Spider-Man Fires a Web Line

About this drawing

Spider-Man shooting webs is the move that defines him. In the classic comics the webbing does not come from his body. It shoots from wrist gadgets called web-shooters, which Peter Parker designed himself as a high school student.

To fire them, he folds his middle and ring fingers down to tap a trigger in his palm. That is why artists so often draw his hand in that famous shape, with the index and pinky fingers sticking out.

The web-shooters run on cartridges of special fluid that Peter wears on a belt under his suit. When they run dry, he has to swap them out, and running out at the worst moment has caused him plenty of trouble. That limit keeps his adventures exciting.

Depending on how he fires, he can make a thin line for swinging, a wide net for catching crooks or a sticky ball to throw like a snowball. Some movie versions skipped the gadgets, but the most recent films brought back the idea that Peter builds his own. Either way, the webs remain his signature move and the first thing fans picture when they think of him.

• spider-man
• webs
• web-shooters
• marvel