Spider-Man has been going through quite a few changes lately. They're not physical changes such as when The Other storyline took place (or maybe that didn't take place since Brand New Day started). Lately, he's been changing his tactics and adding to his arsenal in order to defeat the villains.

Spider-Man has always been a simple character. He had the proportional strength and speed of a spider. With his intellect, wits and perseverance, he's been able to consistently triumph over evil, with only the occasional loss or two throughout his superhero career.

With Peter Parker's position at Horizon Labs, he is has access to the resources he needs to create incredible inventions and gadgets that have given him a big edge over his enemies. While it's great to see Spider-Man utilize his intellect rather than solely rely on his powers, using so many gadgets could prove to be his downfall.

== TEASER ==

What's wrong with using gadgets? It works for Iron Man and Batman. But Spider-Man never really needed them before. Of course his web shooters are a piece of technology he created along with the spider-tracer. He's always overcome incredible odds and never needed the high tech suits and devices he's been using lately.

One of the items he's created was the stealth suit (in issue #650). This allowed him to turn 'invisible' (by warping light and sound) and he could sneak up on his enemies. It's a great idea but he never needed it before. He could crawl through the shadows and his spider senses would warn him if he was about to be spotted. Having a stealth suit does make things easier.

When it comes to defeating super villains and saving the lives of innocents, obviously the faster it can be done, the better. Regardless, he no longer is in possession of it since Kaine felt he earned it during the Spider-Island arc. It's surprising that Peter hasn't created a replacement suit.

In the recent AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #682, there was mention of several other inventions he's made. The latest was little spider-balls full of thermoreactive foam. Upon impact, the foam can be used to deal with enemies that have heat or cold-based powers. Besides carrying them in a satchel, he also made a Goblin Glider-type flying spider-shaped platform.

If Spider-Man plans on using more and more gadgets, he's going to need a ride in order to carry them all.

After the battle, Spider-Man helped clear the way for a firefighter to get to the hospital quickly. There, he discovered that the Cryo Cubes Peter Parker invented (in issue #666) has saved many lives already even though his original intention was to use it to defeat Hydro-Man. The ability to give an enemy a quick freeze could come in handy should the right enemy be on the scene.

Using this technology for medical purposes, it's been applied to medical transport boxes to carry limbs and organs in cases of emergencies.

There was also the bullet proof polymer he invented (in issue #656). When he lost his spider senses, he needed something that gave him a little edge over dodging a hail of bullets. The technology is being used in motorcycle helmets now but Spider-Man isn't exactly a stranger to wearing armor. It's possible that needing a power source to run it might be keeping him from continuing to wear it on a day-to-day basis but with his track record on inventions so far, you would think he could come up with an easy solution to deal with that.

Even though he's is busy working at Horizon, dealing with his enemies and being an active member of the Avengers and Future Foundation, that hasn't stopped him from creating other devices. Somehow in his spare time, he's also made devices tailored for each of his big enemies. This is a smart thing to do as it could help give him an edge and make apprehending any of his dangerous enemies happen faster.

Is Spider-Man going to become too dependent on these devices? It's not like someone simply handed him the tools to defeat his enemies. He is the one that created them all. But knowing he has these items means he has to make way to the secured storage room where he keeps them all. Of course not all technology is infallible. Wouldn't it just take one magnetic-based villain or someone capable of generating an EMP blast at him to take out his gear? Spider-Man is quick on his feat in coming up with a plan but if he puts all his eggs in one basket, it could prove to be a mistake that costs the lives of others.

Spider-Man with gadgets is a cool idea. It's great and refreshing to see Dan Slott embrace and utilize the fact that Peter Parker is really smart guy capable of these inventions. If they can be used in a broader way and save the lives of civilians, that's great. That means he's saving the lives of innocents on two fronts. It just doesn't feel completely right that Spider-Man would need these devices when he's gone years and years without needing them.