Literary Obama

Guest post by Conseula Francis:

By now the unprecedented five printings of Marvel’s Amazing Spider-Man #583, also known as the “Obama Issue,” is old news.  While some people used the media frenzy to comment on Marvel’s obvious marketing ploy or the gullibility of non-comic readers or the mercenary tactics of comic shop owners, few people actually talked about the comic itself.

There are two stories in Amazing Spider-Man Issue #583.  The first is a character study of Peter Parker, from the point of view of Betty Brant, as he tries to put his life back together after the events of “One More Day” (in which he makes a Faustian bargain with the demon Mephisto to save the life of his Aunt May).* It appears first and takes up most of the issue, despite what the large smiling face of Obama on the cover suggests.  The second story, “Spidey Meets the President,” is a mere 5 pages long, sandwiched between the first story and a preview for a new Marvel title, Agents of Atlas.  “Spidey Meets the President” is pretty inconsequential, as stories go.  Basically, Peter Parker, who has been sent to Washington to cover the inauguration, comes to the rescue as Spider-Man when two Barack Obamas show up in the inaugural parade.  Spidey has to help uncover the true president-elect.  There are some typically snarky quips from our hero (the president gets in a quip or two of his own, as well) and a D-list villain.  Everything is put right in the end.

It would be easy to criticize Marvel for jumping on the crass capitalist bandwagon that has seen every publication from Time to People to Men’s Health feature Obama in hopes of upping their sales; or for giving into the same fanboy tendencies that caused Joe Quesada to send Captain America’s shield to the Colbert Report.  Sure, “Spidey Meets the President” is a transparent marketing ploy.  But, when we are reading it 10, 20, 30 years from now, we will also see how well it reflects the hope and optimism and faith so many millions of Americans had on January 20, 2009.  The last image of Obama shows him with his hand on the Bible being sworn in.  Spidey voice-overs: “The next thing I know he’s at the podium getting sworn in like nothing happened.  And I can’t shake the feeling that if I hadn’t showed up, he would have handled the Chameleon [aforementioned D-list bad guy] all by himself.” If nothing else, this story illustrates what many of us felt that day: that maybe, just maybe, we had finally elected someone worthy of the trust placed in him by millions of Americans.

Will Marvel’s version of Obama live up to that trust?  At the moment, Marvel can’t seem to decide if the current Marvel universe-president is even Obama.   The fact that Nick Fury, currently “Agent of Nothing,” visited a brown-skinned president in the White House in a recent issue of Secret Warriors, though, suggests which way they are leaning.  Only time will tell.

* “One More Day” chronicles the consequences of Spider-Man revealing his secret identity during Marvel’s Civil War.

Consuela Francis is Associate Professor of English and Director of the African-American Studies Program at the College of Charleston. Check her out at the terrific blog Afrogeek Mom and Dad!