Spiderman 3 & The Hero’s Journey
Warning: Spoilers ahead!
Watching Spiderman 3 reveals a part of the Hero’s Journey that is not often seen; the hero’s downfall.
If you’re not familiar with the previous steps of the hero’s journey, download my free Hero’s Journey ebook. If you’re familiar with the 10 steps, you’ll know the Spiderman movies are wonderful metaphors for the hero’s journey (although the Lord of the Rings trilogy kick so much more ass!).
The hero’s downfall can happen anytime after the Supreme Ordeal. After the hero’s faced down his biggest enemies, and possibly Claimed His Treasure, his ego gets inflated. Having had a taste of his own power, he mistakenly begins to think he’s the greatest thing to come along since sliced bread. He becomes an arrogant pain in the ass.
But because he acts on this arrogant power, he triggers an opposing reaction that now comes and smack him back down. What he thought was the Supreme Ordeal now looks like a lazy stroll in the park compared to this monster (a dragon, an angry boss, an overzealous spouse…sliced muffins?). The lesson is clear: despite all your power and achievement, you are not the latest greatest thing on Earth. But you still have a mission to fulfill.
The hero’s old self died a first time when he Crossed the Threshold, and was reborn when he faced down the Supreme Ordeal and survived. Now he dies another time, but it is the death of the small ego, and he is reborn again, humbled but wiser about himself and his place in the world.
Now strengthened and humbled at the same time, he is even better at putting his talents to work, and he finds his place and calling in the world.
Great post!
I know how you often see people who have gotten themselves into an infinite loop of misery.
Thanks Scott!! One of the reasons that I am a Life Coach and that many people need one is exactly that.
It’s amazing what raising a little more awareness can get them out of that vicious “loop of misery”
I like what you are saying on your blog.
Cool post dude! Glad to see you back in action. You always manage to up the ante.
More action…soon (pun intended)
Followed your upping the ante, dude! That’s the only way to improve
Well, I’m back more actively for now mainly coz I know you gotta get yourself fully integrated back to working a day job. Just doing what a friend will do.
Thanks for holding the ford over the past 3 months. I was sorting things out with Me Myself and I.
For the rest of you, I’m not “standing in” for Alvin, can’t fill his shoes for being the charming one.
This blog is my baby too. So I am committed to give it more flavour.
Finally Pete haha. Been waiting for your post, and what I feel like saying this is such a LOUSY post and a classic example of NEGATIVITY well-hidden behind the facade of POSITIVITY for all the MEs inside us to see.
You get what I mean, don’t you? ;p
Pete, you bastard…
Thanks Kloudi, though I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about!! Haha!!
Takes one to know another, Stuart. In any case, thought it would be nice to chunk down and look at some other perspective at the same time.
I am having fun with this.