In the 1960s, the image of comic book superheroes was vastly different from that of today. The typical superhero was a strong adult male with qualities similar to that of the Greek heroes. Characters like Batman, Superman, and Captain America were inspirations, legendary figures people could only hope to be one day. Young men such as Robin and Bucky Barnes followed in the footsteps of these greats, becoming sidekicks and mentees.

But, let’s consider something different: what if an adolescent wasn't the mentee to an established superhero? What if the adolescent wasn’t some sidekick who gets patted on the shoulder for a job well done? What if the adolescent was the superhero, the star of the show?

Stan Lee and Steve Ditko answered that question on August 10^th, 1962. They told the story of a kid from Queens who could spin a web of any size and catch thieves just like flies. The kid’s name is Peter Parker; today, though, he’s known by a much more amazing name.

For more than 50 years, the wall-crawling, web-swinging Spider-Man has been a powerhouse in not only comic books, but also pop culture. Like the heroes mentioned previously, he is a fictional character who has transcended generations. From the seminal 1960s animated series to the comics to the Sam Raimi-directed films that began in 2000, many individuals have their own exposure to and memories of the character.

Something many may have noticed by now is that the character never seems to age in the many appearances he’s had throughout pop culture. He’s a teen in the “Spectacular Spider-Man” cartoon, he’s a teen in the “Amazing Spider-Man” films, and in next year’s “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” he is also a teen.

I’d like to debunk the myth that he doesn’t age or that he’s always been a teen. As of right now, the character is actually well into adulthood and even formed a company called Parker Industries. Yet, for some reason, we always see the character in his teenage years, when he’s worrying about balancing his schoolwork with saving the day from the likes of the Sandman or the Green Goblin.

I’m sure a lot of people are sick of seeing Spider-Man stay the way he was when he was introduced. The common argument is that keeping him in high school means we’re going to see him go through the same motions again and again, just with different names, places, and contexts.

I think the main reason why creators keep the character relegated to his teenage years is because of the impact his adolescence had on the world of the 1960s and still does to this day. Like I implied earlier, teenage superheroes did not exist back before Spider-Man’s inception save for sidekicks, making his creation all the more impactful. Kids and young adults could do more than look up to the character; they could relate to him on a personal level, just as today’s kids and young adults can do.

I, for one, think that we need to focus on not just what age the character is, but also on something else: his capacity for change. When Spidey came into the picture in 1962, people realized that superheroes didn’t have to be stoic, they didn’t have to be tall and athletic and muscular, and that their stories didn’t have to stick to old-fashioned, Boy Scout-like mentalities and heroics.

Moreover, Spider-Man was different not just because he was a teen. It was because he was imperfect. Peter Parker is smart, certainly; smart enough to think on the level of big brains like Mr. Fantastic. But he’s not the most-liked kid in class.

As a superhero, he’s sometimes not that well-liked either, thanks to rather nasty editorials and articles in the Daily Bugle newspaper. Additionally, he’s constantly up against menacing and challenging foes, such as the high-flying Vulture or the tech-savvy Mysterio, who often outclass Spider-Man’s abilities. Most of all, in both his personal and costumed life, he makes mistakes. Case in point: the death of his Uncle Ben, which was inadvertently caused by his selfish decision to not stop a burglar he could have easily foiled.

This is what most of all made him stand out among the rest of the heroes who came before him. His mistakes—along with his subsequent quest to rise above his guilt, his sorrows, and his weaknesses to make a difference—are what make him so special. They’re what has made the character survive over five decades.

Which brings me to my point: Spider-Man’s journey to amend for past sins through fighting crime, to move on from severe losses, to overcome adversity, and to become a better person needs to be accompanied by change. The journey itself involves change, so why shouldn’t we let the character change too? He should have room to improve and change in film, television, and similar media, just as he did in the comics.

A few years back, there was a controversial storyline in the “Amazing Spider-Man” comic book series titled “One More Day.” Long story short, it retconned (i.e. erased) the character’s marriage to longtime romantic interest Mary Jane Watson; it was claimed that readers would not be able to relate to the character if he was married.

This is the exact mentality that keeps the character in high school or at the very least leads to repeats of material we’ve already seen. It shows a refusal to show something different and to let the character adapt to the changing times and the changing audiences. Spider-Man needs to change across all mediums if Marvel wants to keep the character and his stories fresh and exciting.

He can do whatever a spider can, but deep down, he’s just like the rest of us. And if the rest of us grow up figuratively and literally, he should be able to as well.