Abstract
Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, Marvel Comics, Originally published: August 1962.
Created in the 1960s, Spider-Man and its slew of supporting characters have had many iterations spanning comics, movies, and video games. Central to the plot of the Spider-Man universe in the 21st century has been how people cope with death. In Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man, Peter Parker’s Uncle Ben is murdered by a criminal whom Peter allowed to go free, driving Peter to revenge and deep self-blame. 1 In a sequel, a revenge arc also results when Peter’s best friend Harry Osbourne discovers his father—a villain called the Green Goblin—is killed by Spider-Man, Peter Parker’s superhero alias. 2 In the animated Spider-Verse films, there exists a multiverse where each universe has its own Spider-Person. 3 In the franchise’s second film, the main character, Miles Morales (also a Spider-Man), discovers that each Spider-Person must lose someone close to them in order to protect the multiverse from demise. 3 He realizes that in consequence he will lose his father. 3 This leads him to go up against the whole of Spider-Society to stop this fate at the risk of the multiverse collapsing. 3 In the video game Spider-Man 2, Norman Osbourne infects his son—Harry Osbourne—with a parasitic alien in the hope of saving his son from a fatal disease. 4 This creates the creature Venom who sets out to take over the world. 4 Once both Spider-Men (Peter Parker and Miles Morales) stop the creature, rendering Harry susceptible to his disease once again, Norman is driven to revenge as well. 4
Throughout all these versions, the dying of a loved one has a profound effect on each character, driving them to great lengths to save the dying despite the harms. These stories articulate how loved ones may process and cope with a person’s dying experience. Understandably, the death of a loved one can be a negative experience and difficult to rationalize. Some may blame themselves like Peter in Maguire’s Spider-Man. 1 This can lead to unhealthy thought patterns where one questions where they went wrong or perseverates on the mistakes they have made with the deceased. Others may blame those around them, like Harry in Maguire’s Spider-Man and Norman in the video game Spider-Man 2, even though saving the villain in Harry’s case or the dying in Norman’s case would have resulted in more harm than benefit.2,4 This ties into Miles Morales in the Spider-Verse franchise risking multitudes of people to save only his father. 3 These are three examples of loved ones clutching onto futile treatments that do more damage to the dying than good. They point to the difficulty people have in rationalizing a dying experience as without a definitive treatment. Shifting the focus from cure to acknowledgment of the dying process can feel like giving up, or like a disservice to the dying. However, there is often no greater good in subjecting someone to likely futile treatments. They will often not get better after the labors of an arduous therapy; instead, they will be deprived of comfort in their final days—a macabre reality.
If this acceptance does not occur before the death, people can still struggle to reach acceptance afterwards. This is shown by Peter Parker and Harry Osbourne in Maguire’s Spider-Man and Norman Osbourne in the video game Spider-Man 2 falling into revenge plots, highlighting how loved ones can handle death poorly.1,2,4 However, the Spider-Man universe eventually demonstrates a healthy and positive way to deal with death in Spider-Man: No Way Home. 5 In another multiverse movie, Maguire’s Spider-Man talks Tom Holland’s Spider-Man down from killing the murderer of Holland’s aunt—a mentally ill Green Goblin who is on the cusp of being cured. 5 Maguire communicates that revenge (an example of an unhealthy coping mechanism) does not actually remove the pain of loss. 5 His words not only help Holland to process his aunt’s death better, but also leads to the salvation of the Green Goblin by Holland. 5 This conclusion reveals the importance of leaning on support when faced with death. Accepting the reality of death in a healthy manner is made much easier when people are given the help and resources to face such a journey. This is why palliative care not only supports seriously ill patients but also their loved ones. It recognizes how difficult the process can be on one’s own.
Though convoluted with multiverses and reboots, the Spider-Man universe validates the many reactions people can have when confronted with a loved one’s serious illness. The experience can elicit a myriad of emotions. Although everyone deals with serious illness differently, it is still a harrowing journey, especially when faced alone. Throughout this process, palliative care sets out to be present for each patient and their loved ones in the face of illness. It lets those affected know that they are not alone and that they will be supported in whatever capacity they need to cope and journey on.