Taking a cue from Sony episode, how squeaky clean are our public heroes?

Hacking often leads to unintended revelations, uncomfortable details and unexpected casualties, as recent events in India and the UK demonstrate. That there is absolutely no telling who gets affected by the aftermath is also aptly illustrated by Sony’s recently hacked emails revealing that Marvel Comics insisted in 2011 that Peter Parker should be straight, white and squeaky clean, though his superhero alter ego Spider-Man could have more leeway on some identity issues.

No humanitarian grounds could obviously be ascribed to the reason for this contentious communication but why they opted for confidentiality at the time is apparent. On the face of it, no laws were overtly broken either, but the fact that Marvel could set such controversial terms for old franchise buddies Sony and Spidey, away from the public eye, is worrisome.

It must be noted, though, that their friendship had been strained recently due to events not in their control: the poor showing by Sony’s The Amazing Spider-Man 2. The fallout of these revelations will need careful handling as the public does not take kindly to hidden conditionalities. Explanations will be demanded and should be given by the relevant people at the earliest with an eye to the future. As Spider-Man was told by his Uncle Ben, "With great power comes great responsibility".