Spider-Man Is Pop Culture’s Greatest Superhero, And Marvel Is Ready to Own That

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Warning: Spoilers for Blade: Red Band #5!No superhero has transcended pop culture quite like Spider-Man. The iconography of the Spider-Man character has seen him referenced beyond comics and into the realm of movies, TV shows, dolls, action figures, video games, and more. He even gets a surprising name-drop in an episode of The Wire of all places. It leaves one to wonder what it is about Spider-Man that connects so deeply with his fans.

Blade: Red Band #5 by Bryan Hill and Federica Mancin adds some clarity as to why fans feel so strongly connected to Spider-Man and why he remains such an enduring presence in pop culture. The comic frames empathy as the most important superpower in the Marvel Universe. An argument can be made about no one having more empathy in the Marvel Universe than Spider-Man.

Another argument can be made that empathy is an essential trait for any and every superhero, but when it comes to the Marvel roster, few heroes display a more consistent, striking example of empathy than Spider-Man.

The Marvel Universe’s Most Important Power Is Empathy, Which Spider-Man Has in Droves

Blade: Red Band #5 by Bryan Hill, Federica Mancin, Java Tartaglia, and Cory Petit

Spider-Man may have empathy in spades, but another hero, Blade, discovers empathy’s value in this issue of his current series. Blade has been on a mission to hunt and kill a rogue, god-tier vampire sorcerer calling himself Pontius Van Helsing. The Daywalker is convinced by cultists within the Spellguard that Pontius has goals for worldwide destruction, but soon gets a different perspective. Pontius says that the most powerful force in the world is empathy before showing flashbacks of his vampire lore and origin story, revealing that he himself is sheltering war-torn families and children.

In doing so, Pontius exposes the Spellguard’s lies once imposed on Blade, revealing that a cult of magic users want Pontius’ power for themselves. Blade would never have learned any of this had he not been empathetic to Pontius’ cause and perspective. Through empathy, Blade allows himself to listen to someone he thought was an antagonist. He gets to the root of who Pontius is and determines that he is someone worth helping. Pontius’ statement about empathy being all-powerful is proven correct and shown to be as effective as any superpower.

Blade’s Recent Adventure Proves That Empathy Is a Superpower in the Marvel Universe

Empathy Gets Heroes Closer to Where the People Are

Beyond his interaction with and understanding of Pontius, the importance of empathy for superheroes is best illustrated in a moment between Blade and one of the children that Pontius is housing. It’s a small, simple moment where the child urges Blade to stay with them because they don’t have to run or hide in Pontius’ home. After telling the child his real name, the child hugs Blade, convinced that he’s going to help them. The child needed reassurance that the refugees would all be saved and likely wanted an ear to talk to.

Lending an ear is half the job of being a hero. The most important parts of being a superhero aren’t always the “super” parts. Empathy allows superheroes to see the plight of the people they are protecting, which helps heroes like Blade connect with everyday citizens in ways that aren’t just knocking around the Big Bad of the week. Though being empathetic to Pontius helps get Blade one step closer to saving the day from the real villains, being empathetic to a child gives Blade a better sense of who he is protecting and why they need saving.

How Spider-Man Uses Empathy in His Marvel Comics Adventures

Empathy Makes Him a “Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man”

When thinking about empathetic superheroes, the first character that readers usually think of is Spider-Man. Some argue that Spider-Man is the most relatable superhero that Marvel has to offer, and it’s largely because of his empathy. It’s no wonder he’s earned the title of Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man. As such, he prioritizes talking to and comforting people directly at the street-level. Not only does Spidey get familiar with New Yorkers by getting to know them, but he tries to understand them. There are several examples of this phenomenon, but perhaps his most famous effort comes in “The Kid Who Collects Spider-Man.”

One of the best Spider-Man comics in history, the story revolves around a young boy named Tim who is battling leukemia and professes himself the biggest Spider-Man super-fan in the world from his hospital bed. This claim earns him a visit from Spider-Man, who is determined to give the child an experience worth cherishing. He gets to know the child on a personal level, not only as Spider-Man, but as Peter Parker, giving the child an ear to talk to when the boy needs him most,not unlike Blade in Red Band #5.

Does Spider-Man Use Empathy Better Than Other Heroes?

It’s Less About Who Has Better Empathy, But About Who Has It, Period

It would be easy to compare Spider-Man’s empathy to other superheroes, but that almost minimizes the purpose of empathy. It may be easy to point out that, traditionally, Spider-Man shows more consistent examples of empathy in his stories than someone like Blade does, but simultaneously, as shown in Red Band #5, Blade is just as prone to being willing to empathize with his villains as Spider-Man is. Still, though, comparing one person’s level of empathy – both in comics and in real life – remains irrelevant.

Everyone has varying levels of empathy, but what’s most important is having empathy at all, and on the same level, displaying empathy to those who need it. A superhero without empathy is like a well without water or a car without wheels: incomplete. Even anti-heroes can be empathetic, with Blade being an example. Empathy allows superheroes to build relationships with the people they are helping, thus offering emotional support. That’s what being a hero is all about. Beyond stopping physical threats, sometimes, people need to be saved on an emotional level.

Empathy Allows Fans to Better Connect with Spider-Man’s Stories

Why He Remains Pop Culture’s Most Influential Superhero

A superhero with empathy not only transcends their scope in their own world, but the scope of the real world. It’s no coincidence that Spider-Man is arguably Marvel’s most empathetic hero andits most popular hero. In the same way that empathy helps superheroes relate to the people living in the city they are protecting, it helps them relate to their audience. Spider-Man displays this empathy in every medium, ranging from comics, to movies, to television, to video games, and even more.

Unsurprisingly, in every medium, Spider-Man has found rousing success within the pop culture lexicon. That is because in every medium, Spider-Man displays the same level of empathy that allows him to connect with the audience on a personal level. Not every hero is afforded that same luxury nor is able to connect with audiences in the same way, meaning that they’re not as successful in media beyond comics. Such a unique connection with his audience has allowed Spider-Man to become, unquestionably, pop culture’s greatest superhero.

Blade: Red Band #5 is available now from Marvel Comics.

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