Spider-Man: India

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Spider-Man: India is a comic book originally published in India by Gotham Entertainment Group in 2004, retelling the story of Marvel Comics' Spider-Man in an Indian setting. It ran for four issues, which were later also published in the United States in 2005 and collected into a trade paperback (ISBN 0-7851-1640-0). The series was created by Sharad Devarajan, Suresh Seetharaman and Jeevan J. Kang with Marvel Comics.

[edit] Characters

• Pavitr Prabhakar - The Indian version of Peter Parker, who becomes Spider-Man. Is vegan.
• Meera Jain - India's Mary Jane Watson, Meera Jain is a girl from Pavitr's school.
• Uncle Bhim - The Indian Uncle Ben. Pavitr's uncle, who gets killed by a group of thugs.
• Aunt Maya - Indian version Aunt May. Pavitr's aunt.
• Nalin Oberoi - Norman Osborn's Indian counterpart, he's a crime lord and becomes a demon (similar to the Green Goblin). His son Hari (Harry Osborn) is also mentioned.
• Doctor Octopus
• Flash Thompson

[edit] Plot summary

Pavitr Prabhakar, a poor Indian boy, lives in a village and moves to Mumbai with his aunt Maya and uncle Bhim to study after getting half a scholarship. His parents died some years ago. Other boys at the school tease him and beat him. He knows his uncle Bhim is struggling to support him and his aunt Maya, and pay the school. Only Meera, a girl from school, befriends him. Meanwhile, Nalin Oberoi, a local crime lord, uses an amulet to perform an ancient ritual, where he gets possessed by a demon committed to opening the gate for other demons to get back to Earth. While being chased by other kids, Pavitr encounters an ancient god who gives him the power of a spider, to fight the evil that threatens the world. While discovering his powers, Pavitr refuses to help a woman being attacked by several men. He leaves the place, but comes back when he hears his uncle cry, who was stabbed when he tried to help the woman. Thus Pavitr understands that with great power comes great responsibility.

Next, Nalin Oberoi becomes human again, transforms his doctor into Doctor Octopus (without the usual mechanical arms), and sends him to kill Spider-Man, as instructed by the demon voices. Doc Ock fails, and Spider-Man makes it to the newspapers, where he is deemed a threat.

Oberoi kidnaps Pavitr's aunt, taking her to a refinery outside Mumbai. There he betrays Doctor Octopus, blasting him away with a ray. Spider-Man arrives and fights Oberoi, who has also kidnapped Meera. He lets both aunt Maya and Meera fall. Spider-Man dives for his aunt, but then fails to rescue Meera, who is saved by Doctor Octopus, that is just coming back to exact revenge on Oberoi. Pavitr reveals his identity to Meera and asks her to take his aunt away.

Oberoi gets rid of Doctor Octopus for good, and touches Spider-Man with the amulet. A Venom-like creature tries to take Spider-Man to the dark side, but he remembers his uncle and rejects the evil. By doing it, the link between the demons and Oberoi is shattered, and he becomes human again.

Everything goes back to normal, Spider-Man gets the girl, and celebrates the Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, with his aunt.

[edit] External links

• Press release
• NPR Radio Interview: a radio interview on NPR with one of the creators Sharad Devarajan
• Newsweek: a Newsweek International article on Spider-Man India
• New York Magazine: a New York Magazine article on Spider-Man India
• How To Be A Superhero: an essay about Spider-Man's "transcreation", with a history of Indian comics.
• Weekly Standard: an essay from the Weekly Standard comparing Spider-Man India and Manifest Destiny
• BBC article on the Indian Spider-Man