Cover Interpretation #1 - Amazing Spider-Man #531

Just looking at that cover stirred some things in my mind. No, it wasn't that the cover lies because Captain America isn't actually in the comic. Seriously, who cares? Old Jimmy Olsen comic covers used to promise things like Jimmy killing Superman with a Kryptonite suppository. Never happened. Big whup. Back to this cover. Look at the icons. Cap, Spidey, Tony Stark, all sitting watching TV. How friendly, except. . .

Cap looks kinda pissed. His body position suggests a child being forced to sit at the table until he finishes his broccoli. Arms folded across his chest, leaned back into the cushions, he's preparing for a siege. And look at his face. he's practically glaring at the TV, with a sort of grimace on his face. He's in costume, even got the shield with him. Yep, he's ready to fight.

Tony, on the other hand, has a more relaxed position. One leg stretched out on a footstool, he's also leaning back, but in a more comfortable position. He's no less ready for that siege, but he's in a better position to withstand it. He's watching TV with what appear to be raised eyebrows, as if intrigued by what's being shown. It presents an opportunity, and he's calculating how to use it. He's not in the armor, either, but in business clothes, with the tie loosened, like an accountant at home after a hard day. He suggests the common man; the person being frightened and endangered by superhero/supervillain battles, who might want them to be better controlled.

Pete's in the middle. One leg resting on top of the other, in a fairly relaxed position. And he's got food, a jumbo bag of. . . peanuts, popcorn? Something. He's settling in, and given he has provisions, one might suggest he's the best off of the three. Except, his food is probably salty, and he has no drink, which means he'll have to move sometime, whether it's for that or because he needs to go to the bathroom. When he does, it isn't likely he'll hop over the TV; he'll have to pass by one or the other to get where he's going. Does that mean he'll be obscuring that person's view, hampering him, or that he's obscuring other's view of that person, enabling him to move more freely?

Tony's got that arm draped over the back of the couch, behind Peter's head. If the Iron Spidey costume wasn't a tip-off, this tells you Tony figures Pete's on his side. Even so he's extending the hand towards Cap, trying to get him to see Tony's right, and that they need to present a united front. Clearly, Cap is having none of it. But perhaps, Tony isn't as in charge of Peter as he thinks. Parker's mouth isn't covered by his mask, and we all know that one of the things that defines Spider-Man is how he runs his mouth. A lot. Heck, in the actual comic, he started talking to the committee. . . again. After Tony told him it was a bad idea. So maybe Pete can still talk for himself. But can he think for himself?

What about the pictures on the wall? Behind Spidey, we have Iron Man, reenforcing the Peter/Tony bond. Except Iron Man seems to be blasting off, moving away from Spider-Man. Is Tony fixing to leave Peter in the lurch, or does it mean signal that the breaking point between the two is just a little farther down the road?

Behind Tony, you got Thor, someone the government would never be able to bring under control like they want. Someone who, when he had Odin's powers, went around helping people as he saw fit. If that meant providing a clean, long-lasting energy source, regardless of the people at power plants who lose their jobs, fine. If it means, barging into an Eastern European country, to smash a government that is persecuting people who pray to him, fine. It's that kind of "I've got power, I'll use it if I want" attitude, Tony seems to feel is hurting their cause, and the reason why he may be trying to bring Spidey under his wing. Pete's that kind of guy, he tends to leap into a situation, to hell with politics, there are lives to be saved. That steps on toes, and Tony's trying to maybe reign that in.

Behind Cap? The Vision, with a very Uncle Sam-like pose. Vis, represents who Cap is trying to protect. Vision once tied himself into the world's computer network, and took over. He meant well, but had to be stopped, but not before he scared the hell out of the powers that be. As a result, they dismantled him, to teach him a lesson. Now, the country seems ready to put Speedball on trial for all the deaths in Stamford, for much the same situation. Speedball was trying to stop villains, help people, and it backfired. Badly. Now he's in deep. And Captain America is ready to defend his actions.

The thing is, to return to an earlier point, Spidey is going to have to choose, eventually. But why should he? Like I said, when he needs to get up, whether for water or bathroom, he won't jump over the TV. Why not? He's Spider-Man. His very nature is to be unorthodox, to be chaotic, right? And he's certainly capable of it. And by doing so, it would bring him right towards us, in essence bringing him to be our position. Like that Alex Luthor thing in Infinite Crisis #6, except, you know, not done with a stupid character. That's it! Marvel's going to have a special 1-800-number we can call to decide how Civil War ends! Yeah, it'll be awesome, and. . . kidding. Hopefully, Marvel isn't that stupid. The point remains; Peter, when confronted with choices "A" or "B", choose "plantain". That's how he is.

Of course, that's just my take on it. You could flip that, say Thor behind Tony represents Stark trying to protect that kind of gung-ho style, while Cap being in front of a logical machine, in a recruitment poster style picture represents Cap supporting the government, and him trying to get people to join up. The joys of multiplicity.

Oh yeah, why does Spidey's elbow seem to disappear into Stark's leg? Is it to symbolize his gradually being overtaken by Stark's dominating persona, like it's a symbiote or something?