# I flame Marvel comic and organic webshooters (no this is not about the movies) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 5, 2004, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-flame-marvel-comic-and-organic-webshooters-no-this-is-not-about-the-movies/278276 "2004-12-05T22:53:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Cuckoorex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Cuckoorex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cuckoorex)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2004, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-flame-marvel-comic-and-organic-webshooters-no-this-is-not-about-the-movies/278276/21 "2004-12-06T13:33:02Z")
I am amazed at how _much_ webbing his body can produce in the movies. That’s a _lot_ of webbing! Then again, when I have a cold my body produces an equal amount of snot. So I guess it’s not _that_ amazing… ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2004, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-flame-marvel-comic-and-organic-webshooters-no-this-is-not-about-the-movies/278276/22 "2004-12-06T14:00:22Z")
> [@Necro Romancer](#): > > Which book is this in? Not in _Amazing_ that I’ve seen. ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2004, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-flame-marvel-comic-and-organic-webshooters-no-this-is-not-about-the-movies/278276/23 "2004-12-06T15:11:03Z")
> [@Lear's\_fool](#): > > This is not a flame about the movies using organic web shooters (i did that years ago) You used organic web shooters years ago? DAYUM, I want to party with you!! ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2004, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-flame-marvel-comic-and-organic-webshooters-no-this-is-not-about-the-movies/278276/24 "2004-12-06T15:19:53Z")
> [@Lear's\_fool](#): > > BTW a lot of people have asked why Peter never patented the webshooters and web fluid and make some money. I just have to ask would there be market for this stuff? The most obvious use would be what Spidey himself does with the webs all the time (temporarily restrain somebody). ---
**Author:** ![shijinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@shijinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shijinn)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2004, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-flame-marvel-comic-and-organic-webshooters-no-this-is-not-about-the-movies/278276/25 "2004-12-06T15:51:21Z")
IMHO, i prefer the story of an ordinary, cash-strapped student transformed into an extraordinary, cash-strapped superhero; as opposed to an extraordinarily intelligent, inventor-student transformed into an ordinary superhero who was still too stupid to use his inventions to make himself filthy rich and build a spidercave, a spiderbelt, a spidermansion, or even a spidermobile. _shrugs_ ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2004, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-flame-marvel-comic-and-organic-webshooters-no-this-is-not-about-the-movies/278276/26 "2004-12-06T16:01:05Z")
> [@shijinn](#): > > IMHO, i prefer the story of an ordinary, cash-strapped student transformed into an extraordinary, cash-strapped superhero; as opposed to an extraordinarily intelligent, inventor-student transformed into an ordinary superhero who was still too stupid to use his inventions to make himself filthy rich and build a spidercave, a spiderbelt, a spidermansion, or even a spidermobile. _shrugs_ You mean like [this](http://www.samruby.com/Spiderverse/Spidermobile/spidermobile.htm)? ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2004, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-flame-marvel-comic-and-organic-webshooters-no-this-is-not-about-the-movies/278276/27 "2004-12-06T16:22:25Z")
Yeah, Johnny Storm built it for Peter. They’ve always been buddies. By the way, it showed up again briefly, with some no-hope ex-villians of Spidey’s like the Kangaroo and the Grizzly, who were going straight. And then it got driven off a pier again. Bout 2000 or so. You realize that’s just a Manx buggy… that’s a VW Bug with a fiberglass body and dune tires… with some special features Johnny probably borrowed from Reed, right? Face it, cars and Manhattan… bad idea. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2004, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-flame-marvel-comic-and-organic-webshooters-no-this-is-not-about-the-movies/278276/28 "2004-12-06T16:23:51Z")
Forgot, Spidey does have a spiderbelt. Web cartridges, a spider-signal (Portable flashlight with spider-face on it) and a holster for his Leica Camera. How do you think he carried it around to get the shots to sell to JJJ? ---
**Author:** ![35340](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/8baadc/32.png) [@35340](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/35340)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2004, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-flame-marvel-comic-and-organic-webshooters-no-this-is-not-about-the-movies/278276/29 "2004-12-06T16:29:17Z")
> [@Otto](#): > > IIRC there was a bit in an early Spider-Man book with Spider-Man offering his web fluid to a chemical company. They turned him down, saying there would be no market for super-strong non-permanent adhesive. A precursor to Post-it-Notes? I’m sure, though, with his best friend running a chemical company, someone has captured some web long enough to analyze it (for what good it will do them) … ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Carnage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/max_carnage/32/12775_2.png) [@Max\_Carnage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Carnage)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2004, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-flame-marvel-comic-and-organic-webshooters-no-this-is-not-about-the-movies/278276/30 "2004-12-06T18:53:36Z")
BTW for those asking and not getting an answer, Pete recently gained organic webshooters in Spectacular Spider-Man. Supposedly an Avengers Disassembled tie in. I flipped through the trade paperback at the store the other day. Somehow Peter is slowly transformed into a big spider (again) and then bursts out (!) of the spider with no noticeable change other than wrist spinnerettes. a) If he changed INTO the spider, how would he burst OUT of it. b) WTF? c) [insert joke referring to long time cutiepie poster] ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Carnage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/max_carnage/32/12775_2.png) [@Max\_Carnage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Carnage)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2004, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-flame-marvel-comic-and-organic-webshooters-no-this-is-not-about-the-movies/278276/31 "2004-12-06T19:01:39Z")
> [@Mynn](#): > > I’m sure, though, with his best friend running a chemical company, someone has captured some web long enough to analyze it (for what good it will do them) … It dissolves after an hour so I guess they just don’t have the time. And his best friend doesn’t run a chemical company in the comics (if you mean Harry Osborn.) His best friend is [spoiler]dead. [/spoiler] ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2004, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-flame-marvel-comic-and-organic-webshooters-no-this-is-not-about-the-movies/278276/32 "2004-12-06T19:37:26Z")
JMS is just bound and determined to bend Peter Parker into a mystic, isn’t he? Can I smack him with a stick a few times? ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2004, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-flame-marvel-comic-and-organic-webshooters-no-this-is-not-about-the-movies/278276/33 "2004-12-06T19:45:20Z")
> [@E-Sabbath](#): > > JMS is just bound and determined to bend Peter Parker into a mystic, isn’t he? Can I smack him with a stick a few times? JMS writes Amazing (web shooters), not Spectacular (organic webs). I am seriously enjoying a couple of JMS’ changes. Peter as a teacher (makes sense considering his personality), for one. Also the recent “Sins of the Past” story arc. ---
**Author:** ![shijinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@shijinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shijinn)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2004, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-flame-marvel-comic-and-organic-webshooters-no-this-is-not-about-the-movies/278276/34 "2004-12-06T19:47:27Z")
poor spidey, if the best he’s got was a loaned car as a part of some publicity effort and a belt that did nothing but hold ammunition for said webs and other mundane items. 😃 didn’t he invent anything else that is handy? ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_Dirx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b77776/32.png) [@Sir\_Dirx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Dirx)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2004, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-flame-marvel-comic-and-organic-webshooters-no-this-is-not-about-the-movies/278276/35 "2004-12-06T19:52:09Z")
I figured he never patented it because people would make the connection “sticky adhesive : web fluid :: Peter Parker : Spider-Man,” thus compromising his secret identity. Perhaps his desire to anonymously fight crime is greater than his desire for wealth. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2004, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-flame-marvel-comic-and-organic-webshooters-no-this-is-not-about-the-movies/278276/36 "2004-12-06T20:31:02Z")
Hm. So it is. Got them backwards. Peter does make sense as a teacher. Sorry, been away from Spidey for a bit, got annoyed when they killed off MJ. In that case… isn’t Spectacular closing in a bit? Or was that a Superman title? Ah, well. It’ll go away, in time, if it sucks. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2004, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-flame-marvel-comic-and-organic-webshooters-no-this-is-not-about-the-movies/278276/37 "2004-12-06T20:35:15Z")
I remember an interview I heard on the radio a few months ago with Stan Lee. He said that about 10 years ago, James Cameron was supposed to do the Spiderman movie. When Cameron was writing the screenplay, he also gave Spidey organic webshooters. Lee figures that if two guys like Cameraon and Sam Raimi both think he should have organic webshooters, then dammit he will have organic webshooters. I guess that carried over to the comics also. ---
**Author:** ![phouka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c5a1d2/32.png) [@phouka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phouka)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2004, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-flame-marvel-comic-and-organic-webshooters-no-this-is-not-about-the-movies/278276/38 "2004-12-07T04:00:01Z")
There was an issue, sometime between '83 and '89, wherein a corporate mogul has guys chasing Spidey, trying to get samples of his web. The webbing is bulletproof. The mogul has figured this out, and he wants to get the formula so he can create lightweight bulletproof vests to protect police officers. So, at some point in the comic book, the writer acknowledged just how important the web formula was. Now I"m going to have to bug my brother to see if he remembers the issue. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2004, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-flame-marvel-comic-and-organic-webshooters-no-this-is-not-about-the-movies/278276/39 "2004-12-07T06:02:36Z")
> [@Maus Magill](#): > > You mean like [this](http://www.samruby.com/Spiderverse/Spidermobile/spidermobile.htm)? Oh, look, someone put a windshield on [Speed Buggy](http://www.melaman2.com/cartoons/singles/stills/S2/speed-buggy3.jpg) and gave him a new paint job, plus a set of mag wheels. ---
**Author:** ![shy\_guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a6a055/32.png) [@shy\_guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shy_guy)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2004, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-flame-marvel-comic-and-organic-webshooters-no-this-is-not-about-the-movies/278276/40 "2004-12-07T06:18:31Z")
> [@](#): > > I accept the organic web-shooters as a sensible retconn because their existence explains why Parker is broke… unlike now, when there’s no good reason for him to be. It’s not a retcon - he just converted to the organic shooters recently. Ultimate Spider-Man thought of commercial applications for the web-shooters right away, but decided that he probably wouldn’t be able to sell the webbing to anyone, because it disolves too quickly to be useful. I think he just wanted to keep them to himself, which is a better explanation anyway. And I can’t believe people are glossing over the stupidest part of this whole business: He can now _talk to spiders_. And insects! _He can talk to spiders!_ Come on! They’re calling it an extension of his spider-sense, but honestly. [Here’s a link](http://newsarama.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=20536&highlight=organic+webshooters) for anyone who wants to read about it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-flame-marvel-comic-and-organic-webshooters-no-this-is-not-about-the-movies/278276.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-flame-marvel-comic-and-organic-webshooters-no-this-is-not-about-the-movies/278276.md?page=3)