Have you ever waited in a long line at a comic convention?

Well, apparentlyeven heroes like Spider-Man have a difficult time navigating convention crowds. Years of going to cons has helped Spidey develop some handy convention tricks for navigating crowds, but not all of them are appropriate. Spidey shared one of these unconventional con hacks in Peter Parker & Miles Morales: Spider-Men Double Trouble #4, but the legality of it is in question. Is Spider-Man the master of all comic conventions, or should his advice be ignored?

Warning: Spoilers ahead for Peter Parker & Miles Morales: Spider-Men Double Trouble #4!

How Spider-Man avoids long lines at the Javits Center

If you’ve ever been to New York City Comic Con, then the Javits Center should be a familiar site to you. The famous New York City convention center is a gathering spot for fans of comics, animation, and pop culture. However, in Spider-Men: Double Trouble #4, it’s hosting a different kind of gathering. Peter Parker and Miles Morales find themselves trapped at Villains Con, which is a large gathering of Marvel’s greatest supervillains.

The only hope both Spider-Men have is to retrieve a teleportation device. Unfortunately, it’s been left in room number 616 (In case your Easter egg senses didn’t catch the reference, room number 616 is named after the number designation for the mainstream Marvel Universe). So how do the Spider-Men get to room 616 while avoiding a convention crowd that wants to kill them? That’s where Spidey’s convention hack comes in.

Peter grabs Miles, and they disappear into the air duct system. “They hold lots of other conventions here too,” Peter tells Miles. “I had to find ways to get to panels on time, ahead of the crowd.” Peter’s unconventional hack works, and both Spider-Men make their way to room 616 (I’ve been to the Javits Center many times, and I’ve never taken the airducts, so this shortcut was a new one to me. However, this book is a work of fiction, so let’s not take Spider-Man’s convention tips too seriously).

Needless to say, we don’t all have spider powers. And even if we did, it’s a bad idea to sneak through air ducts at the Javits Center. As a matter of fact, it’s a bad idea to sneak through air ducts anywhere. Getting caught would probably get you banned from the convention, and nobody wants that. We appreciate Peter trying to impart his wisdom onto Miles, but the younger Spider-Man would probably do better if he just waited in line. Maybe he could make some friends, check out some of the cool cosplays, and avoid getting unnecessarily booted from the convention center.

What is Villains Con?

Villains Con is exactly what it sounds like, a large gathering of supervillains. The opening pages of Spider-Men: Double Trouble #3 introduce us to the real heroes of comic conventions – the volunteers. Tiff and Biff, two of the volunteers, describe Villains Con as the most evil, but also most organized con ever. According to Miles, the convention is actually sanctioned by the city, and the villains filed all the appropriate paperwork. In fact, all the supervillain attendees seem to be obeying the rules until Spider-Man (Miles Morales) accidentally winds up in the convention hall.

In a convention center full of supervillains, Miles never stood a chance. Sadly neither did the volunteers. Their organized convention quickly turns into a tornado of pandemonium, which they have to clean up (The next time you see a convention volunteer, be sure to thank them. They might not have to deal with supervillains and Spider-Men, unless you count cosplayers, but things can get chaotic).

Villains Con pokes fun at some of the aspects of convention culture. For example, one of the villains complains that hot dogs are too expensive. Thanos has been booked as the keynote speaker, with Spider-Man and the various villains commenting on what a huge deal that is. We even see Thanos’ celebrity handler, a shy A.I.M. henchmen who reminds him to stay hydrated. If you’re a regular con-goer, you’ll appreciate all the little touches found in this comic.

According to Spider-Man, there is a also a clone convention in May. He was probably joking, but a concept like that would definitely fit in with the continuity of this series. After all, if supervillains can get a convention permit, then Spider-Man’s clone Ben Reilly shouldn’t have a problem. With all the Spider-Clone drama Peter has had over the years, there wouldn’t be any problem filling the Javits Center to capacity.

There are no clone conventions on our comprehensive convention schedule in 2023, but stay tuned to Popverse as we continue to give you real convention tips, and ignore any advice Spider-Man gives you.

Is Peter Parker & Miles Morales: Spider-Men Double Trouble in continuity?

Peter Parker & Miles Morales: Spider-Men Double Trouble is a limited series that marches to the beat of its own drum. The title takes place in its own continuity, freeing it up to tell humorous all-ages stories. In fact, Double Trouble is a franchise of various mini-series which pair up different Marvel heroes and villains. Previous entries in the series include Spider-Man & Venom: Double Trouble and Thor & Loki: Double Trouble.

Each series is written by Mariko Tamaki, with art by the illustration team known as Gurihiru. Vita Ayala is along for the ride on this series, joining Tamaki as co-writer. Since Double Trouble takes place in a more lighthearted version of the Marvel Universe, the script sometimes features irreverent or humorous concepts that wouldn’t fit into mainstream 616 continuity. For example, the first issue of this limited series featured a running gag about Venom being Spider-Man’s roommate. As you can imagine, it wasn’t an ideal situation for Spider-Man.