Jonah Jameson, the editor-in-chief of the Daily Bugle who insists that Spider-Man is a public menace, even while everybody's favorite wall-crawler is out there stopping burglaries and saving babies.

Throughout his journey, Spider-Man faces several tests. The first big one is stopping the Green Goblin when he crashes Oscorp's World Unity Festival. He's too late to stop Gobby from blowing up Oscorp's board, but he saves Mary Jane's life, as well as the lives of countless ordinary citizens.

Later, the Green Goblin shows up at the Daily Bugle and hits Spider-Man with knockout gas. He doesn't kill him; he takes him to a quiet, little out-of-the-way place and proposes that they team up. Next, the Green Goblin lures Spider-Man into a burning building. When Spider-Man formally declines his offer to be partners, he and the Green Goblin throw down again.

After a while, the Green Goblin starts to feel less like Spider-Man's nemesis and more like his stalker.

Approach to the Inmost Cave

This is where our hero prepares for his biggest challenge. In Spider-Man , it's also where our hero eats turkey. At Thanksgiving dinner, when Norman spots the cut on Peter's arm, he realizes his son's pal is his nemesis, Spider-Man.

The stakes have officially been raised. Now that Norman and the Green Goblin know Spidey's secret identity, they know how to focus their attack for maximum impact.

When Aunt May is attacked, Peter faces his greatest fear. With his identity exposed, his loved ones are no longer safe. At least the Green Goblin doesn't know that he loves Mary Jane. Yet.

Reward (Seizing the Sword)

Peter and M.J. have an intimate heart-to-heart in Aunt May's hospital room as Aunt May, Peter's only family, rests—and eavesdrops—peacefully. Peter tells M.J. what he told Spider-Man about her (i.e., that she's, like, the most awesome girl ever), and Mary Jane and Peter hold hands. Aww.

The Road Back

The Green Goblin kidnaps Mary Jane and holds her hostage on top of the Queensboro Bridge. See, Harry, not knowing what he was doing, told Norman that Peter is in love with M.J., which means the Green Goblin knows exactly how to get to Spider-Man. Whoops.

Spider-Man comes to M.J.'s aid and rescues her. He also saves a tramway car full of innocent kids in the process after Gobby tries to force Spider-Man to choose between the two. Spider-Man: all about that multitasking.

Resurrection

The resurrection is where the hero returns order to the world and ends the conflict. Here, it's when Spider-Man defeats the Green Goblin once and for all. Technically, we suppose the Green Goblin kind of defeats himself since he's impaled by his own glider after Spider-Man dodges it, but still.

With the Green Goblin gone, Spider-Man/Peter can breathe easier. We're sure that pesky little matter of Harry vowing to avenge his father's death will just resolve itself, right? Right?

Return with the Elixir

Peter returns to his ordinary world a changed man. When M.J. confesses her love for him (finally), he tells her he'll always be her friend. He tells the audience that he'll never forget Uncle Ben's words—"with great power comes great responsibility"—and that he's got a job to do because he's Spider-Man.

It's his gift because he can stop crime and save lives, and it's his curse because he can't live happily ever after with M.J., 2.5 spider-children, and a white picket fence.

Tired of ads?

Logging out…, logging out....

You've been inactive for a while, logging you out in a few seconds...

W hy's T his F unny?

Home — Essay Samples — Entertainment — The Matrix — The Hero’s Journey in Spider-Man and The Matrix

The Hero's Journey in Spider-man and The Matrix

• Categories: The Matrix

About this sample

Words: 694 |

Published: Jun 13, 2024

Words: 694 | Pages: 2 | 4 min read

Introduction

Body paragraph.

Cite this Essay

Let us write you an essay from scratch

• 450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
• Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours

Get high-quality help

Prof. Kifaru

Verified writer

• Expert in: Entertainment

+ 120 experts online

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

No need to pay just yet!

Related Essays

3 pages / 1291 words

2.5 pages / 1123 words

7.5 pages / 3441 words

2 pages / 925 words

Remember! This is just a sample.

You can get your custom paper by one of our expert writers.

121 writers online

Still can’t find what you need?

Browse our vast selection of original essay samples, each expertly formatted and styled

Related Essays on The Matrix

The Matrix was a revolutionary movie that commented on technological reliance and used lighting, special effects and camera angles to add intrigue to the storyline. It tells of the dangers of technology and shows a worst-case [...]

The synopsis of The Matrix and the readings from Platos and Descartes all have similarities as well as differences. One thing that all three of these writings have in common is the topic. The synopsis of The Matrix and the [...]

One of the major themes that is noticeable in the Matrix is “being as such”. When considering the Matrix, Neo lives in complete delusion, a prisoner of artificial intelligence with no real control or perception of reality. He [...]

This paper is about the postmodern IR theory with the ideas of Michael Foucault and the movie The Matrix (1999). In first place postmodernism explained as a critical IR theory and its assumptions discussed. Secondly The Matrix [...]

The Matrix, as a movie, is a perfect representative for an analysis of Structuralism presenting a reality that is torn between the two ideologies, The Matrix: the movie or the artificial world, the double life of the main [...]

In many ways, the controversial last chapter of Anthony Burgess' A Clockwork Orange undermines the novel's fundamental premise. Alex's unforeseen transformation from a sadistic criminal into a consciously reformed and mature [...]

Related Topics

By clicking “Send”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement . We will occasionally send you account related emails.

Where do you want us to send this sample?

By clicking “Continue”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy.

Be careful. This essay is not unique

This essay was donated by a student and is likely to have been used and submitted before

Download this Sample

Free samples may contain mistakes and not unique parts

Sorry, we could not paraphrase this essay. Our professional writers can rewrite it and get you a unique paper.

Please check your inbox.

We can write you a custom essay that will follow your exact instructions and meet the deadlines. Let's fix your grades together!

Get Your Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

• Instructions Followed To The Letter
• Deadlines Met At Every Stage
• Unique And Plagiarism Free

A Spidey Sense We Haven’t Seen Before

In Across the Spider-Verse , even more thrilling than the dazzling visuals is the hero’s bold psychological journey.

Multiverses are, at this point, familiar ground for Hollywood. Films about extra-dimensional travel and parallel versions of ourselves aren’t restricted to the realm of comic-book nerdery; the reigning Best Picture winner at the hoary Oscars is all about “verse-jumping,” after all. Yet no character is more conversant in the metaphysical and narrative implications of the multiverse than Spider-Man, who has been hopping through portals for years, both in the live-action film No Way Home and in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse , an animated delight that pushed every limit of the medium to smoosh seven very different spider-stars into one adventure.

So what possible new depths can that movie’s sequel, titled Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse , plumb? The epic picks back up with teen hero Miles Morales (voiced by Shameik Moore), who travels across realities with five other Spideys, who are all connected through their shared insectoid prowess. The story is part two of a three-film arc—the next edition is slated for release in spring 2024—so don’t go in expecting a neatly tied-up conclusion. Instead, what’s impressive about Across the Spider-Verse is how it challenges the essential structure of a superhero narrative.

Audiences are probably painfully aware of Spider-Man’s character beats by now. This is the tenth major feature film to star the character since the director Sam Raimi’s first Spider-Man in 2002. Most of them have at least gestured at the notion of great power coming with great responsibility, and sacrificed a beloved uncle for the sake of a grander lesson. Miles dealt with renditions of these problems in Into the Spider-Verse . But the film also took pains to underline that he is a different character from Peter Parker, the usual Spider-Man, and he has endless potential to not follow the same hero’s journey.

Read: Spider-Man: Far From Home satirizes the way Marvel movies are made

Across the Spider-Verse reunites Miles with his erstwhile crush, Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld), a Spider-Woman from another timeline, who’s now part of a crew that is trying to restore order to the multiple universes. Alongside Gwen is Peter B. Parker (Jake Johnson), a charmingly bedraggled take on the first film’s character; Jessica Drew (Issa Rae), a pregnant and motorcycle-riding Spider-Woman; and Miguel O’Hara (Oscar Isaac), a.k.a. “Spider-Man 2099,” a grim and gritty vigilante from a dark alternate future who leads the team.

With all these heroes (and many others) come stern council meetings and endless exposition, the kind of script sludge that has stopped other cross-dimensional films (such as Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness ) in their tracks. But Across the Spider-Verse avoids seeming like a physics lesson because its visuals are consistently thrilling; the most static bits of dialogue still pop because of how daring the animation is. Just as important as the aesthetic creativity is the narrative intrigue. When Miles is taken to the land of Spideys and taught their ways, he keeps rubbing up against an insidious underlying notion—that they’re all inherently the same.

Yes, they each look different, as do their worlds. Some of the Spider-Men and -Women are flesh-and-blood humans, others are talking animals, and one is literally a walking Lego figure. Gwen’s universe is depicted through vivid watercolors, while Miles’s buzzes with neon energy. My favorite new character, Spider-Punk (Daniel Kaluuya), somehow looks like a zine sketch come to life; as with the last film, Across the Spider-Verse is a computer-animated film that uses the medium to depict a multitude of artistic styles.

But Miles’s growing realization as Across the Spider-Verse progresses (it clocks in at a hefty 140 minutes) is enticingly rebellious. He’s not interested in being the same tragic hero as those around him. His life is stuffed with costumed do-gooders carrying both the weight of the world and untold personal losses, and Miles (who has loving parents and a close bond to Gwen) starts to stray outside the lines in the hope of avoiding those same burdens.

My one real complaint is that Spider-Verse has only begun to explore this line of thinking when it ends on a risky, unresolved plot point. The dazzling ambition on display, both aesthetically and narratively, justifies the swing. But I won’t be ready to call the Spider-Verse series a masterpiece of the genre until I watch it stick the landing next year—even though I’m a firm believer that it will.

Provide details on what you need help with along with a budget and time limit. Questions are posted anonymously and can be made 100% private.

Studypool matches you to the best tutor to help you with your question. Our tutors are highly qualified and vetted.

Your matched tutor provides personalized help according to your question details. Payment is made only after you have completed your 1-on-1 session and are satisfied with your session.

• Homework Q&A
• Become a Tutor

All Subjects

Mathematics

Programming

Health & Medical

Engineering

Computer Science

Foreign Languages

Access over 20 million homework & study documents

Spider man and the hero s journey 406 words essay example.

Sign up to view the full document!

24/7 Homework Help

Stuck on a homework question? Our verified tutors can answer all questions, from basic  math  to advanced rocket science !

Similar Documents

working on a homework question?

Studypool is powered by Microtutoring TM

Copyright © 2024. Studypool Inc.

Studypool is not sponsored or endorsed by any college or university.

Ongoing Conversations

Access over 20 million homework documents through the notebank

Get on-demand Q&A homework help from verified tutors

Read 1000s of rich book guides covering popular titles

Sign up with Google

Sign up with Facebook

Already have an account? Login

Login with Google

Login with Facebook

Don't have an account? Sign Up

Screen Rant

Spider-man 4 theory confirms iron man's replacement in the worst way.

Your changes have been saved

Email Is sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

10 Ways Tom Holland's Spider-Man 4 Could Be A "Significant Event" For The MCU

11 dc easter eggs in superman's new set photos, i rewatched agents of shield's crossover with winter soldier & it's still one of the best early mcu moments 10 years later.

• Peter Parker faces a new journey post- No Way Home, with Aunt May gone and relationships reset.
• Potential for Spider-Man 4 to explore Peter's PTSD and mirror Tony Stark's journey in Iron Man 3.
• Spider-Man likely to face "street level" threats, setting up a darker story and potential team-up with Daredevil.

Peter Parker could follow an upsetting path in Iron Man's journey according to a Spider-Man 4 theory. After Spider-Man: No Way Home , the future isn't clear for the MCU 's Spider-Man. The Homecoming trilogy was essentially a lengthy origin story for him, and he is now in a place where he can make his own destiny. Aunt May is gone, and all of Peter's relationships have been reset since no one remembers who he is. It's a situation viewers haven't seen Spider-Man in before, and it'll be refreshing to see where the series goes.

One criticism Tom Holland's Spider-Man has faced is that he often feels like Iron Man Jr. and needs to establish himself as an independent character rather than Tony Stark's apprentice. No Way Home 's ending appeared to wipe that away, since Peter has no connections to the Avengers or their resources anymore. While he may not be living off of Tony's technology, there is still one way that Peter could follow Iron Man's journey in the MCU timeline , and that includes a troubling storyline for Spider-Man 4 .

Tom Holland's Spider-Man 4 has received an exciting update, and there are some great stories to make the MCU movie the event it is teased to be.

Peter Parker Could Be Haunted By The Events of No Way Home

The events of No Way Home were the darkest moments of Peter Parker's MCU story. The Green Goblin killed Aunt May, and shortly after, Peter gave up his relationships with MJ and Ned to save the multiverse . Since no one knows who Peter is anymore, he lost many opportunities for his future, and is shown living alone in a small New York apartment. He also discovered the multiverse, and that he isn't the only Spider-Man, which would send any normal person into an existential crisis.

This all happened after Spider-Man was blipped for five years after Avengers: Infinity War , and then lost his mentor, Tony Stark, in Avengers: Endgame . Safe to say, Peter has been through the wringer for the last few years, and he finally has time to slow down and process everything that has happened to him. This could lead to many emotional complications, as he tries to come to terms with all the trauma and loss he's experienced. Spider-Man 4 could show Holland's Spider-Man experiencing PTSD, which would follow an important part of Tony's character arc.

Spider-Man's Journey Would Mirror Tony Stark's PTSD In Iron Man 3

In Iron Man 3 , Tony experiences PTSD after the events of The Avengers , where he fought aliens and barely escaped the closing wormhole. He has anxiety attacks, and he can't sleep due to constant nightmares. These experiences cause him to hyperfocus on protecting Pepper and the world from imminent threats. It was an important step in his journey, as Tony normally has a charismatic, confident persona, and his anxiety showed a different side to the character.

It would be a logical step for Spider-Man 4 to show Peter struggling to cope with everything that has happened . The young hero needs to get back into the swing of things, not only in terms of school and his career, but also as the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. However, it could be hard for him to do that at first if he tries to ignore his past trauma. This story would likely also mean that Peter would handle more localized problems before returning to multiversal, intergalactic threats with the Avengers.

A "Street Level" Threat Could Be What Peter Parker Needs To Get His Mind Right

Kevin Feige has hinted that Spider-Man will be a more "street-level" hero moving forward. He will deal with smaller-scale threats in New York City, such as Kingpin's criminal organization or any other villain from his massive comic book catalog. It's unclear what conflict Spidey will encounter, but a smaller threat could be what Peter needs to get things in order. Spider-Man has always been about helping the little guy, and helping out a local community could remind Peter of why he took on the Spider-Man mantle in the first place.

Additionally, this kind of story sets Spider-Man up to encounter other street-level heroes, like Daredevil, who could help him through his emotional trouble. Matt Murdock is a hero who has taken a lot of hits, but he always gets back up and does what's right. He could be the right hero Spider-Man needs to talk to about finding the light in a tunnel of darkness. Spider-Man 4 may be a darker story than the other MCU Spider-Man films, but it could be necessary to see Peter at his lowest so he can climb to new heights.

Spider-Man Homecoming 4

Spider-Man: Homecoming 4 is the first sequel to the MCU's Spider-Man trilogy starring Tom Holland as the titular wall-crawler. After wiping his identity for the public's memory in Spider-Man: No Way Home, Peter Parker continues his crime-fighting adventures without the aid of Iron Man technology or the support of his former allies.