Nothing can stop a flying man!

Page from the comic book Spider Man: The Return of the Vulture showing the Vulture testing out his new ability to fly.

In many ways, comic books function as folk tales for modern society. They tell stories of the eternal conflict of good and evil, with super-human characters who can do things common people can’t. Of these abilities, the most common is flight. The ability to fly is something every person understands, and it gives any character an immediate and excessive advantage over anyone who can’t. Pictured above is a page from a Spider-Man comic from 1973, showing the villain testing out his newly-acquired flying power. He whips around in the air, evading a helicopter to steal jewels from a jewelry showroom. His most insightful line is right after he makes his escape with the gems: How easy that was! Nothing can stop a flying man! I can go anywhere, do anything, and all of space is my escape route! This statement illustrates the power of flight and the freedom it gives to anyone who has it.

Deep down, every human wants to fly. We long to escape the surface of the earth to experience the freedom described by the Vulture. Of course, not all of us would use this freedom to steal a bunch of jewels, but the fact remains.

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Comic originally published in Spider-Man: The Return of the Vulture. Magazine Management London, 1973, 19.