Warning: SPOILERS for Marvel Comics #1000
The line between Spider-Man's famous 'Spider-Sense' and more fantastic, magical, or psychic powers has never been totally clear, but the newest Spidey story has taken things to a new level. Spider-Man's extra sense now gives him a power straight out of the Star Wars universe. But has Marvel ever confirmed Peter Parker... isn't a Jedi?
The idea of Peter's 'tingling' Spider-Sense has most recently been made something of a joke, thanks to its application and renaming in Spider-Man: Far From Home. But even if fans are caught up in the silliness of Spider-Man's 'Peter tingle,' the actual sixth sense has a comic book mythology all to itself. And in the latest change to Spider-Man canon, Peter's extra sense just became even more like a superhero version of the Force wielded by the Jedi and Sith. Thankfully for Spider-Man fans, it's all in service of a heartbreaking tribute to Peter Parker's comic book legacy.
The story arrives as part of the celebratory Marvel Comics #1000, a collection of eighty one-page stories spotlighting different heroes. For Spider-Man that means fans get to enjoy "The Route" by Donny Cates, Geoff Shaw, David Curiel, and Cory Petit. A story that takes the already murky science fiction behind Peter's Spider-Sense and gives it a much deeper, more emotional connection to Spider-Man's legacy. It does it be following Peter as he makes his route on nighttime patrol... revealing that his Spider-Sense doesn't just warn, but leaves scars of its own.
For most Spider-Man fans, the sixth sense will be assumed to play one of two roles: granting Peter the preternatural ability to 'feel' when danger is imminent, or going into alarm mode when his heightened senses detect something that his conscious mind hasn't. But Marvel Comics #1000 and it's short story add a new dimension, revealing the Spider-Sense isn't just a defense mechanism, but a physical reminder to Peter when he passes by places of heartbreak.
Buzzing, aching, or 'screaming' in sensory overload when he returns to scenes of personal darkness... not unlike the many places of "darkness" in the Star Wars universe, where the past lingers, for those sensitive enough in the Force to detect it. For Jedi and Sith, it's typically related to areas somehow connected to life, or the light or dark sides of the Force. For Spider-Man, it's like his own personal version only he can sense. Which finally answers the question, 'Does Spider-Man know what it's like to be a Force sensitive?' Even if Spidey and the Jedi are no longer members of Disney's movie family, we suppose that's something.
Fans can enjoy this tribute to Spider-Man's history as just one of dozens more, all released as part of the colossal Marvel Comics #1000. With eighty pairings of writers and artists covering every year (and almost every hero) in Marvel Comics history, there are too many to name in one place. But fans can check out the full plot synopsis below, before heading to their local comic shop for an issue of their own!
THE GREATEST TALENT EVER ASSEMBLED FOR ONE STORY! THIS IS THE BIG ONE! In celebration of Marvel’s 80th Anniversary, we have gathered together the greatest array of talent ever to be assembled between the covers of a single comic book! Names from the past, from the present, and even the future! Every page is filled with all-new work from this cavalcade of comic book luminaries! There is a mystery that threads throughout the Marvel Universe — one that has its origins in MARVEL COMICS #1 and which unites a disparate array of heroes and villains throughout the decades! What is the Eternity Mask, and who is responsible for the conspiracy to keep it hidden? And what new player will make their startling debut as these secrets are peeled away? Featuring the entirety of the Marvel Universe of characters!
Marvel Comics #1000 is available now at your local comic book shop, or direct from Marvel Comics.