Summary
Warning: Spoilers for Amazing Spider-Man (2022) #53 ahead!Sam Raimi’sSpider-Man (2002)is chock-full of iconic moments, but perhaps none have dominated the franchise quite like the rainy, upside-down kiss shared by Spider-Man and Mary Jane (Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst, respectively). Sure enough,Marvelhas revisited the kiss once more - calling back to that tender moment in the most outrageous and hilarious way possible.
With Spider-Man possessed by Norman Osborn’s evil, a rag-tag group consisting of Kamala Khan, the Living Brain, Curt Connors, and Rek-Rap face an uphill battle inAmazing Spider-Man (2022)#53 by Zeb Wells, Todd Nauck, Ed McGuinness, Wade Von Grawbadger, and Marcio Menyz. As the Green Goblin goes on the offensive, he’s unprepared for Rek-Rap’s raw might - which places the two in a compromising (and familiar) upside-down position.
“Do we both take our masks off at the same time? Who kisses who?” Rek-Rap asks, leaving Green Goblin completely nonplussed;the sheer tonal whiplash the moment brings to the fight makes it the most hilarious subversion of the kiss scene yet.
Kirsten Dunst Says She’s Proud Of Iconic Upside-Down Spider-Man Kiss
Kristen Dunst says she’s proud of her iconic upside-down kiss in the rain with Tobey Maguire’s webslinger in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man movie.
Spider-Man’s Kiss Scene is the Gift that Keeps on Giving
Amazing Spider-Man (2022)#53 by Zeb Wells, Todd Nauck, Ed McGuinness, Wade Von Grawbadger, Marcio Menyz
Director Sam Raimi could hardly have known when first filming that the dramatic, upside-down kiss scene inSpider-Manwould skyrocket to become one of the most recognizable moments in the entireSpider-Manfranchise.The scene is so popular that it has gone from a tender moment between Spider-Man and Mary Janeto an open target for parody, withFamily Guy,SNL, andThe Simpsonsall taking their jabs. Fortunately, Marvel has been more than willing to go along with the joke - such as when David Marquez recreated the scene with Deadpool and Spider-Man for his variant cover ofSpider-Man/Deadpool (2016)#2.
Spider-Man/Deadpool (2016) #2 is by Joe Kelly, Ed McGuinness, Mark Morales, and Jason Keith.
There’s another key aspect toAmazing Spider-Man#53’s joke, though, and that’s Rek-Rap. First appearing inAmazing Spider-Man(2022)#17,Rek-Rap is a demon from Limbowho becomes obsessed with Peter Parker (hence his name being “Parker” backwards). While Rek-Rap is utterly sincere in his desire to help Spider-Man, his sensibilities as a demon often clash with social convention, leaving the self-proclaimed “Web-Whanger” completely unpredictable and far, far too enthusiastic about whatever it is he’s doing.
Rek-Rap Makes This Kiss a Hundred Times Better
While Rek-Rap’s humor may come off as a little forced at times, here his goofy nature is the perfect foil to the very serious threat posed by Green Goblin. As such, it’s one of the few things that has left Green Goblin completely at a loss for words,making the kiss reference work comedically as well as on an in-universe, dramatic level.Marvelhas gotten a lot of mileage out of poking fun ofSpider-Man’sclassic kiss - but this may be the funniest iteration yet of the iconic scene.
Spider-Man
Cast
Spider-Man is the first film in Sam Raimi’s trilogy starring Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker. Released in 2002, the film introduced superhero fans to a live-action Norman Osborn, played by Willem Dafoe, who is transformed into his villainous alter ego, Green Goblin, after being forced out of Oscorp Industries. At the same time, Peter Parker is grappling with his newfound abilities as the iconic wall-crawler.
