Comic fans fume as Marvel erases Spidey-MJ marriage

[happywonton]

Comic fans fume as Marvel erases Spidey-MJ marriage

Those who know Spider-Man only from Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst in the movies might be surprised to learn that in the comic book, the web-spinning hero has been married for almost 21 years.

That's why the comic world is in an uproar over Marvel Comics' decision to undo the marriage of Peter Parker and red-haired bombshell Mary Jane Watson, reversing two decades of storytelling.

In Amazing Spider-Man #545 last week, Peter and Mary Jane make a tearful deal with the devil-like character Mephisto: In exchange for saving Aunt May's life, Mephisto erases all traces of the Peter-Mary Jane marriage from memory.

In the issue out this week, subtitled Brand New Day, Peter Parker returns to his roots — young, nerdy and single. Aunt May is alive and well and Mary Jane is again just part of the cast. The marriage never happened.

"People are very upset. They erased a lot of stuff that had been set in stone," says John Newman, manager of Ultimate Comics in Chapel Hill, N.C., on Wednesday as customers came in to buy the opening chapter of Brand New Day. To help emphasize the new start, Amazing Spider-Man will go thrice-monthly.

"We knew it would be a very controversial thing to do," says Joe Quesada, Marvel's editor in chief, who believed so much in the project that he drew the crucial issues himself. "Looking into the future, this is really the right thing to do for the long-term health of the character."

Spider-Man, created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko in 1962, was a hit, connecting with young readers because he was a geeky teenager, shy with girls and uncertain of how to use his powers. But in 1987, Peter and Mary Jane, by then a fashion model, got married. Marvel had instant regrets.

"I remember editors and editors in chief lamenting that a married Spider-Man was not where we want to be," Quesada says. "A married Peter Parker makes for a less interesting soap opera than a single Peter Parker going about his nerdy kind of life."

Writers tried everything: The couple separated for a while. She miscarried. And in a much-criticized story line, Marvel tried to convince readers that Peter Parker had not gotten married, but his clone. That didn't stick, either. Then Quesada took over and insisted the marriage just couldn't continue.

"Nobody wants to read about a married Spider-Man," says Craig Shutt, a columnist for Comics Buyers Guide. "But in the short run, it's a terrible idea. It disrespects the readers by saying everything they read is wrong."

At DC Comics, Superman is married to Lois Lane, disrupting that title's long-standing tensions. DC declined to comment for this story.

Quesada is steadfast that for Spider-Man, the move is the right one: "Ultimately we have to do this to keep this character fresh for this generation and generations to come."

Source: USA Today

What the fuck? That's one of the things that made the comic "normal." The main character, in a relationship, and saving the world. Now, single nerd without MARY JANE. Her name itself reminds me of something else I liked too. What the hell?

[AYHJA]

LOL..!!!

I kind of agree, I mean, isn't the best Peter Parker the teenage one..? Shit man, don't let me talk to much shit, I don't even read the spidey comics...But from a casual fan's point of view, Spider-Man doesn't need the same kind of relationship dynamic as say, A Clark Kent and Lois Lane...A nerd and a supermodel..? Hmm...Mary Jane, the hot girl next door to me seems like a much better draw...And should definitely give more angles to tell stories...

[Sir Jig-A-Lot]

I read of this a few days back. & just as i was gonna get back into buying comics. now fuck that shit! this move is just disrespecting all the fans that have bought the Spidey titles the last 2 decades & longer. i always respected the fact that Marvel grew some balls & allowed the webslinger to get hitched. as well as being a good match for each other, the fact he was married just added to the many personal life dramas Peter already had. it added more to his appeal that he had a shitload of personal crisis to get through than your average superhero & still managed to defeat supervillains.

As for having a younger unmarried Spidey, that faggot Quesada already had one in the Ultimate Universe. that was the point of creating it: to give the readers a choice of younger,hipper & more realistic versions of their more popular heroes.

I think the wallcrawler's nuptials inspired DC to get ballsy in their own right by having the Kryptonian do it.

This "mystical" annulment (he had the Marvel equivalent of Satan called Mephisto do it) of Peter & Mary Jane i see is just Quesada backtracking & erasing the fact the character revealed his ID to the world during the recent Civil War storyline. it is hypocrisy to the nth degree as fucking Quesada stated about 2 years ago there were to be NO MORE RETCONS of major characters @ Marvel. not to mention a major slap in the face to all the peeps that bought Spidey titles the last 21 years.

Ube - imagine if you will: that all the Kal comics you bought for however long (i'm guessing it's been many years) suddenly didnt count in the DC canon. i'd imagine you'd be pissed too.

[AYHJA]

Well, us fans have had our few moments of being disgruntled, first, they killed him...And then after that, the whole Superman Red/Blue thing they had going where they completely changed his powers..He and Lois went through their own moments...I don't know man, I guess by now I've just grown accustomed to them changing things, me kinda hating it at first, but then getting into the stories that I forget why I'm mad...Plus, its comics...If that bottom line starts to take a hit, the PP and MJ bond will mystically resurface...

[Sir Jig-A-Lot]

Fuck i hated all that red,blue & robot supermen shit that followed after The Death Of Superman. Kal went out like a champ. they should have at least left him dead a few years in comictime (so maybe a decade in our time). then his resurrection would have been that much more powerful. let's hope you are right. i too believe the sales of the spidertitles will plummet. then quesada will have to eat serious crow. i can't believe i'm pissed about comics at my age..lol

[Sir Jig-A-Lot]

[center]Comic Fan reaction from across the board
:laff: I LUV IT! WATCH..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyw0fVFx ... re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtjGKDKC ... re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDF52sDD_78&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aa9ygMEq ... re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHxqGYUs ... re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sex2ATYs ... re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGe-xJFI ... re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ymJB377 ... re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-icymdj ... re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83rKJjU7 ... re=related

[/center]

[happywonton]

Hahahahahaha. That 3rd link was the best.

[Sir Jig-A-Lot]

Just added more up there.
& here's what one of the guys i posted up there thinks of the new rebooted Spider-Man series:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S558dnoJ ... re=related
CDR! :laff: i luv the song & outro!
& i wish & hope this guy's theory is true
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNpq_85B ... re=related
i doubt it though..

[raum]

This is my problem with comics in general. A good story is NOT neverending. A good story isn't just a bunch of rehashed do-overs. The bulk of the "talent" in the comic world just pull shit out they ass to keep the issues coming of a character, not a story. It's not even always the same person. One dude humanized Peter by getting him married, someone else hates that idea and plays somekind of bullshit to make the devil "undo" the marriage. someone else will make another change, then it will suck, and next thing you know - time to revisit his childhood again. *groan*

Overall, It's like some kind of autistic "story chain" perpetuated with one rule: make money and get readers.

I thought IMAGE was supposed to be the end of all that... heh, right.

[Sir Jig-A-Lot]

I call the whole deal Lame Editorial Mandate.
Quesada is behaving like the character belongs to him & fuck all the fans.