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In the aftershow for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse trailer, the makers of the film gave us the first look at Spider-Man India and Mumbattan in the film. Confirming his appearance, the character seems to have received a redesign for the film which makes him look quite different from his comic book counterpart.
With Spider-Man India confirmed to appear in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, it's quite nice to see it. It is especially nice considering this gives them an opportunity to write the character in their own way and not come off as a Peter Parker/Spider-Man clone. This is what popular opinion says he is since his inception. So, with this, let's take a look at who Spider-Man India exactly is.
Exploring Spider-Man India's origins amidst upcoming appearance in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Spider-Man India was first featured in Spider-Man: India #1 in January, 2005. Created by Jeevang Kang, Suresh Seetharaman and Sharad Devrajan, it followed the life of Pavitr Prabhakar. Pavitr's story is extremely similar to that of Peter Parker's, but follows it with an Indian twist.
According to Fandom, Pavitr Prabhakar was a poor young boy who lived in a village. However, he would shift to Mumbai to live with his aunt Maya and uncle Bhim for studies. Like Peter Parker, Pavitr would get bullied at school as well, and many would tease him. Pavitr would also have a crush on a girl named Meera Jain in school as she was the only one who would become his friend.
Prabhakar's life would be filled with difficulties as his uncle Bhim would struggle to pay his school fees. Elsewhere, a local crime lord named Nalin Oberoi would perform a ritual which would see him be possessed by a demon, putting the world's fate at risk.
When being chased by his bullies, Pavitr would encounter a yogi who would give the powers of a spider to encounter the demon. When trying out his powers, he would hear a woman's cry, but refuse to help her. However, when he would hear his uncle's scream who had been stabbed while trying to help the woman, Pavitr would decide to use his powers for good.
Pavitr would then get a suit that was quite similar to the regular Spider-Man suit, with a dhoti attached to it. He would first fight Doctor Octopus, a doctor of Nalin who had been transformed into a demon with four extra arms, and would defeat him which would put him in the public eye.
With Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, it would be nice to see this story be switched up a bit considering it's extremely similar to Peter's. With him receiving an overhaul of his suit too, it makes for an interesting look that doesn't adhere to the stereotypes of Indians.
Pavitr has a lot of potential as a character, and if done right, he can surely be a fan-favourite. You can check out Spider-Man India in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse when it releases on June 2, 2023.
