Peter Parker’s Spider-Man has a brand-new superpower that’s here to stay, and it already looks awesome. As Marvel heads towards Amazing Spider-Man #1000, huge changes are coming for Peter Parker’s life, both in and out of costume.
With hints that Peter’s newly discovered cousin is a closer member of the Parker family than he appears to Peter’s oldest friend becoming a fungal supervillain, Spider-Man is facing major issues close to home.
Now, a battle with the villainous Spore has awoken a new superpower that makes Spider-Man even more powerful.
Spider-Man’s Upgraded Spider-Sense Lets Him Fight on Auto-Pilot
In today’s Amazing Spider-Man #30 – from Joe Kelly, Pete Woods and Joe Caramagna – Spider-Man battles his corrupted friend Spore, with the villain’s micro-fungi confusing Peter and compelling him to reveal his secret identity. At the height of danger, Peter surrenders to his Spider-Sense, and beats Spore senseless.
In recent issues, Peter has discovered that there’s a whole level of his Spider-Sense that he hasn’t been using. Traditionally, Spider-Sense functions as an early warning of impending danger. However, Peter has learned he has wider precognitive abilities he hasn’t been using. Against Spore, he unleashes his Spider-Sense to predict his opponent’s every move, fighting on a subconscious level.
Pete Woods depicts Peter’s Spider-Sense crawling over his body and recreating the iconography of his costume. Peter appears stunned afterwards, implying his body was essentially fighting without him, using precognition to predict and counter Spore’s every move. Spider-Man can now fight at peak efficiency without even being aware of it.
Why Is Spider-Man’s New Power Here to Stay?
The new power comes following Daredevil training Peter, and tutoring him in how to tap into a sense he’s barely explored. Unlike most temporary new powers that come from the outside, this ability is just a further extension of his classic Spider-Sense.
Spidey has long used Spider-Sense to dodge injury, but now he’s unlocked its offensive side. It will be interesting to see how this interacts with the fact that Spider-Man routinely pulls his punches, given his surprising level of super-strength. Can Spidey still pull his punches while fighting on instinct, or will this ability be limited to those who can take a full-strength punch?
The idea of Peter’s powers operating without him also has some chilling implications. If Spider-Man can switch into a subconscious state focused on violence, could this develop into an alternate persona sharing his mind?
Miles Morales’ Newest Power Reflects Peter’s Evolution
Interestingly, Spider-Man’s Spider-Sense evolution matches something similar going on with Miles Morales. In Giant-Size Spider-Man #1, Miles developed his Spider-Sense into the ability to essentially see through walls, detecting living beings through surfaces. Rather than the precognitive element of Spider-Sense, Miles has focused in on the ability to sense danger.
Meanwhile, other Spider-Heroes have found unique uses for Spider-Sense. Bailey Briggs’ Spider-Boy can sense danger when it’s coming for other people, experiencing more detailed visions much further in advance than Peter.
As the Spider-Verse continues to expand, it seems that Marvel is developing Spider-Sense in a range of new ways, differentiating its arachnid superheroes by how they use this incredibly varied power. In the case of Peter Parker, Spider-Man‘s new power turns him into a fighting machine… but will this new ability come with a dark cost?
Amazing Spider-Man #30 is available now from Marvel Comics.
- First Appearance
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Amazing Fantasy
- Alias
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Peter Parker, Ben Reilly, Otto Octavius, Yu Komori, Kaine Parker, Pavitr Prabhakar, William Braddock, Miles Morales, Kurt Wagner
- Alliance
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Avengers, Fantastic Four, X-Men, Secret Defenders, Future Foundation, Heroes for Hire, Mighty Avengers, New Avengers, Web-Warriors
- Race
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Human
