Anyone who loves superheroes and comic books has probably seen the newest trailer for Captain America: Civil War. If you haven’t, spoiler alert: Spider-man shows up.

I love Spider-man. I love him so much, in fact, that I wrote my Common App college essay on why I love Spider-man. I banked my future educational and career success on my favorite web-swinging, wise-cracking superhero. In honor of his appearance in the final Captain America: Civil War trailer, I present the Top 8 reasons why Spider-man is the best Avenger. (So maybe I’m a little biased. Sue me (but please don’t)).

Disclaimer: I love Miles, but for clarity’s sake, I am referring to Peter Parker as Spider-man throughout this list.

He’s Everyone’s Best Friend

The Avengers love Spider-man. Seriously, not one person on the ever-rotating lineup has a real grudge against the guy. Why? Because they know that despite the perpetual smear campaign against him, he’s got a heart of gold tucked away behind all his insecurities and ill-timed (perfectly timed?) jokes. He’s everyone’s bro—Johnny Storm, Daredevil, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, Jessica Jones, Iron Man, Wolverine (and that guy hates everyone), etc. I mean, Deadpool is practically in love with the guy, much to Spider-man’s grief. Captain America (Rogers) even said that he respects Spider-man. That’s a hefty honor. Ms. Marvel (Carol Danvers now as Captain Marvel) once had a crush on him! Iron Man may be the de facto leader of the team and Captain America may be the moral compass of the team, but Spider-man is the heart and glue of the team. He’s like the younger brother of the team—they love to tease him, but no one gets to mess with him besides them.

He’s a People Person

Despite having an infamously turbulent relationship with the public, Spider-man always tries to put the safety of civilians first. Perhaps this is because he knows he can rely on his teammates to take care of the bigger threats while he focuses on getting normal people out of harm’s way. I wouldn’t call him street-level per se (because, really, how many times has the guy been in outer space), but he’s definitely more grounded than the rest of the team.

His secret identity and double life as regular old Peter Parker allows him to empathize with fear, uncertainty, and even selfishness and self-preservation to a degree. One example I vividly recall is in Avengers vs X-men #1 when Nova (Sam Alexander) accidently crashes into a plane while crash landing on Earth to warn the Avengers of the coming Phoenix Force. While Thor, Iron Man, and Ms. Marvel focused on gathering the larger pieces of falling debris, Spider-man instinctively focuses on saving the plane passengers plummeting to their deaths instead.

He’s Relatable

He’s broke, under-valued, and crippled with anxiety over the future. Voice of the generation.

He’s a True Team Player

In a team full of big personalities and even bigger egos, Spider-man’s humility and lack of pretension is a welcomed breath of fresh air. He’s happy to let the big wigs take charge and decide on the next course of action. This makes him an excellent teammate and team player. Of course, that’s not to say he won’t speak up when he recognizes a very bad idea or some gross injustice, but he isn’t narcissistic enough to demand attention or obedience. In his eyes, he’s small and insignificant compared to the “true heroes” on the team, so he’s not focused on dealing final blows. Rather, he focuses on the less glamorous positions and supporting the other members of the team—assisting in any capacity he can. Spider-man is happy to play a supporting role in a large ensemble cast in which everyone else is fighting to be the lead.

He’s Really Uncool in the Best Way Possible

Spider-man screams dork. No explanation needed.

He’s the Class Clown

Anyone who knows 616 Spider-man knows he’s not the sad borderline emo skater-hipster that Andrew Garfield and The Amazing Spider-man franchise wants us to believe. Is he prone to moping, complaining and feeling sorry for himself? Definitely, but he’s not exactly angst-ridden. In fact, fans of his comics know him to be a witty, wise-cracking smarty pants who’s always got a joke up his sleeve, whether it’s to relieve tension, make an awkward situation a little less (more?) awkward, or cover up any discomfort he might be feeling. His presence always seems to help alleviate whatever stress or tension the team might be feeling and shine some light in an otherwise dark corner. Most importantly, Spider-man uses his humor to boost team morale and makes the team a fun place to be, even when the battles they're fighting are anything but funny.

He’s Really, Really Smart

It’s sort of a given that Peter Parker is smart—he majored in biophysics as an undergraduate and began a doctorate in biochemistry, which he’s been too busy as the most in-demand superhero ever to finish. He’s a science whiz, excelling in almost every scientific field there is—chemistry, physics, biology, you name it. While his exact intellect compared to other notable geniuses in the Marvel Universe has been debated, he’s definitely one of the smartest out there.

Unlike Tony Stark, Reed Richard, Hank Pym, T'Challa, Hank McCoy, Amadeus Cho, Dr. Doom and Bruce Banner who all have some degree of “Genius-level” intellect in various fields, Peter never got the chance to develop himself scientifically until very recently, partly because of his financial situation and partly because of his heroics as Spider-man. He never focused on developing his scientific capabilities, and for that reason, he lags behind his peers. In spite of that disadvantage, however, Peter’s intelligence is no joke—he was the second person behind Reed Richards to discover the eponymous Parker Particles and was able to make web shooters as a high schooler in his basement that even Tony Stark to this day cannot replicate exactly. McCoy, Richards, and Pym have all commented upon Peter’s staggering intellectual potential, and both Richards and Pym have lamented over his wasted genius because he’s too busy punching bad guys all the time. That being said, when he’s not hiding behind his smart mouthing attitude, Peter’s intelligence, creativity, and adaptability has helped save the Avengers and the galaxy in numerous cosmic crunches.

He’s a Hustler

Spider-man isn’t exactly the most powerful superhero out there. He doesn’t have the omega-level powers of his peers. When it comes down to it, his main powers are his webs, his spider-sense, his enhanced reflexes and strength and his ability to climb walls.

While awesome to you or me, in the world of superheroes, it’s fairly…standard. So how can he possible hang in the big leagues with the likes of Thor, Hulk, and Iron Man? Because he’s creative. Deep down, he’s still that same scrappy guy who made homemade webshooters using spare parts and some WD-40 in his basement. Whereas other superheroes have big powers, big money, or big governments helping them climb their way up the superhero hierarchy, Spidey has only his resourcefulness and his brains. He takes whatever he’s got, whatever situation he’s in, and he uses them to the best of their ability and to his best advantage. It’s that same ingenuity, hustle, and resourcefulness that has propelled him up the ranks of the superhero world and earned him membership to the most coveted and elite squad there is in the Marvel Universe.