Summary

• Ultimate Spider-Man has flipped much of the character's classic origin on its head, as the newly empowered Peter Parker embraces his role as a superhero – but he has already encountered one familiar Spidey problem, which is that no one seems to like him.
• In Ultimate Spider-Man #2, Peter's daughter May discovers his new role as a costumed hero; though she was initially afraid of the new vigilante swinging around New York, she immediately s her hero father, though she recommends a costume change.
• May's initial fear of Peter's black costume appears to be leading to a redesign, incorporating his iconic red-and-blue colors, inspired by a drawing May leaves for her dad at the end of the issue.

Warning: Contains spoilers for Ultimate Spider-Man #2 (2024)Just as his heroic career is getting off the ground, the Ultimate Marvel version of Spider-Man has quickly found himself among the most hated superheroes around. For years, this has baffled the more familiar Spidey of Earth-616, who almost always uses his powers to try to help others. Now, Ultimate Peter's daughter May has explained to him the real reason people hate Spider-Man.

Ultimate Spider-Man (Vol. 2) #2 – written by Jonathan Hickman, with art by Marco Checchetto, Matthew Wilson, and Cory Petit – picks up just several weeks after an adult Peter Parker allowed a radioactive spider to bite him and give him superpowers.

Over breakfast, May, looking at the Daily Bugle, reveals that she finds the still-unnamed new vigilante operating in New York City to be unsettling. After later learning her dad is the vigilante, she tells Peter the real problem: his sleek, all-black costume.

People Hate Spider-Man's Costume – Including Ultimate May Parker

Though May comes around on Spider-Man after knowing he's her father, she adds, 'I still don't like the costume,' revealing that to be a major aspect of her initial fear. It is a fair point; until now, Peter has yet to add any color, instead using a blank, all-black costume, evoking one of his most menacing looks.

In the spirit of the Ultimate Universe, this latest incarnation of Peter Parker displays echoing of his symbiote suit. This is one of just many interesting changes writer Jonathan Hickman and his creative team have brought to the table so far, as they reinvent and recontextualize Spider-Man lore.

In Ultimate Spider-Man #2, Peter returns from a failed confrontation with the Shocker, his first supervillain, and is spotted by his daughter, May Parker, while still wearing his costume. Here, May becomes the first person in Peter's personal life to discover his secret identity. Though May comes around on Spider-Man after knowing he's her father, she adds, "I still don't like the costume," revealing that to be a major aspect of her initial fear. It is a fair point; until now, Peter has yet to add any color, instead using a blank, all-black costume evoking one of his most menacing looks.

Spider-Man's Daughter Inspired His Iconic Costume

Now that Peter knows his own daughter is afraid of his current uniform, it is quite likely that this note will prove to be the inspiration for a redesign, with May leading him to his most iconic look.

After revealing her costume concern to her father, Peter says, "Maybe we can do something about that too," prompting May to come up with a solution. At the end of the issue, May leaves a drawing on the fridge depicting a spider, colored red and blue. Now that Peter knows his own daughter is afraid of his current uniform, it is quite likely that this note will prove to be the inspiration for a redesign, with May leading him to his most iconic look. This furthers Ultimate Peter's unique evolution into the Spider-Man he is destined to become.

This redesign may not solve all of Peter's problems, though. Historically, he has been informed that the public doesn't trust Spider-Man largely because he hides behind a mask. More than that, the idea of basing himself around a spider at all gives some citizens the creeps. This is an idea heavily featured in the original Ultimate Spider-Man series, where Spidey only gains public acceptance shortly before his death. If this new Ultimate Marvel universe is anything like the original, Peter will need more than a costume change to make Spider-Man the beloved icon he is in the real world.

Ultimate Spider-Man #2 is available now from Marvel Comics.