Spider-Man moves into the 21st Century

Comic book fans will be familiar with the immortal phrase associated with Spider-Man: "With great power comes great responsibility".

And it seems that Marvel Comics have taken the responsibility to increase diversity in their superhero range by introducing a new Spider-Man who happens to be of mixed heritage - African/Hispanic American.

Teenager Miles Morales was unveiled this week as the one who will don the blue and red suit, following in the footsteps of Peter Parker, who was killed in Ultimate Spider-Man issue 160 in June.

But fans of Spiderman will find out all about Miles and his transformation from mere mortal to gaining superhero status in the new first edition of the Ultimate Spider-Man comic in September.

This is not the first time that there have been black superheroes, notable ones include Storm from X-Men and John Stewart, who was a number of characters to play the Green Lantern.

Popular culture has a way of being the catalyst for change and acceptance. Take President Barack Obama as an example; for so many years Hollywood has depicted black presidents in films such as Deep Impact and The Fifth Element while hit TV series 24 had the enigmatic Dennis Haysbert as President David Palmer.

So the day Obama was put forward as a candidate for presidency sat comfortably with most people even though it was a ground-breaking moment.

But is the world ready to accept this watershed moment where Spider-Man changes from white to black?

Marvel's editor-in-chief Axel Alonso certainly thinks so, saying the move is all about reflecting the change in society.

And he believes that even the most committed fans of Spider-Man will be more than acceptance of their hero depicted by someone who is not white.

Alonso stated,

"What you have is a Spider-Man for the 21st century who's reflective of our culture and diversity. We think that readers will fall in love with Miles Morales the same way they fell in love with Peter Parker."

It will be interesting to see how Miles’ life is depicted in the new comics. Will he face the same struggles and injustices as the black community in real life? Will he be accepted as a hero by the law enforcements?

The writers of the new Spider-Man have a duty first and foremost to entertain, but within that fantastic scope they can also challenge stereotypes of good and evil.

The casting of Miles in this role is a ground breaking choice which helps middle America and beyond see people of colour in a truly positive role.

Picture: Miles Morales as Spider-Man

Zohaib Rashid