How does Spider-Man climb walls while wearing gloves and boots?

May 9, 2009 11:30 AM

How does Spider-Man climb walls while wearing gloves and boots?

I understand that he can stick to walls, but how is this supposed to work through his gloves and boots? Is this ever explained?

If it's something about his gloves and boots, why can't normal people wear them and climb walls?

posted by Caviar to grab bag (10 comments total)

I assume it's because he is a comic book character.

But yea, I guess his gloves are designed to allow the parts of his fingers that let him stick to walls through. It wouldn't be that hard to explain in a reasonably understandable way in the comics if they ever did, but if they never explained it I wouldn't be surprised. To be honest I never wondered :).
posted by The Devil Tesla at 11:39 AM on May 9 [1 favorite]

Wikipedia says:

"The ability works through thin layers of cloth, such as the fabric of his costume, but not through materials such as the soles of shoes. When Peter Parker needs to crawl without changing into the costume, he removes his shoes first."

Why this is so depends on the basis for the power. In the recent movies, he has hairs that provide the grip, and presumably those hairs extend through thin cloth.

Again according to Wikipedia, "The Spider-Man entry in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe states that Spider-Man is able to enhance the flux of inter-atomic attractive forces on surfaces he touches, increasing the coefficient of friction between that surface and himself." Presumably that power has a limited range.
posted by jedicus at 11:39 AM on May 9

It's not the glove and boots, it's the man.

Recalling the info from the Official Marvel Universe guide, it said that whatever lets him stick to things is concentrated at his hands and feet. Also, he's wearing spandex, which isn't very thick, so it's not going to interfere that much.

I think the scientific explanation in the comics was that is was some form of static electricity. Electro, the electricity controlling super villain. figured this out and was able to prevent Spider-Man from sticking to anything.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 11:48 AM on May 9

Most of Marvel's characters wear costumes made out of unstable molecules, allowing their powers to interact with their suits.
posted by interrobang at 11:50 AM on May 9

Serious question (as these things go): is there like an unstable molecule suit provider?
posted by lbergstr at 1:33 PM on May 9

Canonically, it's either static cling (most often cited, originally by creator Stan Lee in the Amazing Spider-Man annual #1, IIRC), or the afore-mentioned "inter-atomic attractive forces," in one of the Handbooks. Aaah, vague comic book science, what would we do without you? Scientists who like to geek out about superheroes have also suggested van der Waals force working on little barbs on his hairs and feet. This doesn't quite work for the comicverse because Spidey can cling with any part of his body, not just his palms/soles, but is a bit more spidery. And also how a gecko sticks to walls, incidentally. You can read a bit more about all this here.

Totally randomly, Spider-Girl, Peter's alternate universe daughter, doesn't just stick to walls but can stick other people to the same surface that she's sticking to, which is vastly entertaining. This has been (non)explained as "bio-magnetism."

Since you asked, lbergstr, the unstable molecule suit provider is Mr. Fantastic, its inventor. Spider-Man doesn't wear one because, uh ... well, I suppose the canonical explanation would be that he doesn't like charity, given that he's fairly close to the FF now and there can't be any other logical reason. I suspect that editorial doesn't want him to have one because that would make things too easy and hoity-toity for "everyman" Peter Parker who has to be "relatable" to us, etc. etc.
posted by bettafish at 2:10 PM on May 9

Didn't scenes in the first movie show

a) little spikes which extruded from his flesh automatically whenever he gripped the wall (which presumably pierce his boots), and

b) Spiderman squirting web from an orifice in his wrist, rather than the chemicals original Spidey used in the comics (which were activated by pressing his palm with his middle finger)?
posted by Rash at 2:38 PM on May 9

Those things did happen in the movie. Later, in the comics, Spider-Man mutated so that he no longer needed his web-shooters. Even later than that, everything was reset so that he had is good ol' shooters and wasn't married to Mary Jane. That's comic book continuity for ya.
posted by runcibleshaw at 3:48 PM on May 9

Serious question (as these things go): is there like an unstable molecule suit provider?

There was an Amazing Spider-Man story a few years back featuring a tailor in New York who made super-suits. He saw heroes and villains on alternate days, so you'd get Dr Doom turning up Wednesday to get his green robey thing darned, followed by Captain America on the Thursday, still bleeding from a fight but saying that getting his stars and stripes one-piece patched up was more important cause it was a symbol and everything.

No mention of unstable molecules though, that I remember. I stopped reading around that point, as it sort of felt like they were running out of angles.
posted by permafrost at 4:36 PM on May 9

The X-men have a machine that creates uniforms right on people's bodies. You design your suit on a computer, walk in, and the machine creates the uniform right on your body. I saw this once in an X-Force comic.
posted by delmoi at 5:02 PM on May 9 [1 favorite]