SPOILERS ahead for Spider-Man #1!After so many alien invasions and superhero battles, New Yorkers in the Marvel Universe have just become numb to it all. NYC citizens don't even bat an eye even if they see Spider-Man taking down a legitimate threat.
Things are rather strange and awkward for this period of Spider-Man's life. He is estranged from MJ for a (currently) unknown reason. Even some of Peter's friends feel distant from him, and it hasn’t been revealed why this is all occurring. He's also reluctantly working for a reformed Norman Osborn, but Peter is unsure about how long the former Green Goblin will remain good. Norman even developed a brand new hi-tech Spider-Man suit for Peter to wear. This doesn't even take into account the craziness with Ben Reilly, who will soon emerge as the new villain Chasm.
In Spider-Man #1 by Dan Slott and Mark Bagley, Spider-Man is seen wearing his new hi-tech suit while swinging through the city. He comes across a robbery in progress and manages to stop the getaway vehicle. However, the robbers get out of the van with some dangerous weapons and are ready to shoot. With a crowd rapidly growing to see what's going on, Spider-Man urges the people to get out of harm's way. But the onlookers aren't that worried about danger. One of them even says that it's just a couple of thugs in the fight and not a super villain like the Rhino.
New Yorkers Are Desensitized To Violence and Danger
This brief interaction is very telling about how New Yorkers live their lives in the Marvel Universe. If a bank robbery and shoot out were to happen in real life, everyone would run away in fear. In the Marvel Universe, however, with superheroes literally swinging between the buildings, their ability to tolerate danger is much greater than those who aren't used to being surrounded by violence. Marvel's New Yorkers have seen aliens, interdimensional demons, and all sorts of wild things. So, a bank robbery is really no big deal to these city dwellers. In fact, they might even be excited to watch Spider-Man take down some thugs.
Also, this just goes to show how New Yorkers really feel about Spider-Man. At this point, Spider-Man has been active in the city for a very long time. They have grown comfortable with him and his heroics and saving the world as an Avenger have been well documented. Seeing him in action, especially against non-powered individuals, might even be a treat. These New Yorkers are completely numb to the fact that they are in very real danger, regardless if Spider-Man is fighting a Marvel villain or not.
Spider-Man #1 is now available from Marvel Comics.