By Alan B. Combs. Yeah, there are similar punchlines, but this one is mine.

With the success of his current movie, Spiderman is starting to receive the acclaim and honor that he deserves. For a long time it was not this way. In fact, in the Spiderman ficton, many people, especially those in power, are worried about the concept of a Super Hero with spectacular powers who takes justice into his own hands. For the followers of the comic book series, however, the vulnerability and Everyman nature of the protagonist is one of the attractions. Thus, it is in the movie.

For the people he saves, there is no question about the nature of our hero. They greatly appreciate his efforts. A recent example of this was reported in the local newspapers. A tourist ship was making the rounds of New York Harbor and Spidey’s alter ego went along for the trip. For once, he did not take his costume along.

The upper deck of the vessel was filled with outpatients from a local Hanson’s Disease colony on an outing. Most of them were drinking heavily to celebrate the occasion and they were highly inebriated.

At low tide the pilot managed hit a submerged piling which tore the bottom out of the boat. Even though his identity would be revealed, Spiderman grabbed hold of the upper deck and with a mighty effort kept it from sinking until help arrived. The able-bodied passengers were able to escape on their own. The New York times subsequently blared the headlines, “Peter Parker Picked a Deck of Pickled Lepers.”