Characters : Spider-Man : Equipment
Spider-Man doesn't rely on a great deal of equipment, but there are some
essential bits and pieces you will never see him without. His classic
equipment list comprises his Web-Shooters, Spider-Tracers, his Spider-Signal,
Spider-Belt, and his Automatic Camera. Plus, as a special bonus feature... his
short-lived Spider-Mobile!
Webbing & Webshooters
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What would be a Spider, without a web? The web-shooters and the
webbing material were the first and perhaps the greatest product
of Peter Parker's scientific talents. As a young boy, he created
this material with huge tensile strength, which was sticky on extrusion,
but which rapidly set to bind a foe, or provide a cable on which to
string from skyscraper to skyscraper across the Manhattan skyline.
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The webbing is stored in refillable high-pressure cartridges, which
Spidey keeps on his belt, tucked under his costume. The cartridges
are under immense pressure. The release lever on his webshooters
(one per wrist) require a double-tap to release the flow. The
webbing dries on contact with the air, and dissolves in approximately
one hour.
By varying the nature of the pressure, and by adjusting the nozzles
on the spinnerets, different forms of webbing can be achieved.
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In fact, you name it, Spidey can probably whip you one up out of
webbing. Like a magician with a bag of stretchy ballons, he can
trot out the standards with nary a twist of the wrist. Web-Lines,
Web-Shields, Web-Trampolines, Web-Parachutes, Web-Bandages,
Web-Plugs...
...Web-Gloves (shock-proof), Web-Domes (airproof),
Web-Swings, and with a great deal of practice, even this handy-dandy
Web-Hang-Glider. And how about a Web-Hammock for a nice relaxing snooze...
and automatic wake-up call after 60 minutes!
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Spider-Signal
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The Spider-Signal is a high-powered focused light, with a
colored, patterned filter. An early invention, the practical
applications have proved limited.
Essentially, it's only real use is to intimidate lesser villains
before starting a fight. Occasionally, it has been used to signal
for help, or as a slightly impractical light source when operating
in darkness.
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Spider-Tracers

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The Spider-Tracers were an early invention, and have proven their
value again and again. These micro radio transmitters are embedded
in a tiny spider-styled casing. The legs of the casing are actually
aerodynamically shaped fins to assist in straight throwing.
The tracers can be placed, thrown, or at one stage Peter actually
developed a wrist-launcher which fired the tracers at high velocity.
The tracers are coated in a sticky substance to keep them firmly
attached to their target.
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One down-side of the tracers is that, once discovered, they become
a simple way to lure Spidey into a trap. Also, those who understand
the technology can modify them to overload Peter's Spider-Sense.
The original design used a radio receiver for tracking, but a
quick adjustment enabled them to operate on a frequency which
can be detected by Petey's Spider-Sense.
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Automatic Camera

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Spidey's camera used to belong to his father, Richard Parker.
The camera is automated to take photos when movement occurs
in front of it.
This seemed a fairly sophisticated feature
for cameras of the time - but when you remember that Richard
and Mary Parker were reveled as former U.S. Spies, that
certainly helps explain why he would have owned such a
conveniently intelligent piece of technology!
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Spider-Belt
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Why does Spidey have a Spidey-Belt? To hold his trousers up!
Actually the belt contains the inbuilt Spider-Signal, spare webbing
cartridges, holds the camera, spidey tracers, and is a handy place
for Peter to tuck his mask when not in costume.
Personally, I would think it would bulge a little around his
middle, but apparantly not!
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The Spider-Mobile

Try the Spider-Mobile Quiz.
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Spidey was sponsored by a couple of advertising exec's to build a car,
using a new fuel-efficient engine. He did build it, with a
little help from the Human Torch!
- ASM #126 - First suggested
- ASM #127 - Being built
- ASM #130 - Construction completed, first test-drive
- ASM #141 - First used, drives off a pier
- ASM #160 - Spider-Man vs. Tinkerer and Spider-Mobile
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