How Does SPIDER-MAN Stick To Walls? || Comic Misconceptions || NerdSync

Recently, science has disproved the idea that Spider-Man could stick to walls. Quite frankly, Spidey would be too big and heavy. But how does the wall crawler crawl walls in the first place? Today, we're taking a look at the science behind how Marvel's Spider-Man can cling to walls!
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Every Wednesday, Comic Misconceptions explores the incredible stories, fascinating ideas, and mind-blowing theories regarding comic books and the rich history and culture that surrounds them!
Hosted by Scott Niswander (@ScottNiswander)
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-------SOURCES-------
Marvel Handbook
marvel.wikia.co...
Why Spider-Man can’t exist: Geckos are ‘size limit’ for sticking to walls
www.cam.ac.uk/r...
Extreme positive allometry of animal adhesive pads and the size limits of adhesion-based climbing
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[@LilTyman22]

Aren't we over looking the fact that the spider which bit Peter Parker was radioactive/genetically modified? Meaning that the spider itself had already altered stats and it abilities?

[@Slayer-gb9nq]

Good point

[@docholliday1374]

Good Catch

[@mysteryscooby]

wow

[@IMPULSEGaming1]

Nice save, phew. Almost thought I couldn't get a radioactive spider to bite me and get to be Spider-Man. heh heh

[@AgentDRJ]

+LilTyman22 I believe at one point in Spider-Man continuity, the spider that bit him could have imparted the spider powers even before becoming radioactive. I think it was in the Spiderman arc with Ezekiel. So it is possible that the spider was actually magic.

[@frosted1030]

There's a bigger problem. Dirt would collect on his hands and feet. Basically... never shake Spider-Man's hand, you never know how filthy it is.

[@NerdSyncProductions]

I believe that the tiny hairs in Geckos are actually self-cleaning. Any dirt that is collected during one step usually falls off after another few steps. That's at least my understanding of it. If anyone is more knowledgeable, let me know!

[@frosted1030]

***** I would say that the residue from soot, oil, dirt, dust, and such would not be self cleanable, unless you think Spider-Man would leave hand and foot prints everywhere.

[@NerdSyncProductions]

You'd have to do more research into gecko toes, but I believe those are self-cleanable.

[@frosted1030]

***** Not exactly self cleaning, hydrophobic scales prevent some contaminants from sticking. Human skin has a layer of oil that makes it somewhat hydrophobic but it doesn't apply, even a skin tight suit would be very hydrophilic, and as it is a flexible material and has been known to get dirty, there would be no question. Maybe his hands might avoid some grime with the gloves but the gloves would get caked in gunk fairly quickly and he would slip... unless you know of some way NY can clean the sides of every building and the roofs perfectly every day.

[@JR-iz2ux]

+NerdSync I've once seen spiderman use this ability to rip someone's face off he stuck his hand on their face and pulled his hand off

[@StopChangingMyNameYoutube1]

It largely depends on which version of spider-man we are talking about. Universe 616 spider man's power isn't actually reliant on those microscopic hairs at all and are actually a type of electromagnetism at a molecular level (like that little blurb you quoted mentioned). This became really apparent during a story arc involving electro (before he became living electricity that is). In one story arc, spider man lost control of his emotions and brutally beat Electro half to death, ending up with Electro hospitalized. When Electro got back into the game, he was desperate for more power, even forgoing wearing his ridiculous costume and doing his crimes in civilian clothes. Spider-man finds himself holding back far to much when fighting Electro because of the guilt he felt for almost killing him, and his super villain exploits that for all its worth. During these issues Electro found an exploit in Spider-Mans powers, namely his wall crawling. When he focused, he could make the walls Spider-man clung to repel the wall crawler, making one of his most dynamically useful abilities entirely moot for that period of time. This villain isn't really packing on the i.q points unfortunately, so he rarely ever remembers to do this kind of thing even with his massive upgrades now a days. However this means someone like Magneto would have a distinct advantage over the wall crawler if he ever became aware of how 616 Parker sticks to walls.

[@NerdSyncProductions]

This hair thing IS a form of electromagnetism. Remember, the clinging to the walls is because of electrons being organized in a way that the molecules attract each other, but they can also repel each other if they are organized in the reverse way. Since Electro's powers are tied to electromagnetism, he would be able to control those electrons in the surfaces that Spidey relies on, and make them all repel instead of attract. So it still lines up!

[@andresquiroz5682]

+NerdSync but hey thats just a theory , a spider-man theory , thanks for the video scott .

[@NerdSyncProductions]

Haha, no problem!

[@RaizelSX]

+NerdSync +KZbin, All I want to do is watch a video, stop making me update. Well how about this, it says that Spiderman's wall crawl attraction can support several tons per finger and that it is concentrated in his hands and feet, so that number on pul per finger alone should make up for the unnatural part of his wall crawling. For instance a small animal should cling to a wall at a few grams if not pounds per pull/attraction. So if a gecko walked up a wall it can either go slow or fast, but if you try to pull it off (if you catch it) it will forcefully try to cling tighter to the wall, that doesn't mean it adds more "factors" to cling, it is just exerting more force to cling. A person can even feel the pull of the gecko sometimes when the try to pry it off the wall, making it slightly hard to get them off (not really that hard given our size and strength). This would then mean that even if the animal have a specified number suction or pull or whatever format it is in, the real issue is the users mental ability to control that pull and their strength to hold it. So then looking at size of a smaller animal, they would need couple grams to pounds to cling, whereas Spiderman would need couple to several tons to cling (which is stated per finger and maybe per toes). They also forgot to factor in strength in this equation, and that different animals that have different base strength levels given their size and use of it. So lets say a spider at 1mg can lift 10x (ten times) its body's weight, that's 10mg. So then you would have to multiply that level of strength to match the animal's weight. There's obviously more to it than just that but to keep it simple and short Spiderman's ability to cling may not rest in how many of the "factors" (3% - 80% of his body) he is using to cling, but the amount of base to max strength (grams to tons) each "factor" exsert to cling based on his constitution.

[@mercutioescalus6782]

Yeah and for a while there he would brand people using the electromagnetism

[@FragileCreatures]

Never apologise for talking about Spider-Man.

[@petartedONE]

+FragileCreatures Never its the best

[@NerdSyncProductions]

He's the best!

[@herostar634]

There’s never been truer words....

[@NerdSyncProductions]

NO! The intro is muted! Now my pavlovian training is completely thrown off!

[@edwardnygma8533]

XD

[@ShinoSarna]

+NerdSync I thought that "Spiderman has ability to control inter-atomic forces" doesn't mean any setae/spatulae, but something like a psychic power on a microscopic scale, kinda like his spider-sense doesn't work on any scientific basis - especially since all his powers are totemic in nature. Plus, Peter (and other people with spider powers) decides when he wants to cling to objects, and when not to, which would be impossible with the setae solution.

[@LilTyman22]

Aren't we over looking the fact that the spider which bit Peter Parker was radioactive/genetically modified? Meaning that the spider itself had already altered stats and it abilities?

[@greenconegames4621]

go spooder man

[@jonathanlopez3979]

how does spiderman spiders sense work

[@robertcortez3897]

I thought in one comic book, Electro found out Spider-Man clings to walls using static cling. Since Electro commands electricity he can cause Spider-Man to fall. One other thing.... Are we never gonna talk about Cosmic Spider-Man?

[@rlauck]

+Robert Cortez I think I remember the issue you're talking about. If I remember correctly, Electro was quite proud of himself when he (accidentally) discovered how to keep Spider-Man from sticking to walls.

[@eugenideddis]

So maybe he uses a combination of the two, making it so that it actually works. Or, as explained, the Gecko method does magnetize the atoms, so there is a small electric charge. Or, retcons.

[@NerdSyncProductions]

So Electro has the power over electromagnetism, which is what those Van der Waals forces are. So he still is able to cause Spidey to not stick to walls, since he essentially has control over the electrons that allow for it to happen.

[@xxxlittleGremlinxxx]

Modern Science isn't advanced enough to understand the Science of Comics!

[@rockyrex3239]

Don't worry, I think we're getting there

[@inadhibanimoyo1139]

Anomaly

[@wallcrawler3009]

You are completely right

[@thepanelbiter9915]

My logic has always been that Spidey has a minor form electrokinesis. Mainly he can alter his body and objects to have a static cling to each other the same way rubbing a balloon on a rug and having it stick to your head works.

[@shredBucketheadshred]

+The Panel Biter it would have to be something that is unrelated to the actual contact area as even industrial adhesive in fingertip size contact patches would result in the surface being contacted failing itself and a layer or small part that is in contact breaking away , possibly in a humerus hand print shape, also a conscious ability would prevent Spidey from getting himself covered and not being able to remove said debris from his hands and feet or limbs whatever

[@paulsmith1458]

+The Panel Biter super boy's super strength has been described as tactical Telekinesis maybe spydey's wall crawling functions on a similar concept.

[@GregStallion]

+The Panel Biter I believe something vaguely similar, but rather because of the radioactive nature of his powers, he can actually alter his molecular structure, (heck, perhaps even on an atomic-level).

[@aidancervetti797]

I agree. But i thibk of it more as is points of contact (fingers, toes, etc.) worked as electromagnetic surfaces that Peter mentally controlled. Whenever he needed to scale a wall, he just “turns on” his fingers and feet and he can “stick” to the walls

[@zetcake3322]

The Panel Biter that wouldn't explain the large-scale reaction when being ripped off the buildings, the large scale reaction being that chunks of the building are still in his hand

[@kiekan]

Its also believed that Spider-Man doesn't actually have a physical structure (like the setae or spatular tips suggested in the video), but rather that he has a low-level telekenetic ability, in which he pulls surfaces toward himself. The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe says he's "able to enhance the flux of inter-atomic attractive forces on surfaces he touches, increasing the coefficient of friction between that surface and himself." It doesn't specify this is done through any anatomical means, specifically. In Spider-Man #25 (the adjective-less Spider-Man series), in a backup story Peter explains how all of his powers work to Mary Jane. He says he has to consciously choose to stick to surfaces. He also states that his entire body has this ability. You can see on the page he explains this, that he is able to support himself using his back to cling to the wall, while reading a newspaper. You can see this page here: imgur.com/6rjEL3J This is again shown here, in Amazing Spider-Man #528, where he has a child cling to his back: imgur.com/a/bv5U3 In Amazing Spider-Man #664, it also shows that Peter can use his wall clinging ability to keep his mask on: imgur.com/a/Txvq5 The idea that Peter's powers do not come from an anatomical structure (i.e. the aforementioned setae and spatular tips) is further supported by Kaine. Due to Kaine's damaged cell structure, he was dying quickly, but had amped up spider powers. Instead of just giving him a general warning of oncoming danger, his spider sense gave him literal glimpses of the future, for example. But more to the point: his wall crawling ability would burn holes in things. Which, as a result, allowed him to develop the "Mark of Kaine", where he would burn hand prints or cause scarring on people's face (his wall crawling ability would even leave burn marks on walls when he clung to them): imgur.com/a/1sTe2

[@DTA714]

there goes science crushing my dreams again :(

[@Camel76]

+CloakPlayz Only if you believe them.

[@donut2111]

+Camel76 believe who? The scientists or the dude's dreams

[@Camel76]

Red Hood What happens in the future. People are often wrong.

[@donut2111]

Camel76 they were saying natural biological wall crawling would be probably impossible, they never said that we couldn't have artificial technology allowing us to wall crawl.

[@whiterunguard7109]

right. God sure fucked us over when she created this world.

[@njohns41]

In Kevin smith's interview with Stan called "Stan Lee's Mutants, Monsters and Marvels" He said that he first got inspiration from seeing a fly on the wall, and wanted an insect based hero. he made a list of names and finally landed on Spiderman (Because it sounded badass)

[@talbotstearns6990]

Spider man is my favorite super hero!!

[@petartedONE]

+Talbot Stearns mine to he is so cool

[@AustinShirkey]

+petartedONE Me too !I love how down to earth he is !

[@petartedONE]

Austin Shirley exactly!!

[@AustinShirkey]

+petartedONE What was your first Spiderman comic?

[@petartedONE]

Im pretty sure my first spiderman comic was the amazing spiderman kid that collects spiderman (im pretty sure that's the title) my older brother gave it to me on my 6th birthday

[@ValpasKankaristo]

Oh for fuck sake. There was no sound in the intro piece, so I turned my headphones volume high as hell just before when Scott started yelling to me

[@NerdSyncProductions]

HAHAHA! I am so sorry about that.

[@ritadelva5029]

+Valpas Kankaristo lol that happen to me

[@Mulberry2000]

His powers are a mutation of the one found in nature, this mutation by its very name breaks the known laws and develops his power to such an extent it becomes possible for him to be very clingy at will. That is what a superpower does, it is not known by the mainstream and nature. It also adds a kind of electromagnetism and uses the metals on the surface and the air as a form of attraction etc. This is why he is so strong at clinging to walls etc, and it does not matter if he wearing gloves or shoes., even if they are thick. Thin shoes are not practical as they can not stop stones, or glass, etc. To get around this Parker develops special soles that are hard and comfortable enough to stop the above but not his power to cling. They may even enhance his powers, both in the feet and hands. What I wrote seems to agree with the comic book's explanation of spidey's powers.

[@Gamingstic]

Why do you care about realism? If Spider-Man was realistic wouldn't he shoot web out his bum?

[@carminemcafee4090]

Urban 101 actually his stomach or belly

[@justbny9278]

Urban 101 spider anatomy is different than human anatomy, spiders webs come out of theirs abdomen, and that doesn't make sense in a human.

[@kevbee8325]

Friendly neighborhood spinnerets situated at the rear end of the abdomen...

[@zetcake3322]

Urban 101 no, he would do it out of his wrist, that or his ankles

[@jackgray2419]

Urban 101 Spiderman Spiderman. Crap some webs like a Spider can.

[@DarinRWagner]

When I was reading that explanation in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition back in the 1980s concerning Spider-Man's ability to wall crawl, I basically read it as a low-level telekinetic ability rather than specialized hairs on his hands and feet.

[@pixelmixplays2719]

Hey scientists! According to Raimi's spider man movie Peter was bit by a genetically mutated "Super Spider" which had the characteristics of multiple spiders. The missing "spider 15" had crawled down while Peter was taking m.j.'s pictures.

[@acousticknights9654]

We've also seen comics where his wall clinging abilities weren't limited to the range of his hands and feet. With the explanation that Marvel gives, I would assume that he is willfully manipulating the electromagnetic spectrum and essentially clinging to objects subatomically with his aura...which kind of makes him more awesome in my book. His enhanced strength, agility, durability and everything could basically come from manipulating electromagnetic fields.

[@ricardobaptista8436]

He blames himself for his father figure's death. Of course he would be clingy. #badumtss

[@MrScarletspider99]

Science says bees shouldn't be able to fly, soooooo

[@mickeynotmouse]

Ya like jazz?

[@JairoMorales92]

...Imagine Scott in a Spider-Man Onesie trying to climb some buildings, now that's somethin' i would love to watch! :p

[@NerdSyncProductions]

And you'll never be able to unsee it!

[@mahdidasoo892]

+NerdSync lol

[@ritadelva5029]

+Jairo Morales it would cool and will make me crazy to found out superheroes are real

[@GreenQueen69420]

But wait, just a minute here, science, you forgot something important; what Peter was bitten by. Now, I am all for the science behind this story, I'm actually a big science geek myself, but when science seems to forget one critical factor when it comes to the story, it's gets me all antsy pantsy (that pun was not intended I swear). But, let's look at how Peter Parker got these powers and became Spiderman. Peter was not bitten by some sort of ordinary spider, oh no, if that were the case he would probably be suffering from spider toxins instead of climbing buildings. He was bitten by a radioactive spider, who, after only being mentioned at the beginning of the story, completely disappears, away from the story. We don't know what else that radiation has done to the spider, other than being able to pass its DNA to a human being. Maybe the DNA in this spider allowed it to be able to grip a lot stronger to the walls, made it's gripping ability to the wall much much stronger. We don't know, they never went into specifics about the spider!

[@Noah-fn5jq]

+Katherine Winship I think you misunderstand. It is because of the mass vs surface area. Think of the weight of a cube. Let's say cube A has dimensions (l,w,h) of 1 cm each. The surface area would then be 6 cm^2 and a volume of 1 cm^3. For the sake of argument let's let the mass be 1 gram. This means that for every 1 cm^3 we get 1 gram. Now consider lengths of 2, 3, and 4: To review: 1 - Surface area: 6 cm^2, Area: 1 cm^3 = 1 gram 2 - Surface area: 24 cm^2, Area: 8 cm^3 = 8 grams 3 - Surface area: 54 cm^2, Area: 27 cm^3 = 27 grams 4 - Surface area: 96 cm^2, Area: 64 cm^3 = 64 grams Notice the scaling. Where Surface area is increasing by a power of 2, the mass is increasing by a power of 3... it will catch up and overpower it FAST. Because of this, it not possible to support the weight of a large object using the same % of surface area... more is needed.That said... I don't see why it is not possible for the DENSITY of the attraction to increase. This way, larger objects can be supported with the same % of surface area, but that surface area has a MORE POWERFUL attraction.

[@GreenQueen69420]

noah schaefferkoetter whoa, I have never been so put down on a theory so thoroughly before (trust me, that's a compliment) and thanks for the insight! I've had a a lot of arguments about Spiderman's ability and how it wouldn't be possible amongst friends, but whenever I would ask about the evidence behind it, it would never be as thorough as I would want it to be. Geeky arguments really do need to require some science behind them, so thank you!

[@Noah-fn5jq]

Katherine Winship Glad I could be helpful. It's always nice to spread knowledge :) As far as the discussion with your friends: tell them that in spite of the scaling difference between surface area and volume, Spiderman still has the potential to support his own weight (and more) as long as he can manipulate the attractive forces with enough severity to offset the weight % increase. One way he may be able to do this by manipulating the electrons within his own body so - at the point of contact - the atoms are completely VOID of electrical charge except at the surface. In theory his body attract electrons from the object that he is climbing while repelling the external electrons and keeping his global charge neutral. This is all off the top of my head (and includes "magic" so it lacks the scientific basis) so I’m sure there are flaws, but it will bypass the volume/surface area problem.

[@3inchesisplenty]

Katherine Winship apparently Peter has a rare blood type that instantly reacted with the radioactive spider DNA

[@Kdotkon]

The fact the scientist continue to get this wrong is hilarious. They keep comparing typical animal capability to a typical human physique and typical human capability as restricted by real life physics. Spider man is not a typical human, the spider that bit him cease to be a typical spider after the bombardment of radiation. Peter has the proportionate abilities of a spider, this means that everything has been transformed to comply with Peter's human size. The same can be said about his super strength and how a human sized spider supposedly wouldn't be as strong because a bit of what makes them strong seemingly is the lack of credible mass in the tiny objects they are moving but, if the strength of said spider is proportioned to work the same way for a human then, the human has super strength in line with what he would have as a spider in a spider world just as a human in a human world.

[@Kdotkon]

@Luke Garvey what I’m saying is, the problem is, they keep trying to use Non fiction science to explain science fiction expecting the parameters to be the same. It will never be the same. Looking for answers on how Spider-man’s powers work in a world where we still don’t understand everything about our own universe is a waste.

[@Kdotkon]

@Luke Garvey Actually, it’s not the Internet though; there are scientists who have spoken up on this subject numerous times, especially the likes of Neil DeGrasse Tyson. And, I’m not willing to say they’re “impossible” to exist, but more improbable.

[@Kdotkon]

@Luke Garvey Maybe THIS paper is NOT about Spiders but, my statement was more generalized towards Scientist who continue down this path. And, nothing about scientists denouncing the possibility of a the existent of a “Spider-man” could ever make me change how I feel about the character or lore itself. Fantasy is a necessary part of life that helps us navigate through life when responsibly taken into consideration.

[@Kdotkon]

@Luke Garvey Farewell good fellow. I like few things more than a healthy exchange of ideas, conflicting or otherwise.

[@Deadcrows1981]

Stan didn't see a spider, he saw a fly. He explained this way way back in the early 90s when he helped host spiderman and iron man shows back in the day.

[@titopajoso4825]

i love spider man

[@titopajoso4825]

not in a gay way

[@donovanhenderson1160]

Love you too:)

[@sabilsadat]

+Esteban Montalvo Yeah me too

[@maxheadroom3839]

Esteban Montalvo It's the tight costume isn't it shows off his bulge.

[@JPKloess]

"CTRL+F that stuff!" My internet existence in one phrase...

[@NerdSyncProductions]

I felt really weird saying that phrase out loud. Haha

[@KaijuRamen54]

Im perfectly happy with all the Spider-Man videos...he's my favorite character.

[@LeonneGaming]

3:05 but what if someone looks at his hands😂 he’s gonna be one hairy boy😂😂

[@BingeWatchers]

On the movie Mission Impossible 4, there's a scene where Tom Cruise climbs a building in Dubai Spiderman style using what they call "electromagnetic gloves. There's an interesting article on the Washington Post where Peter Blaber, a former Delta Force commander and consultant on military-relates TV shows and movies, says that the magnetic gloves actually exist. Another possible spidey-like contraption. Or would you just rather be Tom Cruise perhaps? Link to the article: www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/hollywoods-mission-not-so-impossible/2011/12/20/gIQA3gClDP_story.html

[@NerdSyncProductions]

We're going to become Spider-Man someday, dang it!!!

[@dearformerself]

3:34 IS THAT ELECTRO??? LOL

[@billybutcher9838]

Wesd02 nah. bro thats aunt may

[@TheKrensada]

Spiderman's wall clinging ability is actually done through mental powers. Allow me to explain: It works through a specialized form of telekinetic energy focused through areas where he touches the walls. (Spiderman is actually a mutant and is in fact a perfect candidate for professor Xavier's school. But as we all know he'd rather go solo.) tendrils of telekinetic power dig deep into the surface of objects, These tendrils physically hold him to the surface of objects. And through this specialized mental concentration Spiderman can grip, or let go of walls at will. Some psychic mutants can specifically read minds, while others can lift objects. Some mutants have only the ability to cause certain mental reactions in a person, such as what Vertigo does. This mental ability also explains his problem solving abilities, his inventiveness, and most importantly, his spider sense. His mind is so powerful that he can in fact push his body to limits not normally attainable by your average human being. These mental powers are so specialized that he doesn't even know how he does them. he just does. This is all my own personal headcanon, but this is how I choose to believe Spiderman's powers work.

[@ShadowWingTronix]

Like Spider-Boy?

[@TheKrensada]

ShadowWing Tronix nah he does it through gravity manipulation, which could be seen as a completely different power.

[@ShadowWingTronix]

TheKrensada I thought they modified Superboy's tactile telekinesis to become his wall-crawling power? That's how I remember it and I just read it again last year.

[@TheKrensada]

ShadowWing Tronix Superboy's? or Spider-boy's?

[@ShadowWingTronix]

Superboy's telekinesis to explain Spider-Boy's wall-crawling power.

[@user-gu9cb2ql4r]

He didn't see a spider on the wall, he saw a fly.

[@DT25659]

Last time I was this early............. I can't come up with anything.

[@petartedONE]

+Mago Man sm

[@Deskof003Blogspot]

+Mago Man ...my girlfriend was very unsatisfied?

[@veryeducationalpug6519]

+Mago Man what's up dude, you're on visualmaximus, rangovidsofmango and this channel, nice! (btw i changed my profile pic)

[@DT25659]

PhoenixWings Entertainment what ever that meas.

[@sal_alegre]

+NerdSync Hey Scott I recently saw a TEDtalk that showcased a few DARPA projects.The speaker, Regina Dugan, mentioned an adhesive structure based on the biological mechanism geckos use to cling to walls. She stated that a 4x4 inch strip could "support a static load of 660 pounds"!

[@richardmoran5394]

-1,000,000 points for not mentioning Steve Ditko in the beginning

[@NerdSyncProductions]

It wasn't relevant at that moment. I did mention him later on.

[@richardmoran5394]

***** yes but still upsetting to me because you made it seem as if Stan did it by himself, i know that that wasn't what you were implying in the video though & hope you don't take this as an attack on you, its just always been a pet peeve of mine when Kirby & Ditko get no mention but Stan does

[@NerdSyncProductions]

Richard Moran It's a pet peeve of my own, as well. I made sure to mention Ditko and his influences on the character.

[@richardmoran5394]

***** & i appreciated it, it was just a joke referring to the beginning

[@AnonymityIx]

+Richard Moran I love the super tough pink puff

[@dearformerself]

6:54 "of, cities..." LOLOLOLOLOL I was thinking you were going to say heights.

[@TevyaSmolka]

huh personally in my opinion i don't really care about the scientific side of spider-man crawling walls i just suspend my disbelief but that's just my opinion

[@dojoquintana]

I'd like to think that he can, by will, control the molecular boundaries of his body; specifically, the electrons to somehow 'stick' to another molecule outside his own molecular structure. Which kind of explains a lot, because he can willingly decide when to stick to something or someone with extreme force. And (I can't remember where) I know of a time he made his Spidey mask stick to his face so no one can take it off. Which for me makes the need for the tiny hairs on his arms and feet moot. How he can will it and how his body can respond to it, I don't know... yet. Well, this is just a though. Great video again, Scott. Lovin' these videos, Spidey's my favorite :)

[@ScottyNiswander]

#SpiderManuary is coming to a close.

[@GurjobD]

+Scott Niswander NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

[@LilTyman22]

Aren't we over looking the fact that the spider which bit Peter Parker was radioactive/genetically modified? Meaning that the spider itself had already altered stats and it abilities?

[@ScottyNiswander]

LilTyman22 Many people have brought this up, and I will address it in Monday's video. The problem with this explanation is that we're effectively mixing real science with science fiction, when it's really best to choose one or the other. If I say that the radioactive spider gave him the ability to stick to walls better than would be possible in the real world, then what would be the point of examining the real world science? The spider would trump everything anyway. Plus, it doesn't explain HOW it helps him stick to walls. You can't just say that it it was a super spider, so his clinging power is enhanced, because that's not a valid explanation. How are they enhanced? What specifically makes him cling to walls better? But like I said, I'll talk more about it on Monday.

[@jotjot5437]

Remember it was a radioactive spider so it’s clinging ability might be different and better

[@MuggMen]

what is Spiderman has those microscopic sticky hairs but they're like his proportional strength it's a proportional thing they're stronger than your average spiders enough to accommodate for a human

[@KairuHakubi]

So even the parts of him that come from a spider have the proportional strength of a spider? damn.

[@Trethar512]

New favorite out-of-context quote: "Now go ctrl-F that thing!" @ 1:35

[@77mcgiver]

Great video Scott! I have a question though, if (according to Steve Ditko) his costume needed to be form fitting and thin enough to allow wall crawling, then how do you explain Spider Man´s ANAD (All New All Different) Suit? It is "a spider armor", it has reflected shots fired at it (as seen in ANAD Amazing Spider-Man #2 and, although it´s form fitting, it´s probably not thin. An aswer may come in Tales From The Comments? Wink Wink

[@hermosillopera1382]

+Magiver77 Interesting, perhaps it´s because the suit is thin in the palms? I mean, we haven´t seen its palms. Also, it may have sth to do with it being "micro technology" (I´m not sure it´s that but whatever) as seen in issue #3 when he´s fighting JONH CENA!! err Johnny Storm

[@McSenkel]

Yeah. I was wondering that during Superior Spider-Man run.

[@DanPeters182]

But Spidey is Radioactive. Nuff Said.

[@SrGurkman]

who is nuff?

[@theultimoknight1725]

+PennyPlunderer "nuff" was an old shorten word for "enough"

[@ihateladymacbeth8170]

Spider-Man's Body was genetically modified when he was bitten to meet the requirements to stick to walls like geckos. But his webs are not from the spider. Peter made the web shooter himself.

[@SilverSkiver]

Spider blood! spider blood! radioactive spider blood!

[@BonerSexGaming]

+[TGR] Clockwork I'm not sure but don't some versions make them come out of his actual wrist

[@iquestioneverything3426]

can you do a video on why captain America is not dead when he's frozen, because it doesn't make sense, when someone is frozen their hearts stops, which means theyre dead, but somehow cap isn't

[@joshsizemore748]

Some animals can be frozen solid and survive, if your body was frozen and you were still alive you wouldn't be using any energy so your heart wouldn't need to pump. The biggest problem with being frozen is ice crystals forming inside you and damaging tissue, animals that can survive being frozen have special elements to their blood which prevents that

[@iquestioneverything3426]

Josh Sizemore what about not being able to breathe

[@joshsizemore748]

+nicko bagaskara the son of aquaman if you're frozen no chemical reactions are happening inside your body, which are the reason you need oxygen to begin with. If no reactions are happening you don't need oxygen. I'd have to look all this up to tell you the technical terms

[@murtazam4828]

i question everythin g I'm pretty sure he was cryogenically preserved

[@3inchesisplenty]

i question everythin g the soldier serum probably improved his body so he doesn't need as much oxygen to survive.Which would also explain why in the start of civil war he was immune to the gas that was suffocating everyone

[@imexicanboy]

In Spider-girl(daughter of spider-man) May had a slightly different powers because she not only could wall crawl but also repel objects like bits of concrete from a broken wall so I always thought their powers were more like magnets

[@imexicanboy]

* I forgot to say she could also make people or objects be magnetized to the floor as well

[@bianian8]

I don't think his hairs should be compared to any animal including spiders that we have, because the spider that bit him wasn't normal, so Spiderman's hairs are probably hybrid organic structures that we couldn't even begin to create. I think the thing that is holding him is fiction and would be able to work even in our world... if that makes any sense....

[@NerdSyncProductions]

I think it may have been explained at some point as friction, but the handbooks all go by the intermolecular forces explanation. But you are right that that Spider-Man could have super versions of these hairs that make up for his size.

[@DaaaahWhoosh]

Is there any indication that Peter Parker weighs as much as a normal human? As I recall, Ant Man uses some special kind of particle to get really small, which effectively nullifies his extra weight and mass; maybe something like these particles nullify Parker's weight while keeping his total volume constant. That way, he could be really light when climbing on walls, which would make it much easier to cling to stuff. Either that, or he has claws like a cat. When they adhere to something, there's no getting them off.

[@somebuddyX]

Could that radioactive spider beat Superman in a fight?

[@jtubbesi1]

In the Spider-Man story arc "The Other" he gains the ability to have any part of his body to any other object. He uses this to "cling" a child to his back while climbing out of a ruined building. Also, in the MC2 universe it is stated that his daughter May Parker has gets her clinging ability from Electro-Magnetism which has the side effect of allowing her to push away certain objects, by pushing her EM field against the objects natural EM field.

[@justincharles5423]

a video on how the web shooters work would be pretty cool

[@marcgrayii5477]

He did on like a day or two ago

[@marcgrayii5477]

+Deuce Gray one*

[@d13da14b]

MORE SPIDER-MAN VIDEOS! Lots of fun stuff for you to talk about. Love all Scott videos

[@NathanBChampine]

Don't forget Nightcrawler can stick to walls too. Gecko style.

[@-m.d.n-9019]

Yeah and also the Beast. Maybe 🤔

[@NathanBChampine]

Beast is more than likely using his finger and toe nails by digging them where they need to be.

[@-m.d.n-9019]

+Nathan B. Champine yeah forgot about his finger nails and toenails.

[@GRIZZDOGG01]

+Nar hand B. Champine, That's what I was thinking Spiderman might do, if you look at the clip from the movie the hairs on his thumb look like microscopic barbed spikes and he uses his super strength to embed the spikes into a wall and the barbs keep him anchored to it.

[@Afrofoodie]

+GRIZZDOGG01 he goes over that in the first two minutes.

[@thelegendarysuperdegenerat1155]

How does Spider-Man cling to walls? "Listen bud he's got raidoactive blood"

[@PhotonKingShark77]

Talk about wall to wall spiderman videos. But it's no Bigge I will always *stick* around for a spiderman video.

[@NerdSyncProductions]

Nailed it! Haha

[@nilok7]

Actually, we already have, you linked it in the video. Geckskin is a man made version of the pads from gecko feet and has an incredible stick potential. A singe 16 square inch piece of Geckskin, about the size of an index card, can support 700 lbs, which is similar in size to an average human palm. It only works in one direction, but that allows it to unstick and restick easily by rotating the pad to unstick it, and it even works underwater. If Spiderman had pad similar to these on all of his appendages, if denser, he would be able to move over walls relatively easily.

[@Spiderfanatic3]

Well Spiderman actually has some sticky hair in his back ad front also it is possibile that he has millions of millions of these microscopic hairs in his palms and feets.pd:i have learned a lot in your channel

[@tcochu]

I think I understood it as a kind of weak contact telekinesis... one of the reasons his paring with Con el (Superboy) in the DCvsMarvel/Amalgam comics was so fitting... In a German About Spiderman book I also saw a picture of him being ripped from a wall taking some of the wood on it with him, the description stated that this Power is unconsious, so like in the Sam Rami Movie when he sticks to everything, this is due to his lack of complete control over the power. Also Spideys powers are as far as I remember due to some stuff happening around 2000 something between Science and Totem Magic.. So I would say petes power uses laws from another realm, and imposes them onto reality. He does not have the Sticky fingers with small adhesive pads, and the reason he has to take of his shoes sometimes is due to his lack of controll over the powers if unconcentrated... Remember: Pete lost his Powers in the Past due to Psychological reasons, wich would imply that they are at least in part controlled by his mind. Sorry for the Spelling errors.. i just got super excited XD...

[@MrPiestro]

It a fly,not a spider.

[@CozymfDQ320]

MrPiestro what

[@kaiserrex9506]

Naruko playz He was making a correction that Stan Lee was inspired by a fly crawling on a wall, not a spider.

[@CozymfDQ320]

KaiserRex oooh thanks

[@elijahhaynes3259]

Imagine a spiritual spiderman who uses the power of his own belief to access his powers instead of science and genetics. Thatd be a cool story.

[@Deadpool______________]

How does SUPERMAN FLY.....!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!?

[@NerdSyncProductions]

That's a question that's been debated forever!

[@Deadpool______________]

+Joe Balcolm yes he does he flys in space

[@Deadpool______________]

+Joe Balcolm No superman the one who flew around the earth space different planets etc How does superman fly

[@DeKoTree]

+NerdSync I've read that the sun energy he expels when using his powers creates a small bubble around his body keeping him invulnerable increased strength all of supes powers etc. but it's why he is weakened to human levels under the red sun a sort of natural energy field I can't link you to a source so I'm sorry about that :/

[@tomsandford6062]

It has been stated by multiple writers that Superman has an Electro-Bio Shield due to Kryptonian genetic tinkering. Under a yellow sun, this is powered up tremendously giving him his generally accepted powers. Or so I think.

[@jafarahmad3708]

These last few videos Scott has made are all questions I've asked myself and wondered but never new the answer and learning about Spider-Man on such an I depth level give me a better aperitifs toon of him

[@NerdSyncProductions]

Glad I can be of service!

[@raggarharry9765]

Is the sound supose to be mutet in the intro?

[@raggarharry9765]

Okay, I am just done here like when I sarted typing he asked uss to subscribe, now I'm gonna chek out your latest viseo

[@raggarharry9765]

I'm watching it right now, it is very intresting cind of Vsauce intresting.

[@jackroche5235]

+raggarharry Comic Misconceptions is always interesting. So is Vsauce.

[@dakrustymango1929]

I'm so glad that Stan Lee found that spider crawling on the wall or spiderman probably wouldn't have been here right now in the marvel cinematic universe

[@yahyarajaee5883]

I'm pretty sure that he said that he's seen a fly

[@Blu_pepper]

yes

[@NerdSyncProductions]

He's told that story multiple ways.

[@NerdSyncProductions]

But you're missing the point. The point is that he even doesn't believe that story to be true, so the details don't really matter.

[@yahyarajaee5883]

+NerdSync that's because I've always liked that part when I was a kid. I'm sure it'd happen to you to see an insect crawling on wall and you wondering isn't that cool

[@Blu_pepper]

Ahh even so people like to believe in the Stan Lee mythos, One can choose to believe or not, like being bit by mystic radioactive spider or, just being bit by a random radioactive spider.

[@legoluigi56]

I'm glad to see all the Spidey as of late, he's always been my favorite superhero. Sad the intro was muted this time, kinda threw me off. Great video, can't wait for that Cyborg one!

[@seanocansey2956]

what if spiderman had hollow bones, or after being bitten his bodyweight altered? there's a lot of uncovered stuff here...... way more variables than mentioned.....

[@GRIZZDOGG01]

What I was thinking Spiderman might do, if you look at the clip from the movie(3:08) the hairs on his thumb look like microscopic barbed spikes and he uses his super strength to embed the spikes into a wall and the barbs keep him anchored to it, Also note that the barbs are only on the top side with the main spikes curved down making hard to pull the hand straight off the wall he would most likely have to slide the hand slightly down parallel to the wall to release the barbs or the hairs are strong enough he can just rip them from the wall. Basically It's like he has millions of tiny Ice axes on his hands and feet.

[@brunofranco4416]

Waiting for you to talk about why Wolverine doesnt suffer from the metal toxicity of his own skeleton. Then again, maybe he does...

[@Nerwrax15]

Healing Factor.

[@brunofranco4416]

Nerwrax15 And beer. Dont forget the beer.

[@jeremykampman3566]

Who says he isn't. Apparently wolverine is always being effected by the metal poisoning and so his healing factor is always on duty as it were. All the energy used to keep the metal poisoning at bay would have been to further develop wolverine's powers even farther. But since his healing factor is always working his mutant abilities will never go farther then what he has.

[@JelloFluoride]

+Bruno Franco It's stated that without his metal skeleton, his healing factor is even greater. So maybe it IS constantly healing him from poisoning?

[@brunofranco4416]

jeremy kampman I figured, but i didnt know it was cannon.

[@jamesarnold217]

I still like it when he referred to them as Stick'em powers in the shattered dimensions game. GO STICK'EM!

[@Inkarmy]

It stands to reason that if Peter does use the hair/pads to stick to walls, that they wouldn't just be scaled up versions of what other animals use, they would be mutated versions of those attributes, so may work better or be stronger. Spiderman has the 'proportionate strength of a Spider", but you don't see any regular spiders throwing around Hot Wheels cars, or punching through cardboard boxes. All Spideys powers are exaggerated/mutated, not just copy pasted from a Spider and scaled up, so it's likely that the wall crawling is the same. Also, when Spiderman was mutated by The Queen and ended up with organic webbing afterward, why did it still come out of his wrists rather than his, ahem, spinneret gland? I get that it's where readers are used to it coming from, but when the Queen mutated him into a giant Spider, he made webs with his butt, so surely when he emerged from the husk with organic webs, they would have developed around the same spot on the body...

[@batacoPANTERAabbott]

dude, the ELECTROns´ part killed me. very funny and clever.

[@FragileCreatures]

I reckon the Raimi film had the right idea about the wall crawling with the microscopic pads/thorns on his hands and finger tips. He's bitten by a Spider so his ability should be comparable - it's not like he ought to be able on manipulate gravitational fields. Would it make sense for the sticky pads to actually get smaller, yet longer and more numerous? Also would it be possible he just has a higher charge within his electrons to make the ability scalable? We should get Kyle Hill on the case.

[@jackthefrog80085]

"we live in a great time" Oh boy, wait a few years and you'll wish you could go back

[@OlafLesniak]

This is why Spider-Man got bit by a radioactive spider.

[@927789]

Actually one official Marvel Book from when I was a kid that tried to explain Spider-man said that Spider-man's powers work more like a magnet. As in Peter Parker powers work like he's one giant magnet. This was also used to explain a unique power to Spider-girl where she can actually make things cling together, like making a villain get stuck to a floor. Also Spider-man 2099 for added fun use talons on his hands to stick to walls.

[@thomaslarson133]

So i actually worked with a kid who's graduate program (in Ohio I think) worked on a "Gecko Glove" for a few years. His professor based the design on pyramid shaped suction cups and other sciency mumbo jumbo things... He graduated with the project reaching limited success.. The biggest problem being (both in their study and Stanford) that the gloves got too warm. After using them for awhile the gloves would lose their "stickiness". Since both geckos and spiders are cold blooded, and with no background information or evidence of my own to support it, I'd make a (far too bold) conjecture that Spiderman must have the power of being "cold blooded" in order for the powers to work long term

[@KnightmareTheGreat]

In Spider-Girl they explain that Pete's daughter May can stick to walls because she is able to actively control interatomic forces within a range of her hands. Unlike Spider-Man she can also reverse the attraction into a repulsion and often uses this to jump incredible distances. She can also completely control these forces across any surface she's touching, which means she can cause anyone else on the same floor or wall as her to be completely stuck to it with the strength of her own adhesion. Don't know how canon that is to Spidey himself, but I mean it was a real thing.

[@ZacMcCoyYT]

He didn't see a spider crawling on his wall he saw a fly on his wall.

[@tigoreonjames9702]

There is also a mental component to his ability to stick to walls. Like a sort of telekinetic attraction. So long as he is concentrating on what he is holding onto Spider-man can literally hold onto any surface. Villains have pulled off chunks of wall that Spidey was holding onto trying to dislodge the wall crawler. Also his ability to stick to a surface is lost when he loses consciousness. Which would point more towards his sticking ability being more of a super power than actual tiny hairs like with a real spider or gecko.

[@EhNoLove]

I think in combination with spider-mans super strength this theory could still be valid. Spider-mans strength can easily allow him to scale buildings; even on glass spider-mans can contract his foot and hand muscles told help grip, even at a 90 degree vertical climb.

[@alexadame436]

Stan got his inspiration when he saw a FLY crawling on a wall. Not a spider.

[@ninjahombrepalito1721]

I believe those hairs arent the only thing helping Spidey climb walls. Either way, even velcro can hold a person on a wall with just average hands and feet. Not on a ceiling, though. And super magnets the size of hands and feet could probably do more on metal walls and roofs. Now, maybe Spidey could, aside of the fibers, use some mini glue that is super strong. Or maybe, instead of having the same hairs as animals, he s got more hairs psi. Or maybe longer hairs, or both. Or that plus the sticky fluid.

[@donaldthescotishtwin]

What all of you are forgetting or missed in the first raimi film during the school trip they described everything that was enhanced to the spiders. The first could jump far distances the second had stronger webs than regular spiders the third had heightened senses compared to normal. Then the one that bit Peter had all of those “upgrades” together.

[@miat789]

Been a way for a while and just saw how much you've grown in subscribers. Congratulations !!!

[@theoandolaf]

I can't believe I just watched a science video about Spider-Man. We live in good times.

[@JediMB]

I would argue that Spider-Man's "sticky" powers definitely *don't* rely on tiny hairs. (I believe they've been classified as bio-magnetic in certain comics, but that doesn't really tell us much.) Anyhow, it's worth having a look at the mutated abilities exhibited by Peter's daughter, May Parker (a.k.a. Spider-Girl/Spider-Woman): in addition to being able repel objects, she also has the ability to "charge" any surface she is in physical contact with to force her foes to stick to it.

[@MorningDusk7734]

It could be possible that the harpoon like structures in Spider-Man 1 had sensor cells on them, telling them to shoot into the wall by expanding outwards when touched (I.e. Whenever spidey touches stuff). An alternative theory could be that Spider-Man secretes a residue onto the pads of his falanges, enhancing the strength of the harpoons by being sticky, similar to the stick of his web to things.

[@scottandrewhutchins]

There's an early story where Peter is held up trying to get his socks off.

[@FowadDaud]

definitely one of my fav episodes. been wondering about this for a while

[@jersonatilo9190]

hahaha i putted like right after u said "you know what? i don't have to explain myself, this is my show!"

[@theprodigalson4003]

1:50 AHAHAH ohhh buddy your in for it

[@christophermoreno1615]

Always thought the tiny hair scene in Spider-Man was creepy looking. And as Spider-Man is my favorite marvel character, I've appreciated all the recent videos!

[@strixsoren6847]

“I believe the term is Stickum powers” - Amazing Spider-Man from Spider-Man Shattered Dimensions

[@daegan_ftw]

It's hard to explain Spider-Man's stickiness because he is able to do things like: shake hands without ripping someone's skin off, eat toast without wearing the crumbs forever, etc.

[@CyborgSodaCollects]

His clinging ability extends to every part of his body.

[@OisinHP]

This is actually one of those questions in comics that's bothered me for ages.

[@rubengonzalez2233]

I really enjoy this channel due to its in depth explanations, I am curious ,what is the possible formula for Spider-Man's web fluid in his mechanical web shooters?

[@TheRunningComedian]

im happy you are actually doing all these spider man videos scott, I kept hearing spider man was you fav super hero but.... where were all you spider man videos? Now i know. good Show Chap

[@Herdatec]

in the article they state that after a certaint size the gecko feet do not become larger, rather they get stickier. So if spiderman had, maybe longer hairs or could ionize (like a balloon sticking to walls) them, then they should work better.