Three days after he was arrested for allegedly punching a woman in Times Square, Spider-Man (or, more accurately, a man who dresses up as Spider-Man in Times Square for a living) is now accusing the same woman, a mother of two, of attacking him first with a snowball. It was only after the snowball attack, according to Spider-Man, that he punched the woman to defend himself.
The incident began last Sunday, when Spider-Man (real name: Philip Williams) asked the mom for money after he posed for a picture with her two children. She said, "Sorry, I don't have any money." Williams apparently replied, "You're crap," and then one of two things happened: According to prosecutors, Williams punched the mom, but, according to Williams's attorney, she attacked him first (with the snowball).
Making things more complicated: the woman initially confronted the wrong Spider-Man after leaving the scene to get her husband.
"A woman came to me and said, ‘What did you do to me, you f—ker?' " said another Times Square Spidey, who wouldn't give his name.
The mom and her husband then went to the correct Spider-Man and began fighting. Williams is facing charges of assault and harassment. But more shamefully, he's threatened the livelihood of other weirdos dressed as super heroes and cartoon characters in Times Square, a profession that was already struggling after last summer's Jew-hating Elmo in Central Park.
"Getting arrested isn't good for any of us," said Times Square worker Christian, who dresses as Big Bird. "It makes us all look bad."
[Gothamist//Photo via andreasdantz]