Jay West writes about fan culture, collectibles and alternate reality games for Hero Complex and a few hours ago he got a special delivery.
The mystery began with a backpack delivered to my door. Inside I found a variety of items and, taken together, they created a clear portrait of the bag’s owner: I was rummaging through the possessions of Peter Parker, the hero they call Spider-Man.
The items I found: keys, tennis shoes, sunglasses, safety goggles, a chemistry textbook, pencils and a pencil sharpener, a protractor, screws, rubber bands, film rolls, contact sheets, urban-setting photographs, Daily Bugle newspaper article clippings, and a sketchbook filled with costume ideas and various equations by Parker attempting to figure out viable angles and trajectories for web swinging with maximum velocity.
This delivery follows a recent trailer debut for “The Amazing Spider-Man” — a trailer that contained a hidden message near its end. The words “The Mark of the Spider-Man” were hidden in metal webbing — a phrase that led to a new website: markofthespider-man.com. The site, which bears a Spider-Man insignia, contains six TV-like screens, all of which have static. There is a countdown clock under each screen as well, ending at different times today — with these city locations: Atlanta, Denver, Los Angeles, New York, Phoenix, and Seattle.
This morning, a call to action appeared on the site:
“So, you’ve found us. If you support us, if you support Spider-Man, now is your time. Follow the Twitter accounts of our operatives in each of these cities. They’ll tell you where to go to uncover the next step. For this pursuit we ask that you please be over the age of 18. Be safe, and good luck. We’re counting on you.”
This all marks the kick-off for a new, immersive ARG (alternate reality game) in the stylings of previous fan favorite ARGs for “The Dark Knight” and “Tron: Legacy” — heralding the release of “The Amazing Spider-Man” on July 3.
We’ll keep you posted as this journey unfolds. Feel free to share your thoughts about the ARG in the comments selection below — and let us know what you uncover.
– Jay West
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