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Both the internet and J. Jonah Jameson are united in their demand for pictures of Spider-Man. But for one Instagram account called No Context Spider-Man (@nocontextspidey), they specialize in gathering a very specific type of Spider-Man comic book panel: the ones that look funniest when seen out of context from the story they originally appeared in. And in doing so, No Context Spider-Man has created a positive online nerd space that's a rarity these days, one whose community is based around positivity and appreciation for good ol' silliness. 

In their bio on Instagram, the No Context Spider-Man page is comprised of "Random moments from Spider-Man comics. Made by humans, credits in captions. A meme resource for nerds." At this time of writing, the page has 32,400 followers. The account has a mix of panels that exemplify the relatable aspects of Spider-Man, such as a panel from Ultimate Spider-Man #19 (2002) where he says "I'm going home to watch Letterman," to zanier moments like Superior Spider-Man saying, "I will find Daredevil... and I will crush him" and Ben Reilly existentially asking himself, "Why?" You and me both, brother Ben. The page features bits and pieces from comics throughout Spider-Man's six decades at Marvel Comics, and I get the sense that whoever runs the page is well-versed in their Spidey lore. 

No Context Spider-Man is a positive online fandom space that's becoming rarer by the day

In building out their collection of funny panels, No Context Spider-Man has achieved something else entirely: a monument to the inherent silliness of Spider-Man. And as time has gone on, I've come to realize that an online fandom space built around laughter and appreciation is a rare and precious thing. These days, I actively try to avoid online fandom discourse, because for whatever reason - call it algorithm-driven discord, call it young folks with little to no life experience, call it people genuinely hurting in their offline lives - I've seen these places get nastier and angrier. No Context Spider-Man serves as a way to remind us that we're all here because we're fans of the little bugger. Imagine that! 

It reminds us that this is a guy who swings around New York City in a costume that's remained mostly unchanged since 1962, fighting various goblin and animal-themed villains. He was co-created by the deeply nerdy Steve Ditko as a self-empowerment avatar, something cynical pop culture fans today might derogatorily call a "self-insert character" (tell that to Mary Shelley and the Creature from Frankenstein, kiddos). There's something sweet in how a bookish introvert like Ditko created a character like himself who captured the minds and hearts of people around the world, over the course of generations. And while there are plenty of great and serious Spider-Man stories - Kraven's Last Hunt, you will always be that girl - there is something deeply funny and slapstick-adjacent about being Spidey in comic books that No Context Spider-Man highlights. In other words, No Context Spider-Man brings us back to a simple truth: the guy is as funny as he is tragic. 

And frankly, the existence of the page is like a healing balm for the open wound of being a Spider-Man reader today. Okay, maybe I was speaking with a bit of hyperbole there, but there is a tension right now between a significant part of the character's readership and the Spider-Man office at Marvel Comics, based on perceived editorial mandates that have kept Peter Parker single and childless for years. I've observed these tensions play out in person, and it felt awkward. During the Q&A portion at a New York Comic Con panel a couple of years ago, I watched as a fan asked Spider-Man editor Nick Lowe why the company "won't let" Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson stay married in comics. The sense of frustration was palpable, and I felt like I was a guest at the Thanksgiving dinner table from that one episode of The Bear. 

No Context Spider-Man reminds us to laugh

Even some Spidey diehards have been feeling peeved in recent times about new characters like Paul Rabin, a boyfriend of Mary Jane who sports a manbun straight out of 2013 (thankfully, he's no longer in the picture). A friend of mine expressed disappointment about the news of Marvel reviving the Brand New Day era of Spider-Man comics from 2008 to 2010, citing a lack of new creative voices being given the chance to write a mainline Spider-Man book. For my friend, the end of Jonathan Hickman and Marco Checchetto's Ultimate Spider-Man, coupled with the return of the Brand New Day era, has left him feeling ambivalent about the character's near future in Marvel Comics. 

Listen, I'm not much of a Spider-Man guy these days, but No Context Spider-Man is a delight because it keeps us all from losing the plot. Whatever your feelings are about this current era of Spider-Man comics, No Context Spider-Man gives us plenty of reminders for why we fell in love with this character in the first place. It is very funny to look at Spider-Man say things like, “What is it god?! Do you hate New Yorkers?!” And these days, when the very sentinels of justice are under siege in the world, I need a good laugh just to keep my head above water. 

No Context Spider-Man is a remarkably pure online fandom space, not bound by canon or continuity, or even whether or not a story or era is particularly “good.” So maybe there is hope for us all, if such a space can thrive in this strange new world. 

Marvel's most reliable superhero has proven he can do a whole lot more than just 'whatever a spider can.' Swing into Spidey's history with Popverse's...

• Best Spider-Man comic books 
• The best Spider-Mans (or is it Spider-Men?)
• Spider-Man movie watch order
• Spider-Man's actors, ranked
• The best Spider-Man suits
• and the Spider-verse explained!

Just watch out for that radioactive blood.