The biggest success to come out of Spidey-Verse was without a doubt Spider-Gwen. The character was meant as a bit of a throw-away from a tie-in miniseries to the event, not intended for the heights she’s since reached. But with a singular sense of style, an intriguing take on the familiar concepts of the Marvel universe and a fresh new perspective on what it means to be a Spider, she’s grown into a stand-alone hero in her right.

As she renames herself Ghost Spider, prepares for her new series and is set to appear in Edge of Spider-Verse, it’s time to look at the character who deserves to take her place as the new breakout Spider-Man: the Anarchic Spider-Punk.

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Introducing Spider-Punk

Introduced as one of the many alternate Spider-People recruited to help fight back against the Inheritors, Spider-Punk immediately stood out. Initially designed by Olivier Coipel as Spider-Man UK, Dan Slott had to break the news that there was already a pretty British Spidey filling that role. But as with Spider-Gwen, the look of the character was so memorable that the people behind-the-scenes decided to give him a whole new backstory and role in the story.

Spider Punk

Initially recruited to Superior Spider-Man’s band of battle ready Spider-People, Spider-Punk managed to survive the event. He appeared in Web-Warriors, the resulting series about various alternate Spiders teaming up to essentially serve as the Spider-Books equivalent of the X-Men’s Exiles. He, along with Spider-Man Noir played the “one willing to get their hands dirty” role on the team. It was even played for laughs when Ducktor Doom showed up with an army of robots and Spider-Ham needed to save the day.

But it’s not in either book where he really shined – instead, it’s the solo stories about the character that make him stand out amongst the other slew of characters.

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With Great Power Comes No Future

Two tie-ins to reality jumping event books have given Spider-Punk solo stories set in his home reality. And pretty quickly, it’s obvious why he’s the kind of angry he is. His world is dour and under the control of a furious government. In the Spider-Verse tie-in by Jed McKay and Sheldon Vella, he’s literally leading an army of defiant youth against a government dedicated to eliminating the dissenter class.

If it seems like it’s political in nature, that’s because it very much is. It’s not exactly subtle about, even dropping Donald Trump’s campaign slogan right into the mouth of a Norman Osborn/Venom hybrid.

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VIA: Spider-Verse #1 (McKay/Vella)

But when has punk ever been subtle? The style have always thrived in noise and fury. There’s a reason it can be so effective. It’s loud. It’s freedom forced down the throat of the establishment, doing its damn best to make sure the world doesn’t just turn them into white noise. This is a Spider-Man who’s definitely not going quiet into the night.

The significance of this take on the character extends beyond what he does though, but who he is. At the end of the short story, we find out that this Spider-Man isn’t Peter Parker but Hobie Brown. It’s a powerful moment, and it draws out the political power of the story even more so. This is a Spider-Man who has a very vested interest in what someone like Norman Osborn and his army of same looking Venom cops wants to do with “the vermin”. More so than Peter Parker ever really could.

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VIA: Spider-Verse #1 (McKay/Vella)

This is a Spider-Man who stands on the street and busts out his own style in defiance of the uncaring and antagonistic status quo, just like any good punk rocker. The rest of his Marvel universe is similarly affected, with Captain Anarchy standing in for the typical patriotic Cap and a full on Mohawked Hulk helping out in Edge of Spider-Geddon #1.The two dives into the world have provided plenty of deep cuts and references to a greater punk Marvel universe, including the Annihilus bugs loving Ska cause “they’re waiting for the big death wave”. It’s an interesting new approach to the franchise, viewed through a grungy and stylish eye.

But that’s not the coolest part about the character, or why he matters.

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Live Fast, Die Hard

In Edge of Spider-Geddon #1 by Jed McKay and Geradrdo Sandoval, Hobie finds himself dealing with his universe’s version of Kang the Conqueror. Like most versions of the character, he’s a time-traveler with an array of weapons and robotic minions. Unlike other more sci-fi inspired versions however, this CEO Kang is one of the captains of industry in the future of the punk inspired world. He’s come back in time to capture Hobbie and bring him back to his time – because in a hundred years, Spider-Punk is the most popular character his company owns the rights to.

Thinking how much he could make with the for real Spider-Punk, CEO Kang sends his army of Spider-Punk robot toys (whose cutesy design are curiously reminiscent of tie-in toys like Funko Pop).

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Edge of Spider-Geddon #1 (McKay/Sandoval)

There’s a lot to unpack with that, but all of it speaks to the heart of the character: despite the best efforts of a massive company buying the rights to the characters and dictating what empty messages they’re allowed to say (cough cough Disney cough cough), this Spider-Man is not going to let anyone label and sell him. He hates being called Spider-Punk, and especially when it’s revealed it’s become the name for the version of him that’s just a mask and not a voice. Hobie keeps reminding CEO Kang throughout the story he isn’t Spider-Punk. That he’s Spider-Man. Like with Peter in the mainline comics, Hobie embracing the freedom that comes from choosing who you are carries a great deal of emotional weight. And he’s willing to fight to make sure his name and image don’t become what he hates.

The attack of the commercialized Spider-Punks (who, in a great touch, scream ‘Anarchy!™’) is a nice commentary on what we do to ideas that don’t meet our standards. If you can’t destroy it, you appropriate it. It’s how someone can commoditize anarchy, or sell us the idea of freedom. CEO Kang is the ultimate embodiment of that idea, this cultural beige that tries to iron out the induvial soul of this Spider-Man and leave the catchphrases and marketability of Spider-Punk. He doesn’t see him as a person, he sees him as an idea – in the worst way possible.

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Edge of Spider-Geddon #1 (McKay/Sandoval)

That goes against the spirit of everything someone like Hobie Brown believes in, and why the name Spider-Man means so much to him. Because he’s not some variant of a different person. He’s not Spider-Punk™, in the same way that Spider-Gwen wasn’t just some alternate take on a dead blonde girl from the 1970s. They are their own characters with their own perspectives and outlooks on the world. They don’t gotta do anything Peter Parker does, and that speaks to the power that the symbol of Spider-Man has become. It means someone gets the chance to determine who they are. And now that Spider-Gwen (now Ghost Spider) has gone through that arc, it’d be great to see Hobbie do the same.

His fellow heroes coming to his aid and standing up for him speaks to the core of that universe, and even punk culture as a whole: the world’s against us, so let’s band together and knock them the hell out. They won’t let anyone make them sellouts, especially not against their will. Even with the prospect of an early death, this Spider-Man is going to keep rocking, being one of the most outspoken and free Spider-Men ever created.

VIA: Spider-Verse #1 (McKay/Vella)

Or course, you can now get an exclusive alternate skin for him in Amazing Spider-Man for the PS4, so who even knows anymore.

Marvel is a company first and foremost, so they’re always going to look at their bottom line to an extent. There's always going to be a bit of CEO Kang in there. But if Marvel can use this Spider-Man like they did Spider-Gwen and let his stylish world and design expand naturally, they could have another success on their hands. And if they can stay true to that punk spirit ingrained in the character, they might have something just as special as Spider-Gwen. Because more and more, this might be the Spider-Man 2018 needs.

Rock on.

VIA: Spider-Verse #1 (McKay/Vella)