Aikido and Spider-man 2
“Becoming vs. Being”



There is a very tangible connection in my youth between Spider-man and Aikido. Steve Ditko was the original artist on Spider-man and also illustrated another of my favorite strips, Dr. Strange. Strange, whose existence is hinted at by J. Jonah Jameson in Spidey 2, was the master of the mystic arts. His teacher for things magic was called the Ancient One. The way Ditko drew the Ancient One made him a dead ringer for Ueshiba Osensei. So the very first pictures I ever saw of Osensei (in a martial arts magazine in the ‘60’s) brought up the Ancient One. In addition, Dr. Strange insisted that sorcery was more than spells and incantations and required a mastery of the martial arts!! He would occasionally send physical attackers flying with movements that hinted at aikido.

Since Dr. Strange was the master of the “mystic” arts, I guess I was looking for a mystical martial art, so enter the figure of Osensei and later aikido itself. (My interest in martial arts was fueled by Diana Rigg in the “Avengers” tv series, but that is a very separate story.)

I loved the first Spider-man movie. The scene in which Peter fights Flash Thompson and everything seems to be in slow motion is perhaps the way it was for Osensei when he found he could evade sword cuts and even bullets. The awe and wonder of Peter discovering his new abilities (climbing walls, jumping great distances, enhanced agility, speed, and strength) is balanced out by the very real negatives his new self now faces. He finds that “With great power comes great responsibility”. I found the first movie very fresh and highlighted the process of becoming Spider-man.

The second film is about the being of Spider-man. We find Peter caught between the exultation of swinging from building to building on his webs to the downer of failing his science classes and of his inability to hold a very menial job. From the high of being a super-hero to the crushing low of being nothing more than an empty chair to the woman he loves, we find Peter’s life on the very fast track to nowhere.

Spider-man 2 asks the very important question, “Which is truly the lesser identity, Peter Parker or Spider-man”? Can Spider-man exist without Peter Parker and visa versa? Can what we do alienate us from who we are? Is the power he wields as Spider-man in some way responsible for making Peter the zero he is in his own life? Let us look at Dr. Octopus. His arms represent a power that takes him over. Is it possible to lead a life uncomplicated by power, or does power corrupt everything and anything? How does one balance a life complicated by power?

Becoming can be very exciting and wonderful. Being is a whole different level and can seem like a lesser state. Yet being is where things like commitment and responsibility, which help us to define the self, lie. How many people ever go through enough to become an aikidoist? And how many, once they have become, will persevere through the process of being one?

Anyway, the movie has my highest recommendation. Popular culture is a very underrated vehicle for the archetypes. Enjoy!!!

Jack Wada