You Can Laugh, But One of Spider-Man's Best Memes Has Depressing Roots

No one is going to argue that Spider-Man stories make for some of the best memes. The internet is still getting mileage out of the Spider-Man pointing meme, which grew so popular that it was canonized within actual Marvel lore and made its way into the movies long after its origins on television. However, when you dig deeper into the background behind some of these memes, you'll find that a few have surprisingly depressing origin stories.

Case in point: another famous Spider-Man meme features him crying over money. The image, taken from a panel in Avengers #2, shows Iron Man recruiting Spider-Man into the Avengers with one simple guarantee: "We have money." This promise is enough to bring the down-on-his-luck Peter Parker to tears as he sobs into Tony Stark's chest.

Well, specifically, he cries into the arc reactor chest plate emblem of Iron Man's armor, but the humor of the image never fails. However, Peter's tears aren't just because he's broke—it's also a reminder of the last time he was in the Avengers when they couldn't pay him.

The Dark Side of the Spider-Man Money Meme

Avengers #2, written by Jonathan Hickman, penciled by Jerome Opeña, colored by Dean White, Justin Ponsor, and Morry Hollowell, and lettered by Cory Petit

It’s worth noting that when Iron Man recruits Spider-Man into this new Avengers team, he does so by catering to everyone’s needs and desires. For Peter, it's money when he desperately needs it most, and before that, beer for Wolverine. He also tries to offer birdseed for The Falcon, before Sam Wilson becomes Captain America, but Falcon scoffs at the notion. It’s a humorous sequence of panels that makes the meme even funnier out of context. However, what isn’t so funny is the situation in New Avengers #3.

Bendis' New Avengers series arrives not long after the events of Avengers: Disassembled, a pivotal comic event that set the stage for the multiversal chaos Scarlet Witch would later ignite in House of M. In short, through a series of unfortunate events, the team was in disarray and had to cease operations. In trying to rebuild, Steve Rogers recruits Peter Parker, who is teaching at the time—remember, teachers don't make much money as it is—and tells him upfront that the Avengers will be unable to pay Spider-Man.

The Infamous 'Parker Luck' Hits Spider-Man in the Worst Way

How Parker Luck and Avengers' Financial Troubles Fuel the Iconic Moment

Captain America warns Spider-Man that the Avengers gig doesn't come with pay, not out of some sense of superhero nobility or because heroes don’t accept or negotiate money, but because the Avengers literally can't afford to pay him at the time. The team's operations had become so dismantled that paying anyone was unfeasible. It’s another unfortunate example of Parker Luck catching Spider-Man at the worst possible time. This adds a layer of emotional depth to everyone’s favorite Spider-Man meme, highlighting why Peter is so emotionally elated in the first place.

New Avengers #3 and Avengers #2 are available now from Marvel.

Spider-Man

Created By

Stan Lee, Steve Ditko

First Appearance

Amazing Fantasy

Alias

Peter Parker, Ben Reilly, Otto Octavius, Yu Komori, Kaine Parker, Pavitr Prabhakar, William Braddock, Miles Morales, Kurt Wagner

Alliance

Avengers, Fantastic Four, X-Men, Secret Defenders, Future Foundation, Heroes for Hire, Mighty Avengers, New Avengers, Web-Warriors

Race

Human

Franchise

Marvel, Spider-Man

ExpandCollapse