WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Amazing Spider-Man #62 by Nick Spencer, Patrick Gleason, Edgar Delgado & VC's Joe Caramagna, on sale now.
Spider-Man is guided by what's arguably the most famous superhero quote ever" With great power, comes great responsibility." That quote and the sentiment behind it are almost as famous as Spider-Man himself. While that quote has been referenced countless times, his new roommate, Boomerang, stole a line from a much darker comic book character, Batman in Amazing Spider-Man #62.
Not to be confused with DC's Captain Boomerang, Marvel's projectile-throwing ex-criminal has attempted to turn over a new leaf with admittedly mixed success. Unfortunately for him, the Mayor of New York, Wilson Fisk is determined to kill him after Boomerang betrayed the Kingpin of Crime, and is willing to go to any lengths to do so. Unbeknownst to Fred, he's happened to shack up with the one superhero who Fisk refuses to kill, which gives him the tiniest sliver of protection.
Fred has recently come into possession of an alien named Gog, an originally gigantic rampaging monster whom he and Spider-Man managed to shrink down to a more manageable level using a specially designed collar. Realizing he can use the cute extra-terrestrial to help out with the rent, Fred begins posting him on social media, turning him into an instant hit. Fisk, realizing Boomerang now has a weakness, hires Bullseye to shoot off Gog's collar, causing him to grow to a huge size and go on a short rampage through the city before Spider-Man manages to get the collar back on him. Fred sees this as the ultimate line-crossing and says " Criminals are a cowardly, superstitious lot, No matter how well-dressed they are. So I will become what he fears the mos, Yes, Father, I will become a Boomerang"
This largely non-sensical quote combines two of the most famous lines in Batman history.
The first part of that quote comes from Batman #1 in 1940 from Bob Kane, Bill Finger and Gardner Fox, where readers were first told the story of the Dark Knight's origin, where he first called criminals a superstitious and cowardly lot. The ending of Boomerang's outburst is a modified version of a line from Batman: Year One by Frank Miller, David Mazzucchelli and Richmond Lewis. When Bruce says it, he has just been beaten to near-death by criminals and is contemplating letting himself die before a bat flies through his window and lands on a bust of Thomas Wayne. It's here he realizes that he must become more than a man if he wishes to intimidate the scum of Gotham, and says. "Yes, father, I shall become a Bat." bat".
Arguably, the weight of Bruce's realisation and clarity is a little more dramatic than Boomerang's outburst. While he screams in with conviction and passion, flying off to avenge his slightly aggravated pet, Spider-Man seems to sum up the situation well, merely groaning "Oboy" to himself as his roommate flies off.