Who Is Spider-Man Noir? The 1930’s Dark and Violent Peter Parker

Spider-Man is one of the Marvel characters with more incarnations in the comics. One of them belongs to Earth-90214 and is called Spider-Man Noir. This version of the arachnid not only belongs to another Earth but to another era. This superhero develops his adventures in the 1930s, during the Great Depression. Here, the young and reckless Peter Parker turns to journalism as a voice for the needy and underprivileged.

His origins are similar to the other versions of Spider-Man, as well as to the original. It is because of a spider bite that Parker assumes the masked suit, as well as his superhuman abilities. However, his idiosyncrasies differ quite a bit from our original hero. Spider-Man Noir uses weapons, and in his origin, he has a history of revenge. Let’s see a little more about this unusual arachnid superhero.

Who is Spider-Man Noir?

Image: Marvel Comics

Spider-Man Noir was created in 2009 by David Hine, Fabrice Sapolsky and Carmine Di Giandomenico. He first appeared in Spider-Man Noir #1, which formed a four-issue miniseries.

This alternate version of Spider-Man Noir from Earth-90214 is a darker version that goes back to the 1930s when the Great Depression occurred. In this case, he comes with a high family influence from Aunt May and Uncle Ben, who instilled several values that pushed him to study journalism.

From a young age, he proved to be a daredevil, and in this profession, he used to fight against all evil and give voice to the innocent and needy. Of course, this was of little use in such a corrupt city.

Therefore, after suffering the bite of a spider, he assumed powers and abilities of mystical origin granted by the Spider God Anansi. Taking the role of a superhero and thus fighting the crime that plagued his city.

Origin of Spider-Man Noir

Image: Marvel Comics

Peter Parker is a native of the United States. His parents were Richard and May Parker. When his parents died, his aunt and uncle, Ben and May Parke, raised him. These events happened during the Great Depression in the 1930s.

Parker’s inclinations since a boy from a very young age were toward good. Therefore, it is unsurprising that he firmly believed in the triumph of good over evil. This education made him a supporter of his uncles’ social causes.

But tragedy knocked at his door when he found the mutilated body of his uncle Ben. This assassination resulted from retaliation by a New York crime boss nicknamed the Goblin. His uncle promoted a strike in the sweatshops, hence this fateful event.

Despite all this, Parker continued to lean towards social justice. Whose values and principles had been instilled by his uncles. So she followed her path, and while supporting her aunt May in a demonstration in Central Park, she was attacked by the Enforcers.

These were an organized group under the orders of the Goblin. Seeing his aunt in danger, Parker tried to intervene, but they easily defeated him. Ben Urich saved him from the attack. He was a reporter for the Daily Bugle.

Thus, Parker became a protégé of Urich, who took him to his newspaper, Daily Bugle, as his assistant. He had the opportunity to experience first-hand the plight of the people of New York City. Observing all the hardships they were going through under the threat of the Goblin.

In his daily work, he receives by mistake an envelope addressed to Urich, where the informant “The Fly” gives information about the whereabouts of the Goblin. Parker ventured to the warehouse, where they were unloading stolen antiques.

The Spider’s Bite

 

One of them was an ancient statue, which, when broken, released a horde of arachnids. One of these spiders bites Parker and knocks him unconscious. In that state, he dreams of the spider god. And when he wakes up, he finds himself hanging and wrapped in a black web. This fact gives Parker special powers and abilities.

Thus he discovers, early on, his gifts and decides to dress up in a suit to undertake his fight against evil, thus becoming the vigilante Spider-Man. Unfortunately, he discovers that Urich is an addict and blackmailed Norman Osborn.

He discovers his limp body lying in his apartment when he goes looking for him to help him stop the Goblin. Despite this, with the determination of his aunt and information provided by Felicia Hardy, Urich’s lover, he begins his crusade.

Avenging Uncle Ben

Image: Marvel Comics

In his exploits, far from gaining fame, the Daily Bugle newspaper took it upon itself to discredit him. With the negative ratings given to Spider-Man, the superhero had no choice but to go to the Bugle building to talk to Jonah Jameson.

To his surprise, when he arrived, he found the latter’s corpse, who was shot to death. Sometime later, Parker discovers that Jameson is the Chameleon and that Osborn imprisoned the real Jameson.

So Parker searches for Jonah; for this, he uses Felicia’s files, leading Adrian Toornes to his Aunt May’s house. This event was just in time, as she was almost going to be killed by Vulture. Parker acts quickly and kills him for being the one who killed her uncle Ben.

May reprimands Peter harshly, making him see that he would have stopped him from using his powers. Therefore, she teaches him to leave the path of violence. This did not sit very well with Peter leaving the place.

Spider-Man Noir then tracks down the Goblin’s “torture house”, where Osborn and his Enforcers are incarcerated. Jameson and Felicia are being held captive there. So he intervenes to save them both after a hard fight that ends with the Goblin’s disappearance.

Confrontation with Octavius

Sometime later, Spider-Man Noir began investigating the Master of Crime. During the investigation, he interviewed the prestigious biologist Otto Octavius. Robbie Robertson, the news editor and friend, accompanied him.

Robbie noticed and tried to persuade Parker that there was something too sinister with Octavius, which Parker did not take seriously. But, he did discover that the Master of Crime kidnapped African minorities.

When he found him and came into conflict with this villain, he was seriously wounded by his sidekick, the Sandman. Federal agent Jean De Wolfe saved him. When he recovered from the beating, he traveled to Octavius’ laboratory, located on Ellis Island.

Upon arrival, he discovers that the scientist is allied with the Friends of the New Germany. This American-Naz organization was involved in trafficking African-American minorities to experiment on them. The goal was to transform them into mindless slaves.

When Spider-Man manages to free the prisoners, he realizes that it is too late for his friend Robbie. Robbie is already lobotomized and returns to confront the Master of Crime.

The villain tries to use Robbie as a hostage, so Spider-Man takes him to safety. A fight ensues between Octavius and the Master of Crime, with Spider-Man witnessing the former mercilessly murdering the latter.

In anger, Spider-Man tried to strangle Octavius. Being stopped immediately by De Wolfe. Indicating to him that this was not necessary; he would pay in prison. Besides, Robbie and Felicia were safe.

Spider-Verse

Then, Spider-Man Noir continued his fight against the villain Mysterio, who, when defeated, rescues Felicia. In the meantime, his spider sense went haywire, and Karn appeared on the scene. Spider-Man begins to fight him, realizing that he is no ordinary villain.

Trying to hurt him with his weapon, Karn just mocked Spider-Man. Thanks to Superior Spider-Man, who arrives in that reality in time, saves him, and teleports before Karn kills him.

When they cross the portal, Spider-Man and Superior Spider-Man arrive in 2099. As they recount everything that happens, Spider-Man is recruited to be part of Spider-Men and defeat Karn.

In this, Spider-Verse are several versions of Spider-Man present, such as:

• Six-Armed Spider-Man.
• Spider-Man of Earth-616.

And in any of Spider-Man Noir’s appearances, he fights and travels between the multiverses to stop the villains and bring peace. So when the multiverse collapses, Peter wakes up amnesiac and realizes that there are other Spider-Heroes.

Powers, Abilities and Weapons of Spider-Man Noir

Image: Marvel Comics

The powers, abilities and weapons of Spider-Man Noir are similar to those of Spider-Man, the original. Demonstrating, after the bite of a spider, take many of their qualities and physiology as:

• Among his powers, he has an arachnid structure, where his skeleton, tissues, muscles, nervous system, and metabolic efficiency increase. The same happened with their reflexes, as well as their agility, tendons and tissues. They became twice as elastic as those of an average human being.
• He has superhuman strength, where he can lift 10 tons, which is enough to lift cars. Likewise, he can jump several meters high. As well as swinging employing his spider web. To hit his enemies, he contains his blows so as not to hurt them, rarely using 100% of his strength unless it is necessary.
• Superhuman speed, noting that both his speed and reflexes are much faster than any other human being. Sometimes proving to be faster than the bullets themselves.
• Spider-Man Noir also has an organic spider web, which originates naturally in his body from a secretory gland in his forearm. But, at the same time, it causes some wear and tear in its nutrition and health.
• Spider-Man Noir possesses spider-sense, which is not an extrasensory sense that alerts him to immediate dangers. A tingling in the back of the head manifests it. The exact nature of this sense is not known. It is a kind of prophecy and simultaneous response to various phenomena.
• Climbing walls, the spider that beaks Parker allows him to control electrostatics mentally, thus controlling the molecular boundary of surfaces. In this way, he has the unique ability of adhesion, which is concentrated on his hands and feet.

Spider-Man Noir Equipment

Spider-Man Noir’s equipment is made up in principle by a suit that makes it characteristic. The design was made by Parker, inspired by the same suit worn by his uncle Ben during World War II. 

It consists of aviator glasses a bulletproof suit with a spider logo on the chest. He is wearing a case that protects his true identity, with a long black coat and fedora hat.

The weaponry used by Spider-Man Noir is a revolver and machine gun. He uses these firearms to fight crime. And if he sees it necessary, he uses them mercilessly against the villains.

Spider-Man Noir in Other Media

Image: Sony

Spider-Man Noir is in other media like:

Television Series

In television series, the character appears in:

• Avengers Assemble, during the first season, was voiced by Drake Bell.
• Ultimate Spider-Man with the voice of Milo Ventimiglia, in:
• Third season, episode “The Spider-Universe, Part 2”.
• In the Fourth season, he makes a cameo in “A Thousand Miles from Home” and “Return to the Spider-Universe, Part 3”.

Films

Image: Sony

As for films, Spider-Man Noir appears in:

• 2018, Spider-Man: A New Universe, voiced by Nicola Cage. This version of the character arrives in the Miles Morales universe, along with Peni Parker and Spider-Ham. He speaks a dialect corresponding to the 1930s. He is recreated in that same environment, in black and white. Therefore, he is not familiar with colors. We can also see him playing with a Rubik’s cube, which transports him to another dimension.
• 2019, Spider-Man: Far From Home, a film presented by Marvel Cinematic Universe MCU). Peter dons a suit similar to Spider-Man Noir to go unnoticed in Europe.
• 2023, Spider-Man Noir returns in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. He teams up with Gwen to rescue Miles, with Peni and Ham by his side.

Video Games

Spider-Man Noir appears almost always as a playable character in video games:

• Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions.
• Marvel Super Hero Squad Online.
• The Amazing Spider-Man 2.
• Marvel Heroes.
• Spider-Man Unlimited.
• Marvel: Avengers Alliance.
• Lego Marvel Super Hero 2.
• Marvel’s Spider-Man for PlayStation 4.

Spider-Man Noir, The 1930’s Dark and Violent Peter Parker

Image: Marvel Comics

This Spider superhero appears in the recently released Spider-Man: Across the Spider-verse movie. Currently, IMDB rates this film as the best-animated film in its ranking. And by far, with a score of 9.

Since the character was created, up to our times, Spider-Man Noir has had various adaptations. The Ultimate Spider-Man animated series and video games such as Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions stand out among them.

It is a very unexplored concept for fans of black-and-white cinema and the Noir atmosphere. In addition, his origin and characteristics are very well justified within this environment, which makes Spider-Man Noir a unique character. 

Featured Image Via Marvel Comics 

 

I am a circus aerialist influenced by Dick Grayson and Spider-Man. Fortunate to write about the characters that inspired me. I also have a Bachelor's degree in Political Science and a Master's degree in International Trade.