Spiderman : Wall Crawling

Spiderman : Wall Crawling

Nothing seems to unnerve a bad guy more than being approached by a certain webbed crime-fighter who is crawling up the side of a nearby wall. Though Spider-Man possesses many amazing powers, his ability to cling to any surface is certainly the most unsettling. No matter how friendly our neighborhood web-slinger claims to be, the sight of him scurrying across the ceiling can be very distracting. The fact that he looks like a monstrous insect whenever he scampers up a building helped Daily Bugle publisher J. Jonah Jameson convince the public that Spider-Man is a menace. Many people hate spiders, and are easily frightened by someone who can hang from their ceilings and cling to their walls.

No one knows exactly how Spider-Man’s wall clinging ability works. Peter Parker has often theorized that he has a form of bio-magnetic power that allows him to increase the attraction between the molecules in his body with those of the surface he climbs. All that is known for certain is that he can stick to anything. No matter how smooth or slippery a surface may be, Spidey can attach himself. He just has to keep concentrating until he can bond with it. Unlike his spider-sense, the web head’s clinging power is strictly a conscious act. He can never stick to something by accident. He must deliberately press his hand to an object and chose to adhere to it. Of course, Spidey likes to show off as much as the next fellow. He occasionally likes to run upside down along a ceiling or strides up a wall.

Once Spider-Man has latched on to an object, only he can decide when to release it. No outside force has managed to pry him from a surface if he consciously wants to stick to it. Foes with superhuman strength have been known to rip Spidey from walls and ceilings, but that’s only because these surfaces have shattered under the strain. Chunks of drywall or pieces of ceiling tile can usually be spotted clinging to Spidey whenever this situation occurs. If someone as strong as the Incredible Hulk were to try to pull Spider-Man off a slab of granite, he might accidentally rip off the web-spinner’s arms before the rock would splinter. Of course, there is an easy way to separate Spider-Man from an object. All a villain has to do is find a way to knock him out. Once Spidey has lost consciousness, his body will automatically go limp and detach itself from anything it is holding.

Though Spider-Man tends to focus on his hands and his feet whenever he is climbing up a wall, every part of his body has the same clinging ability. His back and head can stick to surfaces as easily as his fingers and toes. All he has to do is lean against something and he will stick to it until he decides to free himself.