We are meant to lose the people we love. How else would we know how important they are to us?

(via anklewings)

Comic book geeks’ Spider senses are tingling.

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Spider-Man, Marvel Comics is bringing together two versions of the iconic character — one who is white and one who’s a dead ringer for A-Rod — in a mashup that pays homage to everyday New York.

A new five issue mini-series, “Spider-Men,” available starting in July, uses a common villain to bring the two heroes from different alternate realities.

“For the 50th anniversary of Spider-Man, what everyone was looking for was a Spider-Man story that mattered,” says series writer Brian Bendis. “Well, here you go.”

When Marvel introduced Miles Morales — a half-black, half-Latino teen — as the new Spider-Man in one of its comic lines last year, it made national headlines. Critics grumbled it was a character who would never make it alongside the original Spider-Man known to generations of fans since he was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko in 1962.

But Morales got a key stamp of approval from Lee. “Doing our bit to try to make our nation, and the world, color blind is definitely the right thing,” the comic book legend told The News.

Bendis agreed. “Someone had once said to me, ‘When I was a kid, I could only play Spider-Man, I couldn’t play Batman or Superman because my friends would say you’re not the same color, but I could play Spider-Man because when I fantasized about Spider-Man, he looked like me under the mask.’

“That was a big inspiration.”

Yet, despite the uncanny resemblance to the Yankees third baseman, Marvel Comics spokesman Arune Singh said “there is no A-Rod connection whatsoever.”

[ an image of Peter Parker, Gwen Stacy, Johnny Storm, Kitty Pryde, and Bobby drake eating at a table and doing various things. May Parker is giving them food.]

So this is my life now.

(via jesic-deactivated20120519)

[ a series of gifs from the Ultimate Spider-Man animated series trailer ]

Spider-Man: Well, it’s no big conspiracy or anything. I just want to do what I can for people. But—I have family and friends and I don’t want to, like, put their lives in danger just because they know me. I want to protect them, so, yeah, I wear a mask. It’s pretty simple, really.
Reporter: But people might have a hard time trusting someone dressed like this.
Spider-Man: Well, I have a hard time trusting people who wear those hats with a beer can on each side, so… listen, I know it’s corny, but the outfit means something to me and yeah—even though my wearing the mask might have idiots like that trying to use me to get attention for themselves… and people like that load J. Jonah Jameson at the Bugle trying to use me to sell papers my trashing the crap out of me all the time… I—I just don’t care…
Reporter: Why don’t you care?
Spider-Man: Because a guy a whole lot smarter than any of us once told me that with power comes a great deal of responsibility. And that’s not just for people with powers, like me. It think it goes for everybody. So I’m just—going to live my life that way and everything else is noise.

All right, listen, the cops are coming so I’m out of here. Is everyone okay? All right. See ya.

( ultimate spider-man #?? — brian michael bendis & mark bagley )

Spider-Man: Psyche!
Spider-Man: ( narration ) Aah! What is this? Thank god my webshooters are still working. Oh man, I’m gonna heave! Total head spins. What? fgjmfghjghjfghjf

( ultimate spider-man #18 — brian michael bendis & mark bagley )

Gwen: How do you think the dinosaurs felt that moment just before the meteor hit? I mean—they were just, like, standing around and all of a sudden it’s like: oh @#!$, we’re extinct. I mean, that’s what’s going on, right? That’s what you’re worried about. We’re extinct. All of a sudden it’s if you don’t fly—you don’t survive. I mean, there’s, like, a guy now who can walk on walls? What’s that about? And now you have to think about that fact every day of your life. The fact that you can’t.

But—like, then I think about it like this: I think maybe the difference between us and the dinosaurs is—we know. They didn’t know—they didn’t have a chance. But we know there are things in this world more powerful than us. But the real question is: what are us normal people—what are we going to do without powers? But see? What is, like, ‘powers’ anyhow? This dude right here is stronger than me, does that make him superpowered? See?

‘Cause I have a theory—that, like, whatever you do… is your superpower. You play guitar? Football? Math? Whatever you do—whatever makes you—you. That’s your power. And I think—I think in this new world you’re just going to be forced to do what it is that you do as best you can… So maybe you won’t ever have, like, super mutant powers—all that means is no more sitting on your fatt butt watching cartoons. And I think if we can get into that mindset. I don’t hink there’s going to be any problems with all these super power, mutant, spider, goblin people. Because we’ll all have superpowers.
Kong: Who are you?
Gwen: Gwen Stacy. It’s my first day here.

( ultimate spider-man #14 — brian michael bendis & mark bagley )

i think we can all agree this is one of the most badass character introductions ever, amirite?

Peter: You mean you would—I mean, you didn’t have an issue or—
Mary Jane: Yeah, but that was before…
Peter: Before?
Mary Jane: I have a—yeah—I have a pretty strict ‘no super hero’ rule so…
Peter: What?
Mary Jane: Peter…
Peter: What?
Mary Jane: I’m joking.
Peter: There’s no rule?
Mary Jane: No.
Peter: There’s no rule against me…?
Mary Jane: No.
Peter: You’re not freaked out?
Mary Jane: Nope.
Peter: Really?
Mary Jane: Face it, Tiger, you just hit the jackpot…

( ultimate spider-man #13 — brian michael bendis & mark bagley )