Current Events > So why exactly cant people reverse engineer spidermans webs?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Looks like it can be useful in construction or logistics.

And also can something as strong be formed from such little fluid scientifically? And what happens when spiderman just leaves all this litter around in the city?

You need a lot of suspension of disbelief when you watch a spiderman movie.

iirc, he makes it so they dissolve after a couple of hours

As if a human could ever make spiderwebs.

boxoto posted...

iirc, he makes it so they dissolve after a couple of hours

TBH that makes it even more useful. Pretty sure we have real cement stronger than spider man's webs but the webs stuff could be used for a lot of crane & construction stuff. You can make fishing nets out of them and other things to reduce pollutants & damage to wildlife.

Not all chemical processes can necessarily be reverse engineered by feasible means, spiderweb is like the poster boy of tensile strength, and spiderman gets his rocks off on it, secretly

Tyranthraxus posted...

TBH that makes it even more useful. Pretty sure we have real cement stronger than spider man's webs but the webs stuff could be used for a lot of crane & construction stuff. You can make fishing nets out of them and other things to reduce pollutants & damage to wildlife.

I just meant that I don't think they're left around for long enough to be reverse engineered.

"Really, Peter Parker is an asshat. Here's this smart, nerdy kid who invents webshooters. Invents, fabricates, and engineers this amazing new non-lethal weapons technology, totally unrelated to getting bit by a spider. And what does he do? Spider-Mans. Spider-Mans all day long."

boxoto posted...

iirc, he makes it so they dissolve after a couple of hours

That's real convenient.

TC in shambles because there's an answer to his question that he thought broke the Spiderverse. Close topic.

Cobra1010 posted...

You need a lot of suspension of disbelief when you watch a spiderman movie.

you don't say?

GuerrillaSoldier posted...

you don't say?

Lol yeah every single piece of media can be picked apart if you really want to do it

Axiom posted...

Lol yeah every single piece of media can be picked apart if you really want to do it

But that means batman is probably the most realistic. Therefore the best superhero?

Cobra1010 posted...

But that means batman is probably the most realistic. Therefore the best superhero?

Batman literally jets around Gotham in billionaire tech and everyone pretends like its hard to figure out who he is. Hell the entire premise of "Oh no one will recognize me in this costume and a deeper voice" is ridiculous

If you really want to go this way

Cobra1010 posted...

But that means batman is probably the most realistic. Therefore the best superhero?

I mean, if you want to ignore the fact that he could save millions more people and prevent much more crime using his billions to uplift the poor, invest in mental Healthcare, and fix the economy than he ever would by punching petty thieves in the face, then sure. Plus there'd be fewer costumed rogues, to boot.

Dude also apparently dodges FTL attacks and built a fucking citadel in space for the League with nobody asking so much as a question, so if you're saying he's the most believable, then I have a bridge to sell you.

DrizztLink posted...

"Really, Peter Parker is an asshat. Here's this smart, nerdy kid who invents webshooters. Invents, fabricates, and engineers this amazing new non-lethal weapons technology, totally unrelated to getting bit by a spider. And what does he do? Spider-Mans. Spider-Mans all day long."

This is why Tobey Maguire version with natural powers is the best. Turbo genius Spider-man that invented web fluid is outright spending his time suboptimally by chasing petty purse snatchers instead of reinventing the global supply chain.

There is an relatively early issue of Amazing Spider-Man where Peter, in need of cash, tries to sell his web formula and is unable to because even though it is stronger than steel and can bind all sorts of material, it was too temporary for any company to want to use.

Even as a kid reading that I was like "what the fuck". An incredibly strong, super flexible and temporary binding agent. He'd make millions off that in like a dozen different industries.

i mean, why can't we reverse engineer real spiders' webs?

Clearly he uses his own radioactive semen in the formula. Duh.

Giant_Aspirin posted...

i mean, why can't we reverse engineer real spiders' webs?

We did tho. And then made it better.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/new-artificial-spider-silk-stronger-steel-and-98-percent-water-180964176/

Guide posted...

Not all chemical processes can necessarily be reverse engineered by feasible means, spiderweb is like the poster boy of tensile strength, and spiderman gets his rocks off on it, secretly

Spider-Man's tech should be among the most simple of any superhero's tech to reverse engineer by any enterprising R & D department with millions in the budget cause he made that shit as a broke ass high school student with spare parts in his bedroom. Sure he's refined it a lot over the years, but his early bedroom experiments could be copied and reproduced.

Tony Stark was impressed.

They can buts its expensive to manufacture on a large scale. Spiderman makes his using stolen chemistry supplies and only needs to make enough for his own purposes.

DrPrimemaster posted...

They can buts its expensive to manufacture on a large scale. Spiderman makes his using stolen chemistry supplies and only needs to make enough for his own purposes.

What? No. You just made all of that up.

After Peter got married, Spectacular Spider Man Annual 7 was the honeymoon issue and in it Puma recruited Spider Man to retrieve an egg. Peter hadn't brought his suit with him so Puma gave him a suit and web shooters with web fluid they tried to recreate.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/3/2/7/AAAZXaAAE5jn.jpg https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/3/2/8/AAAZXaAAE5jo.jpg

This implies that the fact it dissolves makes recreation difficult, or simple inability of most scientists to figure out exactly what it is.

Cobra1010 posted...

That's real convenient.

if he didn't all the buildings in NY would be covered in his goo

I'm getting suspicious that Spiderman's webs have the exact affinity the writing requires for it to make sense.

BurmesePenguin posted...

I'm getting suspicious that Spiderman's webs have the exact affinity the writing requires for it to make sense.

If you keep pressuring the writers enough they'll probably eventually reveal Spider-Man accidentally recreated the pym particle or a weaker version of it without realizing it and then it can do literally anything you want since the only Bullshit plot device capable of more bullshit than Pym Particle is DC's Speedforce.

For The Devil Plot #3, it turns out all the webbing turns into microscopic radioactive dust, and now the entire tristate area has cancer.

They did find out the secret ingredient.

They were disgusted.

Doe posted...

This is why Tobey Maguire version with natural powers is the best. Turbo genius Spider-man that invented web fluid is outright spending his time suboptimally by chasing petty purse snatchers instead of reinventing the global supply chain.

That's just it, it's a plot point in various comics that Peter Parker is a super genius who could have been the next Reed Richards but instead is a bundle of wasted potential because of the sense of responsibility he has that causes him to be Spider-Man.

Axiom posted...

Hell the entire premise of "Oh no one will recognize me in this costume and a deeper voice" is ridiculous

Even in the Lynda Carter Wonder Woman show, someone just superimposed pictures of Diana Prince and Wonder Woman, and said "Hey! They're the same!"

Doe posted...

Turbo genius Spider-man that invented web fluid is outright spending his time suboptimally by chasing petty purse snatchers instead of reinventing the global supply chain.

And he dares to berate a geneticist genius for wanting to turn people into dinosaurs instead of curing cancer.

Laserion posted...

And he dares to berate a geneticist genius for wanting to turn people into dinosaurs instead of curing cancer.

Either you die a hero or you live long enough to become a mechanized rhinoceros.

Cobra1010 posted...

That's real convenient.

Well considering he probably wanted to avoid people being able to reverse engineer it...

Man, Pete's DNA would be all over that stuff

If I recall in one of the most unbelievable storylines ever? Pete did try to sell the webbing formula or something once when he was broke and nobody wanted to buy it because it decayed after a couple hours.

And yes, found some panels.

https://i.stack.imgur.com/Yr2zc.jpg

I mean, a super strong adhesive that only lasts a short while before dissolving away and leaving behind no residue? Holy crap would that make bank!

Enclave posted...

If I recall in one of the most unbelievable storylines ever? Pete did try to sell the webbing formula or something once when he was broke and nobody wanted to buy it because it decayed after a couple hours.

And yes, found some panels.

https://i.stack.imgur.com/Yr2zc.jpg

I mean, a super strong adhesive that only lasts a short while before dissolving away and leaving behind no residue? Holy crap would that make bank!

Those guys are terrible businessmen. The only thing better than an amazing product that works forever is one that you have to reapply every five minutes for a fee.

divot1338 posted...

Those guys are terrible businessmen. The only thing better than an amazing product that works forever is one that you have to reapply every five minutes for a fee.

I mean, a super strong adhesive that only sticks around for a short time? Has ENORMOUS potential use cases in construction alone let alone in other industries.

Pete realistically would become absolutely filthy rich off inventing such an adhesive.

Enclave posted...

That's just it, it's a plot point in various comics that Peter Parker is a super genius who could have been the next Reed Richards but instead is a bundle of wasted potential because of the sense of responsibility he has that causes him to be Spider-Man.

Various Spider-man comics encourage you to wish Spider-man would retire?

Doe posted...

Various Spider-man comics encourage you to wish Spider-man would retire?

Hint, he's never going to retire, kinda the point.

This is Marvel we're talking about not DC, the characters are supposed to be flawed and this is one of Petes flaws.

thronedfire2 posted...

if he didn't all the buildings in NY would be covered in his goo

( )

lilORANG posted...

Man, Pete's DNA would be all over that stuff

( ( ) )

Notti posted...

They did find out the secret ingredient.

They were disgusted.

( ( ( ) ))

I always preferred organic web powers rather than the mechanically constructed web shooters.

I grew up with the Tobey movies, so it was a huge surprise to me later on when I found out that mechanical web shooters were both the original and most popular design choice for Spider-Man, the one thats used the most in stories.

Id rather it all just be part of his powers that he got from the spider bite, its clunky storytelling otherwise.

DavidZ2844 posted...

I always preferred organic web powers rather than the mechanically constructed web shooters.

I grew up with the Tobey movies, so it was a huge surprise to me later on when I found out that mechanical web shooters were both the original and most popular design choice for Spider-Man, the one thats used the most in stories.

Id rather it all just be part of his powers that he got from the spider bite, its clunky storytelling otherwise.

How is it clunky story telling?

Not to mention, having them be a mechanical device allows for far more versatility and shows off his intelligence as well. Pete has come up with so many different variations on his webbing over the years and that wouldn't make any real sense with organic webbing.

Enclave posted...

and that wouldn't make any real sense with organic webbing.

I take it you've never heard of superheroes before.

The webs originally dissolved after an hour. Not sure if that's still canon though.

DavidZ2844 posted...

I always preferred organic web powers rather than the mechanically constructed web shooters.

I grew up with the Tobey movies, so it was a huge surprise to me later on when I found out that mechanical web shooters were both the original and most popular design choice for Spider-Man, the one thats used the most in stories.

Id rather it all just be part of his powers that he got from the spider bite, its clunky storytelling otherwise.

Mechanical web shooters makes things more challenging for him since he can always run out at any time. Plus it shows his intelligence and allows him to switch things up as there are many different variations of web fluid he can use.

No one ever killed that spider that bit Spider-Man. Why don't more people have his powers?

ellis123 posted...

I take it you've never heard of superheroes before.

Considering the insane variations of webbing Pete has made over the years? I'm sorry but it would require all new power sets being added to him to produce them with just his body. Maybe you would like a Super Hero who pulls powers out of their ass all the time to deal with niche situations but me? I think characters like Silver Age Superman don't really exist any more for a reason.

Tbh, I prefer the Tobey approach as well. Oh well, though.

DarkBuster22904 posted...

I mean, if you want to ignore the fact that he could save millions more people and prevent much more crime using his billions to uplift the poor, invest in mental Healthcare, and fix the economy than he ever would by punching petty thieves in the face, then sure

He literally does do that.

Enclave posted...

How is it clunky story telling?

He could make BANK with it and never have to worry about being broke ever again, making his personal life a hell of a lot easier. But he doesn't because reasons. Organic webbing bypasses that stupidity.