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Spider-Man doesn't rely on a great deal of equipment, but there are some essential bits and pieces you will never see him without. His classic equipment list comprises his Web-Shooters, Spider-Tracers, his Spider-Signal, Spider-Belt, and his Automatic Camera. Plus, as a special bonus feature... his short-lived Spider-Mobile!
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Webbing & Webshooters
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What would be a Spider, without a web? The web-shooters and the webbing material were the first and perhaps the greatest product of Peter Parker's scientific talents. As a young boy, he created this material with huge tensile strength, which was sticky on extrusion, but which rapidly set to bind a foe, or provide a cable on which to string from skyscraper to skyscraper across the Manhattan skyline.
The webbing is stored in refillable high-pressure cartridges, which Spidey keeps on his belt, tucked under his costume. The cartridges are under immense pressure. The release lever on his webshooters (one per wrist) require a double-tap to release the flow. The webbing dries on contact with the air, and dissolves in approximately one hour.
By varying the nature of the pressure, and by adjusting the nozzles on the spinnerets, different forms of webbing can be achieved.
In fact, you name it, Spidey can probably whip you one up out of webbing. Like a magician with a bag of stretchy ballons, he can trot out the standards with nary a twist of the wrist. Web-Lines, Web-Shields, Web-Trampolines, Web-Parachutes, Web-Bandages, Web-Plugs...
...Web-Gloves (shock-proof), Web-Domes (airproof), Web-Swings, and with a great deal of practice, even this handy-dandy Web-Hang-Glider. And how about a Web-Hammock for a nice relaxing snooze... and automatic wake-up call after 60 minutes!
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Spider-Signal
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The Spider-Signal is a high-powered focused light, with a colored, patterned filter. An early invention, the practical applications have proved limited.
Essentially, it's only real use is to intimidate lesser villains before starting a fight. Occasionally, it has been used to signal for help, or as a slightly impractical light source when operating in darkness.
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Spider-Tracers
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The Spider-Tracers were an early invention, and have proven their value again and again. These micro radio transmitters are embedded in a tiny spider-styled casing. The legs of the casing are actually aerodynamically shaped fins to assist in straight throwing.
The tracers can be placed, thrown, or at one stage Peter actually developed a wrist-launcher which fired the tracers at high velocity. The tracers are coated in a sticky substance to keep them firmly attached to their target.
One down-side of the tracers is that, once discovered, they become a simple way to lure Spidey into a trap. Also, those who understand the technology can modify them to overload Peter's Spider-Sense.
The original design used a radio receiver for tracking, but a quick adjustment enabled them to operate on a frequency which can be detected by Petey's Spider-Sense.
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Automatic Camera
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Spidey's camera used to belong to his father, Richard Parker. The camera is automated to take photos when movement occurs in front of it.
This seemed a fairly sophisticated feature for cameras of the time - but when you remember that Richard and Mary Parker were reveled as former U.S. Spies, that certainly helps explain why he would have owned such a conveniently intelligent piece of technology!
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Spider-Belt
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Why does Spidey have a Spidey-Belt? To hold his trousers up!
Actually the belt contains the inbuilt Spider-Signal, spare webbing cartridges, holds the camera, spidey tracers, and is a handy place for Peter to tuck his mask when not in costume.
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The Spider-Mobile
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Spidey was sponsored by a couple of advertising exec's to build a car, using a new fuel-efficient engine. He did build it, with a little help from the Human Torch!
ASM #126 - First suggested
ASM #127 - Being built
ASM #130 - Construction completed, first test-drive
ASM #141 - First used, drives off a pier
ASM #160 - Spider-Man vs. Tinkerer and Spider-Mobile | |
