spider man crisis hero's journey

Hero's Journey

Ever notice that every blockbuster movie has the same fundamental pieces? A hero, a journey, some conflicts to muck it all up, a reward, and the hero returning home and everybody applauding his or her swag? Yeah, scholar Joseph Campbell noticed first—in 1949. He wrote The Hero with a Thousand Faces , in which he outlined the 17 stages of a mythological hero's journey.

About half a century later, Christopher Vogler condensed those stages down to 12 in an attempt to show Hollywood how every story ever written should—and, uh, does —follow Campbell's pattern. We're working with those 12 stages, so take a look. (P.S. Want more? We have an entire Online Course devoted to the hero's journey.)

Ordinary World

Peter is a skinny, wimpy, thoroughly relatable high school senior. He gets picked on by his classmates, he has a BFF named Harry, and he's madly in love with his neighbor, Mary Jane. He lives with his Uncle Ben and Aunt May in Queens. They're kind of corny, but they're loving surrogate parents for Pete.

Call to Adventure

On a field trip to the Columbia University science department, Peter suffers a bite from a genetically engineered super spider.

Okay, "suffers" is probably too harsh a word here since that gnarly looking spider bite gives Peter a set of rad superpowers: enhanced strength and speed, the ability to crawl up walls, web shooters, and precognition. Peter is physically transformed into a buff dude capable of stopping the bullies that once picked on him. He's capable of stopping criminals, too.

Refusal of the Call

Peter refuses to use his enhanced abilities to stop a robber who holds up the wrestling tournament Peter just participated in. In this moment, he's called to use his superpowers for good; when he lets the robber go, he essentially says, "Thanks, but no thanks."

And his uncle winds up dead as a result. Whoops.

Meeting the Mentor

On graduation day, when Peter is missing Uncle Ben something fierce, Aunt May reminds Peter that Uncle Ben loved him and knew he was destined to do great things. In effect, she represents both herself and Ben now, mentoring Peter by proxy and reminding him of his values and what he's fighting for.

Crossing the Threshold

Peter gives Spider-Man's costume a much-needed upgrade, and Spider-Man hits the streets of New York, stopping criminals left and right. Gone is the bitter teen who refused to stop a thief.

Public opinion about Spidey and his crime-fighting motives are mixed, but he's officially made his presence known to the denizens of New York City…including a certain glider-riding supervillain.

Tests, Allies, Enemies

Peter's chief allies are his best friend, Harry, and his oldest friend, Mary Jane, with whom he's also secretly in love. The whole situation is complicated by the fact that once Peter and Harry become roommates after high school, Harry and Mary Jane start dating. Sorry, Pete.

Peter's #1 enemy, as Spider-Man, is the Green Goblin. Gobby firmly believes that people are terrible: they'll never appreciate the sacrifices you make; all they'll do is betray you. The Green Goblin proposes that he and Spidey team up and become allies, presumably in chaos and destruction, fueled by their bitterness over being taken for granted by the world.

Spider-Man also faces minor opposition from J. Jonah Jameson, the editor-in-chief of the Daily Bugle who insists that Spider-Man is a public menace, even while everybody's favorite wall-crawler is out there stopping burglaries and saving babies.

Throughout his journey, Spider-Man faces several tests. The first big one is stopping the Green Goblin when he crashes Oscorp's World Unity Festival. He's too late to stop Gobby from blowing up Oscorp's board, but he saves Mary Jane's life, as well as the lives of countless ordinary citizens.

Later, the Green Goblin shows up at the Daily Bugle and hits Spider-Man with knockout gas. He doesn't kill him; he takes him to a quiet, little out-of-the-way place and proposes that they team up. Next, the Green Goblin lures Spider-Man into a burning building. When Spider-Man formally declines his offer to be partners, he and the Green Goblin throw down again.

After a while, the Green Goblin starts to feel less like Spider-Man's nemesis and more like his stalker.

Approach to the Inmost Cave

This is where our hero prepares for his biggest challenge. In Spider-Man , it's also where our hero eats turkey. At Thanksgiving dinner, when Norman spots the cut on Peter's arm, he realizes his son's pal is his nemesis, Spider-Man.

The stakes have officially been raised. Now that Norman and the Green Goblin know Spidey's secret identity, they know how to focus their attack for maximum impact.

When Aunt May is attacked, Peter faces his greatest fear. With his identity exposed, his loved ones are no longer safe. At least the Green Goblin doesn't know that he loves Mary Jane. Yet.

Reward (Seizing the Sword)

Peter and M.J. have an intimate heart-to-heart in Aunt May's hospital room as Aunt May, Peter's only family, rests—and eavesdrops—peacefully. Peter tells M.J. what he told Spider-Man about her (i.e., that she's, like, the most awesome girl ever), and Mary Jane and Peter hold hands. Aww.

The Road Back

The Green Goblin kidnaps Mary Jane and holds her hostage on top of the Queensboro Bridge. See, Harry, not knowing what he was doing, told Norman that Peter is in love with M.J., which means the Green Goblin knows exactly how to get to Spider-Man. Whoops.

Spider-Man comes to M.J.'s aid and rescues her. He also saves a tramway car full of innocent kids in the process after Gobby tries to force Spider-Man to choose between the two. Spider-Man: all about that multitasking.

Resurrection

The resurrection is where the hero returns order to the world and ends the conflict. Here, it's when Spider-Man defeats the Green Goblin once and for all. Technically, we suppose the Green Goblin kind of defeats himself since he's impaled by his own glider after Spider-Man dodges it, but still.

With the Green Goblin gone, Spider-Man/Peter can breathe easier. We're sure that pesky little matter of Harry vowing to avenge his father's death will just resolve itself, right? Right?

Return with the Elixir

Peter returns to his ordinary world a changed man. When M.J. confesses her love for him (finally), he tells her he'll always be her friend. He tells the audience that he'll never forget Uncle Ben's words—"with great power comes great responsibility"—and that he's got a job to do because he's Spider-Man.

It's his gift because he can stop crime and save lives, and it's his curse because he can't live happily ever after with M.J., 2.5 spider-children, and a white picket fence.

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W hy's T his F unny?

A Spidey Sense We Haven’t Seen Before

In Across the Spider-Verse , even more thrilling than the dazzling visuals is the hero’s bold psychological journey.

Multiverses are, at this point, familiar ground for Hollywood. Films about extra-dimensional travel and parallel versions of ourselves aren’t restricted to the realm of comic-book nerdery; the reigning Best Picture winner at the hoary Oscars is all about “verse-jumping,” after all. Yet no character is more conversant in the metaphysical and narrative implications of the multiverse than Spider-Man, who has been hopping through portals for years, both in the live-action film No Way Home and in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse , an animated delight that pushed every limit of the medium to smoosh seven very different spider-stars into one adventure.

So what possible new depths can that movie’s sequel, titled Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse , plumb? The epic picks back up with teen hero Miles Morales (voiced by Shameik Moore), who travels across realities with five other Spideys, who are all connected through their shared insectoid prowess. The story is part two of a three-film arc—the next edition is slated for release in spring 2024—so don’t go in expecting a neatly tied-up conclusion. Instead, what’s impressive about Across the Spider-Verse is how it challenges the essential structure of a superhero narrative.

Audiences are probably painfully aware of Spider-Man’s character beats by now. This is the tenth major feature film to star the character since the director Sam Raimi’s first Spider-Man in 2002. Most of them have at least gestured at the notion of great power coming with great responsibility, and sacrificed a beloved uncle for the sake of a grander lesson. Miles dealt with renditions of these problems in Into the Spider-Verse . But the film also took pains to underline that he is a different character from Peter Parker, the usual Spider-Man, and he has endless potential to not follow the same hero’s journey.

Read: Spider-Man: Far From Home satirizes the way Marvel movies are made

Across the Spider-Verse reunites Miles with his erstwhile crush, Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld), a Spider-Woman from another timeline, who’s now part of a crew that is trying to restore order to the multiple universes. Alongside Gwen is Peter B. Parker (Jake Johnson), a charmingly bedraggled take on the first film’s character; Jessica Drew (Issa Rae), a pregnant and motorcycle-riding Spider-Woman; and Miguel O’Hara (Oscar Isaac), a.k.a. “Spider-Man 2099,” a grim and gritty vigilante from a dark alternate future who leads the team.

With all these heroes (and many others) come stern council meetings and endless exposition, the kind of script sludge that has stopped other cross-dimensional films (such as Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness ) in their tracks. But Across the Spider-Verse avoids seeming like a physics lesson because its visuals are consistently thrilling; the most static bits of dialogue still pop because of how daring the animation is. Just as important as the aesthetic creativity is the narrative intrigue. When Miles is taken to the land of Spideys and taught their ways, he keeps rubbing up against an insidious underlying notion—that they’re all inherently the same.

Yes, they each look different, as do their worlds. Some of the Spider-Men and -Women are flesh-and-blood humans, others are talking animals, and one is literally a walking Lego figure. Gwen’s universe is depicted through vivid watercolors, while Miles’s buzzes with neon energy. My favorite new character, Spider-Punk (Daniel Kaluuya), somehow looks like a zine sketch come to life; as with the last film, Across the Spider-Verse is a computer-animated film that uses the medium to depict a multitude of artistic styles.

But Miles’s growing realization as Across the Spider-Verse progresses (it clocks in at a hefty 140 minutes) is enticingly rebellious. He’s not interested in being the same tragic hero as those around him. His life is stuffed with costumed do-gooders carrying both the weight of the world and untold personal losses, and Miles (who has loving parents and a close bond to Gwen) starts to stray outside the lines in the hope of avoiding those same burdens.

My one real complaint is that Spider-Verse has only begun to explore this line of thinking when it ends on a risky, unresolved plot point. The dazzling ambition on display, both aesthetically and narratively, justifies the swing. But I won’t be ready to call the Spider-Verse series a masterpiece of the genre until I watch it stick the landing next year—even though I’m a firm believer that it will.

Myth and the Hero's Journey

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Myth and the hero's journey: Big screen blockbusters

Star wars , spider-man - tell timeless tales, by chris bergeron.

After leaving his ruined home in a galaxy far, far away, Luke Skywalker began a journey taken by countless other heroes from Odysseus to Huckleberry Finn.

Along the way, the young adventurer encountered a wise knight, a charming princess and the husk of his father in a tale that began a long time ago but has come to seem as familiar as our own dreams.

Whether sending their creations across the wine dark seas or the deserts of Tatooine, storytellers from blind Homer to director George Lucas have used myths to reveal truths as old as time.

From every age and place, seekers like Odysseus and Huck Finn have set out as wanderers yet ended on profound quests to discover what it means to be human.

With the fifth installment of Lucas' intergalactic saga, Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones , primed for release on May 16, some are hailing it as the desperately needed, contemporary equivalent of the kind of myths that once inspired civilizations.

They point to Lucas' friendship with the late Joseph Campbell, the preeminent 20th-century expounder of mythology, as evidence his films were exploring far more than hyper-space.

Some, like television journalist Bill Moyers, believe Lucas has used his art to revitalize mankind's oldest story, the hero's journey, dressing it up in sci-fi duds to remind viewers if they forget it they'll be like Darth Vader - a hollow shell behind a mask.

And psychologist and author Jonathan Young describes Lucas' series as

He believes the Star Wars saga has propitiously arrived at a time when advanced technology has rendered old Gods obsolete in a secular age when individuals are estranged from nature, society and themselves.

Appearing at Harvard, Young described the film's episodes as wisdom tales that point the way to spiritual renewal and the path of right conduct in a trashy age.

He cited Lucas' treatment of the mysterious Force which Jedi knights regard as the unifying power of the universe and a potent power to be pursued and understood.

We have the Force within us just like theologians say we have the Holy Spirit , Young said. The Force is the most noble qualities a culture has to offer. It is whatever divine inspirations the religions pointed to .

He compared the experience of viewing a Lucas film in a darkened theater to the ritual very much like going to church on Sunday morning. It's kind of like religion of the psyche .

Young, who serves as Campbell's archivist, stated,

We are living in a time between the myths. The compelling narratives of times past are not holding our energies the way they once did. So, there is some hope a new mythic vision will emerge .

From the ashes

Does Lucas expect moviegoers to learn swordplay with light sabers or pilot the Millennium Falcon through asteroid belts?

Of course not. Like Campbell, he asks for something far simpler, yet infinitely more difficult.

They ask people to cultivate their own inner resources with discipline, restraint and faith, the lesson Skywalker learns from all his various mentors.

It is exciting what George Lucas is doing because he is such a serious student of myth and has taken the most compelling aspects of the patterns Campbell described and is presenting them back to us in the most marvelously dramatic fashion ,

Young said.

Asked whether it was possible Lucas was merely imitating or echoing Campbell's mythological theories without understanding them, Young said it was very unlikely. Young said:

From what I know of the 'Star Wars' scripts, Lucas had a very strong idea of what he wanted before bringing Campbell into it. So I do think there's a spontaneous, creative element to what Lucas has done .

Starting with his classic study, The Hero With 1,000 Faces , Campbell isolated certain mythic elements common to the legends, folklore and fairy tales of all cultures that constitute the hero's journey , a sort of psychic road trip through the major stages of life itself.

In that book, he described a Mono-myth common to all cultures in which the hero triumphs over a series of obstacles with the help of a mentor who bestows a boon , or gift, to assist him through his darkest moments.

Whether in Star Wars or The Wizard of Oz , Campbell felt the hero's adventures recapitulated the individual's progress from innocence, or psychic wholeness, to knowledge or sin - and, finally, back to a renewed wisdom.

For Young, the power of myth can also be found in comic books, like Spider-Man , which employ the standard theme of an awkward adolescent discovering he's blessed with extra-human powers.

'Spider-Man' is a classic in its own way. It's a compelling metaphor that indicates there's more to us than we might originally imagine , he said.

When comic character Peter Parker discovered his newfound talents, Young compared it to the common adolescent fantasy of wielding power. He said,

To a young person, the discovery of power is quite miraculous. But Spider-Man's message is to wisely use the powers he's been given. His new powers aren't for his own glorification or enrichment but to make some contribution to others

Tarnished heroes

To the owners of two local comic book stores, it's no surprise readers find instructive moral lessons in the adventures of Superman and Wonder Woman, Spider-Man and Captain Marvel.

Readers have always found comics to be morality plays , said Frank Urbano, owner of Paper Heroes in Holliston. I'd be lying if I said people don't want good to triumph over evil .

A former Boston housing police officer, Urbano pointed out comics are evolving in ways to match a changing world.

While DC Comics traditionally employed flawlessly good superheroes, rival Marvel relied on conflicted adolescent characters with ambiguous motives.

Decades later, new comics like Dark Horse and Image created characters, like Wolverine or the X-Men, often described as mutants who represented uneasy amalgams of good and evil.

The most extreme example of comics reflecting a malevolent world, Urbano said, might be Slave Labor Graphics which publishes Johnny the Homicidal Maniac .

Richard Roach, owner of Hudmar Paper in Marlborough, believes superhero tales appeal to the adolescent fantasy of power, which he attributed to escapism - but not mythology.

The first days

As a film scholar who founded Boston College's cinema studies department, Professor John Michalczyk believes many popular films fall short of real mythic status.

While a movie like The Scorpion King has mythic pretensions, it merely parades lifeless mythic cliches that lack the timeless gravity of moral tales.

He questioned whether Hollywood treatments of timeless mythic themes could compare in depth and universality to the original ancient models that inspired them.

The author of 10 books on film, Michalczyk dismissed wrestler-turned-actor, The Rock, as a plastic hero, a flash in the pan, that won't have the longevity of a mythic heroes like Skywalker or Huck Finn.

For him, the cinematic Spider-Man also represented a secondhand myth rather than the genuine article.

Michalczyk suggested many contemporary artists are too secularized and distracted by popular culture to make art or films with a genuine mythic resonance.

Myth is a sacred story. But these days I feel there's less of a touching of the human heart than imitating the outlines of myth itself .

As a writer and producer of contemporary comics, graduate student David Lewis, of Framingham, believes they can be appropriately sophisticated vehicles to explore complex subjects.

He characterized Spider-Man's alter ego Peter Parker as the typically conflicted hero who uses his newfound gifts to rise above his limitations to achieve self-knowledge, an echo of similar themes in Star Wars .

And while Lewis believes Spider-Man's story line fits Campbell's Mono-myth to a T , he pointed out the hero of an ongoing comic series can never come to the end of his travels, like Odysseus or Huck Finn, to share their wisdom without ending the comic line itself.

Earning a master's degree in literature at Georgetown University, Lewis speculated that comics' fixation on mutant characters reflected global nuclear fears at the height of very real Superpowers conflicts between the U.S. and the then-Soviet Union.

Following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks that killed thousands, he believes story lines are again reflecting a national hunger for squeaky clean heroes like Superman of what fans call the golden age of comics.

Since the attacks, he pointed out the comic industry re-booted dormant heroes like GI Joe and Captain America as exemplars of national virtue. Lewis said:

We're seeing a return to the spirit of heroism. We need heroes again. We want to believe in heroes. We'll see a return to the spirit of heroism but not the actual military expression of it. Right now, we see enough of that in the news .

Published: Sunday, May 5, 2002 Daily News, Framingham, MA (Suburb of Boston). Section: Arts & Culture

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Screen Rant

Exclusive: the super hero's journey gives marvel's silver age heroes a new purpose.

The Marvel heroes of the the publisher's revolutionary '60s era are given an entirely new purpose in The Super Hero's Journey by Patrick McDonnell.

• The Super Hero's Journey is a graphic novel that aims to reacquaint readers with the history of Marvel's Silver Age heroes and the creators who brought them to life.
• Written by Patrick McDonnell, the graphic novel pays homage to the classic Marvel comics of the 1960s and showcases iconic characters like the Fantastic Four, Hulk, Black Panther, Captain America, and Spider-Man.
• McDonnell's love letter to Marvel's legendary creators highlights the positive themes of classic Marvel comics, emphasizing the importance of positivity, kindness, and spiritual connectedness.

The Marvel heroes of the publisher's "Silver Age" era are given an entirely new purpose in The Super Hero's Journey . The Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to get mainstream audiences acquainted with the modern depiction of Marvel heroes. But the closer audiences get to the contemporary versions of these heroes, the further away they get from the Silver Age history of Marvel Comics.

Marvel hopes to reacquaint readers with its history through the graphic novel The Super Hero's Journey by writer and cartoonist Patrick McDonnell (of Mutts fame). The Super Hero's Journey — a collaboration from publishers Marvel and Abrams ComicArts — serves as both a history lesson and a love letter to the 1960s Marvel heroes — along with the creators who crafted them during this era, such as Stan Lee, Steve Ditko, and Jack Kirby. The Super Hero's Journey is available for pre-order now before it goes on sale September 26th.

The graphic novel focuses on the Watcher observing Earth and the inner burdens of Marvel heroes, all while Doctor Doom harnesses the power of the Negative Zone, spreading negativity across the planet and killing the human spirit in the process. Check out a preview of this forthcoming book below.

Related: 15 Best New Marvel Heroes of 2023 (So Far)

The Super Hero's Journey Is a Morality Play — and Homage

This graphic novel will feature iconic Marvel characters and teams like the Fantastic Four, the Hulk, Black Panther, Captain America, and Spider-Man. "Most people today are introduced to the iconic Marvel super heroes through their blockbuster movies," says McDonnell in an exclusive quote. "I met them at their very beginnings, on the comic book page. The Super Hero’s Journey is my graphic novel love letter to those 1960s Marvel comics and their creators. It’s a mashup of my art and the classic pages of Lee, Ditko and Kirby, featuring the original Avengers, Fantastic Four and Spider-Man. This book tells a new story in a new way. I can confidently say The Super Hero’s Journey is unlike anything you’ve ever seen in the Marvel Universe."

Judging from both the pages above and his statement, McDonnell hopes to recapture the themes of classic Marvel comics to tell a kind of morality play. At their core, Marvel's '60s-era comics were mini-morality plays, showcasing the endurance of the human spirit at every turn. It's just as appropriate for this graphic novel's story to be about one of Marvel's most notable villains breaking the heroes by spreading negativity — literally. Classic Marvel stories were often about highlighting positive themes like moral sensibilities and inspiring others.

By exploring how Marvel heroes can recapture their positivity, McDonnell highlights the positive impact these comics had on him growing up. McDonnell's graphic novel is a love letter to both Marvel's legendary creators and the valuable lessons found within their stories. The Super Hero's Journey is all about emphasizing the importance of positivity, kindness, and spiritual connectedness — all while educating the reader on Marvel's iconic Silver Age history.

The Super Hero's Journey will be available September 26th from Marvel and Abram ComicArts.

Voyaging upon a vague and wandering quest

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Gwen Stacy & The Hero’s Journey In Across The Spider-Verse

Ever since I saw Across the Spider-Verse , I’ve been really interested in the journey that Gwen Stacy undergoes in the film.  I’ve already talked about the hubris of Miles, Miguel, and even the Spot, and how this is a core thematic element of the story – but Gwen’s very much got her own thing going on.  So I figured I’d try and break it down a little here, with the help of one Joseph Campbell and a certain infamous narrative template – but I’m getting ahead of myself.

A central plot point of Across the Spider-Verse is the idea of ‘canon events’, events which shape a Spider-Person into the hero they are meant to be, regardless of the world in which they live.  Setting aside the dubious veracity of whether Miguel is even right about canon events, it’s well worth examining the very beginning of the film, as we learn more about the events that helped shape Gwen Stacy into her world’s Spider-Woman.

For seemingly every Spider-Person, one canon event seems to be the significant death of someone close to them, near the beginning of their Spider-Career.  For Miles, it is Aaron Davies, the Prowler.  For innumerable Peters, an uncle Ben.  And for Gwen herself, Peter Parker, monstrously transformed and killed in the ensuing devastation of a battle.

It’s fitting, given Gwen’s raised prominence in this film, to grant her a little more backstory, to help her assume the narrative weight that comes with being (I think) the film’s co-protagonist.  Yet it also serves a very important function – to illustrate that while Gwen may be Miles’ equal in the film, she is, in many ways, less heroically developed.

This may seem an odd claim, but consider the deaths of Aaron Davies and Peter Parker.  In many significant ways, the deaths are very similar.  Both the Prowler and the Lizard are villainous and dangerous figures, both of them die fighting Spider-(Wo)man (though through no direct fault of the hero), and both of them die in the arms of their Spider-Person.

But there’s one huge difference, too, and that difference is all the more important given the other similarities.  The last words Peter Parker ever hears are his best friend lying to him.  He knows Gwen is Spider-Woman, and says so to her – only to be met with rejection, with dishonesty, with Gwen’s mask still up (figuratively and literally).  Where Miles and Aaron share a final touching moment of reconciliation and honesty , Peter reaches out for just such a moment – only to be rejected by Gwen. The very last words Peter hears are his best friend, lying to him, even though he knows the truth.

This early character beat is important because it shows that Gwen, for all her heroic trappings, is not yet a hero.  Don’t get me wrong, she is undoubtedly heroic , as well as being skilful and practised.  But I don’t think she’s a hero…not yet, anyway.  Because for all her heroism, she has not learnt to confront true danger, dangers to herself – whenever such a challenge is presented to her, she lies.  She runs away.  She does everything she can to avoid confrontation, no matter how necessary or justified that confrontation may be. She lies to Peter to protect herself.

There’s another, much smaller moment, also towards the beginning of the film, which should clue us the audience in to just how far Gwen still has to go – when her father gets called to the Guggenheim, his last words to her are, “I’ll call later – love you!”

And Gwen doesn’t respond.  Of course, this is developing her fractious and complicated dual relationship with Captain George Stacy, father and vigilante hunter – but it’s also an incredibly clear call back to the first film, and to Miles’ relationship with his own father.  Twice, Jeff says “I love you” to Miles.  The first time it’s played for a joke, with Miles eventually (and very unwillingly) responding, but this sets up the pathos of the second time.  This time, Miles does not respond, and Jeff does not expect him to – but it is only because Miles is gagged and webbed down, unable to react at all.

Then, following the film’s climax, Miles as Spider-Man tells Jeff that he loves him – disguised, to be sure, but of his own volition, unafraid of his own emotional vulnerability.  It’s simultaneously funny and touching, and illustrates the growth of Miles…growth that Gwen, despite her seniority, has not yet experienced.  Miles has become a hero in ways that Gwen has not managed…yet. And Miles’ courage and vulnerability are demonstrated through his relationships with Aaron and Jeff in the first film; relationships that are contrasted with Gwen’s fear and dishonesty when confronted by Peter and George.

Gwen’s story and arc in AtSV really fascinated me, and it took me a couple of viewings to really notice just how clever it is.  Because (spoilers) Gwen does overcome her own fears and insecurities, of course, but the way in which she does so, and the story the film gives her, is really interesting, and strangely fitting.  Because Gwen has the facade of being a hero, she is also given the facade of a hero’s journey – of the hero’s journey.

Prologue: The Monomyth

The Hero with a Thousand Faces , Joseph Campbell’s 1949 work of comparative analysis in mythology, is arguably the best-known piece of narrative theory today.  Popularised by George Lucas’ conscious aping of the “hero’s adventure” in Star Wars , the idea of the monomyth, the call to adventure, and other concepts defined by Campbell are generally familiar to anyone with an interest in narrative and myth (though whether one finds Campbell’s ideas credible or useful is a very different question).

Naturally, anyone working as a writer or director is likely to be very familiar with the work – and I think that’s very apparent in AtSV , especially in how the film portrays the hero’s journey as seen through Campbell.  Because Gwen’s story is very consciously Campbellian, but in a way that is distinctly contrary to Campbell’s underpinning ideas.  Gwen, in a way, undergoes an anti hero’s journey.

Into the Spider-Verse also adheres closely to the monomyth, of course.  Miles is living a normal life, is bitten by a magic radioactive spider and drawn into an extraordinary world.  He is unwilling and nervous, but through the aid of several mentors, he is able to overcome obstacles, up to and including a ‘death’ (when he is left behind by the other Spider-people) and ‘resurrection’ (as his own spin on the heroic Spider-Man).  With his new gifts, he returns to his own world, having overcome the final tests, and is now present in both worlds at once, and to the betterment of both.

Super monomyth-ish, but that’s the point of the monomyth – there isn’t necessarily much more for me to say.  The sequel, on the other hand, also draws inspiration from the hero’s journey, in (what I think) is a much more deliberate manner, and in an actively subversive way.

Consider the opening of the film.  From the beginning, we’re being told two different things in the film’s language.  The narrative, Gwen’s narrative, is framing Miles as being the hero – yet the actual framing of the film makes it clear that this story is also Gwen’s.  The narration is hers, the film opens with her – even her words make it clear that this is no longer just Miles’ story.

Gwen: Let’s do things differently this time. So differently. His name is Miles Morales. He was bitten by a radioactive spider. And he’s not the only one. He hasn’t always had it easy. And he’s not the only one. And now he’s on his own. And he’s not the only one. You think you know the rest; you don’t. I thought I knew the rest, but I didn’t. I didn’t want to hurt him, but I did. And he’s not the only one.

Consider the first clear and inarguable monomythic moment in the film, the ‘call to adventure’ that Gwen receives from Miguel O’Hara and Jessica Drew.  The Hero with a Thousand Faces is a work that deals with symbolism and interpretation, yet here every Campbellian element is nearly as literal as possible.  There is a talisman – the wrist-worn device that allows safe passage into the beyond. There is a threshold, the multiversal portal, guarded by Miguel, that will lead to an extraordinary world.  With the aid of Jessica, Gwen is granted passage, and steps through the threshold into adventure.

This all fits the monomyth incredibly clearly – yet it does not tell the whole story, either.  Because the film frames this moment not as a triumph, but as a tragedy.  The music is ominous, throbbing, doom-laden – it has a bombastic veneer, yet is clearly tragic.  Gwen isn’t embracing the call to adventure, she is fleeing her responsibility as a superhero and as a daughter.  And as we later learn, the narrative logic of the film emphasises that this is the wrong choice on Gwen’s part, because Miguel’s organisation is not at all heroic.  Gwen isn’t even making the right choice for the wrong reasons here, she’s also making the wrong choice.

Gwen’s acceptance of the call in this moment isn’t a moment of excitement, because Gwen’s not starting on her hero’s journey – she’s running away, rejecting the responsibility that is entailed by being a hero.  The threshold may meet the definition of Campbell’s structure, but it does not in any way match the spirit of his theory.  Gwen doesn’t want to travel the multiverse for the sake of adventure, or because it is right – she wants to do so because it would be easier than her real world, which goes against the core of Campbell’s template.

So Gwen steps through on her “hero’s journey”, having been granted a multiverse-watch by Miguel (as mentioned above, a clear talisman in Campbellian language), and then…vanishes.  Right at the moment when she enters the new world, when she crosses the first threshold, the film leaves her, instead focusing on Miles.  At this point in Campbell’s monomyth, we ought to be in the “Belly of the Whale”, to see Gwen undergoing her first trials.  But this isn’t really Gwen’s hero’s journey at all, and so we cut away from her, undercutting her threshold crossing (and, arguably, foreshadowing that Miles himself is a key element in Gwen’s trials ahead).

Gwen, though, is blissfully unaware for the moment, she seems to truly believe that she is on a heroic path.  When she reappears in the film and is chatting with Miles, she enthusiastically talks about Miguel and Jess, outright saying that she’s “learned so much” from the senior Spider-Woman.  Jessica Drew is, in this twisted hero’s journey, Gwen’s mentor.

But what exactly has Gwen learnt from Jessica?  Don’t get me wrong, I don’t doubt that from a literalist perspective, Gwen is telling the truth, that she has learnt lots of cool little tricks and ideas from Jessica.  But from a narrative perspective, we never see any evidence of this, explicit or implicit.  Gwen does not show herself to have developed greatly as a superhero in any aspect, whether mental, physical or even moral.  She does not pull off some amazing Jessica-style move to save the day, she doesn’t call upon Jessica’s influence to solve a crisis.  From a story-logic perspective, Gwen has not developed in the slightest through Jessica’s mentoring.

Further, when Jessica herself reenters the film, as a hologram call while Gwen is investigating the Spot’s apartment, we see no evidence of warmth or camaraderie from her.  Indeed, Jessica’s appearance is framed as being something threatening, looming suddenly over Gwen from behind, and scolding her for her failures.  Jessica isn’t shown as being a figure who cares for Gwen, or is trying to help her – she’s scary, dispassionate, judgemental.

Jessica is framed as being Gwen’s mentor, yet she does a spectacularly bad job at it – nominally she is indeed a mentor, but narratively she does nothing to earn it (and, as will be seen later, actively fails to live up to the tag).

So Gwen runs away, again, ostensibly living up to her duty by chasing the Spot, whilst failing in her duty to Miles.  And in a way, I think Gwen is aware that she is turning her back on a friend without just cause, as she looks out over Miles’ New York and farewells him, unaware that he’s right there.

Gwen : Goodbye, Miles.

At this point, Gwen is on her Road of Trials, and, well…she doesn’t do a very good job with any of those trials, to be honest.  Having run away from Miles, she continues to mislead Miles on what she has been told about him.  When Captain Singh is in danger, Gwen upholds Miguel’s status quo instead of saving him, and is clearly conflicted after Miles manages to save him.  Hobie outright tells Gwen that Miles needs to be enlightened, and still Gwen refuses to act.  In short, despite being a protagonist overall, Gwen does very little (arguably nothing) in this act of the film – she is impotent, unwilling, afraid.  Far from learning and growing, from seizing her own fate and confronting danger, Gwen is repeating the mistakes she has made since the beginning of the film.

Tellingly, Gwen makes it clear that she has not returned to her home in months, remaining either with the Spider-Society, or ‘crashing’ in various alternative dimensions, including Hobie’s.  The film does not make it clear how exactly the Spider-Society functions, though given that Peter B Parker seems to view it as being ‘work’, as a day job, I am sure that members are somewhat free to come and go as they will.  Nonetheless, given the rhetoric around how Miguel and the Society have lost sight of their goals, there is a very real implication that the Spider-Society is inadvertently preventing Spider-People from realising their own heroic destinies in their own universes.

The five months that Gwen spends with the Society are five long months that her own home is unprotected by Spider-Woman…and even in the cases of Peter B and Pavitr, who clearly still live and are active in their home dimensions, they cannot be present in the Society, in their civilian lives, and as their home’s hero all at the same time.  The Spider-Society may be doing ‘the greater good’ (an infamously problematic phrase), but it does so at the cost of thousands of ‘friendly neighbourhood Spider-People’.  But this is an issue not fully dealt with in the film, though it would not surprise me if the sequel returns to it.

Though the story centres around Miles and Miguel during the central act centring around the Spider-Society, there’s one little moment from Gwen that I want to highlight while she (acting alongside the literally faceless and seemingly unthinking horde of Spider-People) chases Miles.  Gwen, as she leaps and swings after Miles, finally begins to express her doubts:

Gwen: But my gut says… Jessica: Then use your head!

Again, Jessica is nominally Gwen’s mentor – but she’s actively holding Gwen back, and preventing Gwen from pursuing the right course of action.  And, of course, this results in catastrophe – Miles escapes, and as he does so, he turns his back on Gwen, finally confirming the words she said to him just a few hours earlier, and (to drive the point home) turning invisible immediately after, just as he was when Gwen herself left him behind:

Miles: Goodbye, Gwen.

So Miles escapes into another universe, and now the film’s attention swings back to Gwen, as she faces the consequences and sum of everything she’s done wrong.  There’s a bitter irony, too, in that the figure judging her – Miguel – is not only complicit, but arguably bears even more responsibility than Gwen.  Miguel told Gwen to hide the truth from Miles, and assigned her to deal with the Spot; and even at the last, Miguel failed to apprehend Miles (which is the actual excuse Miguel uses for expelling Gwen).  Miguel is at least as responsible, if not more so, for all of this – his vicious judgement of Gwen is thus completely unfair.

But that doesn’t make it untrue, and I think Gwen is aware of both these things in this moment.  So she looks to her mentor, to Jessica Drew, for any sort of support or guidance – and Jessica rejects her, fails her.  In the moment when Gwen most needed a mentor and an advocate, Jessica proves herself to be neither – and so Gwen dies.

Well, she doesn’t die die, of course, she’s still alive.  But she is dead to the Spider-Society, dead to Miguel, executed and banished from the supernatural world.  Spiritually and symbolically, this is Gwen’s death, and it is every bit as meaningful as if she had actually been killed.

So Gwen dies, and in dying is returned to the real world – and yet, in this strange and twisted Hero’s Journey, this proves to be one of the most meaningful subversions yet.

Refusal of the Call

In the Departure stage of the monomyth, a very typical element is the Refusal of the Call – a moment when the hero is reluctant, unwilling, even resistant to being swept up into the story.  The hero would rather stay in comfort and security than face the unknown, and so must be encouraged or even forced to step into danger.  This, of course, underlines the great heroism the hero will then demonstrate through the story, and also serves to create value in the hero’s ordinary world – if the hero cares about their world, we will care about it as well.

Now, Gwen never refused the call – she was desperate to hop in to the portal, to leave her world behind.  But in doing so, and triggering her topsy-turvy hero’s journey, she also turned her back on an actual challenge, she ran away from her real hero’s call – the confrontation with her father.  This entire film has been a giant Refusal of the Call on Gwen’s part – and now, she’s finally being forced to accept it.

This might all sound terribly dissatisfying, but I think it really works, and really helps to sell Gwen’s personal journey and growth.  Further, while the subverted hero’s journey that Gwen has been on may not have been ‘real’, it has nonetheless forced her to confront her own personal demons.  Gwen has suffered consequences that she did not intend, and has learnt from her mistakes.

Further, Gwen has never lost sight of her larger goal – she truly does wish to be a hero.  She may not have been hero ic in fleeing from her father, and in failing to question Miguel, and in concealing the truth from Miles, but that does not mean that she is not striving to be a hero.  But it is only now that Gwen can realise her insufficiencies, and confront her own inner demons – and in doing so, she can finally live up to the hero she wants to be.  For while Gwen initially chased after the veneer of adventure and heroism by joining the Spider-Society, she has now finally confronted her own dragon, and accepted the call of her own much more domestic adventure.  But the domesticity of it does not lessen the heroism Gwen finally shows in reaching out to her father, in becoming vulnerable with him.

And through her reconciliation with George, Gwen is also finally able to understand why she herself has failed to live up to her heroic potential – and in doing so, is able to renew her heroic commitment with a greater clarity. At long last, Gwen is able to confront her greatest challenge – her own inadequacies.

Gwen: You’re a good cop, Dad. You know, you put on that badge because you know if you don’t, someone who shouldn’t will. But you have to understand, this mask is my badge. And I’m trying to be good, too. I was trying so hard to wear this thing the way you would want. And I didn’t. I didn’t. I can do all these things, but I can’t help the people I love the most.

Despite her twisty, subversive hero’s journey, Gwen has nonetheless grown, has achieved mastery within and without.  It has taken the entire film for her to Accept the Call, but in the process, she has nonetheless discovered the internal strength to not only accept, but to excel.  Gwen’s reconciliation with her father is the catharsis Gwen herself needed to realise her heroic calling, and to not only gain the strength to realise that calling, but to also gain the wisdom that being a hero isn’t simply about swinging around and saving people.  It’s about confronting your own fears and demons, and overcoming them – and her newfound relationship with her father is proof that this heroic philosophy bears fruit.

Master of the Two Worlds

And in a final and fitting twist, this revelation on Gwen’s part is accompanied by her fulfilling the final stage of her monomythic journey.  Gwen is resurrected through Hobie’s gift (a gift that she could not receive until she met her father – and Hobie knows that Gwen has not been home for months), and is granted mastery over her ‘ordinary’ world, and over the supernatural world that is the multiverse.  Gwen has, at long last, realised her heroic sacrifice, and is granted a heroic boon as a reward.  Through her self-actualisation, Gwen is at long last able to wander between the natural and the supernatural world at will, bestowing her own gifts and boons upon others.

At the end of the film, Gwen has become Miguel as he should have been, a captain of willing followers rather than a director of minions.  She has also become her father, worthy of the badge that he wore and to which she aspires.  And, of course, she has overcome the selfishness and fear that caused her to let down Miles – and before him, her best friend.

Gwen : I always wanted to be in a band. I guess I never just found the right one. In this line of work, you always wind up a solo act. Before Miles, there was Peter.

Come the end of AtSV , Gwen has overcome her failings, has failed and suffered and triumphed, and is bettered as a result – she is a solo act no longer.  And her overcoming of these failings has been through a compelling hero’s journey – not a classic one, perhaps, but I think that works to the advantage of the film as a whole, and her own story.

I’ve gotta confess, I don’t necessarily ascribe to all of Campbell’s theories and concepts – there’s a lot of psychology and pseudopsychology in The Hero with a Thousand Faces that I don’t find compelling, and the very idea of a ‘monomyth’ is (I think) so overly broad as to be either inaccurate or unhelpful ( Bonini’s paradox is at full effect here).

On the other hand, though, Campbell’s monomyth both clearly has merit, and has (more importantly) been highly influential.  It is, perhaps, a chicken and egg scenario in AtSV – does Gwen’s journey mirror and subvert the hero’s journey so carefully because of the monomyth, or because the screenwriters and directors are keenly aware of the monomyth?  My inclination is toward the latter, given how straight the monomyth structure is in ItSV .  AtSV is thus a deconstruction and reconstruction of the monomyth, through Gwen Stacy as the hero.  It’s a very clever reworking of a classic and well-known structure, making it fresh and inventive whilst staying true to the core of Campbell’s theories.

There’s a delightfully unironic tendency in Hollywood to describe any and every sequel to a moderately successful film as being ‘the Empire Strikes Back of the franchise’.  But in this case, I do genuinely think there’s a good claim to that parallel with AtSV .  Both are sequels to a very classic Campbellian story.  Both are more disquieting, less morally clear, and end with a genuine cliffhanger whilst feeling like compelling and satisfying stories in their own right.  And both of them interrogate that monomythic structure in a genuinely novel and narratively logical manner.

I’ve also seen some criticism and dissatisfaction with the character of Gwen in AtSV , which I think rather misses the point of her story.  Gwen’s on a different (though convergent) journey to Miles, and needs to have those self-inflicted setbacks and losses in order to better herself, in order to realise her heroic potential.  I honestly think her arc and development through the film might be my favourite element of the story, and considering how much I liked the film, that is high praise!  The film is laser-focused on showing how and why Gwen grows beyond her initial flaws, and uses this twisted and reworked version of the hero’s journey to support that development.  And, by the end of the film, Gwen is a genuinely matured character – just as Miles did in the first film, she has achieved her heroic aspirations, and in overcoming her flaws, has been rewarded.

Gwen: I never found the right band to join. So I started my own. With a few old friends. You want in?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks for reading – feel free to check out anything else you may be interested in on the blog, there’s plenty more to discover! Follow me on Facebook and on Twitter to stay up to date with The Blog of Mazarbul, and if you want to join in the discussion, write a comment below or send an email . Finally, if you really enjoyed the post above, you can support the blog via Paypal . Thanks for reading, and may your beards never grow thin!

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Spider-Man and The Hero’s Journey Essay

Spider-Man is an action movie directed by Sam Raimi. It tells the story of a teenager acquiring supernatural abilities. The following text will depict the twelve steps of the Hero’s Journey, using the scenes as examples. During the first step, Peter Parker is depicted as a schoolboy who is bullied by his classmates. The movie introduces his love interest, Mary Jane Watson, and his friend, Harry Osborn. Peter’s life changes after being bitten by a spider during a field trip to a laboratory. As a result, he acquires supernatural abilities, such as web shooting and climbing walls. At this point, Parker is overjoyed and unaware of the responsibilities that follow. The third step takes place when Peter is given a chance to catch a robber who steals money from an accountant after a wrestling match Parker has finished. The guy rejects the opportunity, letting the bandit run away. This mistake leads to said robber killing Peter’s uncle, Ben.

After the death of the boy’s uncle, he recognizes the latter as a mentor figure and follows his words. During the fifth step, Parker becomes a hero by fighting crime in New York. The multiple tests approach him when he is confronted by his new nemesis: the Green Goblin. The latter believes that humans are unreliable and offers Peter an alliance. Moreover, Peter’s love interest is dating his best friend, and the boss at his new job despises Spider-Man.

The stakes are raised when Norman (Goblin) notices a cut on the guy’s arm during a Thanksgiving dinner with May, MJ, and Harry. He realizes that Parker is Spider-Man because the injury is identical to his enemy’s. This leads to the eighth step when May is attacked by Goblin. Peter realizes what may happen if he loses his anonymity (Raimi, 2002). The Reward is represented by Mary Jane having a personal conversation, and after May overhears it and advises Peter to confess, he does it indirectly, and MJ holds his hand.

Spider-Man has his final battle with the Green Goblin, with the latter forcing the former to choose between Mary Jane’s life and saving the lives of a group of kids he is holding hostage. Peter successfully rescues both MJ and the children, having to fight the Goblin for the last time later. Norman dies, trying to kill the guy but indirectly causing his own demise. Parker acknowledges his responsibilities in the final stage and continues living as Spider-Man.

Raimi, S. (2002). Spider-Man . Columbia Pictures.

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IvyPanda. (2023, July 29). Spider-Man and The Hero's Journey. https://ivypanda.com/essays/spider-man-and-the-heros-journey/

"Spider-Man and The Hero's Journey." IvyPanda , 29 July 2023, ivypanda.com/essays/spider-man-and-the-heros-journey/.

IvyPanda . (2023) 'Spider-Man and The Hero's Journey'. 29 July.

IvyPanda . 2023. "Spider-Man and The Hero's Journey." July 29, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/spider-man-and-the-heros-journey/.

1. IvyPanda . "Spider-Man and The Hero's Journey." July 29, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/spider-man-and-the-heros-journey/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Spider-Man and The Hero's Journey." July 29, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/spider-man-and-the-heros-journey/.

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WHAT ARE THE STAGES OF “THE HERO’S JOURNEY”?

What is “Hero's Journey ” ?  

  “Hero’s Journey” is a structure that most of us are actually familiar with. Even if some of us haven’t noticed, mostly all heroic stories from epic mythologies to Tolkien have similar structures that Joseph Campbell calls as “Hero’s Journey”.

Basically, it can be said that there is a story structure most of us are familiar with, in which a protagonist is dragged into an adventure, makes new friends and enemies, fights the enemy and becomes a whole other person than s/he was before… 

This structure is well explained in the book called Hero’s Journey by Joseph Campbell, who coined this structure in mid 1900s. Then, Christopher Vogler turned this useful mythic structure into a comprehensive modern guideline for screenwriters with his book Writer’s Journey. In his book he divides the structure into 12 stages.

What Are The 12 Stages of “ Hero’s Journey ”?

 1. Ordinary World

The first stage of the hero’s journey is called “Ordinary World” in which the main character is seen in his/her everyday life. The spectator gets to know about the character’s life before adventure calls. The character has no idea what is waiting for him.

For example, in the first Spider-Man (Sam Raimi,2002) movie, the spectator gets to know a teenage boy, Peter Parker who lives with his uncle and aunt and likes a girl from school.

2. Call to Adventure

As understood from the name, in this stage the character is called by the adventure and the adventure begins… This stage can be formed in different ways.

Again, in Spider-Man , Peter Parker’s adventure call begins when he is bitten by a genetically modified spider that gives him special powers.

3. Refusal of the Call

In this stage Hero refuses the adventure, mostly because s/he is afraid. The hero is not ready to make a major change in his/her ordinary life.

For example, in Matrix (1999), Neo refuses to obey Morpheus’s instructions and surrenders to agents.

4. Meeting the Mentor

The hero meets with his mentor who shows and teaches the hero to overcome his/her fears and pushes the hero into the adventure. Mentor does not always have to be a person; it can also be an object or an inner mentor.

5. Crossing the Threshold

If the hero has made it to this stage, it means that the hero is now committed to the journey. It is a big step into the Special World from the Ordinary World.

For example, in Matrix (1999), Neo’s threshold is the pills offered by Morpheus. When he chooses the red pills, he enters to the Special World.

6. Tests, Allies and Enemies

Crossing the threshold, the hero now copes with the tests, faces the enemies and team up with allies. Basically, in this stage the hero defines the relationships by finding out who is the enemy or who is the friend.

7. Approach to the Inmost Cave

This is the part where the hero faces a danger or a conflict that makes him/her question his/her journey. Hero needs to gain courage again in order to continue. And often failure is not an option.

8. The Ordeal

Whatever the hero is facing at the moment (such as a major conflict or a danger), the hero must overcome his/her fears and keep on. In this part, hero must not fail; s/he must fight with the conflict with all his/her powers.  It can be said that in this stage hero must reborn from his/her ashes.

After the enemy is defeated and overcoming the obstacles, the hero is rewarded for his/her accomplishments.  

For example, after the enemy is defeated in Spider Man, Peter Parker comes together with the love of his life, Mary Jane.

10. The Road Back

Hero attempts to go back to his/her hometown and ordinary life except the hero is no longer the same person we first met, and it is not that easy to return.

11. Resurrection 

This is the climax stage in which the hero must face one last conflict before returning home. This is the most dangerous conflict that the hero faces. It is a matter of life and death. Mostly the hero succeeds, and the enemy fails.

12. Return with Elixir

This is the last stage where the hero returns to his/her home. However, the hero is no longer the same person as before. The hero brings a new perspective to his/her ordinary life. 

For example, in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (2001) , Harry returns to his home happy because he knows that he will go back to Hogwarts.

What Are the Benefits of the Hero’s Journey Structure?

• The structure helps you as a writer to create a clear road map.
• It reveals character arcs.
• It provides a layered and strong character transformation.
• Unlike the 3-Act-Structure, it offers 12 steps to structure your story, and therefore it is easier to track the plot, character arcs and inconsistencies in your screenplay.
• The structure has become familiar to the audience.

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