If I could step into the shoes of any character from a book or film, you might expect me to pick someone famous — maybe a knight from a fantasy epic or a futuristic hero from a sci-fi thriller. But the truth is, the character I’d choose to be isn’t found in any existing novel or movie.

He’s someone I created.

Someone who, over time, began to feel real.

Someone who taught me what heroism might look like if it unfolded in my own backyard.

I’d choose to be Christopher Smith, the spider-powered protagonist of my own one-shot story — a man who never asked for powers, never trained in a secret dojo, never grew up destined for greatness… but stepped up anyway when everything that mattered was on the line. Also, dedicated to my favorite hero: Spiderman.

Why me?

Because my story isn’t about glory.
It’s not about fame.
It’s not even about saving the world — not at first, anyway.

It’s about protecting the people you love.

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The thing about Spider-Man is that he’s always been more than a comic-book icon to me. Sure, the quips are fun and the suit is legendary — but it’s the freedom that captured me.
The way he swings between skyscrapers like the city is his personal skatepark.
The absurd flips.
The impossible tricks.
The pure motion of it all.

If I could ever be any character… I’d want that.

The wind rushing past my ears.
The streetlights blurring below.
The world falling away with each swing.

But my transformation wouldn’t come from a radioactive spider.
Nah — my origin story would be way less graceful.

Just one accidental drink.

Xavier had brought home a glowing container from the university lab, said something about “don’t touch this, Dad,” and stored it in the fridge. Of course, late-night me saw it, half-baked, assumed it was some new kind of juice, and downed it without thinking.

Next thing I know?
I’m face-down on the ceiling.

Not on the floor.

Stuck to the ceiling.

With my senses buzzing like the world had been hiding secrets from me until that very moment.

I could climb walls.
Sense danger before it happened.
Feel vibrations through concrete.
And before long…
I learned I could launch webs, too — not from gadgets, but from something deep inside me that reacted to instinct, fear, and adrenaline.

I didn’t scream.
I didn’t panic.

My first thought was:

This… is awesome.

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Shay — my wife — still thinks I’m just working late hours, making money, grinding like usual.
She has no idea I leave the house in one outfit and come home in another.
She has no idea her husband is swinging between buildings at 2 AM to stop crimes she’ll hear about on the morning news.

I’m a husband by day.
A superhero by night.

A double life stitched together with lies, love, and a whole lot of web slings.

Only one person knows the truth: Xavier.

When he realized what I’d become, he didn’t freak out.
He didn’t lecture me.
He didn’t even question it.

He accepted it, knowing he would get in serious trouble if caught bringing home the substance.

It was his idea to make me a suit — something that wasn’t just spandex from a Halloween store. Something advanced. Something smart. Something that could keep me alive.

He spent nights in the garage, welding, stitching, printing, coding — crafting a red-and-black suit built with polymer layers that could stop bullets, flex with acrobatics, and survive more punishment than any fabric should.

Not quite Tony Stark levels…
But close enough for the real world.
Not to mention, the explosive impact the suit can take is phenomenal.

The suit made me feel alive after the first time I put it on.
Not AI-powered. However, there was an AI built into the comms. Sort of like when Siri was in beta stages.

Not mechanical.

Meant just for me.

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And Now… the Sky Is My Highway

People imagine superheroes thinking about glory or justice or destiny.

But when I’m up there — web swinging under moonlight, skimming rooftops, flipping between lampposts, sticking crazy landings on narrow ledges with my skateboard — none of that crosses my mind.

I think of Shay.
I think of the kids.
I think of the world they’ll grow up in.

I think of all the people down below who have no idea their lives nearly changed forever because of Luther Vexman’s plan to unleash a brain-eating virus.

I think of how Xavier and I stopped him once…
and how we might have to stop him again.

Because villains don’t end.
Threats don’t end.
The job doesn’t end.

But neither does the responsibility.

And honestly?

If I had to choose any character in any world…
I’d still choose to be the one who swings through mine.

Just a dad.
Just a hero.
Just me.

Maybe the powers came by accident.
But the purpose?

That part is my choice.