“His ability to pull perfect tens by just standing there and being irritating should be studied in a lab.”
Listen, can we talk? Cause it really does. I guarantee if you ask him how in the world did you do that he legitimately won’t be able to give you a reason, much less tell you how it happened. He’s just as bewildered as the rest of us are. No, he’s not ugly, stupid, fighting above his weight or anything like that —he’s not a degenerate.
But at the same time, I could see somebody possibly thinking “Jesus this guy can kind of wear on the nerves a bit, but he’s still…interesting”
So real talk this is one of my favorite exchanges I've ever written:
“I’m trying to figure out how to ask someone out,” Peter said, idly staring at the ceiling. He lobbed the stress ball at it again, catching it without so much as a glance.
Harry snorted. “Stand around a coffee shop being aloof and disheveled until some supermodel trips over you. That always worked for you in college.”
“I don’t remember it working like that,” Peter said.
“You wouldn’t,” Harry snorted, and then immediately assaulted Peter with what he claimed was “actual work” for the “company he was responsible for.” (“The air quotes are so juvenile, Pete.”)
(From Go Out and Find Ourselves a Home, Parker Industries era Spideytorch.)
Because like I legitimately don't think Peter knows what he's doing, but it is observable when you're reading comics. So two things that I think are really important: The first is that Peter is a gigantic flirt, and the second is that he's actually a really good partner. Let's tackle the flirting first.
He flirts constantly. He flirts all the time, with everyone, and he has done this from the very beginning of his canon. Like, as soon as Peter had a little bit of confidence in himself, he started flirting.
THIS IS SEVEN ISSUES IN. "If you keep using that cool perfume, Betty, I might break down and tell you about it some day!" "Here, rest your head on my shoulder, blue eyes, and let's enjoy the silence!" "Nothing, baby... for at least an hour!" SEVEN ISSUES. And he will continue to be a total flirt because he's good at it and he enjoys it beyond even as a romantic thing but as a banter thing. There's a verbal give and take that Peter really enjoys, and you see it show up in fights and you see it show up in flirting.
"Aw, come on -- you know you're the only girl I ever loved." (ASM #143)
"Good afternoon, Maude. Looking beautiful as always." "Oh Peter, you lie beautifully, darling, have ever since the ninth grade, so don't stop." (ASM v2 #55)
He's such a flirt, and he's also fun. Like, I think that's something a lot of the more recent "banter" misses -- that the exchange between Peter and other characters should be fun, and that's where a lot of his charm comes from.
It's a little bit of a cliche, but there is something very charming about a guy who can joke with you and make you laugh, and that's what Peter has to embody in his personal relationships. The quipping can't only be for fights, that's not any fun. I don't think it's a big secret that I'm a fan of the majority of Peter's canon relationships (and a handful of non-canon ones), but it's because they're genuinely fun -- and he's half of that dynamic. These relationships wouldn't be as dynamic and enjoyable if he wasn't a good character in his own right. He has to be able to stand up against these other characters, to be charming and charismatic and a strong character. And that plays into the second part, which is that he's a really good partner. Peter likes being in a relationship, and he's good at it. Even juggling it with his other responsibilities, he is a romantic person, and that's a big part of him.
(Spectacular Spider-Man #194)
So unfortunately, I do think a big part of it is his personality. He's funny and charming and makes people feel safe, and that goes for a lot. But yeah, I also think canon is pretty clear that he's also hot, and it's pretty clear about that early on.
And a certain amount of that is confidence, sure, but it's clear he is good looking. I don't think he has to be a movie star by any means, I think he can just be a normal looking guy with a big presence (and the kind of muscles that come from webslinging every day), but yeah, traditionally, he dresses pretty well, and he's generally interested in presenting himself well. I don't like the word degenerate, anon, sorry, but to use a different word -- yeah, he's not a schlub. But there's a big difference between "good looking average guy" and someone like Johnny or Felicia or Mary Jane, so I do think it's fun that on the surface level it might look like a "who, that guy?" situation. Famous Actor/Model/Socialite and Their Partner, That Fucking Guy Over There.
