Warning: Contains spoilers for The Amazing Spider-Man #2
As he has proven time and again in his seemingly endless battle against New York City’s army of evil-doers, Spider-Man has no shortage of fantastic abilities he uses to carry out vigilante justice across his city–though one surprising super-villain exposes the one way to kill Spider-Man’s greatest crime-fighting power.
Peter Parker became Spider-Man after he was bitten by a radioactive spider, an event that granted him all the abilities of a spider including heightened relative strength, speed, the ability to crawl on walls and even the know-how to make his own webbing. Using each one of these superhuman powers, including the precognitive ability to sense danger moments before it arrives known as spider-sense, Spider-Man has made a name for himself as one of the greatest heroes in the Marvel Universe, though there is one power that stands above the rest as arguably the most impactful to his villains–one that has just had its weakness exposed.
In The Amazing Spider-Man #2 by Zeb Wells and John Romita Jr., Spider-Man is tracking down the villain Tombstone as the villain is attempting to take control of New York’s criminal underworld since the Kingpin is no longer in the picture following the events of Devil’s Reign. Due to the fact that Tombstone is virtually invulnerable to nearly any attack Spider-Man could throw at him, Spider-Man opts to dodge Tombstone’s blows while fighting him one-on-one until the villain makes a mistake Spidey can take advantage of. In an attempt to push Tombstone towards making an error he can pounce on, Spider-Man unveils the greatest power in his arsenal: his insult-slinging smart-mouth.
Spider-Man is known for his ability to annoy his enemies enough that they lash out in frustration and leave themselves completely open to attack. This technique works perfectly against those who are physically stronger than Spider-Man. Spider-Man was even able to defeat the powerful villain Regent with only a joke and a well-timed punch. However, Tombstone completely kills this ability before its detrimental impacts take effect by punching Spider-Man in the stomach and knocking the wind out of him. Without the ability to speak, Spider-Man’s tactics are rendered useless, giving Tombstone the confidence boost he needs to win their battle.
It seems as though Spider-Man’s ability to annoy his villains to the point where they create the means of their own failure is linked to a few of his other skill sets. Spider-Man is practically untouchable in a fight due to his heightened reflexes and his spider-sense alerting him of any nearby danger. There's a reason Mysterio declares Spider-Man to be Marvel's most annoying hero. Using those powers, Spider-Man can also throw in his insult-spewing smart-mouth and the result is an increasingly more frustrated villain who does something reckless enough for Spider-Man to take advantage of. However, if the villain is able to land a blow that hurts Spider-Man enough to shut him up, or really do anything to him that keeps him from talking, then his greatest ability is rendered completely useless.
The Amazing Spider-Man #2 is available now from Marvel Comics!
