Responsibility as a superhero and as a man

The concept of masculinity is portrayed in many movies, such as Spider-Man. Through the evolution of the character, Spiderman, as a superhero, has profound his importance of his role within the society, recognizing his unique ability and the responsibilities they entail. He conviction that it is his duty to get rid of the “bad people” and combat crime, since he has a power that anyone else doesn’t have. In the story, as the people notice his presence and power, and acknowledge his purpose of protecting society from the villains, the society always expects Spiderman to save them from the villains. This resonates with traditional masculinity norms, where men are expected to protect and provide for others, since men are the strongest. As a superhero, he always put the needs and safety of others before his own. His strong commitment to risk his life as a man to protect others and uphold justice reflects his sense of responsibility as a man, a superhero, and his willingness to sacrifice his own life for the world’s safety and peace. However, Peter Parker, the true identity of Spiderman, was having self-doubt, fearing of using his ability, and had to make challenging choices. In other hand, the society has been expecting a lot from him. If he does a single mistake, loses against a villain, or shows his vulnerable side, the society will immediately judge him and say that his is weak and useless. Even though there are intense expectations from society, he has the ability to confront his fears and control his emotions by being Spiderman. Spiderman portraits the meaning of being a hero and a man at the same time, so this is a great example of masculinity. In addition, this story illustrates how one man’s power can shape the destiny of an entire society, which we can refer to the power of domination. “Superheroes” are often associated with men, so the 3 Spidermans or all men. However, the title is Spiderman and not Spiderwomen, so we can understand if there are not any women as Spiderman. The author might have wanted to show that the sense of duty is often associated with masculinity, since they are stronger.