Greetings Crawlspacer’s!  Your lovable, sarcastic, Chi-Town Spidey here, inviting you to theorize AND speculate with me.

Look folks, I’m going to be completely honest, I debated on whether I should or not post this article.  Like most Spider-Man fans out there, I hated One More day.  Like ALL Mary Jane Watson (Parker) fans I DESPISED IT!  When it comes to “Most Hated Spider-Man comics”, this has certainly made #1.  A lot of reason where given on why this story happened, all reason fell flat like a bad fart.  They thought that we would forget about it and move on.  Nope.  After more than a decade we are still hear COMPLAINING about it.  That it needs to be fixed, undone, written off completely and after 12 issues of Amazing Spider-Man written by Nick Spencer the the events of Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #1…it has been speculated that..it MAY be coming down to that after all.  So let’s ask ourselves…

Is Marvel undoing One More Day?!
Yes, please…

That’s a powerful image right there, isn’t it?  That’s an image us Spidey-Fans have been waiting to see for a LONG time.  Now, you can click on OMD to see what that is all about if you need a refresher course, it’s not fun btw.  O.M.I.T is the sequel that was suppose to explain everything, it didn’t.  I’m just going to theorize on the facts of what we have read so far MAY lead to this undoing.  Speculate on the possible outcomes in future issues.  The Crawlspace isn’t the ONLY website doing this by the way.  CBR has their thoughts on it which you can check out here.  Over at Newsarama shared their thoughts on the events that happened in FNSM.

So let’s look at what we have read so far.  Again this speculation and theory is based on facts on what we have seen so far.  In Amazing Spider-Man #1 there a few references.  When we reviewed this first issue in our podcast, The Review Show, our very own George Berryman used the term “Meta Message” which means “self-referential”.  Spencer’s first issue seemed to be addressing the fans anger of what was happening in ASM over the last ten years and doing it wrapped inside Peter’s own thoughts.  I thought I highlight a few of them.

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Meta Message #1:  “..It’ feels like something is missing”  Something missing like a wedding ring??!    That panel could have been addressed or drawn a different way, but was Spencer hinting fans to see that? Was Ottley ask to specifically draw her hand with Peter’s inner monologue in play?  Yes, that is her left hand.  Yes that is where a wedding ring is supposed to be worn.  Story tellers have a way to place “seeds” in their story telling.  It’s actually a clever way to prove that this had been their plan all along when reaching future issues plot point.  It’s also a rewarding experience for both the writer and the reader.  Judging by this panel alone it does make you think.  We all know that Peter and Mary Jane get back together at the end of this first issue, but is this a subtle way of Spencer telling us that the marriage is coming back?  “..It’ feels like something is missing” monologue in play and MJ’s hand where a wedding band should be.  Kinda gets you to think if Spencer is actually going that route, which would make this particular Spider-Man Fan, VERY happy.

 

Meta Message #2:  “…but to do this and to do it RIGHT, I NEED YOU.”  In the panel to your right you see Peter pouring out his heart to Mary Jane.  After taking down Mysterio, ol’ fish bowel head said a few things that triggered Peter to realize something.  Something very important he had to do right away.  It wasn’t telling Aunt May he’s Spider-Man which he should have done after he saw how disappointed she was in him due the fraudulent charge he is now facing.  It wasn’t trying to find a new job after he was fired from the Bugle.  Wasn’t even trying to find a way to prove his innocence to ESU in some way or fashion.  The FIRST thing he did was swing on over to Mary Jane and confess something that he felt he needed to do.  With good reason!  This panel you could read over and over and over but what Peter is saying and what the inner monologue is telling, should point out that this is indeed happening!  Peter NEEDS Mary Jane in his life. Peter seems very much in character here. It’s a very nice homage to the spider-marriage fans/old fans and I can see Spencer seeding this into play on future issues.  Peter can’t be Spider-Man properly unless Mary Jane is with him.  He needs her to do it right.  He needs Mary Jane to ground him and to make it all worth while.  He feels as a scientist and in his heart that Mary Jane is the key.  Why else would Spencer make a whole page of this?!  You turn to the next page and there’s a big smooch from MJ.  It broke the internet the day when this issue came out!

 

Meta Message #3: “This is OUR STORY.  It’s ALWAYS has been.”  Mary Jane ACKNOWLEDGES IT!  Its the first time I have seen Mary Jane completely written in character since JMS or even Renew Your Vows.  It’s also Spencer saying that this is no tease, no carrot for the bunny to chase, it’s actually happening.  We are going this route because the fan HAVE demanded it.  I have talked to C.B. Cebulski at C2E2 last year and when I asked if Peter and Mary Jane are getting back together he just smiled and said “I can’t tell you, you just have to read.”  After seeing that last page I knew we were under good leadership.  What Mary Jane is saying, I believe, the entire Spider-Office is saying.  It’s a power image with power dialogue.  “We’re in this TOGETHER.”  Nick Lowe even wrote a letter at the end of this issue stating how secretive this issue had to be.  Why so secretive on this matter?  Simple we know it’s a hot topic everyone wants and after not seeing that within a decade, it was a very pleasant surprise to see.  He and the rest of the creative team behind this book KNEW that this is what the fans wanted and have been wanting.

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In Amazing Spider-Man #2 by Spencer we see Spider-Man stopping a book fair robbery and taking off in a very good mood because Mary Jane is back in her life.  The pillow talk dialogue between the two do indicate a few points.

Meta Message #4: They both are embracing their rekindled relationship as a “Fresh Start” and enjoying it one day at a time.  It’s Spencer’s way of telling us that this is indeed happening and without rushing to any conclusions to just sit back and enjoy the ride.  Peter is concerned that Spider-Man always gets in their way when it comes to their relationship but MJ assures him that she okay with it and is taking this journey one step at a time and is going to enjoy every minute of it.  It’s also worthy to note that maybe Mary Jane knows something has been “off” with the universe and being with Peter feels “right”.

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Meta Message #5: In Amazing Spider-Man #5, Spencer once again clarifies the dangers that Mary Jane may have to go through through Mary Jane’s dialogue.  You need acknowledgement on how she was written over the last ten years.  She states the the burden of being Spider-Man’s significant other did push her away but is also the reason why she kept coming back.  Its as if Spencer is saying the good outweighs the bad and MJ has recently realized that.  It’s such a meta message about this power couple.  Peter and Mary Jane are basically supposed to be together like Superman is to Lois Lane.

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Meta Message #6:  In Amazing Spider-Man #9, Mary Jane is having some coffee and talking to another one of Peter’s ex’s Carlie Cooper.  Without getting into full detail about that character, she too had trouble with Peter being Spider-Man.  She pretty much freaked out once it starting interfering with her life and she couldn’t handle it and didn’t want to.   Carlie started going to a support group to help her deal with this and was suggesting the same for Mary Jane.  When Carlie asks on who is going to be there for MJ when she needs someone, Mary Jane states the right answer  “HE IS”  It’s as if Spencer answers the question.  “Carlie is OUT, Mary Jane is IN to STAY.”

 

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Meta Message #7:  Mary Jane takes Carlie’s advice and checks out the support group.  She’s a strong character, but even she can second guess herself.  In Amazing Spider-Man issue #10 Spencer really cements Mary Jane and Peter relationship.  Mary Jane is very much indispensable when it comes to Peter/Spider-Man.  To me, Spencer is stating one last time.  This isn’t a tease.  This isn’t a trick.  This IS HAPPENING.  It’s what you have been wanting for awhile now, enjoy!  Spencer is writing Mary Jane in character given her history with Peter.  It’s a reinsurance that she’s here to stay and can’t be replaced.  It’s even more rewarding that Peter is completely honest with her and let’s her know everything that is going on in his spidey-world.  He’s he talks about how he revealed his secret to The Black Cat.  Peter and MJ are handled so well in the last of this issue.  A real adult relationship which was one of the things missing in a Spider-Man book.

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Nick Spencer isn’t the only one that is on board with this.  Tom Taylor over at Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man has been following suite and drops a bigger bombshell in his very first issue!

Aunt May may be dying!  In OMD, despite the best minds in the world (Reed Richards, Tony Stark, Hank Pym), no one could figure out how to save Aunt May from a bullet wound.  So the deal was made to Mephisto.  Exchange Peter and MJ’s marriage in order to save Aunt May’s life.  So she was saved and Peter and MJ became single again.  Don’t try to understand the logic of OMD…you’ll hurt yourself.  Yes, this happened in Civil War and Peter was a “fugitive” at the time, but Stark and team did owe him.  This could be the “monkey’s paw” theory.  Sure she was magically saved, but years later she would get cancer.  Many have speculated that now that Peter and MJ are back together the deal is being “undone”, so now Aunt May has to die.  Mephisto wanted Peter/MJ marriage, they aren’t married, they are just back together.  Let’s focus on Aunt May here.  If she knew about the OMD deal, she would have never accepted for Peter and Mary Jane to agree.  She actually would have been very disappointed if she knew the truth.  Aunt May just wants the best for Peter and even Mary Jane.  She’s the one, with the help of Anna Watson, that set them up!!!  Not sure if this what Taylor has planned, but having Aunt May die could bring Peter and Mary Jane even closer together.  She’s the type of woman that would sacrifice herself for her nephew’s happiness.  She already knows she lived a great life and yes, the comics and movies have made her younger, she’s not getting any younger.  She wants Peter to be happy and she loves Mary Jane.  If she has to go in order for that to happen…yeah, she will.  Also, she stood up the the Kingpin, who was the person responsible for the sniper shot.  She can take anything and will usually come out winning in the end.  She even acknowledges the fact that Mary Jane is the reason Peter is happy and upbeat despite what he’s going through.

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The third Secret Wars came out in 2015.  A bunch of mini’s went out and one of them was Renew Your Vows.  The story evolved around what if OMD NEVER happened.  Peter being married to Mary Jane and a kid named Annie May Parker.  The series took off and was the MOST successful out of any other Mini’s that came out.  That being the case, once Secret Wars ended and Spider-Verse was already established RYV went to a second volume!  This series was “to test the waters” per say.  In my opinion Marvel was testing out to see if this was indeed what Spidey-fans wanted.  Being the most successful and going into a second volume it’s a safe bet the Spider-Fans spoke out.  The second volume made it to 23 issues before it was canceled.  It lives on in the Spider-Verse story lines, but there’s now no need for it if Peter and Mary Jane are BACK in ASM and FNSM.

 

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Even before Secret Wars and Renew Your Vows, Spider-Man/Deadpool had already became a very popular read among fans.  The crazy antics of both fan favorites heroes was a win in Marvel.  Here’s the thing though…they keep referencing and poking fun of OMD in that book.  It’s not really part of continuity of the core titles, just a fun book to read, but one can’t help that some writers at Marvel keep bringing up OMD when it’s original purpose was to “forget and move on”.    Here’s some shining examples of that.

Could this have been a foretold tale that’s about to come or is Marvel just having fun on a sensitive subject to THE most hated Spider-Man Story?  Even in Silver Surfer when Spidey teams up with him.  It’s not the real Mephisto, but something feel good about punching him…

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Now that you’ve seen the current title and what they are doing and the past references on the titles before.  What do you think?  Is Marvel undoing One More Day.  The fan reaction to Peter being back in a loving relationship with Mary Jane has been very positive among fans and readers.  Both Spencer and Taylor are loving the positive responses of their titles.  My opinion?  It’s a possibility.  I can’t say “Yes, FOR SURE!”, that’s jumping the gun.  Even though I want it, setting myself up for disappointment is something I don’t look forward to.  Spencer just wants us to enjoy the ride on his title and I am.  Taylor, the same way, he’s off to a good start.  “Nope, been burnt before.”  Sadly Marvel has teased us before and we should expect too much, but this is a fresh start under new leadership.  So I’m on the possibility train with hopes that it gets undone.

My Conclusion: Tom King over at DC is marrying off Batman and Catwoman and #50 came to a shock to everyone, but it explains WHY it’s a shock and he’s got fifty more issues to go in his 100 issue run.  I’m betting when n#100 comes around, Batman and Catwoman get married.  So how can Marvel compete with a well known power couple that fans have been demanding for them to tie the knot.  By having one of their well known power couple FIX what’s been broken.  The real death of Aunt May and how that triggered Peter and Mary Jane marriage restored.  That would definitely work with a head to head race against DC wouldn’t it?  You could be asking “Hold up Chi-Town, Dan Slott went on a rant about this thing, saying it will NEVER be restored.”  Very true, but Dan Slott has also said that “Peter is DEAD and NEVER is coming back!” and look how that turned out. When Slott left Amazing he is quoted “I LIE, that’s what Storytellers do!!!”  I prefer Tom Hanks definition to story telling when he played Walt Disney in the movie Saving Mr. Banks.  “Now, maybe not in life but in imagination.  Because that what we storytellers do.  We restore order in imagination.  We install hope again and again and again.”

Spencer and Taylor are doing a bang up job and you all should just sit back and enjoy this ride.  So far, all of us are.  Still I want to hear YOUR thoughts, tell me what you think?  Yes? No? Maybe?  Are you hoping and just happy with what it is right now?