The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is out this week. Wired has a
mathematical analysis of how fast Spider-Man would actually be able to travel by web-slinging, and whether it would be faster than just running. They say he could swing at about 30 mph, which is probably faster than he can run. That got me thinking about this article, which I've been meaning to write:
Things I've learned about Spider-Man by playing him in a videogame:
- Even with Spidey strength, it takes a lot of energy to swing an adult human several stories into the air. If you’re travelling by web slinging, there's a temptation to just skim along the ground rather than launching yourself high above the streets. So everyone should thank him for being nice enough to try and avoid knocking down pedestrians, bowling pin style.
- Superpowers make a person very reckless when crossing the street.
- After years of modernist architecture, the streets of New York all look the same when you're up in the air. It's easy to get lost, and I'm surprised Spider-Man doesn't just break down and take the subway. Or perhaps his spider-sense is used primarily as a substitute for GPS.
- If the villains were smart, they'd plan their crimes to take place at the centre of Central Park. That's the one place in New York that Spider-Man can't swing to. He'd have to fling himself as far into the park as he can, hope he doesn't land in a pond or the zoo, then jog the rest of the way.
- For that matter, think how difficult it would be for him to get around in almost any other city. Even if it was another major American city, he'd only be able to patrol a small area in the business district, unable to reach any crimes in the suburbs. For the Marvel Universe to be believable, we have to assume that lots of people get bitten by radioactive spiders, and we're just following the one who lives in New York and is thus able to make use of his skills.
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