Why Spiderman is A Mets Fan

Spiderman is a fan favorite. And perhaps more than any other superhero, New York is a character in his Peter Parker’s life. The kid from Queens is just “looking out for the little guy” and maybe that’s why, despite the Mariner’s best tries, Spiderman is a Mets fan.

Arguably one of the most underperforming teams in the MLB, the New York Mets don’t boast an enviable record. But atleast they have a star studded fan following including the friendly neighborhood web slinger.

Spiderman’s allegiance was revealed about 20 years ago in Peter Parker: Spider-Man #33 by Paul Jenkins, Mark Buckingham, & Wayne Faucher. The issue includes a portion where the webhead goes to a Mets game as a matter of tradition every year and he thinks back to the reasons why he is a fan of the franchise.

Also Read: Insomniac Games Reveals Why Exciting New Spider-Man Suits Will Only Please PlayStation 5 Fans

Why Spiderman likes the Mets?

Peter thinks back to years past when he has been to the game and remembers how despite being a scrawny kid who was never good at the sport he always enjoyed going to the Citi Field.

The Mets, much like Peter (before being bitten by a radioactive spider) are often remembered as ‘rag tag bunch’. For a majority of his life Peter has been on the receiving end of a fair bit of bullying, a sentiment the Mets can relate to.

Besides, his introduction to the game was through his uncle and moral mentor, Ben Parker.

One of the more emotional moments in the issue comes through when Peter remembers the only time he has seen the Mets winning. Peter remembers going to the stadium and sulking around his seat while Uncle Ben, with whom he had gone to the game, tried to cheer him up.

The game nears the end and the Mets somehow manage a win and Peter remembers what it feels like to be a part of something larger than himself. To celebrating with his uncle and the fans in the stadium. A perfect moment. A happy moment.

Watch this story: The Best Superhero Games of all-time

And yet this is where the story turns. Peter remembers that this match was only 3 days before the day of the mugging accident in which his uncle lost his life. But this may be what makes Peter only reinforce his following of the underdog team. It was the choice of his idol and of the man that introduced him to the sport. This was the city he grew up in. It was the cloth from which he was cut.

Peter Parker’s New York Mets

Sometimes we forget that there was also a time when Peter was not Spiderman. When he took AP Calc and was just another High School kid who lived in Queens. Who went to school and got bullied there. And who doesn’t love an underdog?

While Peter was definitely a bona fide genius even before his powers, it becomes important here to also understand that the psyche of an underdog is hardwired in him. He’s always looking out for the social rejects, for those hoping against hope.

And by a sheer stroke of luck the MLB has such a team in close proximity to where Peter lives. And even if the Mets lost every year, sometimes even finding a way to lose a won situation. Peter and Uncle Ben discovered their mantra of “maybe next year”. Something Peter made  apart of his superhero persona too. A classic underdog story.

Spiderman is making his way to the cinemas again this week and even if the scale of the MCU may have grown manifold in the past few years, we just hope Peter is still the same old Mets fan under the mask.