A week ago, Marvel Comics released 'Amazing Spider-Man 700' a milestone issue to mark the 50th year of Spider-Man.
I'm still waiting for them to call the issue back and republish another version of it, because what they did was simply disrespectful of a character who has been responsible for so much of Marvel's success and public campaigning.
Spoilers Ahead.
To jump right into it, ASM 698 began a story arc in which we discover that Doctor Octopus, long time foe of Spider-Man is on his death bed. However, as the story progresses, we see, that Spider-Man doesn't seem to be his happy, witty self. He's almost reflective on his current position, something we've never really seen. Doc Ock is officially labeled to be dying and his dying breaths hold the words: Peter Parker. This calls Spider-Man to the scene and that's where we get a surprise, Doctor Octopus, is now in Spider-Man's body.
Peter Parker is in the dying body of Doctor Octopus.
Two issues later, Peter, after valiantly fighting to retake his body, is alas unable to - Peter Parker, dies.
He does not die in a physical form, no, that body is still occupied by Otto Octavius. But he dies in the body of Doctor Octopus.
Personally, I have no problem with Marvel killing characters, it's been a tradition for comic book publishers since the epic Death of Superman in 1992. Publishers use the death of characters to revamp the title, introduce new characters, etc. We saw this when they killed Steve Rogers, Johnny Storm and Matt Murdock, but you can't keep a good character down, and all these characters inevitibly saw the light of day again.
What makes me believe that a resurrection isn't in the book for Spider-Man is because, there is still a Spider-Man. It's just not the Spider-Man that we know.
See, when all these other characters have died, it's been in battle, they have wanted to live and thus, their resurrection seems justified as their job is not completed (A-la Gandalf) however, in ASM 700, Peter dies for 3 minutes and he visits a sort of heaven, where he is told by Uncle Ben that all he has to do is fight one last time, and then he can pass the mantle of Spider-Man. The character despite, possibly wanting to live and do good, is being told that you can rest after you put Otto in his place.
This mindset is what makes me believe that Peter may not want to return from the void.
And even if he does, how would he? While other characters when killed have died with their bodies, Peter died in Doc Ock's body which means that even if he wanted to come back, he'd have to come back in that broken body.
It just seems like Marvel isn't really trying to keep the character alive.
I feel justified in saying this because, this isn't the only Peter Parker to have died. In the Ultimate Marvel Universe, Peter Parker died too. He was replaced by Miles Moralez, a Spider-Man that has a lot of potential as a character.
On that note, there is a huge difference in the way the death of Ultimate Peter Parker and normal Peter Parker turned out. Ultimate Peter had a heroes death, he saved Captain America by taking a bullet for him and then proceeded to save his family by single-handedly defeating the Sinister Six before succumbing to his wounds. That was an epic death, you could feel the tension in the comic and when it was over, you could breath and say, 'he went out with a bang.'
(I am purposely ignoring Peter's Death from the Other Arc as that's been put out of the current canon, but that was also brilliantly done, not for anything else, but because you could feel the emotions pouring off the pages.)
ASM 700, shoved Peter Parker out of the spotlight, completely unceremoniously. He didn't get a magnificent battle, he was shown the door and then pushed out of it. Peter in his last breaths showed his entire life to Otto Octavius, causing the villain to regret his decision to be trapped in that body, but making a promise to Spider-Man that he would uphold the name that Peter had created.
It seemed like a very truthful, honest promise, however in the immediate follow-up issue, 'Avenging Spider-Man 15.1', Otto is thrilled that he finally killed Spider-Man and seems to not really care about the promise he made Spider-Man.
Personally, I feel that it would have been particularly good if this arc took a page out of the Rebirth of Captain America and had one person, one lone person who knew the truth. They even placed that option on the table when Peter Parker (in Doc Ock's mind) meets Carlie Cooper (an old lover) and tells her what has happened. She doesn't believe him, but if at the end of the comic if she did realize the change it would have changed the entire story completely.
I don't know how sustainable this new Superior Spider-Man character seems, you have someone interacting on a regular basis with people who have known him for years and years as a different person. And people don't change overnight. Characters like Wolverine, Mary Jane and for that matter, Kane (Peter Parker's Clone) will naturally be confused as to a different attitude that Peter has. I mean for god's sake, is Mary Jane so in love with Peter (old peter, not new peter) that she is completely okay with being told 'Woman, be quiet!'.
I also read something interesting that in the event that Otto sleeps with Mary Jane (Something that he's had on his perverted little mind since he took over the body) it could be labelled as Rape.
You might need to pick up a copy of ASM 700 to get a better idea of how Marvel shunned Peter Parker, but I just feel that they've been so ungrateful to a character that has been responsible for the entire Marvel Universes popularity for the greater part of 50 years.
That's right, in the 90's the comic book heroes that everyone knew were, Superman and Spider-Man. Not even Batman was as popular as those two back then.
It's a shame that this is how Marvel rewards endless service and sacrifice. I'd hate to see what they do to employee's that quit...
I'm still waiting for them to call the issue back and republish another version of it, because what they did was simply disrespectful of a character who has been responsible for so much of Marvel's success and public campaigning.
Spoilers Ahead.
To jump right into it, ASM 698 began a story arc in which we discover that Doctor Octopus, long time foe of Spider-Man is on his death bed. However, as the story progresses, we see, that Spider-Man doesn't seem to be his happy, witty self. He's almost reflective on his current position, something we've never really seen. Doc Ock is officially labeled to be dying and his dying breaths hold the words: Peter Parker. This calls Spider-Man to the scene and that's where we get a surprise, Doctor Octopus, is now in Spider-Man's body.
Peter Parker is in the dying body of Doctor Octopus.
Two issues later, Peter, after valiantly fighting to retake his body, is alas unable to - Peter Parker, dies.
He does not die in a physical form, no, that body is still occupied by Otto Octavius. But he dies in the body of Doctor Octopus.
Personally, I have no problem with Marvel killing characters, it's been a tradition for comic book publishers since the epic Death of Superman in 1992. Publishers use the death of characters to revamp the title, introduce new characters, etc. We saw this when they killed Steve Rogers, Johnny Storm and Matt Murdock, but you can't keep a good character down, and all these characters inevitibly saw the light of day again.
What makes me believe that a resurrection isn't in the book for Spider-Man is because, there is still a Spider-Man. It's just not the Spider-Man that we know.
See, when all these other characters have died, it's been in battle, they have wanted to live and thus, their resurrection seems justified as their job is not completed (A-la Gandalf) however, in ASM 700, Peter dies for 3 minutes and he visits a sort of heaven, where he is told by Uncle Ben that all he has to do is fight one last time, and then he can pass the mantle of Spider-Man. The character despite, possibly wanting to live and do good, is being told that you can rest after you put Otto in his place.
And even if he does, how would he? While other characters when killed have died with their bodies, Peter died in Doc Ock's body which means that even if he wanted to come back, he'd have to come back in that broken body.
It just seems like Marvel isn't really trying to keep the character alive.
I feel justified in saying this because, this isn't the only Peter Parker to have died. In the Ultimate Marvel Universe, Peter Parker died too. He was replaced by Miles Moralez, a Spider-Man that has a lot of potential as a character.
On that note, there is a huge difference in the way the death of Ultimate Peter Parker and normal Peter Parker turned out. Ultimate Peter had a heroes death, he saved Captain America by taking a bullet for him and then proceeded to save his family by single-handedly defeating the Sinister Six before succumbing to his wounds. That was an epic death, you could feel the tension in the comic and when it was over, you could breath and say, 'he went out with a bang.'
(I am purposely ignoring Peter's Death from the Other Arc as that's been put out of the current canon, but that was also brilliantly done, not for anything else, but because you could feel the emotions pouring off the pages.)
ASM 700, shoved Peter Parker out of the spotlight, completely unceremoniously. He didn't get a magnificent battle, he was shown the door and then pushed out of it. Peter in his last breaths showed his entire life to Otto Octavius, causing the villain to regret his decision to be trapped in that body, but making a promise to Spider-Man that he would uphold the name that Peter had created.
It seemed like a very truthful, honest promise, however in the immediate follow-up issue, 'Avenging Spider-Man 15.1', Otto is thrilled that he finally killed Spider-Man and seems to not really care about the promise he made Spider-Man.
Personally, I feel that it would have been particularly good if this arc took a page out of the Rebirth of Captain America and had one person, one lone person who knew the truth. They even placed that option on the table when Peter Parker (in Doc Ock's mind) meets Carlie Cooper (an old lover) and tells her what has happened. She doesn't believe him, but if at the end of the comic if she did realize the change it would have changed the entire story completely.
I don't know how sustainable this new Superior Spider-Man character seems, you have someone interacting on a regular basis with people who have known him for years and years as a different person. And people don't change overnight. Characters like Wolverine, Mary Jane and for that matter, Kane (Peter Parker's Clone) will naturally be confused as to a different attitude that Peter has. I mean for god's sake, is Mary Jane so in love with Peter (old peter, not new peter) that she is completely okay with being told 'Woman, be quiet!'.
I also read something interesting that in the event that Otto sleeps with Mary Jane (Something that he's had on his perverted little mind since he took over the body) it could be labelled as Rape.
 |
| That's a 70 year old man, in a 30-ish man's body, kissing Mary Jane. And she has NO IDEA. |
That's right, in the 90's the comic book heroes that everyone knew were, Superman and Spider-Man. Not even Batman was as popular as those two back then.
It's a shame that this is how Marvel rewards endless service and sacrifice. I'd hate to see what they do to employee's that quit...
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