Peter Parker may be the Amazing Spider-Man, but an experience with Doctor Strange proves that the Webslinger sees his true self differently than fans may expect. After he learned the importance of great power and great responsibility, Peter Parker dedicated his life to helping everyone he can to the best of his spectacular spider-abilities. But Spidey wasn’t always the hero that fans know and love.

Once upon a time, Peter Parker was just an ordinary kid living with his aunt and uncle in Queens, and there’s always been a part of Peter that misses that. In fact, there have been plenty of times where Peter could’ve been considered a reluctant hero. But when Doctor Strange showed Spider-Man and the rest of the New Avengers their true selves, Peter learned just how reluctant his heroism really is.

Related: Spider-Man’s Darkest Story Was Supposed To Be Batman's

In New Avengers #34 by Brian Michael Bendis and Leinil Francis Yu, the titular team of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes find themselves at the onset of the Skrull infiltration leading up to Bendis and Yu’s Secret Invasion. In order for the team members to fully trust one another and know for a fact that nobody in the room is secretly a Skrull spy, Doctor Strange casts a spell to project the true spiritual nature of everyone affected for all to see. The spell works and fans get to see just how their favorite heroes view themselves. Wolverine sees himself as a samurai warrior, the vigilante called Echo sees herself as her pseudo-mentor Daredevil, and Peter Parker sees himself as the kid he was before he got bitten by the radioactive spider. Peter remarks, “I’m not Freud, but I guess I liked me before I was Spidey.

New Avengers Doctor Strange Spell Spider-Man

While the other New Avengers’ self-images all spoke volumes about how they see themselves, it was Peter’s that said the most. Despite all his power and all the lives that he’s saved, Peter still sees himself as the kid he was before he got his powers, and before all of the tragedy that came along with them. Sure, he’d already lost his parents, but Peter was happy growing up with his Aunt May and Uncle Ben. While he made it through the trauma of losing his parents at such a young age, losing Uncle Ben fundamentally changed the course of his life. It made him the hero he is today, but to a certain extent, it kept him from growing up.

With Peter blaming himself for his Uncle Ben's death and constantly putting himself in harm’s way for the sake of others, he had no choice but to mature far quicker than his peers in some ways without developing in others. To this day, internally, he’s still that same guilty kid who didn’t stop a robber when he had the chance. Pete’s self-image represents who he was before all that tragedy and trauma, and before he was burdened by the mistake he feels has defined his life.

There’s no doubt that Spider-Man is an amazing hero and the Marvel Universe is a better place for his being in it. But what’s best for the world may not be what’s best for Peter Parker. At least, that seems to be the truth Doctor Strange revealed by digging into Spider-Man's subconscious.

Next: Marvel Reveals Spider-Man's Biggest Mistake Wasn't His Fault