Superheroes of the Ville

by Noah Tang

This fall semester, an interesting new trend arose. Students are dressing up as popular superheroes, attending classes or offering their services to the student body at large. The Spider-Force of Cedarville, as they call themselves, has set up a hotline specifically for fellow students to ask for help. They started by posting a Classified ad and then moved to use a phone number that was posted for all to see. In keeping with Spider-Man’s practices, these individuals conceal their identities at all times. In this article, they will be referred to by aliases. 

Tom Holland founded the group and serves as its leader. Earlier this semester, he posted the now-famous Classified ad to advertise his services as Spider-Man. Afterward, several others joined him and they formed the Spider-Force.

Andrew Garfield was the first addition, because of his affection for the Garfield Spider-Man. Tobey Maguire was the next to join. Most recently Ghost-Spider, also known as Spider-Gwen, joined the team. She is also a fan of Spider-Man, and upon learning of the group, decided there was a need for a female presence on the force.

The Spider-Force volunteer their free time to aid those in need; their operation usually entails taking care of two to three instances per week. But the workload can vary based on the call volume that the helpline receives.

Most jobs that the Spider-Force undertake involve finding lost or misplaced items. But there are also times that the crew dresses up just for the sake of it.

Being a Spider-Person comes with certain difficulties. While most students are positively disposed towards the Spider-People, roughly eighty percent by Holland’s estimation, a minority feel that the operation is weird and cringey. Those sentiments do not bother Holland and the others. 

“The haters are probably with J. Jonah Jameson anyway,” Holland said.

Possibly the biggest issue that the Spider-Force deals with is a large number of would-be MJs and Gwens who call the helpline. Holland laments that such is the burden of being the one who manages the hotline. Despite the fakers and the haters, the Spider-Force of Cedarville enjoys their gig.

 “We’d love to help more people, most people just don’t know we want to help them,” said Holland.

The Spider-Force can be reached at 740-299-3585.

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Another famous superhero who has appeared on campus is Batman. Earlier this semester, he visited the Politics in Film class — when The Dark Night was playing. The videos that came of his appearances quickly circulated the internet and Batman became famous on and off campus. He also attended a volleyball game to help Stinger rally the crowds to cheer and support the Jackets.

“The Batman that showed up to class and went viral happened in a class that I was in, and I will say that it was one of my favorite class moments ever. It is a memory that I’ll always hold on to,” said Mikayla Stanley, a political science and pre-law major. “In the cornfields, it can sometimes be hard to keep life from feeling mundane, and Batman perfectly and unexpectedly showing up to class that first week was a welcome surprise.”

Stanley holds a favorable opinion of Cedarville’s new superheroes. Her view would be typical of many in the Cedarville community, that these superheroes have added an element of excitement to campus life.

“I love that our campus is a place where students feel comfortable enough to put themselves out there for their own entertainment, and, of course, the entertainment of others,” Stanley said. “While I don’t have a great grasp on what the superheroes on campus imply about the overall Cedarville culture, I do know it’s made life a little more interesting!”

Noah Tang is a graduate student majoring in Biblical Leadership, and a writer for Cedars. He likes to spend time with friends, ride his bike, and watch movies.