Note from Editor: The comics, cartoons, and movies of Spider-Man have a magical effect on readers and viewers. They invite all who partake to be part of a particular demographic, one issue, one episode, one film at a time. That demographic is; New Yorkers. This is a special article that one of our writers came up with. It’s an open letter in the “Daily Bugle” found in the world of Spider-Man from a “New Yorker”… we hope that you find these thoughts interesting.
To the vigilante known as “Spiderman,”
Writer
It would seem that your reputation precedes you here in The Big Apple. Truth be told, there are some individuals in this city that debate your very existence. Still, the reputation that precedes you is, sadly, one of notoriety considering that you are an urban Legend to these groups at best, given that the public at large tends to hate that which is unknown to the point of malicious blind rage. I do not feel this way about you, my friend, because I am fully aware of the identity behind your mask. Your secret is safe with me.
You came from humble beginnings. At a very young age, you became all too familiar with tragedy. But, your loyal family stuck to their guns and raised you as if they were your own mother and father, encouraging your love of Science and Technology. So naturally, with your passions and hobbies, you were bullied relentlessly, becoming a social outcast in the process. Yet, life has a funny way of changing us using the hands of fate. What happened to you on that fateful day appeared on the surface to be purely accidental; perhaps it was. But it is what we do with the cards we are dealt in this life that can turn men either into monsters, or we acknowledge what we are dealt and command it into leading towards prosperity. Any other person would’ve used their newfound powers for financial gain or used it to seek vengeance for themselves, but your actions are the very things that heroes are made of.
Even amongst heroes, you are one of a kind. Heroes that had come before you were loved by the public, to the point of mythical proportions. They never had to creep through the shadows like vermin. Yet, being hated by the very people you protect surely has weighed heavily on your conscience. This city’s elite have thrown everything they have at you, yet you stand tall as a shining example of equality and freedom for all. While the media may not see it, the people’s opinion is that you are the hero this city needs.
Whoever you are in the daytime must be someone of kindness, truly believing in service to the community. A friendly neighbor, if you will. You must be a role model for future generations, taking young people into a mentorship that someone special must’ve blessed you with. You have shown generations to come how to build stronger communities and how to show kindness towards all simply by your actions today. Despite what the publisher of this newspaper says, New York City loves and respects you.
Lastly, I will now reveal to the readers of the Daily Bugle the true identity of the “spider- man” they hate so much. He’s a nightclub jazz musician in Harlem. He runs an Asian grocery store in Chinatown. He’s an FDNY crew chief at Firehouse Engine 54/Ladder 4 in Hell’s Kitchen. He runs a Jewelry store on the lower east side of Manhattan. He’s a shortstop for the Mets. He’s a teenager slinging pies for his family’s shop in Little Italy. The Daily Bugle will never admit it, but Spiderman, you are the hero that exists in all of us.
You are New York City.
All our love and respect,
The people of New York.