𝑷𝒉𝒚𝒔𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆

Wearing the mask

One of the reasons why Peter wears a full face-mask is so his enemies can’t tell when he’s afraid” - Stan Lee.

So, yeah, basically that.

The same story is on AO3, just in case (and English is not my native language and blah blah blah you know what I mean.)

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He was once asked, “Why don't you take off your mask?” Spiderman replied carelessly, "I can´t! Because I'm too handsome for you to see me!;” and they all laughed. Spiderman is strong, everyone trusts him, that´s why he has his well-deserved nickname of being the “Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-Man".

But Peter Parker is different.

Spiderman's strong, Peter's vulnerable. Spiderman is funny, talkative and sociable; Peter´s awkward and has only two friends. Spiderman is a role model for many children while Peter´s literally a nobody. It´s true that he wants to separate his two lives, most of the day he wants to be Peter Parker, even with all his defects, and to be normal; but then, he also wants to be Spiderman, a superhero, someone worthy of attention, loved by everyone.

Tony also asked him the same question. He said, “Kid, I understand that you want to keep your identity a secret but wouldn't be, I don't know, easy? To reveal your face? Your aunt May is protected by me, you know that.” Peter just replied, “I don't know, it's complicated.” And they didn't bring it up again.

His aunt said Spiderman is loved because he's also very appealing to the public. No one knows his age, what colour his hair or eyes are, whether he has strong cheekbones or a thin face. Nothing, it's a secret, like a Pandora box that everyone wants to open just out of curiosity.

When Spiderman is fighting, he doesn't stop talking; this is a tactic to distract his opponents because he knows that seriousness isn't actually serious and it doesn't help at all. "I would tear off your mask to beat you and see you suffer," one-time one said to him. Unsurprisingly, Spiderman responded with his typical ironic style, "Do you know how much this mask costs? A fortune! I wouldn't dare, you could buy a car if you sold it."

Spiderman is funny, they say in the neighbourhood; Spiderman has the guts like Thor, say others.

The truth that no one knows, nor that Peter wants to tell, is that one of the main reasons why Spiderman wears a mask is that so his enemies won't see his face when he is afraid.

Peter is Spiderman, both are just humans; one, a fifteen-year-old teen, the other, a super-hero by accident. Fear makes no difference, he knows by his own flesh what physical and emotional pain is.

Peter is worried to break that image that everyone has of Spiderman, he knows that by showing his face they will only find a scared little boy.

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