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Millennial: What It Means That Spider-Man Is 28 Years Old

Published Thu, 26 Feb 2015 17:00:00 -0600

by Hannah Means Shannon

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By Bart Bishop

Coined by William Strauss and Neil Howe in 1987, the term "millennial" refers to anyone born between the years 1982 and 2004, give or take a few years. In recent times this term has taken on a negative connotation, with the "Lost Generation" moniker being applied to the tech-obsessed, apathetic slackers stuck living in their parents' basements. Counted among their number is Spider-Man, even if that wasn't always true. As established in 2006's Civil War, Peter Parker declared he had become a super hero when he was 15. Not long before that the Marvel Knights Spider-Man series, also written by Mark Millar, saw Peter attend his high school reunion, and just to confirm that 2007's "One More Day" didn't affect ages, last year's Amazing Spider-Man #1 confirmed Peter getting bit by the radioactive spider as 13 years ago, putting him at age 28 and therefore a millennial. But does he reflect the stereotypes of his generation or defy them, and what did it mean for him when he was a baby boomer and a Generation Xer?

When first introduced in 1962, the character was a teenager in high school, whether or not he was intended as 15 or not. This positions the earliest iteration of Peter Parker as a baby boomer, the generation born between 1946 and about 1965. This generation was the wealthiest, most active and most physically fit of any generation up to that point, and characterized by their rebellion and social activism in the face of the Civil Rights Movement and Vietnam War followed by rampant consumerism and the rise of the suburbs. Their children, Generation X, span from 1965 to the early 1980s, with the years differing depending on source. This generation is defined by a lack of direction; known as the MTV generation, they are also seen as embracing change in terms of race, class, ethnicity, etc., for being "politically correct" and saddled with philosophy rather than action in the face of the end of history, i.e. everything has already been done and accomplished. Considering the molasses crawl of "comic time", the slow, artificial progression of time for characters at the whim of the creators, Spider-Man would have officially been a Gen Xer in his early to mid-20s sometime around 1990.

Spider-Man has, for the most part, gone against the trends of the times in the past. While baby boomers are defined by the prosperity of a post-WWII economy, Peter Parker's life has always been full of financial strife. At first left ambiguous, the absence of Peter's parents hinted at a troubled past, the kind of taboo background that wasn't discussed in "polite circles" at the time. When Uncle Ben was killed, therefore, the Parker household was left in shambles, forcing Peter to grow up quickly and make money to support Aunt May. He essentially missed out on being a teenager, and even the eponymous name Spider-Man hints at an individual striving to be perceived as an adult rather than basking in the immortality of youth.

This term was a new invention of the mid-20^th century that signified a unique mindset between childhood and adulthood, and was accompanied by a rampant distrust of authority. Oddly Spider-Man straddled that fine line: he didn't fit in with his peers in high school, even dating Betty Brant whom he meet at the Daily Bugle, but the Bugle itself is headed by the ultimate symbol of adult authority, J. Jonah Jameson, who is always trying to bring Spider-Man down. At the same time, however, as Peter graduated into college he found himself perplexed by a common sight on campuses at the time: protesters. Most notably, Amazing Spider-Man #68 (1969) has Spider-Man dumbfounded at the angry crowds he encounters and not at all sympathetic, perhaps more a glimpse into writer Stan Lee's psyche, bewildered and trying to avoid controversy.

It's hard to nail down exactly when Peter transitioned into being a Gen Xer, but it's clear that what could be considered the tail end of his baby boomer years saw him get married to a supermodel actress (1987), get offered a job at a lab in Kansas which he rejected to instead pursue a post-graduate degree (1988), and published a book of Spider-Man photos (1988). Of course Peter and Mary Jane Parker were forced to move back in with Aunt May in 1989, but this was short lived as by the 1990s they were back in an apartment, settled in for a life of domesticity with a pregnant Mary Jane and Peter even retired during the "Clone Saga". Of course it's this very event that saw Peter become embittered and disillusioned, succumbing to the malaise of the Gen Xer, questioning his entire existence as he believed for a short time that he was a clone, even losing his powers briefly. This was followed by Ben Reilly, the true clone, dyeing his hair blond and working at a coffee shop. Is there anything more Gen X than that? It's clear that almost immediately Marvel back pedaled its decision to age Peter up, realizing he was out of synch with the times, but it would be another decade before they ripped that Band-Aid off.

It's easy to pinpoint Peter's transition into millennial: the start of the "Brand New Day" storyline in 2008. Especially in light of his metaphysical divorce from Mary Jane in "One More Day", Peter's moving back in with Aunt May followed by taking on roommates in an apartment and struggling to find regular work in the dying print industry all point to him being a product of his time. Even his previous legitimization by being made a full member of the Avengers is undermined when unregistered super heroes are made outlaws in the wake of Civil War. Peter's failure to launch took a turn for the better, however, when he finally landed a successful job at Horizon Labs, and even took on more leadership roles in his super heroic life in storylines such as "Spider Island" and "Edge of the Earth".

Once again he seemed to be going against the grain of his age group, proving successful and accomplished and oblivious to a new wave of activism in the wake of 2011's Occupy Wall Street. This changed in 2012, however, when Dr. Octopus took over Spider-Man's body, the culmination of storylines writer Dan Slott had been setting up. This continued on into The Superior Spider-Man series, in which the middle-aged Doc Ock, himself more than likely a baby boomer making for ironic commentary as a member of Peter's former age bracket took the opportunity to return to school and receive his doctorate, open his own business and vastly expand on his crime fighting with drones and henchmen, all the while criticizing Peter for his lack of drive and follow-through. Although the ultimate message of the series is that Peter's strength is in his willpower and heart, Slott hasn't shied away with the new Amazing Spider-Man series from showing the newly resurrected Peter shirking responsibility as CEO of Parker Industries to run off on flights of fancy as Spider-Man and lust after new fellow spider person Silk, showing how he truly is a millennial, at least for now.

Of course, these are all stereotypes. Baby Boomers were hippies that went on to be yuppies. Gen Xers missed the real fights and were frustrated with the utopia they didn't ask for and didn't really get. Millennials don't care one way or the other. The truth is that fictional characters have to be of their time and timeless and yet when writers (who are usually middle-aged men out of touch with current young people) have to put their toys away they can't leave them too scuffed up for the next writer. The real takeaway is how American society's view of youth has been on a sliding scale just like Peter's age, with the former teenager's lifestyle and personality nearly unchanged even as his artificial age creeps closer to 30. When he was 15 in 1962 he proclaimed himself a man, but at 28 in 2015 he can't help but act like a boy.

Editor and teacher by day, comic book enthusiast by night, Bart has a background in journalism and is not afraid to use it. His first loves were movies and comic books, and although he grew up a Marvel Zombie he's been known to read another company or two. Married and with a kid on the way, he sure hopes this whole writing thing makes him independently wealthy someday. Bart can be reached at bishop@mcwoodpub.com.

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