Eastern’s campus community may have received the hero it needs. An anonymous student dressed in a Spider-Man suit has been spotted patrolling the campus on Friday nights and at special events. While he is unable to shoot webs from his fingertips and scale tall buildings, he possesses a greater power: bringing smiles and relief to Eastern students.

Spider-Man, who requests his identity to remain anonymous, is a senior art major who hopes to work for Marvel someday. “Growing up, I was always inspired by doing creative things,” he said in an exclusive interview. While he describes himself as a “jack of all trades,” his focus is on designing costumes and props. In fact, he designed his own suit. “I used a drawing program to make the design,” he said, adding that a friend helped sew it.

When designing his suit, Eastern’s Spider-Man had no plans for heroic missions around campus. “If I’m being honest, this kind of happened by accident,” he said. As the story goes, Spider-Man was late to a Halloween party earlier this semester and decided to walk around campus in his suit. “At first, it was really nice because everyone got excited,” he said, “but I realized that this can actually make an impact.”

What kind of impact does Spider-Man’s appearance make around campus? His mission is to lift students’ spirits. On Friday nights, he is on the lookout for students who feel out of place. “I know there are a lot of people who struggle with interacting with people,” he said, “and I feel like this is a good practice because they have an excuse to talk to me because they see the suit.

“I’ve had people say to me that they’ve gotten a lot more social with people because of just talking to me,” Spider-Man continued. “It’s honestly been great hearing that they’re doing better.”

Spider-Man’s adventures have had a positive impact on him as well. A highlight of his semester was meeting Gov. Ned Lamont at the recent College Democrats rally on campus. He actually shouted me out during the rally. He even pointed at me.”

Responses to Spider-Man’s appearances around campus have been mostly positive. “It’s been really fun,” he said. “Everyone has fun with it.” For some people, it might be too much fun, as Spider -Man’s friend recently told him someone fainted when they saw him. He doesn’t know if he believes this, but regardless, the power of his presence is undeniable.

According to Spider-Man, Eastern needs a hero because college life can be a difficult adjustment for students who are far from home or who struggle socially. “Having this, something fun to look forward to on Fridays, really helps.”

Spider-Man’s outings have led him to make positive connections with members of the Eastern community. “I’ve met a lot of great people around campus that I would’ve never met,” he said. “It’s just been great going around, doing my thing, and making people’s day. That’s what it’s all about.”