By the time I had become proficient enough at reading on my own my dad had begun giving me my own comic books to read starting with paperback volumes of some of his favorite (kid friendly) series’. My Favorite of the bunch was Marvel’s Ultimate Spider-Man.
I imagine it’s most every boy’s dream to be a superhero, and Peter Parker was the character that made it apparent to me that it was absolutely possible. Peter was just like me, small, skinny, shy, but deliberate and thoughtful. It is a true work of art to be able to draw empathy from the reader toward a character who slings webs from his wrists and climbs walls, but Spider-Man’s actions and intentions behind the mask were what was most important in accomplishing that feat. Peter’s considerations of his power and privilege were always married to his responsibility toward his loved ones and the people who needed him. While the motives for these considerations were often extraordinary given his position, I knew that what he practiced could be applied to my reality, and so i practiced them too. When I needed to make hard decisions or when friends came to me for help and advice I began to ask myself “what would Peter Parker do?” and honestly I sometimes still do.
And that’s how a fictional character became my mentor.
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